Chile’s copper exports totaled US$30.236bn in the first half of 2026, up 11.5% from the same period in 2025, supported by an average price of US$5.94 per pound. Mining shipments reached US$36.888bn and made up 61.1% of total exports, a 20.4% year-on-year increase, according to a foreign affairs ministry report. At the same time, copper output declined, with the mining component of the Monthly Economic Activity Index (Imacec) falling 11.6% year on year in May. The drop reflects issues including lower ore grades, water shortages, unplanned maintenance, processing transitions and rising labor disputes that have affected major mines such as Escondida and Collahuasi.

Ecuador’s state oil company Petroecuador has started operations at the ACAL-245HUI well in the Auca block, producing 3,181 barrels of crude per day. The company estimates the output will add USD 5.2 million (mn) in monthly income for the Ecuadorian State. The well produces 17.6 API crude and uses an electric submersible pump system. Auca is currently producing 64,000 barrels per day, and three planned hydraulic fractures are expected to lift output by about 1,200 barrels per day.