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The project is expected to create approximately 100 new jobs for enabling works. Once in operation, the mine is projected to create nearly 1,500 jobs.

The mine has an expected mine life of 40 to 60 years.

The planned processing method involves crushing the ore underground before transporting it to a surface concentrator complex. The concentrator will use a wet grinding process to create a slurry, which then undergoes froth flotation with water, reagents, and air to separate the copper minerals. The resulting copper concentrate, containing about 29-31% copper, will be filtered and sent to customers for smelting and refining. Molybdenum concentrates will also be produced, packed, and trucked to market.

A significant milestone was reached in March 2026 with the completion of a federal land exchange, transferring over 2,400 acres of land to Resolution Copper. This allows the project to move to the next phase of technical work and development planning. The U.S. Forest Service signed the record of decision for the project on March 16, 2026, and released the final environmental impact statement in June 2025. The project is advancing through the permitting process, which will be followed by a decade of construction before mining can begin.

Production overview - 2025: copper 368000 t, zinc 383407 t, silver 16 Moz; 2024: copper 429000 t, zinc 273000 t, molybdenum 8000 t, silver 1.3 Moz.

The operation employs a truck-and-shovel method in an open pit. Ore is crushed in-pit and then transported via a 2.7-kilometre tunnel to a coarse ore stockpile. The processing plant uses grinding and flotation to produce separate copper, zinc, molybdenum, and lead-bismuth concentrates. Copper and zinc concentrates are transported through a 302-kilometre pipeline to the Huarmey Port for shipment. Molybdenum and lead-bismuth concentrates are transported by truck.

A Modification of the Environmental Impact Assessment (MEIA) was approved in February 2024 for a US$2 billion investment to extend the mine's life from 2028 to 2036. This project, known as the "Antamina Replenishment," includes expanding the open pit footprint, deepening the pit by an additional 150 metres, and optimising waste dumps and the tailings dam. Construction is expected to begin in 2025. The expansion also involves optimising the processing plant to a capacity of 208,000 tonnes per day.

The mine was placed on temporary care and maintenance in November-December 2023, following the expiry of its environmental licence for water extraction at the end of 2023. The last production of copper cathodes occurred in November 2023.

Production overview - 2024: copper 11000 t; 2023: copper 35000 t.

The mine produced copper cathodes through a process of leaching and solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW). BHP is assessing the application of novel leaching technologies for a potential restart.

BHP is actively working towards restarting the mine. A US$60 million project involving drilling and prospecting has been submitted to the environmental review agency to gather information for the mine's future. The company is evaluating a reopening starting in 2028, with a potential investment of US$1.3 billion to allow operations to continue for at least another 20 years. A larger project, with investments estimated between US$2.3 billion and US$3.2 billion, could boost annual copper output to 145,000 tonnes and extend operations beyond 2031. A final investment decision for this larger project is anticipated in 2028.

As of November 2024, 32% of the employee workforce is locally based in the Antofagasta Region, with 68% being fly-in, fly-out. Over 40% female representation and approximately 10% Indigenous employee participation.

Production overview - 2024: copper 255600 t; 2023: copper 240000 t.

The operation uses both leaching and concentrator flow sheets, producing copper cathodes through SX-EW from oxide and sulphide ore. A new copper concentrator plant with a throughput of 95,000 tonnes per day produces copper and molybdenum concentrate.

The mine operates with a fully autonomous haul truck fleet of 33 trucks and 5 autonomous drills (Pit Viper 351 models).

The Spence Growth Option (SGO) project (US$2.46 billion) extended mine life by 50 years. Modifications to the concentrator plant began in August 2022, expected completion FY24. BHP is considering projects to improve recovery by 3-7% and increase throughput to 105 ktpd from 95 ktpd.

3,935 direct workers (as of February 2024). There are a total of 10,567 workers on site, comprising 3,621 employees and 6,946 contractors, according to a report with a follow-up assessment in October 2022.

Production overview - 2024: copper 614400 t.

The mine has two open pits, Escondida and Escondida Norte, which supply ore to three concentrator plants (Los Colorados, Laguna Seca 1, and Laguna Seca 2). It also has two leaching operations for oxide and sulphide ores, which include solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW) plants to produce copper cathodes. The operation uses desalinated water from two plants at Puerto Coloso, which is pumped to the mine. Copper concentrate is transported via two pipelines to port facilities. BHP and Microsoft have collaborated to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve copper recovery by optimising concentrator performance.

The mining fleet includes 14 electric rope shovels and haul trucks. The mine has begun operating exclusively with self-driving trucks in its northern pit. Drilling employs eight Bucyrus 49-R electric units and one Ingersoll Rand DMM2 diesel drill.

BHP plans significant investment in Escondida to counter the effects of declining ore grades and increased ore hardness. There is a plan to demolish the ageing Los Colorados concentrator to access high-grade ore beneath it and replace it with a new concentrator. A final investment decision for the new plant is expected around calendar year 2027-2028. The life of the existing Los Colorados plant may be extended beyond fiscal year 2027. Expansions and improvements are also planned for the Laguna Seca concentrators. BHP is also focused on new leaching technologies, such as the Full SaL project, to process minerals with high concentrations of salt and secondary sulphides. Total planned capital expenditure for BHP's Chilean operations, primarily Escondida, is between $10.7 billion and $14.7 billion over the next decade. On March 17, 2026, BHP submitted the New Escondida Concentrator project to the Environmental Impact Assessment System in Chile.

approximately 3,500 people

The Olympic Dam mine is a fully integrated metallurgical complex in South Australia, operating since 1988. It employs approximately 3,500 people and extracts copper, uranium, gold, and silver using sub-level open stoping underground mining and surface processing. The mine has an estimated life of 57 years based on known reserves as of 2022. BHP is investing over A$840 million in productivity enhancements and is proposing a Smelter Refinery Expansion Project to increase copper production capacity.

Production overview - 2023: copper 212000 t, gold 186000 oz.

The mine is a fully integrated metallurgical complex. The process includes a grinding and concentrating circuit, a hydrometallurgical plant with solvent extraction for copper and uranium, a copper smelter, a copper refinery, and a recovery circuit for precious metals. Ore is extracted using the sub-level open stoping underground mining method. Mined ore is transported to the surface via an automated train system and trucks using decline tunnels.

The underground operations feature more than 700 km of roads and tunnels. Recent investments are funding an expansion of the underground electric rail network from 4.85 km to over 6 km, supported by six new locomotives. A new backfill system will deliver cement paste fill via underground pipes.

BHP is investing over A$840 million in several projects to enhance productivity. This includes developing an underground decline into the Southern Mine Area to access a new part of the resource, expanding ore pass capacity, and installing a new oxygen plant to improve smelter performance. The new oxygen plant is intended to increase copper concentrate smelting rates from 80 to 85 tonnes per hour. There is a proposed Smelter Refinery Expansion Project to increase copper production capacity up to 650,000 tonnes per annum. This proposal was declared an 'impact assessed development' by the South Australian government in August 2024.

2,855 people (2020)

The Antamina mine is a large open-pit truck and shovel operation located in the Ancash Region of Peru, approximately 270 kilometres north of Lima, at an average altitude of 4,200 metres. It is operated by Compañía Minera Antamina S.A. Commercial production commenced in 2001.

Production overview - 2024: copper 429000 t, zinc 273000 t, molybdenum 8000 t, silver 1.3 Moz.

primary crusher, two SAG mills, and ball mills, followed by flotation to produce separate concentrates. The mill's operating capacity was expanded to 145,000 tonnes per day.

P&H 4100XPC electric shovels, Hitachi EX5600-6 hydraulic shovels, Cat 994F wheel loaders, Komatsu 980E-5SE haul trucks

Modification of the Environmental Impact Assessment (MEIA) approved in February 2024, extending mine life from 2028 to 2036, supported by US$2 billion capital expenditure. Includes expansion of open-pit footprint and optimisation of waste rock deposits and tailings dam.

The project currently has a workforce of about 300 people. At full production, the mine is expected to directly employ approximately 1,400 to 1,500 workers.

Resolution Copper is a proposed underground mine located about 60 miles east of Phoenix, near the town of Superior, Arizona. The project is currently in the permitting and development phase.

Production overview - 2024: copper 0 t; 2022: copper 0 t.

The mine will use an underground mining technique known as panel caving or block caving to extract the ore body, which lies between 5,000 and 7,000 feet below the surface. Crushed ore will be processed at a facility known as the West Plant Site. The resulting copper concentrate will be pumped as a slurry to a filter and loadout facility.

A significant milestone was reached in March 2026 with the completion of a historic land exchange between Resolution Copper and the United States Forest Service (USFS). An additional preliminary spending of approximately $500 million was announced in March 2026 to be spent over two years on enabling works, including surface drilling, infrastructure upgrades, and initial underground development.

approximately 4,000 people (at Spence)

Pampa Norte is a business unit of BHP's Minerals Americas business, located in northern Chile. It consists of two separate open-pit operations: Spence, located in the Antofagasta Region, and Cerro Colorado, in the Tarapacá Region.

Production overview - 2024: copper 266000 t; 2023: copper 289000 t.

Processing at both mines involves leaching, solvent extraction, and electrowinning (SX-EW) for oxide and sulphide ores. The Spence operation was expanded with the Spence Growth Option (SGO) project, which included the construction of a concentrator plant to process hypogene sulphide ore.

The Spence Growth Option (SGO) project, which included the construction of a concentrator plant to process hypogene sulphide ore, produced its first concentrate in 2020 and extended the mine life of Spence by more than 50 years. BHP has allocated between US$2.8 billion and US$3.9 billion for Pampa Norte, with a goal to increase production, including a significant portion for the potential restart of the Cerro Colorado mine.

Olympic Dam is a fully integrated metallurgical complex, processing ore to metal on-site. It includes a grinding and concentrating circuit, a hydrometallurgical plant with solvent extraction for copper and uranium, a copper smelter, and a refinery that also recovers precious metals. The underground mine features an automated train system and over 700 kilometres of underground roads and tunnels.

fully integrated metallurgical complex, processing ore to metal on-site, including a grinding and concentrating circuit, a hydrometallurgical plant with solvent extraction for copper and uranium, a copper smelter, and a refinery that also recovers precious metals.

automated train system, underground electric rail network, locomotives, oxygen plant

Investment of over A$840 million in several projects at Olympic Dam to improve productivity and support future growth, including a new underground access tunnel (decline) into the Southern Mine Area, a new backfill system, expansion of the underground electric rail network, and installation of a new oxygen plant. The Southern Mining Area Decline project, approved for a total investment of US$0.2 billion, commenced construction in the 2025 financial year and is expected to be completed in FY28, unlocking up to 2.5 million tonnes per annum of additional vertical capacity.

The Pima Mine is a past-producing open-pit copper mine located in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It was acquired by ASARCO LLC in 1985 and consolidated into the Mission Complex, with its original workings subsumed by the Mission pit expansion.

Production overview - 1982: copper 19690 t, molybdenum 178460 kg.

froth flotation to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; involves drilling, blasting, loading, hauling ore to crushers, grinding in a wet process, and sending to flotation cells; includes a molybdenum recovery circuit; final copper concentrate shipped off-site for smelting

haul trucks, shovels, primary, secondary, and tertiary crushers, coarse ore stockpiles, rod and ball mills, flotation cells

part of the larger Mission Complex; consolidated with the Mission, Eisenhower, Mineral Hill, and San Xavier properties into a single operation; original Pima Mine workings subsumed by the expansion of the Mission pit

more than 400 people (Mission Complex, 2000 report)

The Eisenhower Mine is an open-pit mine operated by ASARCO LLC, located in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is situated within the larger Mission Complex, which is approximately 18 miles south of Tucson. The Eisenhower Mine has been integrated into the main Mission pit, which also includes the Mission, Pima, Mineral Hill, and South San Xavier properties. The combined open pit of the Mission Complex measures approximately 2.5 miles in length, 1.5 miles in width, and is 1,200 feet deep. It is a significant copper and molybdenum producer.

Production overview - 2014: copper 36.153 Mlbs; 1999: copper 90000 t, silver 51 t.

crushing and grinding, froth flotation process, primary gyratory crusher, rod mills, ball mills

haul trucks, loaders, drills, fleet management system, Modular Mining Systems' DISPATCH® 6 Fleet Management system, ProVision® 3 Machine Guidance solution, shovels

The mine supports more than 600 direct jobs in 2025

The Silver Bell operations consist of four open pits: North Silver Bell, El Tiro, West Oxide, and East Oxide. The total production from the Silver Bell mining district between 1885 and 2015 was approximately 2.27 billion pounds of copper, 6.6 million pounds of molybdenum, 3.7 million pounds of lead, 40.8 million pounds of zinc, 2,100 ounces of gold, and 5.95 million ounces of silver. As of 31 December 2015, remaining reserves were reported to be 214.4 million tons, with an average grade of 0.283% copper.

Production overview - 2020: copper 20400 t; 2019: copper 20400 t.

The mine is a leach-only operation. All copper from the pits is extracted from the ore utilising dump leaching and a solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX-EW) plant. The production capacity of the SX-EW plant was expanded to 65 tons per day in 2003.

In September 2014, ASARCO LLC acquired the remaining 25% interest in the Silver Bell project from Mitsui Mining for $115.2 million, taking its ownership to 100%. Construction of the Mammoth Wash dump leach pad and leach solution ponds, situated between the West Oxide and El Tiro pits, was finished in January 2017. This facility is designed to treat approximately 80 million tons of copper ore.

approximately 850 people

Production overview - 2016: copper 62 Mlbs.

The Ray Mine is an open-pit operation. Ore is processed through crushing, grinding, and flotation at the on-site Ray Concentrator and the nearby Hayden Concentrator to produce copper concentrate. There is also a solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) plant for copper cathode production from leaching operations. The copper concentrate is transported to the Hayden Smelter.

In 2025, the mine began implementing an autonomous haulage system, incorporating 11 new Caterpillar 794 autonomous haul trucks with a payload capacity of 327 tons.

ASARCO has a long-term vision to potentially double the capacity of the Ray Mine. In June 2024, the United Steelworkers union members at the Ray Mine approved a new three-year labor agreement, which includes wage increases and improved benefits.

1,300

Production overview - 2023: copper 126 Mlbs; 2012: copper 134 Mlbs.

The ore is crushed, ground in a wet process, and then subjected to froth flotation to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates. The concentrates are dewatered and filtered before being sent off-site for further processing.

Construction work is ongoing for the tailings pumping system for Tailings Dam 4.

177 direct employees (as of August 2023)

The Pumpkin Hollow Project is located near Yerington in Lyon County, Nevada, USA. It is a high-grade iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposit, comprising Eastern Area (underground) and Western Area (open-pit) deposits. As of late 2025, Kinterra Capital is advancing the restart of the underground mine and progressing the adjacent Southwest Open Pit project towards construction readiness.

The underground mine was designed to produce 5,000 short tons per day. The first phase of open-pit development has a capacity of 37,000 short tons per day, expanding to 70,000 in the second phase. In 2023, the mine produced over 27,000 tons of copper concentrate.

Underground ore processing involves a concentrator designed to process 5,000 short tonnes per day, using a primary jaw crusher, SAG mill, ball mill, and rougher/cleaner flotation units to produce concentrate. Expected recovery rates are 92% for copper, 78% for gold, and 70% for silver. The open-pit processing plan includes a throughput concentrator in the first phase, with a second phase to add a milling and flotation circuit.

Underground crusher and conveyor system, Geho de-watering pumps, rehabilitated ore passes, SAG mill, ball mill, pebble crusher, classifying cyclones, main production shaft, three ventilation shafts.

Open-pit development is planned in two phases, with the first phase having a capacity of 37,000 short tons per day, expanding to 70,000 in the second phase. The adjacent Southwest Open Pit project is projected to have a 20-year mine life.

The Tererro Copper-Gold-Zinc VMS Project is located approximately 120 kilometres north-east of Albuquerque in New Mexico. The project is currently in the exploration and permitting phase. An application for a regular exploration permit (SF040ER) was submitted to the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) in May 2019, and the permitting process is ongoing. The United States Forest Service determined that an Environmental Assessment will be required to review the Plan of Operations. The issuance of this Environmental Assessment was delayed in 2022 due to fires and post-fire recovery efforts in the region.