Geology and resources

Mineral deposits and prospects of Chile

8,868 deposits and prospects of SERNAGEOMIN's national database: where they are, what resource they hold, how large they are and whether they are mined.

Deposits and prospects

8,868

7,436 metallic and 1,432 of industrial minerals.

Being mined

7,366

Those the database marks as exploited, small, artisanal and inactive ones included; the rest are in exploration or have no information.

With stated resources or reserves

1,957

Figures the geologists wrote down, with the units and grades as they wrote them.

SERNAGEOMIN SERNAGEOMIN

By principal resource

The first resource of each metallic deposit, and how many of them are mined.

Resource	Deposits	Mined
Cu	4,158	3,685
Au	2,216	1,675
Ag	409	382
Fe	321	271
Mn	110	85
Pb	70	44
U	39	6
Co	27	27
Zn	22	18
Cr	17	0
Ti	16	1
Mo	15	6
Sb	6	4
Hg	3	3

By size

Very large65
Large150
Medium391
Small5,484
No size information2,778

By region

Deposits and prospects by region, and how many are mined.

Atacama2,124 · 2,029
Coquimbo2,078 · 1,853
Antofagasta1,567 · 1,277
Valparaíso746 · 625
Metropolitana de Santiago552 · 545
Tarapacá399 · 334
La Araucanía287 · 54
Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins222 · 205
Los Lagos188 · 130
Maule172 · 70
Arica y Parinacota150 · 107
Biobío125 · 67
Aysén117 · 11
Magallanes76 · 20
Los Ríos39 · 26
Ñuble26 · 13

By deposit model

How the deposit formed, by SERNAGEOMIN's classification (only those that have one).

Placer389
Estratoligado de Cu (Tipo Manto)332
Cu-Au-Óxidos de Fe (IOCG)268
Epitermal de Baja Sulfuración221
Mesotermal187
Epitermal de Metales Preciosos98
Mesotermal de Au90
Mesotermal de Cu-Au80
Skarn68
Estratoligado de Mn39
Mesotermal de Cu38
Kiruna (Magnetita-Apatito)33

The largest

Those SERNAGEOMIN classes as very large or large, the mined ones first.

Deposit	Resources	Size	Status	Stated by SERNAGEOMIN	SERNAGEOMIN
ChuquicamataCalama · Antofagasta	Cu, Mo, Ag (Au)	Very large	Mined · Active	Resource: 6298 Mt · 0.62% Cu Reserve: Probadas: 793484056 t · A los 100m 1,5 % Cu soluble, a los 500m 1,7 % Cu soluble, bajo los 500m 1 % Cu soluble. CODELCO, 1971	SERNAGEOMIN
Don LuisLos Andes · Valparaíso	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined	—	SERNAGEOMIN
El SalvadorDiego de Almagro · Atacama	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
El TenienteMachalí · Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	Reserve: Probadas: 822000 t · 1,09 % de Cu	SERNAGEOMIN
La EscondidaAntofagasta · Antofagasta	Cu, Mo, Au	Very large	Mined	Reserve: Probadas: 380000000 t · 1,9 % Cu · Julio, 1983	SERNAGEOMIN
Los BroncesLo Barnechea · Metropolitana de Santiago	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	Reserve: Probadas: 1300 t · 1994	SERNAGEOMIN
Los PelambresSalamanca · Coquimbo	Cu, Au, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	Resource: 10.02 Mt Cu; 0.3252 Mt Mo; 49.5 t Au · 31-12-2012 Reserve: 9.165 Mt Cu; 0.297 Mt Mo; 44.64 t Au · 31-12-2012	SERNAGEOMIN
Radomiro TomicCalama · Antofagasta	Cu	Very large	Mined	Resource: 5731 Mt · 0.56% Cu	SERNAGEOMIN
Río BlancoLos Andes · Valparaíso	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	Resource: Medido: 2713000000 t; 19900000 t fino · 0,73 % Cu · 2014 Resource: Indicado: 2217000000 t ; 14700000 t fino · 0,66 % Cu · 2014 Resource: Inferido: 14908000000 t; 83000000 t · 0.59 % Cu · 2014 Reserve: Probadas: 939000000 t; 7245000 t fino · 0,77 % Cu · 2014 Reserve: Probables: 342000000 t; 2375000 t fino · 0,69 % Cu · 2014	SERNAGEOMIN
RosarioPica · Tarapacá	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	Resource: Medido: 8000 t · 2 % Cu · 1980	SERNAGEOMIN
SpenceSierra Gorda · Antofagasta	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined · Active	Resource: Inferido: 1.170 Mt · 0.39 % CuT y 86 ppm Mo · 2011 Resource: Indicado: 1.180 Mt · 0.46 % Cu y 148 ppm de Mo · 2011	SERNAGEOMIN
Sur SurLos Andes · Valparaíso	Cu, Mo	Very large	Mined	—	SERNAGEOMIN
AgustinasTierra Amarilla · Atacama	Cu, Fe, Au	Large	Mined · Active	Reserve: Probables: 630,5 t · 2,21 % Cu ; 50 g/t Ag ; 3 g/t Au · Previo a 2007	SERNAGEOMIN
AlcaparrosaTierra Amarilla · Atacama	Cu, Au, Ag	Large	Mined · Active	Resource: Medido: 2 % Cu Soluble · Previo a 2007	SERNAGEOMIN
Andacollo OroAndacollo · Coquimbo	Au	Large	Mined · Active	Resource: 33,97 t Au · Recursos Inferidos+Indicados al 01-04-2012 Reserve: Probadas: 4.85 t Au · 01-04-2012	SERNAGEOMIN
Aus Catorce 1 al 20Constitución · Maule	Fe	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Buena EsperanzaCopiapó · Atacama	Cu, Ag, Zn (Pb, Au)	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Candelaria Pit NorteTierra Amarilla · Atacama	Cu, Au, Fe	Large	Mined · Active	Resource: Medido: 400000000 t · 1,1% Cu ; 0,26 g/t Au ; 4,5 g/t Ag · Previo a 2007	SERNAGEOMIN
Candelaria Pit SurTierra Amarilla · Atacama	Cu, Au, Fe	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
CarmenDiego de Almagro · Atacama	Fe	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Carmen de AndacolloAndacollo · Coquimbo	Cu, Au	Large	Mined · Active	Resource: 0.3637 Mt Cu; 9.278 t Au · 31-12-2012 Recursos medidos e indicados Reserve: 1.714 Mt Cu; 56.03 T Au · 31-12-2012 Reservas Probadas y Probables	SERNAGEOMIN
CaseronesTierra Amarilla · Atacama	Cu, Mo	Large	Mined	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Cerro ColoradoPozo Almonte · Tarapacá	Cu, Mo	Large	Mined · Active	Reserve: Probadas: 344000000 t · 0,97 % Cu	SERNAGEOMIN
Cerro ImánCopiapó · Atacama	Fe	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Cerro Negro NorteCopiapó · Atacama	Fe	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Chañarcillo 1Copiapó · Atacama	Ag	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
ChilpeCamarones · Arica y Parinacota	Cu	Large	Mined · Inactive	Reserve: Probables: 10000000 t · 0,2 % Cu · 1980	SERNAGEOMIN
ConcordiaCoihaique · Aysén	Au, Zn, Pb	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
CoreaTaltal · Antofagasta	Cu	Large	Mined · Inactive	Resource: Inferido: 3000 t · 1 % Cu · 1971	SERNAGEOMIN
DamianaDiego de Almagro · Atacama	Cu	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Disputada 1 al 10Constitución · Maule	Cu	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
Doña RosaCoihaique · Aysén	Au, Zn, Pb	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
El AbraCalama · Antofagasta	Cu	Large	Mined · Inactive	Resource: Inferido: 88492000 t · 0,97 % Cu, óxido ; 0,98 % Cu, sulfuro Resource: Medido: 43226000 t · 0,81 % Cu, óxido ; 0,90 % Cu, sulfuro Reserve: Probadas: 154512000 t óxidos ; 183974000 t sulfuros (Para ley de corte de 0,4 % Cu) · 0,69 % Cu óxidos ; 0,63 % Cu sulfuros · 1979 Reserve: Probables: 35378000 t óxidos ; 494286000 t sulfuros (Para ley de corte de 0,4 % Cu) · 0,51 % Cu óxidos ; 0,54 % Cu sulfuros · 1979	SERNAGEOMIN
El AlgarroboVallenar · Atacama	Fe	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
El EspinoIllapel · Coquimbo	Cu, Au, Fe	Large	Mined	Resource: 0,8 Mt Cu fino & 31.2 t Au · 17-12-2013	SERNAGEOMIN
El IndioVicuña · Coquimbo	Au, Ag, Cu	Large	Mined · Inactive	—	SERNAGEOMIN
El RomeralLa Serena · Coquimbo	Fe, Cu	Large	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN
El SoldadoNogales · Valparaíso	Cu, Ag	Large	Mined · Active	Resource: 500Mt · 1% Cu Reserve: 87 Mt · 0.86% Cu · 2014	SERNAGEOMIN
El TofoLa Higuera · Coquimbo	Fe	Large	Mined · Active	Reserve: 198 Mt Fe · 2012	SERNAGEOMIN
EsperanzaSierra Gorda · Antofagasta	Cu, Au, Ag (Mo)	Large	Mined · Inactive	Resource: Medido: 646 MT · 0,53 % CuT ; 0,21 g/t Au · 2009	SERNAGEOMIN

Lithium compounds

The industrial-mineral deposits whose resource is lithium.

Deposit	Resources	Size	Status	Stated by SERNAGEOMIN	SERNAGEOMIN
Salar de AtacamaSan Pedro de Atacama · Antofagasta	Cloruro de Litio	Large	Mined · Active	Reserve: Probadas: 4500000 t · 1997	SERNAGEOMIN
Salar de AtacamaSan Pedro de Atacama · Antofagasta	Cloruro de Litio	—	Mined · Active	—	SERNAGEOMIN

Source: SERNAGEOMIN, national deposit database (SIA Yacimientos), latest edition July 2023. Public, referential and unofficial information. Quantities and grades are shown as the geologists wrote them, in their own units: they are not added up or compared between deposits. A prospect is neither a reserve nor a project.