Coal Mining in Magallanes
When our country was colonized, the presence of coal was broadly known in the territory of Magallanes, but its extraction stopped until the late nineteenth century. Then, thanks to the investment by Chilean businessman Agustin Ross, coal mining was resumed, extending to the Magellanic district of Riesco Island, called Mina Elena, and also on the Brunswick Peninsula where the Mina Loreto was located in the area known today Magallanes National Reserve.
In 1943, coal mining reached its climax thanks to exports to Argentina. However, the extraction of this raw material would reduce suffering ups and downs until the 80s, the date on which a second stage of coal in Chile would begin with a large Magellanic production, marked by technology, research and strong investment of capital for their development.
Today, the new technology has provided an important future for coal in Magallanes with projections reaching up to 6 million tons per year, a figure that positions it not only as a fuel but also as a raw material in industrial processes to Chile and abroad.
Regional development
Coal mining is part of the history and identity of the Magallanes Region, generating from its inception an important development to the area. Today, thanks to the advances in technology, coal mining has become a leading activity with modern and sustainable standards, providing a higher level of economic activity in Magallanes.
Both suppliers and contractors, who are part of a production line in Mina Invierno, are a significant part of the work as a chain of regional value
Job
Mina Invierno is known for having a staff that has a high percentage of local labor, Magellanic, with a percentage higher than 80%. Moreover, it is worth mentioning the incorporation of women in non-traditional jobs, representing about 7% of the workforce of the company.
Mina Invierno, for the development of its activities, generates indirect employment associated with the services of support to the coal mining work (food, leasing of equipment, industrial services, among others).
Providers
The company works with more than 400 local suppliers, which are part of the network supplies of spare parts, materials and presentation services.