Top 5 copper mines in the world

Top 5 copper mines in the world

According to the ISCG, world demand for copper are more than tripled over the past 50 years, impacting the mining industry greatly. Mining Global looks through The Balance’s “The World’s 20 Largest Copper Mines”, highlighting the top 10 copper-producing mines by annual output in kilotons (kt) . Browse details in below.

1)Escondida
It is a copper mine located Atacama Desert in Northern Chile and is the world’s largest copper mine by output. Open since 1990, it is one of the deepest open-pit mines in the world, with its output at 1,270Kt of copper, accounting for 5% of the world’s supply. It is co-owned by BHP Billiton (57.5%), Rio Tinto Corp. (30%), and Japan Escondida (12.5%).

2)Grasberg
Located in the Papua province of Indonesia, Grasberg is not only the second-largest copper mine in the world, but also the largest gold mine in the world (by reserve). A joint venture between Freeport McMoRan (90.64%) and the Indonesian government (9.36%) and run by PT Freeport Indonesia Co,.

3)Morenci
It is the largest producer of copper in North America, which located 16km south of Silver City, Arizona, in the United States with a copper output of 520kt. Open for operations since 1872, it is currently operated by Freeport McMoRan, which also owns 85%, while the remaining 15% belongs to Sumitomo Affiliates.

4)Buenavista de Cobre
It is known as Cananea, which is located in Sonora, Mexico. The world’s second-largest copper mine by reserve and with an annual output of 510kt, it is one of the oldest open-pit mines in North America, having opened back in 1899. It is owned by Southern Copper Corporation (SCC), a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico.

5)Cerro Verde II
Located 32km southwest of Arquepica, Peru, It is an open-pit copper mine with a surface area covering about 157,007 acres, making it the second-largest copper mine in Peru, based on reserves. Its annual output stands at 500kt. It is owned by a consortium consisting of Freeport-McMoRan (the mine’s operator at 53.56% ownership), SMM Cerro Verde Netherlands, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal (21%), Compañia de Minas Buenaventura (19.58%) and public shareholders (5.86%).