RANKED: World’s top copper mines

Last year approximately 21 million tonnes of copper were produced around the world (source: Statista). More than a quarter of that came from Chile, home to some of the world’s biggest copper mines.

BHP’s Escondida mine continues to lead the way as the top copper operation on the planet. The mine complex produced a grand total of 1.2 million tonnes last year (see table above), adding over 300,000 tonnes — essentially a whole mine’s worth of production — from the previous year.