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    Sulphur 420 Sep-Oct 2025

    19 September 2025

    Operations halted at El Teniente mine

    Operations halted at El Teniente mine

    The El Teniente mine, located in the O’Higgins region, suffered a collapse on 31 July. The collapse in the Andesita sector of the mine is understood to have been as a result of seismic activity that registered 4.2 on the Richter scale. It remains unknown whether the seismic activity was caused by the mining operations or natural activity, according to industry sources. Underground operations are to be halted for an unknown period of time, while the open air sector, which represents around 10% of the total production, will remain open, according to industry participants.

    El Teniente is the world’s largest underground copper mine, spanning over 4,000 km. Copper production during 2024 was around 355,000 t/a while its yearly sulphuric acid production is estimated at around 1 million t/a.

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    Price Trends

    The global sulphur market has entered a holding pattern, as a wave of bearish sentiment has so far failed to move stubbornly high spot prices. The departure of a significant volume of product from the Middle East has emboldened buyers and shifted market sentiment firmly towards bearish, but at time of writing this has so far failed to translate into lower prices. With sellers in no hurry to lower prices and spot availability still tight, the market has stalled as both sides wait for the other to blink first.

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