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’ 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.

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  is under "immense pressure" from the US government to develop its Resolution copper project, as the copper it holds accounts for a quarter of all US reserves, Rio Tinto chair Dominic Barton has said.

Copper is vital for the transition to green energy, but the project in Arizona is opposed by all the state's tribal councils, including the San Carlos Apache, as it would destroy a heritage site of religious significance. Rio Tinto has been in a "deep engagement" process with the groups for the past nine years.

"We are engaging and we are not [making] any conclusions, but we are going through a process right now," Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm has said.

The company has pledged to follow United Nations principles, which require full consent from indigenous groups for mining on traditional lands in the wake of its destruction of significant rock shelters in Western Australia for an iron-ore mine in 2020.

US senators are trying to get copper placed on the US critical mineral list, which will allow copper projects access to tax breaks.

"It is not just a matter of government approvals, but it is also a matter of us convincing ourselves it is the right thing,” Stausholm says.

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.