Copper veteran has unfinished business at biggest openpit

Nelson Pizarro wants to remain at the helm of the world’s biggest copper company until he can cut the ribbon on a project to convert its flagship pit into a giant underground mine. He’s been in mining for most of his 77 years, with the last four spent guiding state-owned Codelco through a painful downturn. With a change of government in Chile this year and a return to profitability thanks in part to Pizarro’s cost and spending cuts, speculation has been rife on how long he’ll stay.