Rio Tinto has halted underground operations at the Oyu Tolgoi copper project in Mongolia. The cause was seismic activity in a fault zone that triggered ground shaking. Three employees were injured; there were no fatalities. Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s largest copper-gold deposits and a key asset in Rio Tinto’s copper strategy.
Rio Tinto owns 66% of the project, with the remainder held by the Mongolian government. The underground part of the mine is considered the foundation of the company’s long-term growth and was previously regarded as one of the most complex and expensive mining projects in the world.
At the same time, the company reported delays at the Gashuunsukhait–Ganqimaodu border crossing between China and Mongolia. The problem affects all vehicles passing through, which has reduced the number of trucks available to haul copper concentrate from Oyu Tolgoi.
The suspension of underground work and logistics disruptions are putting pressure on one of Rio Tinto’s main copper assets. How quickly production and concentrate shipments can be restored depends on the findings on the seismic event and on the normalization of conditions at the border.
Source: MINING.COM
Image: Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi LLC
