Coal mining in Chile

The British consul in Chile correctly predicted in 1825 that the area around the mouth of Biobío River would be a centre of coal industry.

[3] In the northern sector the mine of Lirquén, which provided coal to the cement plant of "Melón" was once the most important one.

[11] Lota's coal mines were nationalized by Salvador Allende due to civil unrest and heavy Socialist support, but privatized again under Augusto Pinochet.

[12] Given a high density of geological faults that displace the coal beds and the thin nature of these (less than one metre) mining activity in Arauco Basin proved difficult to mechanize.

A common view is that the coals of Zona Sur are of Oligo-Miocene age being thus younger than those of Arauco Basin further north.

[15][16][17] Some of the better known coal mines of Los Ríos Region are: Arrau, Catamutún, Ciruelo, Máfil, Mulpún and Pupunahue.

[18][19][20] Somewhat south, in Los Lagos Region, coal beds can be found in the geological formations of Cheuquemó and Parga.

[14] Coal was first discovered in Magallanes Region by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa who visited the Straits of Magellan in 1584.