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Record copper sales and soaring gold and iron ore prices in the second half of 2020 have helped the Australian state reach its second-highest year of mining value, the latest South Australian government figures show.

Figures published this week by the South Australia Department for Energy and Mining show the state’s mineral resource production for the 2020 calendar year reached AUD$7,059,477,619, up from $6.9 billion in 2019.

It is only the second time the sector has topped $7 billion in a year and is the second-highest year on record behind the $7.312 billion produced in 2014.

The 2020 figure was achieved despite a struggling oil and gas sector that contributed $1.34 billion compared with $1.65 billion in 2019 and $1.9 billion in the record year of 2014.

Bundles of copper being loaded for transport at Olympic Dam in South Australia. Bundles of copper being loaded for transport at Olympic Dam in South Australia.

Star improvers in 2020 were gold, which contributed $952.5 million compared to $554 million in 2019 and iron ore $1.23 billion in 2020 up from $907.3 million in 2019 with both metals benefitting significantly by massive price hikes.

Uranium production in 2020 decreased to $521.4 million from $538.7m in 2019.

The slide in oil and gas production value coincided with plummeting oil and gas prices in 2020 as global travel ground to a halt during the pandemic.

However, it is also part of a longer-term trend that shows the value of the sector has declined every six months since the first half of 2019 when it contributed $847.6 million through to the $613.5 million it added in the second half of 2020.

Copper continued to be the state’s largest contributor in 2020 with $2.429 billion worth of production. This included $1.35 billion in the second half of the year, which is the highest six-month copper total in the state’s history and bodes well for another strong year in 2021.

Copper prices jumped by 24 per cent in the second half of 2020 despite the increase in the value of the Australian dollar compared to the US dollar.

The copper price has surged a further 17 per cent in the first four months of 2021 to more than $12,000 per metric tonne in April.

This period has coincided with a 25 per cent increase in copper production at BHP’s Olympic Dam for the nine months to March 2021.

South Australia’s largest copper mine produced 100,000 tonnes of copper in the second half of 2020 and a further 55,000 tonnes in the March quarter this year, the highest quarterly production at Olympic Dam in the past five years.

South Australia’s next largest copper producer, Oz Minerals, also reported significant increases in copper production for the second half of 2020 at its South Australian mines at Prominent Hill and Carrapateena.

This was mainly due to the ramping up of production at Carrapateena, which began commercial operation in late 2019.

Other contributors to the 2020 production figures were opals, $17.1 million (down from $18.46 million in 2019), industrial minerals $277.4  million in 2020 (down from $509.9 million in 2019). Construction materials such as limestone and dolomite were steady at $235 million.

According to figures from the South Australia Chamber of Mining and Energy (SACOME), the state government received $311 million in mining royalties for the 2019/20 financial year, up from $299 million the previous financial year and $207 million in 2015/16.

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Metso's services solutions will improve the operational reliability and process efficiency of Codelco's grinding process.

METSO LOGO PMS pcMetso has signed an 18-month services contract with Codelco's Chuquicamata mine. Codelco is the biggest state-owned enterprise in Chile and the world's largest producer of copper.

The contract covers changing the components to 33 ball mills currently operating in the A0 and A1 plants in the Codelco Chuquicamata mine. The work will involve changing the pinion-gear assembly as well as repairs to the shell. Metso will repair two mills per month and also take care of the continuous monitoring of the status of the equipment. The value of the new contract will not be disclosed.

"Codelco chose Metso due to our expertise in similar type of projects. Metso's specialized, high-quality services are focused on optimization and improved reliability of the mills. As a result, the customer will gain the desired return on their investment", states Eduardo Nilo, Services Director for Metso's Mining and Construction in Chile.

The agreement, which covers gear disassembly, new gear assembly, pinion assembly, gear alignment (slow rotation) and mantle repair, will take effect in April 2014. The contract will create 30 new Metso services jobs in the Northern part of Chile. The order has been included in Metso Mining and Construction's Q1 2014 orders received.

Proven track record in safety

A services supplier's safety performance is highly important for the global mining industry and an important factor behind Codelco's decision to choose Metso as a services supplier for Chuquicamata.

Metso's commitment to Health, Safety and Environment is framed through its global policy and the high standards implemented locally. As a consequence, Metso has been able to reduce the lost time incidents significantly. Our 750 employees in Chile have operated more than two years without any lost time incidents. The Association of Major Suppliers for Mining in Chile awarded Metso for its safety results in 2013.

Experience in field services

Metso has a long history of offering specialized engineering services, maintenance and emergency repairs for the mining industry through its technical team of field engineers. Metso has provided millions of solutions during its more than 40 years in Chile. Metso's solid track record in providing and optimizing customer assets as well as its deep knowledge of user technology and processes makes it one of the leading providers of integrated solutions with experience in highly complex tasks.

In 2012, Metso supplied three large MP1250 cone crushers and an automatic control system to the Chuquicamata mine.

Codelco is the largest mining company in Chile. The Chuquicamata Division operates two copper and molybdenum producing mines: Chuquicamata and Mina Sur. By excavation volume, Chuquicamata is world's largest open-pit copper mine.


Metso's mining and construction professionals specialize in always bringing the right technology, processes, machinery and services to our customers in aggregates production, construction, mining and minerals processing and in metal and waste recycling. Expect results

Metso is a leading process performance provider, with customers in the mining, construction, and oil & gas industries. Our focus is on the continuous development of intelligent solutions that improve sustainability and profitability. Metso's shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. Metso employs around 16,000 professionals in 50 countries. Expect results.

For further information, please contact:

Eduardo Nilo, Services Director, Chile, Mining and Construction, Metso, tel: +56 2 2370 2000, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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