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We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
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Iron ore is the primary raw material used to make steel
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Sustainability – the expectation, not the exception
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Look inside a mine of the future
Our most intelligent mine yet is pioneering new mining technologies
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
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Sustainability Reporting 2023
As temporary custodians of the land where we operate, we are entrusted with accessing the world’s essential materials and making them available for society’s use
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We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
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We’ve launched a new interactive map of our tailings facilities
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It’s a 15-minute elevator ride almost two kilometres down Resolution Copper’s “No.10” mine shaft in Arizona, US. At these depths, temperatures can reach nearly 80°C.
And while it isn’t the world’s deepest mine, the project – which is currently undergoing approvals – offers a glimpse into the future of copper mining. As high-grade copper deposits become rarer, miners must venture ever-deeper, in inhospitable conditions, to access the metal.
“Copper has just become a lot harder to get, and we’re relying on technology to keep dealing with that decline in grade,” said Craig Stegman, vice president Operational and Technical Support in Rio Tinto’s Copper & Diamonds business, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in June 2017.
To access one of the world’s largest untapped copper deposits, the Resolution team is going to new lengths to create a safe and efficient mine. Here are four technologies the team plans to use to mine copper ore deep underground:
Tens of thousands of powerful electronic sensors will monitor everything from ensuring employees aren’t overheating, to monitoring the condition of equipment and tracking rock movement during the caving process.
The sensors need to be extra-durable, reliable and designed to withstand the high underground temperatures.
Terabytes of data will travel wirelessly from sensors to a central database on Rio Tinto’s network and be fed into sophisticated analytics systems. These systems will help monitor tasks ranging from underground blasts to the movement of autonomous vehicles.
Rather than one person viewing data about a specific part of the mining process, information from across the mine can be sent to a single place where experts can obtain a more holistic view of operations.
Revolutionary technology – known as Cave Tracker – is making underground cave mining operations safer and more profitable.
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The Cave Tracker system uses a series of trackers and detectors placed in and around the orebody to track the rock three-dimensionally inside the cave as it moves in real time. The system can transmit signals through two hundred metres of rock and will continue working remotely for many years.
To ensure the trackers could withstand the immense force of rock, the inventors brought in a NASA engineer to assist in designing a tough outer shell to protect the trackers deep underground.
Autonomous vehicles will be used throughout the project. For example, automated loaders will transfer ore from the mine’s extraction points underground to autonomous ore handling systems.
The team is also working with equipment manufacturers to address one of the challenges of using existing electric load, haul and dump vehicles underground. Traditionally these vehicles needed to be connected to a power source by a giant cable, which restricts their use and reduces overall operational flexibility. Now the team is working with suppliers such as Caterpillar, Sandvik and Komatsu to create battery-powered vehicles that don’t require the electric cable.
At these depths, the rock temperature is nearly 80°C. Without cooling, an average person would not survive more than a couple of hours.
The team has had to undertake significant engineering and construction work to create an environment suitable for people to work in. This included engineering a complex ventilation system – like a giant air conditioning unit – which keeps the air in the mine breathable and at a comfortable 25°C.
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With the exception of the use of cookies, Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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