Law on Mining Concessions


The Chilean Organic Constitutional Law on Mining Concessions distinguishes two types of mining concessions exploratory concessions and exploitation concessions. The law was submitted in August 1981 by Augusto Pinochet to the Government Junta which was the legislative body of the dictatorship. It was approved on January 7 and rectified on January 22 and 23 of 1982. José Piñera, who was minister of mining in 1980 and 1981, declared the Law on Mining Concessions together with the Chilean Mining Code were done to give "free access" and "judicial security" to private investors.
Key articles of the law state that: