According to GlobalData, there are over 7925 surface mines in operation globally, of which 2787 are in North America. GlobalData tracks and profiles over 33,000 mines and projects from early exploration to closure, across more than 150 countries and more than 100 commodities. Buy the latest mine-site profiles here.
The following are the ten largest surface mining projects by production in North America in 2023, according to GlobalData’s mining database.
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1. Morenci Mine
The Morenci Mine is a copper mining project in Arizona, United States. The brownfield project is owned by Freeport-McMoRan and is due to operate until 2051. The mine produced an estimated 164.888Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 399.1 thousand tonnes of copper in 2023. Buy the profile here.
2. Black Thunder Mine
The Black Thunder Mine is a coal mine owned by Arch Resources. Located in Wyoming, United States, the greenfield mine produced approximately 82.477Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 62.68 mtpa of coal in 2023. Buy the profile here.
3. North Antelope Rochelle Mine
Located in Wyoming, United States, the North Antelope Rochelle Mine is a coal mining project owned by Peabody Energy. The mine is expected to operate until 2047.
The greenfield mine produced an estimated 60.78Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 56.25 mtpa of coal in the same year. Buy the profile here.
4. Mont Wright Mine
The Mont Wright Mine is an iron ore mine located in Quebec, Canada. Owned by ArcelorMittal, the greenfield project produced an estimated 59.96Mt of ROM in 2023.
The mine had an estimated production of 21.6 mtpa of iron ore in 2023. The Mont Wright Mine will operate until 2052. Buy the profile here.
5. Minntac Mine
Owned by United States Steel, the Minntac Mine is an iron ore mine situated in Minnesota, United States. The mine is expected to operate until 2031.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 52.416Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 14.15 mtpa of iron ore in 2023. Buy the profile here.
6. Safford Mine
The Safford Mine is a copper mining project in Arizona, United States. The greenfield project is owned by Freeport-McMoRan and is due to operate until 2055. The mine produced an estimated 50.596Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 124.74 thousand tonnes of copper in 2023. Buy the profile here.
7. Carol Lake Mine
The Carol Lake Mine is an iron ore mine owned by Rio Tinto. Located in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the greenfield mine produced approximately 39.97Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 17.88 mtpa of iron ore in 2023. The expected mine closure date is 2081. Buy the profile here.
8. Highland Valley Copper Mine
Located in British Columbia, Canada, the Highland Valley Copper Mine is a copper mining project owned by Teck Resources. The mine is expected to operate until 2040.
The brownfield mine produced an estimated 38.423Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 114 thousand tonnes of copper in the same year. Buy the profile here.
9. Bloom Lake Mine
The Bloom Lake Mine is an iron ore mine located in Quebec, Canada. Owned by Champion Iron, the greenfield project produced an estimated 38.376Mt of ROM in 2023.
The mine had an estimated production of 39.58 mtpa of iron ore in 2023. The Bloom Lake Mine will operate until 2041. Buy the profile here.
10. Sierrita Mine
Owned by Freeport-McMoRan, the Sierrita Mine is a copper mine situated in Arizona, United States. The mine is expected to operate until 2093.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 36.086Mt of ROM in 2023. It had an estimated production of 84.6 thousand tonnes of copper in 2023. Buy the profile here.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Mining Intelligence Center tracks production, consumption, imports and exports of 17 key commodities across 60 countries, whilst its Mines & Projects Database tracks over 30,000 mines and projects with 200+ data fields for each, including production, operating costs, equipment and key mine-site contacts.
