El Tofo

El Tofo is an iron ore mine in the Chilean Norte Chico region.[1] The mine lies in northern Coquimbo Region within a larger mining district known as the Chilean Iron Belt. Geologically El Tofo is an iron oxide-apatite deposit.[2] Before Andrés Andai's Compañía Minera Santa Fe begun operations in El Dorado El Tofo was the sole iron mine of significance in Chile.[3][4]

The first record of the iron ores of El Tofo dates to a 1840 study of Ignacy Domeyko.[5] While the mine presents good geological aspects for 19th century mining geographical aspects made access difficult despite being close to the Pacific coast.[5] The mine began to be exploited in 1870 but by 1955 mining diminished as the deposit were close to depletion.[5] Subsequently the El Romeral mine was opened 30 km to the south in replacement.[6] Compañía de Acero del Pacífico obtained the ownership of El Tofo and El Romeral in the early 1970s when it was nationalized during the Presidency of Salvador Allende.[5][6] Later the ownership passed to Compañía Minera del Pacífico as it was privatized during the Pinochet dictatorship.[5] As of 2017 El Tofo is not active.[2]

References

  1. ^ "El Tofo mine, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile". mindat.org. Retrieved 2019-12-01. Old Fe open cast mine, now reopening: mineralization hosted in porhyr, diorite and amphibolized rocks.
  2. ^ a b Barra, Fernando; Reich, M.; Selby, D.; Rojas, P.; Simon, A.; Salazar, E.; Palma, G. (2017). "Unraveling the origin of the Andean IOCG clan: a Re-Os isotope approach" (PDF). Ore Geology Reviews. 81 (1): 62–78.
  3. ^ Torres F., Danilo (1997-04-01). "Dirigente Eugenio Lanas Troncoso: LA ILUSION MINERA NO SE APAGA" (PDF). Boletín Minero. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  4. ^ Millán 1999, p. 96.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Historia de la mina de hierro El Tofo". Museo Histórico Gabriel González Videla (in Spanish). Servicio Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural. 2019-12-01.
  6. ^ a b Couyoumdjian, Juan Ricardo (2000). "AUGUSTO MILLAN, Historia de la minería del hierro en Chile. Santiago, Editorial Universitaria, 1999, 220 páginas". Historia (in Spanish). 33. doi:10.4067/S0717-71942000003300012.

Bibliography

  • Millán, Augusto (1999). Historia de la minería del hierro en Chile (in Spanish). Santiago de Chile: Editorial Universitaria. ISBN 956-11-1499-2.

29°27′S 71°15′W / 29.45°S 71.25°W / -29.45; -71.25

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