Kennecott Utah Copper

Rio Tinto owns 100 per cent of Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) which operates the Bingham Canyon mine, Copperton concentrator and Garfield smelter complex near Salt Lake City, US. Its Bingham Canyon copper mine is one of the largest and longest running mines in the world. It operates state-of-the-art smelting/refining facilities recognised as the world's best for environmental protection practice and achievement, employing about 1,400 people. A project to enlarge the mine was approved in 2005 to extend the life of the open pit to 2017. Mine development options from 2017 include various open pit and underground mining alternatives. KUC supplies more than ten per cent of United States refined copper requirements and is the third largest copper producer in the US. Substantial amounts of gold, silver and molybdenum are produced as by-products.