With a resource model of approx 4.8million tons at 1.3% copper Delphi, getting boots on ground , some drilling planned in the near future , a copper supply crunch for the next decade globally it seems a perfect storm is brewing.
C0pper supply crunch
The copper supply crunch felt around the world is not expected to get any better anytime soon.
Last week members of the copper world gathered in Santiago for CRU’s 2022 World Copper Conference where mining consultancy group, CRU, highlighted the annual copper supply deficit will be 6Mt per annum for the next decade.
This means around eight more Escondida Mines (a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Japan-based JECO Corp) is needed to fill the gap in the immediate future.
CRU head of base metals supply Erik Heimlich said an investment of more than $100 billion is required if the world is going to meet demand requirements.
Challenges while demand surges
“They message is there are challenges on the horizon at a time when there is more and more demand for metals,” Olive Capital managing director Andrew Sparke said.
“Around 40% of the world’s copper is produced in two countries – Chile and Peru but northern Chile holds the greatest concentration of the largest copper porphyry deposits on earth.
“A lot of these porphyry deposits are way up in high altitudes in the Andes so there are practical challenges that come with that – even getting water up there to process copper as well as labour and electricity are quite challenging feats,” he said.
“While this bodes well for the copper price going forward, the supply side is where we could see some surprise.”
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