The ten companies listed in the World Energy Trade ranking, according to Miningintelligence data, are large or medium-sized enterprises.
Cobre Panamá mine, operated by First Quantum Minerals, has been included in the ranking of the world’s top ten mines in terms of tons of extracted ore, according to World Energy Trade. It is estimated that by the third quarter of 2021, this mine will produce approximately 96.24 million tons of copper, silver, gold, and molybdenum ore, as reported by the Vancouver-based company. The Cobre Panamá mine, owned by Minera Panamá, is located in Costa Abajo de Colón, in the Donoso and Omar Torrijos Herrera districts, and has been in operation since 2019, contributing 3.5% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Currently, the Cobre Panamá mine is in negotiations with the National Government to establish a new concession contract. These negotiations have sparked controversy due to opposition from some environmental and community groups against the government’s policies promoting open-pit metal mining.
The list compiled by Miningintelligence includes the ten most prominent companies in the sector. These companies, mostly large or medium-sized, hold significant positions in the ranking of the top 50 global mining companies.
Leading the list is the Escondida copper mine, owned by BHP, which is considered the world’s largest mine in its category.
According to the listing, it is highlighted that Rio Tinto, the second-largest mining company globally, holds a 30% stake in the mentioned mine, which produces an average of 360,000 tons per day. Based on production figures for the first three quarters, it is estimated that the Escondida mine will extract 130.78 million tons of copper, silver, and gold ore during the year 2021.
In the second place on the list is the Collahuasi mine, a joint venture of Anglo American and Glencore, also located in Chile. It is projected that 104.65 million tons of copper, gold, and silver ore will be extracted from this mine this year, representing a significant increase compared to the 71.9 million tons extracted in 2020.
In the fourth position in the ranking is Southern Copper’s Buenavista mine, located in Mexico, which is the world’s largest silver producer. The report states that Southern Copper invested around one billion dollars in expanding its flagship copper, molybdenum, zinc, and silver mine.
In fifth place on the list is the Las Bambas mine, operated by MMG in Peru, with an estimated extraction of 65.26 million tons of copper, silver, gold, and molybdenum ore for the year 2021. During this year, the mine has faced opposition from the local community, as residents blocked a key transportation route. However, after a public meeting with Prime Minister Mirtha Vásquez, the communities agreed to lift the roadblock last month.
In sixth place is the Sentinel copper and nickel mine, owned by First Quantum Minerals and located in Zambia. According to the report, the company has decided not to sell a stake in its copper mines in Zambia, and it is estimated that Sentinel will extract 56.69 million tons of ore this year.
The seventh place is held by the Aktogay mine, operated by Kaz Minerals, which focuses on the extraction of copper, silver, gold, and molybdenum ore. An estimated 53.6 million tons of ore are projected to be extracted from this mine this year. The Paracatu mine, owned by Kinross Gold in Brazil, is in the eighth position, with an estimated extraction of 52.46 million tons of ore for this year.
The Antamina mine, located in Peru and owned by BHP and Glencore, occupies the ninth place. This mine is dedicated to the extraction of copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and silver, with a production very close to 52.45 million tons of ore extracted. Finally, in the tenth place, the Los Bronces mine, owned by Anglo American in Chile, specializes in the extraction of copper and molybdenum. It is expected that 43.64 million tons of ore will be extracted from this mine in 2021. COBRE PANAMA, MINERIA COBRE; FIRST QUANTUM COBRE PANAMA, MINERIA COBRE; FIRST QUANTUM COBRE PANAMA, MINERIA COBRE; FIRST QUANTUM
