Chile's Antofagasta completes copper tailings dam

SANTIAGO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Chile's Antofagasta Minerals, a London-listed copper miner, said on Thursday it completed construction of a $600 million tailings dam at its Los Pelambres copper mine, allowing it to extend the mine's life.

"The Mauro tailings dam will provide sufficient capacity to ensure Minera Los Pelambres' mine life of 28 years, based on a throughput rate of 175,000 tonnes per day of ore, following the completion of the US$1 billion plant expansion at the end of 2009," Antofagasta said in a statement.

The Mauro tailings dam has been the subject of some controversy as farmers in the valley below it and the Pelambres mine filed suit against it amid concerns about groundwater contamination.

The company said on Thursday that some legal issues continued as opponents sought to prevent the operation of the tailings dam.

"Minera Los Pelambres has become aware of further recent legal proceedings of which it has not been notified and which have been initiated in first instance courts in Santiago and in Los Vilos by certain members of the Caimanes community located near the Mauro valley," the company said.

The Mauro tailings dam will replace the existing Quillayes dam, which reaches capacity in early 2009. (Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Walter Bagley)