According to GlobalData, there are over 7983 surface mines in operation globally, of which 2795 are in North America. GlobalData tracks and profiles over 33,000 mines and projects from early exploration to closure, across more than 150 countries and more than 100 commodities. Buy the latest mine-site profiles here.
The following are the ten largest surface mining projects by production in North America in 2022, according to GlobalData’s mining database.
1. Morenci Mine
The Morenci Mine is a copper mining project in Arizona, United States. The brownfield project is owned by Freeport-McMoRan and is due to operate until 2044. The mine produced an estimated 171.98Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
2. Black Thunder Mine
The Black Thunder Mine is a coal mine owned by Arch Resources. Located in Wyoming, United States, the greenfield mine produced approximately 76.61Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
3. Mont Wright Mine
Located in Quebec, Canada, the Mont Wright Mine is an iron ore mining project owned by ArcelorMittal. The mine is expected to operate until 2052.
The greenfield mine produced an estimated 67.27Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
4. Highland Valley Copper Mine
The Highland Valley Copper Mine is a copper mine located in British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Teck Resources, the brownfield project produced an estimated 64.56Mt of ROM in 2022.
The Highland Valley Copper Mine will operate until 2040. Buy the profile here.
5. North Antelope Rochelle Mine
Owned by Peabody Energy, the North Antelope Rochelle Mine is a coal mine situated in Wyoming, United States. The mine is expected to operate until 2047.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 60.78Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
6. Fort Knox Mine
The Fort Knox Mine is a gold mining project in Alaska, United States. The brownfield project is owned by Kinross Gold and is due to operate until 2030. The mine produced an estimated 58.51Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
7. Safford Mine
The Safford Mine is a silver mine owned by Freeport-McMoRan. Located in Arizona, United States, the greenfield mine produced approximately 41.5Mt of ROM in 2022. The expected mine closure date is 2048. Buy the profile here.
8. Bagdad Mine
Located in Arizona, United States, the Bagdad Mine is a silver mining project owned by Freeport-McMoRan. The mine is expected to operate until 2101.
The brownfield mine produced an estimated 36.94Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
9. Sierrita Mine
The Sierrita Mine is a silver mine located in Arizona, United States. Owned by Freeport-McMoRan, the brownfield project produced an estimated 36.65Mt of ROM in 2022.
The Sierrita Mine will operate until 2085. Buy the profile here.
10. Kennecott Copper Project
Owned by Rio Tinto, the Kennecott Copper Project is a silver mine situated in Utah, United States. The mine is expected to operate until 2032.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 35.4Mt of ROM in 2022. Buy the profile here.
For more details on the latest mine sites, buy the latest mine-site profiles here.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Mining Intelligence Center tracks production, consumption, imports and exports of 17 key commodities across 60 countries, whilst its Mines & Projects Database tracks over 30,000 mines and projects with 200+ data fields for each, including production, operating costs, equipment and key mine-site contacts.
