Market Intelligence
Mining Equipment and Machinery Chile

Chile Mining and Rare Earth Elements

In the last decade, geochemical studies found that rare earth elements (REE) and other rare chemical elements present in tailings deposits, which are crucial for production of electric vehicles, batteries, and renewable energy systems. In Chile, tailings from extractive metal mining have mostly come from copper and gold. According to a survey by Chile’s Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (Sernageomin), mining activity has generated 757 tailing deposits with sizes ranging from 300 tons to 2,100 million tons. Yearly tailings production is measured at 600 million tons.  Of this total, over 400 deposits have been studied, although data is preliminary. Despite a lack of comprehensive geochemical studies of REEs, preliminary data shows an average concentration of at least 0.01%.  The same Sernageomin study also shows that the average ore grade for copper tailings deposits is 0.82%, a concentration above the current 0.6% average of current copper mining operations. 

There are specific concession opportunities for companies that have capabilities to process the minerals present in abandoned tailings deposits. EcoMetales, a subsidiary of state-owned miner Codelco, is co-financing a project with Chilean economic development agency, Corfo, to recover waste from iron ore mining in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions. According to a study by the University of Chile, mining companies, academia, and research centers will be the most important organizations developing secondary and poly-metallic mining equipment. In addition, the study predicts that reagent suppliers, laboratories, environmental consulting firms, and university and technical training will need to adapt from traditional mining practices to RREs unique traits.  

The specific RREs found by the Sernageomin study are the following:  

  • Praseodymium (P),  
  • Neodymium (Nd), 
  • Samarium (YE),  
  • Europium (Eu),  
  • Gadolinium (Ga),  
  • Terbium (Tb),  
  • Dysprosium (Dy),  
  • Holmium (Ho),  
  • Erbium (Er),  
  • Thulium (Tm),  
  • Ytterbium (Yb),  
  • Lutetium (Lu).   

Additional chemical elements found are the following:  

  • Vanadium (V),  
  • Chromium (Cr),  
  • Cobalt (Co),  
  • Rubidium (Rb),  
  • Strontium (Sr),  
  • Yttrium (Y),  
  • Zirconium (Zr),  
  • Niobium (Nb),  
  • Barium (Ba), 
  • Scandium (Sc),  
  • Caesium (Cs),  
  • Hafnium (Hf),  
  • Tantalum (Ta),  
  • Thorium (Th),  
  • Uranium (U),  
  • Arsenic (As),  
  • Molybdenum (Mo) 

For more information, please contact marcelo.orellana@trade.gov.