Antofagasta copper output drops on lower water availability, ore grades

Chilean miner Antofagasta said on Wednesday its copper output fell in the March quarter from the previous three months due to lower water availability and reduced ore grades.

The London-listed group said it produced 145 900 t of copper in the first quarter, down 25.4% from the fourth quarter of last year due to lower grades at its Centinela mine and as operations at the flagship Los Pelambres mine were hit by water shortage in drought-hit Chile.