Production & reserves
Copper
(Rio Tinto interest 100% unless otherwise shown)
| Mine | Location | Access | Title/lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escondida (30%) | Atacama Desert, Chile | Pipeline and road to deep sea port at Coloso | Rights conferred by Government under Chilean Mining Code |
| Grasberg joint venture (40%) | Papua, Indonesia | Pipeline, road and port | Indonesian Government Contracts of Work expire in 2021 with option of two ten year extensions |
| Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Canyon |
Near Salt Lake City, Utah, US | Pipeline, road and rail | Owned |
| Northparkes (80%) | Goonumbla, New South Wales, Ausralia | Road and rail | State Government mining lease issued in 1991 for 21 years |
| Palabora (58%) | Phalaborwa, Limpopo Province, South Africa | Road and rail | Lease from South African Government until deposits depleted. Base metal claims owned by Palabora |
| Mine | History | Type of mine | Power source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escondida (30%) | Production started in 1990 and expanded in phases to 2002 when new concentrator was completed; production from Norte started in 2005 and the sulphide leach produced the first cathode during 2006 | Open pit | Supplied from SING grid under various contracts with Norgener, Gas Atacama and Edelnor |
| Grasberg joint venture (40%) | Joint venture interest acquired 1995. Capacity expanded to over 200,000 tonnes of ore per day in 1998 with addition of underground production of more than 35,000 tonnes per day in 2003 with an expansion to a sustained rate of 50,000 tonnes per day in mid 2007 | Open pit and underground | Long term contract with US-Indonesian consortium operated purpose built coal fired generating station |
| Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Canyon |
Interest acquired in 1989. Modernisation includes smelter complex and expanded tailings dam | Open pit | On site generation supplemented by long term contracts with Utah Power and Light |
| Northparkes (80%) | Production started in 1995; interest acquired in 2000 | Open pit and underground | Supplied from State grid |
| Palabora (58%) | Development of 20 year underground mine commenced 1996 with open pit closure in 2003 | Underground | Supplied by ESKOM via grid network |