Copper Goes Tech.

LABOR-INTENSIVE MINING HAS PULLED ONE FOOT OUT OF THE copper pit and stamped it firmly in the virtual world.

Ten Chilean mining companies, including giants Codelco Chile, Minera Escondida, Phelps Dodge and Minera Mantos Blancos, are launching an Internet portal to save millions of dollars annually. Their stakes in the project and whether stock options would be part of it are being negotiated.

"Chile's role as a leader in copper mining will not only be reflected in the level of production but also in its ability to incorporate new technology," says Francisco Tomic, a spokesman at Minera Escondida. "This initiative, the first of its kind in Chile... has great potential to become a new global standard for this sector."

The portal, backed by the Chilean Mining Council, will be tapped for everything from sales and logistics to bank transactions and events planning.

The 10 participating companies account for 93% of the copper produced in Chile and 34% of global production.