The world’s top ten copper producers are to raise their production by up to 3.8 percent this year, according to figures released by data analytics company GlobalData.
“Production from the world’s top ten copper mining companies decreased in 2020, albeit by a marginal 0.2% to 11.76 million tonnes,” the company said in a statement.
While the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mining operations was significant, “six of the ten largest producers succeeded in increasing output in the year. In 2021, copper production from the top ten copper companies is expected to bounce back,” according to the statement.
Vinneth Bajaj, an associate project manager at GlobalData, said that ma-jor “growth is expected from Freeport McMoRan, which provided 1,723.6kt of copper guidance for 2021, 18.5% higher versus 2020 output, backed by the commencement of it’s recently expanded Grassberg mine in Indonesia.”