Drought in Chile curbs copper production, to trim global surplus

A drought in Chile is hampering copper production, a water-intensive business, in the world's biggest producer of the metal, one more factor that could trim an expected surplus this year. Both Anglo American and BHP Billiton have said the extremely dry conditions have hit production due to restrictions on water, used for everything from toilets for workers to separating the metals in the ore body from waste rock and tamping down dust that heavy trucks kick up.