Chile copper production seen reaching 6.3 mln tonnes in 2015 - SONAMI group

SANTIAGO, Aug 28 (Reuters) - World No. 1 copper producer Chile is seen boosting its output of the red metal to a record 6.3 million tonnes in 2015, despite an economic slowdown, the head of the influential SONAMI mining association said late on Thursday.

That would be an increase from around an estimated 6 million tonnes this year and the roughly 5.77 million tonnes mined last year.

Some projects are facing long court battles, and rising costs across the industry and legislative changes that Chile's government is planning, are also putting investments in the mining sector at risk, said Alberto Salas, SONAMI's president, at an annual gala for the mining industry.

"In a situation of economic deceleration, due to prior investments, we'll grow over 3 percent this year, with production of around 6 million tonnes, a new record," Salas said in a speech.

"In 2015, meanwhile, we expect copper production to increase an (additional) 300,000 tonnes," he said.

Salas underscored the potential impact President Michelle Bachelet's tax reform could have on foreign investment in the mining sector.

Earlier this month, Chile's Senate overwhelmingly approved modifications to the flagship tax reform, sending it back to the lower house of Congress for discussion and bringing it one step closer to becoming law.

The planned elimination of a foreign investment statute known as DL600, which provides foreign investors with certain tax guarantees, will not help the reform reach its overall goal of increasing tax revenue by the equivalent to 3 percent of gross domestic product, Salas said.

"It will instead be a disincentive for foreign resources for investment in mining and other productive sectors," he said.

Chile's copper mining industry is led by state-run Codelco , as well as privately-owned BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) , Glencore (Xetra: A1JAGV - news) , Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) and Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO.L - news) Minerals. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Bernard Orr)