A sulfur mine is active at Saciel, north of Sairecabur. Sulfur mining there, at Cerro Colorado and Putana in the 1950s contributed to the growth of San Pedro de Atacama, where the mined sulfur was transported to. A report in 1955 indicated the presence of about ore containing 55-60% sulfur. A long mining dirt road with a single lane leads from the El Tatio highway to Sairecabur.