SANTIAGO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Chile's mining regulator
Sernageomin has added requirements for Codelco to restart areas
affected by a deadly collapse at its El Teniente copper mine in
July, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday.
The regulator will now require a follow-up and monitoring
plan for the stability and safety of mining operations across
all underground deposits of Codelco's El Teniente mine,
according to a Sernageomin document.
In a statement this weekend, Codelco said it had received
approval from Sernageomin to restart its Andes Norte and
Diamante sections of El Teniente, but the document detailing the
authorization obtained by Reuters on Monday revealed the
increased requirements for sectors still shuttered by the
collapse.
Sernageomin had already requested analysis of potential
causes and control measures report to prevent new incidents; as
well as a mine recovery and repair plan; and a technical report
assessing existing fortification systems with proposals for
improvement.
Codelco, the world's largest copper producer,
cut its copper forecast
for this year due to the impact of the accident, which
killed six workers.
The collapse mainly affected the new Andesita
development, but Andes Norte, which had begun extraction, and
Diamante were also halted as part of the investigation.