El Algarrobo is a closed

iron mine Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's ou ...

in north-central Chile. Geologically it is an

iron oxide-apatite Iron is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the abundance of the chemical ...

(IOA) type of deposit. El Algarrobo is part of a wider province of iron ores known as the

Chilean Iron Belt The Chilean Iron Belt is a geological province rich in iron ore deposits in northern Chile. It extends as a north-south beld along the western part of the Chilean regions of Coquimbo and Atacama, chiefly between the cities of La Serena and Talt ...

. From the 1970s onward El Romeral have come to overshadow El Algarrobo in iron ore production.Millán 1999, p. 155 The establishment of Planta de Pellets in

Huasco Huasco () is a Chilean city and commune, in the Huasco Province, Atacama Region. It is the central town of a mining district dominated by medium-scale mining. The port city of Huasco is located 50 km west of Vallenar and close to the tow ...

in 1978 allowed to extend the operational life of El Algarrobo for several years.

References

Bibliography

* Former mines in Chile Iron ore mines in Chile Mines in Atacama Region Surface mines in Chile Open-pit mines {{atacama-geo-stub