Copper Mines in Australia | Nasdaq | Commodities
Residence to the world’s second largest copper reserves and the eighth largest copper producer globally in 2024, Australia holds dozens of working copper mines.
Information from Geoscience Australia’s Recognized Mineral Assets 2023 report reveals there have been 36 operational copper mines unfold throughout the nation as of December 2022. Since then more have come online, and there are a lot more copper tasks within the exploration and development levels.
The long run for copper manufacturing in Australia stays brilliant because of increased price projections and huge investments in exploration and development. The Australian authorities forecasts that copper export earnings will attain AU$15.3 billion within the 2024/2025 period and AU$16.2 billion within the 2025/2026 period.
Learn on to study more about Australia’s largest copper mines in addition to near-term producing copper tasks.
On this article
The place is copper mined in Australia?
Copper is mined in lots of of Australia’s states. South Australia is the nation’s premier copper jurisdiction with three working copper mines and 68 % of Australia’s financial demonstrated assets of copper. The state is home to the most important single copper mine within the nation: the Olympic Dam polymetallic mine, owned by BHP (ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP,NYSE:BHP).
Whereas South Australia has essentially the most copper reserves and three of the nation’s largest copper mines, the state with essentially the most copper mines is Queensland. It boasted 12 working producers as of 2022, together with Australia’s second largest copper producer, Glencore’s (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) Mount Isa Mines complicated. In phrases of Australia’s copper financial demonstrated assets, Queensland accounts for 11 %.
New South Wales holds 12 % of the nation’s copper financial demonstrated assets and eight working copper mines. These embrace Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) Cadia mine, one other of the largest copper producers in Australia; and Aeris Assets’ (ASX:AIS,OTC Pink:ARSRF) Tritton mine, one of the longest-life mines within the state.
There are 11 copper mines in Western Australia, and the state accounts for 8 % of the nation’s whole copper financial demonstrated assets. The Paterson Province on this area has attracted a lot of consideration for large-scale copper discoveries, such because the Telfer mine, which is now wholly owned by Greatland Gold (LSE:GGP,OTC Pink:GRLGF).
That is simply a snapshot of some of the nation’s main copper mines — there are a lot of others that sit on smaller reserves, primarily in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. There are additionally two copper mines in Tasmania. Whereas they do not have working mines, Victoria and the Northern Territory are each home to developing copper tasks.
5 largest copper mines in Australia
Buyers serious about gaining publicity to the alternatives in Australia’s copper mining sector ought to study concerning the nation’s 5 largest copper mines by manufacturing.
The copper mines on this listing are owned and operated by publicly traded corporations, and mine info and knowledge is sourced from Mining Information On-line (MDO). The copper mines on this listing are organized in alphabetical order. BHP, which owns three of the mines on this listing, experiences manufacturing utilizing a fiscal yr (FY) ending June 30.
1. Cadia Mine
State: New South Wales
Life of mine: 2057
2024 manufacturing: 87,000 tonnes steel in focus
The Cadia mine, wholly owned by Newmont via its subsidiary Cadia Holdings, contains the working Cadia East mine and the Ridgeway mine, at the moment on care and upkeep. Along with being a vital copper producer, Cadia can also be one Australia’s largest gold mining operations.
Launched in January 2013, the massive underground Cadia East mine is now present process vital enlargement actions to increase its mine life. The enlargement is targeted on a now full two-stage plant enlargement and two panel caves, PC1-2 and PC2-3, which is able to operate till 2034 and 2042 respectively. Over their working life, the panel caves are anticipated to mix for manufacturing of about 1.3 million tonnes of copper reserves and 5.9 million ounces of gold reserves.
2. Carrapateena Mine
State: South Australia
Life of mine: 2055
FY2024 manufacturing: 194,700 tonnes copper focus
The Carrapateena Mine, owned by BHP Group, is an iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) model deposit very like its district neighbours, Outstanding Hill and Olympic Dam. That is one of the latest mines on this listing, with construction accomplished in 2019. It grew to become a a half of BHP’s copper manufacturing portfolio following the foremost miner’s acquisition of OZ Minerals in Could 2023. As we speak, Carrapateena has a manufacturing fee of roughly of 4.25 million tonnes every year.
Carrapateena’s copper manufacturing for FY2024 elevated by practically 130 % over 2023’s output. “The successful commissioning and ramp up of Crusher 2 in Q3 FY2024 led to record material mined and concentrate produced,” MDO states.
3. Mount Isa
State: Queensland
Life of mine: 2025
2024 manufacturing: 67,400 tonnes copper steel
The Mount Isa copper mine, owned by Glencore, has long been a key producer of the steel. With manufacturing at Mount Isa starting back in 1943, the nation’s second largest copper producer has change into long within the tooth.
Glencore introduced in October 2023 that its underground copper operations and copper concentrator will close in H2 2025 because of financial infeasibility ensuing from low ore grades, geological challenges and growing older infrastructure. Its different property within the space will proceed operations, together with the Mount Isa copper smelter; the George Fisher mine, zinc-lead concentrator and lead smelter; and a copper refinery in Townsville.
4. Olympic Dam
State: South Australia
Life of mine: 2081
FY2024 manufacturing: 215,700 tonnes of copper cathode
Launched in 1988, the Olympic Dam is the most important copper producing mine in Australia, and the crown jewel in BHP’s asset portfolio. The mine can also be a globally important source of gold, silver and uranium. Operations at Olympic Dam consist of underground mining and floor operations in addition to a absolutely built-in processing facility with a hydrometallurgical plant incorporating solvent extraction circuits for copper, a copper smelter and a copper refinery.
In an effort to increase copper manufacturing to satisfy forecasted growth in demand, BHP is seeking to increase its copper smelter and refinery amenities within the first half of 2027. In January 2025, BHP awarded an an engineering, procurement and construction management contract for the proposed enlargement.
5. Outstanding Hill
State: South Australia
Life of mine: 2038
FY2024 manufacturing: 98,100 tonnes copper focus
Outstanding Hill is one other important Australian copper mine managed by BHP that, like Carrapateena, grew to become half of BHP’s portfolio via its 2023 OZ Minerals acquisition. Industrial manufacturing started on the mine in 2009, and at this time it produces some of the best grades of copper focus within the world.
Copper manufacturing at Outstanding Hill practically doubled in BHP’s FY2024 in comparison with 50,000 tonnes of copper focus in FY2023. This is because of a substantial enlargement on the Wira Shaft that started in 2022 and is slated to be absolutely operational by the tip of 2025, in accordance with MDO.
The place will Australia’s subsequent copper mines be?
Outdoors of the continuing expansions on the nation’s working mines, copper exploration and project development is occurring throughout Australia. These are a few superior copper tasks in allowing or beneath construction held by publicly-traded mining corporations.
Caravel project
The Caravel copper project, owned by Caravel Minerals (ASX:CVV), is a permitting-stage copper porphyry project positioned in Western Australia. The project has a whole mineral useful resource of 3.03 million tonnes of contained copper from 1.28 million tonnes of ore. Caravel Minerals’ web site says the project is “Australia’s largest undeveloped copper deposit and the fourth-largest copper discovery worldwide in the last decade.” A feasibility examine is predicted to be accomplished in Q2 2025 and allowing is underway.
Elizabeth Creek project
The Elizabeth Creek project is owned by Coda Minerals (ASX:COD) and positioned within the Olympic Copper Province of South Australia. The company accomplished an up to date scoping examine on the project in December 2024 demonstrating sturdy economics. The proposed operations at Elizabeth Creek contains three open-pit mines, one underground mine and a hydrometallurgical processing plant. For Section 1, Coda plans to provide copper-cobalt focus within the first yr to drive cash-flow. In Section 2, the finished hydrometallurgical plant will produce increased worth saleable end-products resembling copper cathode, battery-grade cobalt sulphate, zinc carbonate and silver doré.
Eva Copper project
The Eva Copper project in Queensland is owned by South Africa’s Concord Gold Mining Firm (NYSE:HAR). The project hosts the Little Eva and Blackard deposits, deliberate as open pit operations, in addition to 4 smaller satellite tv for pc pits. Eva is absolutely permitted and nearing completion of a feasibility examine, which is able to help inform a last investment choice by January 2026. It’s at the moment anticipated to provide 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of copper yearly. In mid-2024, the state granted Concord AU$20.7 million for Eva beneath the Mount Isa Mining Acceleration Programme.
Havieron project
The Havieron project is an underground copper-gold development-stage asset owned and found by Greatland Gold and positioned within the Paterson area of Western Australia. Beforehand a partial proprietor, the company re-acquired the complete rights to the project together with the Telfer mine from Newmont on December 4, 2024. Greatland Gold plans to course of ore from Havieron on the close by Telfer mining facility.
Whim Creek project
Whim Creek is a absolutely permitted copper-zinc project in Western Australia’s Pilbara area with 4 deposits, two of that are proposed as open-pit mines and two as underground mines. The project is owned by Anax Minerals (ASX:ANX) and Develop International via an 80/20 three way partnership. Anax is selling Whim Creek as a potential processing hub with a concentrator and heap leach combining for capability of 20,000 tonnes of copper equal per yr. The company can also be testing its bioleaching technology with copper extraction outcomes of 77 to 80 %.
FAQs for copper mines in Australia
Is Australia wealthy in copper?
Australia is the eighth high copper-producing nation, and there are a lot of ASX-listed copper corporations mining for the steel each in and out of doors of the nation. There are actively producing copper-focused mines in 5 Australian jurisdictions — Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania — whereas exploration and development is being carried out in a fifth jurisdiction, Victoria. There are recognized deposits throughout each jurisdiction, nonetheless.
That is an up to date model of an article first printed by the Investing Information Community in 2021.
Don’t neglect to comply with us @INN_Australia for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, at the moment maintain no direct investment curiosity in any company talked about on this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Anax Metals is a shopper of the Investing Information Community. This text will not be paid-for content material.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the writer and don’t essentially mirror these of Nasdaq, Inc.
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