Chinese miner MMG (HKG: 1208)聽聽it had resumed聽the transportation of shipments to and from聽its Las Bambas copper mine, one of Peru鈥檚 largest, as聽nearby roadblocks have been lifted.聽
The company聽had聽halted operations at Las Bambas聽due to protests earlier this week聽in聽the聽nearby province聽of聽Chumbivilcas, along Peru鈥檚 major copper聽transport聽corridor.聽
MMG聽said it was continuing聽talks聽with聽both聽the Peruvian government and community聽representatives,聽which are scheduled for next week.听听
鈥淭o date, production has not been significantly impacted and concentrate trucking, people and re-supply logistics are underway,鈥� it said.聽
Locals聽are demanding聽more logistics transport contracts, as well as classification of their聽communities as an area of direct influence聽by Las Bambas operations.聽This would mean聽compensation for the聽land聽used to build the mining road, as well as actions to reduce damage to their crops caused by the large number of trucks聽using聽the road every day.聽
Locals want compensation for the聽land聽used to build the mining road, as well as actions to reduce damage to their crops caused by the large number of trucks聽using聽the road every day
The miner said locals had rejected earlier company proposals for social development.
The announcement follows the company鈥檚 announcement last week that it was planning to聽invest $2 billion聽in Las Bambas to maintain production around 400,000聽tonnes聽per annum in the medium term.聽
It also comes聽less than a month聽after a bus in the Peruvian Andes transporting contract workers at聽Las Bambas聽fell聽off a cliff,聽killing 16 people and injuring two.听听
Road blockades, frequently followed by聽shipment suspensions, have been聽a common issue affecting the massive copper mine聽since its 2015-16 ramp-up.听听聽
Overall, the mine was disrupted for more than 100 days in 2019, with more than 70 communities along the 450 km road to the Port of聽Matarani聽demanding action from MMG and the national government over emissions from trucks and reduction of their farmlands.听听
A three-week-long roadblock protest聽staged at the end of 2020聽prevented MMG from exporting 189,000聽tonnes聽of聽copper concentrate聽worth $530 million聽from聽the mine.听听
Las Bambas is the world鈥檚 ninth-largest copper mine, with an output of about 400,000聽tonnes聽of the industrial metal per year, or about 2% of global production.聽