The Los Bronces mine is a large

copper mine Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, loca ...

located in central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, on the border of the

Santiago Metropolitan Region Santiago Metropolitan Region ( es, link=no, Región Metropolitana de Santiago) is one of Chile's 16 first-order administrative divisions. It is the country's only landlocked administrative region and contains the nation's capital, Santiago. Mos ...

and the

Valparaíso Region The Valparaíso Region ( es, Región de Valparaíso, links=no, ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions.Valparaíso Region, 2006 With the country's second-highest population of 1,790,219 , and fourth-smallest area of , ...

with a height above sea level from 3000 to 4200 its approximate limit. Los Bronces represents one of the largest copper reserves in

and in the world having estimated reserves of 3.13 billion tonnes of ore grading 0.32% copper. Mineralization at Los Bronces is thought to be due to its position at the intersection of two large fault systems. This favoured the rise of magma and the subsequent circulation of mineral-rich fluids. In Los Bronces, formerly known as Disputada de Las Condes, a mining folklore tells of man known as "El Futre" (lit. "The Snob"). El Futre is said to be a formally dressed man who appear in drifts murdering or scaring workers in order to steal their salary.

References

{{reflist Copper mines in Chile Mines in Valparaíso Region Mines in Santiago Metropolitan Region