​Our Australian copper business is integrated across the entire supply chain, from resource development, mining and processing, to transport, storage and export to worldwide customers.

Fast facts:

  • Australia's two deepest underground copper mines
  • World-leading electrolytic copper refinery
  • Produced 275,750 tonnes of copper metal and 53,900 tonnes of copper in concentrate
OPERATIONSASSETS​2016 PRODUCTION
Mount Isa Mines
copper operations		Enterprise underground mine
X41 underground mine
Copper Concentrator
Copper Smelter		Copper metal
Gold in concentrates
Silver in concentrates ​ ​		275,750 t*
135,000 oz*
2,271,000 oz* ​ ​
Ernest Henry MiningUnderground copper mine
Copper Concentrator		​​
Copper Refineries LtdElectrolytic copper refinery​​
CSA MineUnderground mineCopper in concentrates
Silver in concentrates		53,900 t
543,000 oz
Glencore Port OperationsPort facilities and logistics
(copper and zinc)		Loaded to ship
(Glencore and third party
products, fertiliser)

Berth 8 - 1.4 Mt

Berth 3 - 422,700 t

* Mount Isa, Ernest Henry, Townsville - total production, including third party feed;
t = tonnes, oz = ounces Mt = million tonnes

QUEENSLAND

Our North Queensland copper mining and processing operations include the Mount Isa Mines complex, Ernest Henry Mining near Cloncurry, and copper refinery in Townsville.

Operating since 1924, Mount Isa Mines remains one of Australia's largest industrial complexes, operating two separate mining and processing streams - copper and zinc-lead-silver.

Our Mount Isa copper operations host two underground mines, including Australia's deepest underground copper mine at 1,900 metres. Ore is processed and smelted on site before being transported via rail to our copper refinery and port operations in Townsville for further processing and export.

Ernest Henry Mining is a copper and gold mining and processing operation located near Cloncurry. The operation began production in 1998 as an open pit mine and in 2011 transitioned to underground mining as part of a $589 million life of mine extension project. Copper ore is processed at the on-site concentrator and trucked to Mount Isa Mines for smelting into copper anode.

NEW SOUTH WALES

With a mining history spanning over 140 years, our CSA Mine is Australia's highest grade copper mine, and at 1,600 metres deep, it is also the second deepest underground copper mine in the country.

Located in Cobar, Central Western New South Wales, CSA Mine produces copper concentrate with a silver by-product. The product is then transported via rail to Port Waratah in Newcastle, from where it is shipped to smelters around the world.