Coal mining in Chile

Location of selected mines and deposits.

In Chile, coal mining is restricted to a few places located in its southern half (Zona Sur and Zona Austral). Energy originating from coal stands for 11,6% of Chile's electricity consumption.[1] Currently the country is not considered a major producer of coal.[2]

The three zones of mining are Biobío Region, Los Ríos Region and Magallanes Region in southernmost Chile.[1]

Biobío Region

See also: Arauco Basin

In Biobío Region, large scale mining begun in the mid-19th century.[3] Lota's coal mines were nationalized by Salvador Allende due to civil unrest and heavy Socialist support, but privatized again under Augusto Pinochet.[4] Traditionally the centre of coal mining in Chile, large-scale coal mining in Arauco Basin ended in the 1990s.[5] Given a high density of geological faults that have displaced the coal beds and the thin nature of these (less than one metre) mining activity in Arauco Basin has proven difficult to mechanize.[6]

Los Ríos Region

Coal mining in Los Ríos Region halted after an underground fire in 2001.[1]

Magallanes Region

In Magallanes Region, Riesco Island is being investigated for new projects.[5] Coal was first discovered in Magallanes Region by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa who visited the Straits of Magellan in 1584.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carbon. CNE. Accessed on September 10. 2012.
  2. ↑ Coal Mining in Chile - Overview
  3. ↑ Endlicher, Wilfried. 1986. Desarrollo Histórico-genético y División Funcional del Centro Carbonífero. Revista de Geografía Norte Grande.
  4. ↑ Clifford Krauss, Chile's Leader Remains Socialist but Acts Like Pragmatist, Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company. December 10, 2001, Monday, Late Edition - Final
  5. 1 2 Explotacion Reservas. CNE. Accessed on September 10. 2012.
  6. ↑ Carbón mantiene su sitial en Chile
  7. ↑ Martinic, Mateo. 2004. LA MINERÍA DEL CARBÓN EN MAGALLANES ENTRE 1868 - 2003. Historia.
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