Theme of the Day: Resolution Copper project hit by legal issues

The Resolution Copper project has been mired in legal issues since 2021 because of strong opposition from the indigenous community as well as environmental groups who are concerned that the underground mine will destroy a sacred Apache site. A land exchange that would pave the way for the Arizona mine was due to take place, but an appeals court placed a temporary injunction on the transfer.

Resolution Copper is 55% owned by Rio Tinto and 45% owned by BHP. It would be one of the world’s largest copper mines and is seen as one of the most important projects in reducing US dependence on imports of copper, a key material for the energy transition. Mike Henry, BHP chief executive, and Jakob Stausholm and Simon Trott, the outgoing and incoming chief executives of Rio Tinto, were at the White House recently to discuss their Resolution Copper joint venture and the Trump administration’s broader strategy on critical minerals. BHP and Rio Tinto chiefs affirmed their commitment to the Resolution project at the meeting.

The Resolution Copper project is a proposed underground mine 60 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, near the town of Superior. The ore deposit lies nearly 7,000 feet below the earth’s surface. It represents one of the most significant untapped copper deposits today, with an estimated copper resource of 1.787 billion metric tonnes at an average grade of 1.5% copper.

Henry said in a statement afterwards that Trump and interior secretary Doug Burgum had shown “strong leadership to reinvigorate mining and processing supply chains in and for America”. “Resolution Copper is one of the largest untapped, high-grade copper resources in the US today and will create thousands of high-value local jobs in Arizona and billions in economic activity across America,” Henry added. Rio already operates the Kennecott copper mine and smelter in Utah. Stausholm said the mining groups “outlined the enormous potential of this project to provide domestic copper and other critical minerals for decades to come” during the meeting with Trump.

Resolution Copper described the injunction as a “temporary pause”. “We are confident the court will ultimately affirm the district court’s well-reasoned orders explaining in detail why the congressionally directed land exchange satisfies all applicable legal requirements,” it said.

Donald Trump said on Truth Social that what he called a “radical left court” could delay the mine’s opening for two months and affect 3,800 jobs. “They are looking to do an Expedited Appeal before the Ninth Circuit but it is so sad that Radical Left Activists can do this,” he said, calling opponents of the copper mine “anti-American”.