Rio Tinto has announced plans to begin operations at the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona, US, by the mid-2030s.
The mining company may have to export a portion of its copper concentrate because of difficult smelting economics in the US, a senior executive told Reuters.
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Rio Tinto recently secured control of the necessary acreage for the project. This comes after a protracted legal battle where increasing US demand for copper conflicted with the San Carlos Apache people’s religious rights.
The Resolution project is set to produce more than 18 million tonnes (mt) of copper throughout its lifespan, potentially meeting over a quarter of US demand.
Rio Tinto has now initiated a $500m drilling programme at previously inaccessible sections of the deposit.
The copper concentrate from Resolution will require smelting into cathode form for manufacturing wires and other products.
In the US, Rio Tinto operates the Kennecott copper mine and smelter in Utah, while Freeport-McMoRan manages another smelter.
In a separate development in Canada, Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine officially closed following 23 years of operation and production of more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds.
Located 220km south of the Arctic Circle, Diavik was discovered in 1991 and commenced mining in 2003.
The mine produced predominantly white gem-quality diamonds alongside some rare yellow diamonds.
Closure activities are due to continue until 2029, after which a phase of post-closure monitoring will take place.
The last batch of Diavik rough diamonds will be polished and sold by Rio Tinto’s global customer network, including its established Select Diamantaires, through 2026 and beyond.
Earlier this month, Rio Tinto obtained a financing package totalling £872.27m to advance the Rincon lithium project in Salta Province, Argentina.
