| 16. | Cost of sales |
| | | For the year ended | | For the year ended | | For the year ended | | |||
| | | December 31, 2017 | | December 31, 2016 | | December 31, 2015 | | |||
| | | US$(000) | | US$(000) | | US$(000) | | |||
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Materials and supplies | | | 556,022 | | | 496,918 | | | 364,234 | |
| Depreciation and amortization | | | 456,467 | | | 472,997 | | | 244,477 | |
| Labor (a) | | | 286,058 | | | 215,839 | | | 146,395 | |
| Energy | | | 229,272 | | | 229,035 | | | 118,019 | |
| Third parties services | | | 144,829 | | | 100,897 | | | 95,087 | |
| Change in work in process inventory | | | 51,412 | | | (3,789) | | | (118,327) | |
| Management Fees | | | 2,867 | | | 2,793 | | | 3,565 | |
| Change in finished goods inventory | | | 2,060 | | | (3,951) | | | 467 | |
| Other costs | | | 39,251 | | | 42,301 | | | 8,087 | |
| | | | 1,768,238 | | | 1,553,040 | | | 862,004 | |
| (a) | Labor includes an expense of US$86.4 million related to profit sharing for the year ended December 31, 2017 (US$36.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and credit of US$1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015). |