Name of the Project
Resolution copper mining (RCM) project.

Location
Arizona, in the US.

Project Owner/s
Resolution Copper Mining, owned by Resolution Copper Company (55%), a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and BHP Copper (45%), a subsidiary of BHP.

Project Description
Resolution is one of the most significant undeveloped copper deposits in the world.

When fully operational, the project has the potential to supply nearly 25% of the US’s copper demand.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to create several thousand direct and indirect jobs in the Pioneer mining district of Arizona.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Funding for the project is proportional among the project partners. Resolution Copper plans to spend about $500-million over the next two years on enabling work, including surface drilling, infrastructure upgrades and initial underground development activities. 

Planned Start/End Date
BHP reported in January 2021 that any mine construction is expected to be several years away and will be subject to additional regulatory and government approvals, as well as stakeholder consultation, including with the relevant Native American tribes, to obtain consent.

Latest Developments
Rio Tinto and BHP have secured key land needed to advance the project, following the completion of a long-contested federal land exchange.

The exchange was finalised after the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on March 13 in favour of the project developers and the federal government, denying requests by opponents to halt the transfer.

The decision enabled the US Forest Service to complete the land swap, transferring about 930 ha of federal land above the orebody near the historic Magma copper mine to the project partners.

In exchange, Resolution Copper transferred more than 2 185 ha of environmentally sensitive and culturally significant land to be protected within national conservation areas.

However, the project remains controversial. The deposit lies beneath Oak Flat, an area considered sacred by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Native American groups who have long opposed the mine.

Tribal groups argue that the planned underground mine would ultimately cause the collapse of the surface area used for religious ceremonies and cultural practices.

Despite the ruling and the completed land exchange, project development will still require further technical studies, community engagement and permitting before construction can proceed.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Resolution Copper Mining, tel +1520689 9374 or email info@resolutioncopper.com.
Resolution Copper Mining project information line, tel +1520689 3409.