Updated! World’s top ten mines ranked!

MiningIntelligence has published the top ten mines in the world based on ore mining volume in the first three quarters of 2022.

Except for Glasbey in Indonesia, all other mines in the top 10 are open pits. Glass Bay, the second largest copper mine in the world, will go underground in 2020.

1. Escondida

Mineral Portfolio: Copper, Gold, and Silver

Metallogenic type: porphyry/secondary enrichment

Escondida, the world's largest copper mine in Chile, ranked first with an ore mining volume of 97.4 million tons in the first three quarters. The mine is operated by BHP Billiton, the world's largest mining company, and is currently facing the threat of a miners' strike.

2. Petaquilla (aka CobrePanama)

Mineral Portfolio: Copper Gold Molybdenum Silver

Metallogenic type: porphyry/secondary enrichment

In second place is the Petakia copper mine of First Quantum Minerals in Panama, with an ore mining volume of 75.5 million tons. The Canadian company was awarded a new contract this month, Panama's Ministry of Trade and Industry announced.

3. Collahuasi

Mineral Portfolio: Copper Gold Molybdenum Silver

Metallogenic type: porphyry type

Anglo American and Glencore's Collahuasi copper mine in Chile, a joint venture, has mined 64.2 million tons, ranking third.

4. Buenavista

Mineral Portfolio: Copper Molybdenum Silver Zinc

Metallogenic type: porphyry/secondary enrichment

Southern Copper's Buenavista copper mine in Mexico ranked fourth with 55.7 million tonnes mined. Five years ago, the company invested about $1 billion to expand the copper-molybdenum-zinc-silver mine.

5. Grasberg

Mineral Portfolio: Copper, Gold and Silver

Metallogenic type: porphyry/skarn type

Ranked fifth is Indonesia's Grasbey Copper Mine, a joint venture between Asahan Aluminum Company (Inalum) and Freeport-McMoRan (Freeport-McMoRan), with a mining volume of 52.1 million tons. Copper and gold production doubled when the mine went underground two years ago.

6. Aktogay

Mineral Portfolio: Copper Gold Molybdenum Silver

Metallogenic type: porphyry type

Kazakhstan Minerals (KazMinerals)'s Aktogay copper mine has a beneficiation volume of 48.3 million tons, ranking sixth.

7. Fort Knox

Mineral Portfolio: Gold

Metallogenic type: metallogenic system related to intrusion

Fort Knox in Alaska ranks seventh with 43.9 million tonnes of ore mined. Last year, Kinross produced the first gold nuggets from a new heap leach tank at the mine.

8. Sentinel

Mineral Portfolio: Cobalt Copper Nickel

Metallogenic type: sedimentary type

First Quantum Mining Company's Sentinel Copper Mine in Zambia ranks 8th, with ore mining capacity of 41.5 million tons.

9. Antamina

Mineral mix: copper lead molybdenum silver zinc

Metallogenic type: skarn type

The second largest copper mine in Peru, the Antamina copper mine, a joint venture between BHP Billiton and Glencore, has a production volume of 40.1 million tons, ranking ninth. This year, the company announced that it will invest $1.6 billion to expand the mine.

10. Los Bronces

Mineral Portfolio: Copper Molybdenum

Metallogenic type: porphyry type

Anglo American's Los Blanches copper mine in Chile has a production volume of 33.6 million tons, ranking 10th. This month, the company secured a supply deal to meet half of its water consumption from 2025.

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