/ Strategic Minerals

Copper is the gateway to strategic and critical minerals

While Resolution Copper will be one of the largest copper mines in the United States, the mine will also be a tremendous source of other strategic and critical minerals that are essential to helping the United States enable the energy transition domestically.

State of critical minerals

Domestically mined and refined strategic and critical minerals are needed for the United States to reach its clean energy goals, bolster supply chain resiliency, and boost national security. However, the United States is currently heavily reliant on imported critical minerals at a time when the world is transitioning to a clean energy economy. Although global demand for critical minerals is set to skyrocket by 400-600 percent over the next several decades,1 the United States is increasingly dependent on foreign supplies for many of the processed versions of these minerals.

Resolution Copper is part of the solution.

Overseas development and dominance of the critical mineral industry places the United States at a strategic disadvantage, and projects like Resolution Copper are needed to meet current needs and future demands.

In addition to copper, Resolution Copper will also be a tremendous source of other strategic and critical minerals. Resolution Copper can be a domestic source of at least seven other strategic and critical minerals that are found in the mine’s deposit. These minerals can be used in a variety of materials and technologies ranging from semiconductors to solar panels to electric vehicles; all of which are essential to the clean energy transition and national security.

Superior’s role in the energy transition

Resolution Copper is more than a mine. It’s a team of dedicated people working toward the common goal of providing the strategic minerals and metals needed to power everyday life.

Resolution Copper is made up of people who live and work in the Copper Triangle, Copper Corridor, and nearby tribal communities. We are proud that the town of Superior, Arizona is playing such an important role in supplying the critical materials needed for United States national security and the energy transition.

Resources

Our Work

New Water Recycling System Reduces Annual Use by One Million Gallons

A new Potable Water Recycling System is now operating on site, reducing water use by an estimated one million gallons per year. The system captures clean analyzer water and returns it to the plant for reuse, replacing water that was previously discharged onto the ground.

Reflecting on His Past, Bryan Mines a New Future

Bryan’s family is no stranger to mining. Born and raised in Globe, Bryan grew up watching his father and uncles work at the Magma Copper Mine. The industry was volatile at the time, and Bryan’s father was laid off three different times. Wanting a more stable path for his son, Bryan’s father encouraged him to do anything else for a living. Bryan followed that advice and decided to enroll at the University of Arizona, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in economic development.

Apache Owned Business to Manage Oak Flat Campground

Resolution Copper reaffirms that public access to the Oak Flat Campground, as well as to recreational roads and climbing areas on private land in the Oak Flat area, will remain open for the foreseeable future following completion of a federal land exchange this month.

United States Forest Service and Resolution Copper Complete Land Exchange

The U.S. Forest Service and Resolution Copper, a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP that represents one of the world's most significant untapped copper deposits, have completed a Federal land exchange required to unlock the full potential of the project.

Eight Years of Emory Oak Restoration and Cultural Stewardship

Across Arizona’s National Forests, Emory oak trees and the restoration of their groves support far more than wildlife and shade. For Western Apache communities, these trees provide acorns that are central to food traditions, ceremonies, and cultural practices that stretch back generations.

Resolution Copper in the Community: 2025 Recap

If there’s one thing 2025 proved, it’s this: engaging with the community isn’t a side project for us. Across the Copper Triangle and surrounding communities, Resolution Copper showed up in hundreds of ways, big and small. Some days it looked like volunteers packing food bags. Other days it looked like robotics kits in classrooms, filling sandbags, or youth baseball teams taking the field.

$4.5M Invested in Local Communities in 2025

Together alongside local partners, we invested over 4.5 million dollars to support students, families, communities, small businesses, and the places we all care about in the Copper Triangle region. The year was full of real moments that changed lives in quiet, meaningful ways. A robotics team getting their first competition kit. Families picking up holiday meals with dignity and relief. Teachers gain new tools for hands-on learning

Inside Our Underground Concrete Work on 68L

At Resolution Copper, we recently completed a major upgrade on 68L, one of the key levels deep in our underground system. The work was a collaboration between our team, Redpath, and Oddonetto, and it is a good window into what it takes to build strong mining infrastructure before full operations begin.

Resolution Copper Donates $285,000 to United Food Bank

Resolution Copper has donated $285,000 to Mesa-based United Food Bank to support the nonprofit’s mission and work in the Copper Corridor, tribal communities, and in the East Valley. The multi-year agreement through December 2028 comes at a critical time when there is record demand for food among all populations, including seniors and working families.