Escondida holds top spot on list of top copper mines

Copper is a metal essential to construction, manufacturing industrial machinery and to the green energy transition — and demand is increasing worldwide.

The copper price broke an all time record intraday high above $11,000 this year on the back of historically low global inventories.

Miningintelligence has compiled a list of the world’s top 10 biggest copper mines based on 2021 figures, where production will play a part in setting prices for years to come.

1 Escondida

Owned by the world's biggest copper miner and operating in the world's biggest copper producing country, Chile’s Escondida remains by far the top producer in the world, again surpassing the one-million-tonne mark.

2. Collahuasi

Collahuasi, also in Chile and jointly owned by Anglo American and Glencore is in second place, with 630,000 tonnes grading 0.81% copper produced in 2021.

3. Grasberg

Indonesia's Grasberg operations, owned by Inalum, come in third, churning out 606,000 tonnes grading 1.07% copper during the year.

4. El Teniente

Back in Chile, Codelco's El Teniente produced 459,800 tonnes of copper grading 0.83% in 2021.

5. Antamina

A joint venture between BHP and Glencore, Peru's Antamina mine is in fifth place, producing 429,600 tonnes grading 0.91% copper.

6. Buenavista

In Mexico, Southern Copper's Buenavista mine churned out in 2021 422,800 tonnes grading 0.32% copper.

7. Cerro Verde

Cerro Verde in Peru, owned Freeport McMoRan is in seventh place, producing 402,300 tonnes in 2021, grading 0.36% copper.

8. Morenci

Freeport Mc-MoRan's majority owned Morenci mine in Arizona is the biggest copper mine in the United States, and #8 in the world, churning out 397,300 tonnes grading 0.29% copper.

9. KGHM Polska Miedz

Poland's national KGHM Polska Miedz Mines are in ninth place, producing 391,200 tonnes during 2021.

10. Cobre Panama

Rounding out the list is First Quantum Minerals' Cobre Panama mine in Panama, which produced 331,000 tonnes grading 0.37% copper for the year.

Download the Miningintelligence data here: https://www.miningintelligence.com/top-20-copper-mines/