Rio Tinto Halts Kennecott Copper Mine Operations After Worker Fatality, Awaits Investigation

Published: Mar 15, 2026 01:37
Following a worker fatality on March 12, Rio Tinto suspended operations at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah, US. In a statement posted on its official website, Rio Tinto said that all surface and underground mining operations at Kennecott (also known as Bingham Canyon Mine) had been suspended. Chief Executive Officer Simon Trott said the company was working closely with the relevant authorities and contractor partners to support a full and thorough investigation.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Rising Copper Prices Suppress Wire and Cable Orders, with Significant Divergence in Industry Operating Rates [SMM Wire and Cable Market Weekly Review]
7 mins ago
Rising Copper Prices Suppress Wire and Cable Orders, with Significant Divergence in Industry Operating Rates [SMM Wire and Cable Market Weekly Review]
Read More
Rising Copper Prices Suppress Wire and Cable Orders, with Significant Divergence in Industry Operating Rates [SMM Wire and Cable Market Weekly Review]
Rising Copper Prices Suppress Wire and Cable Orders, with Significant Divergence in Industry Operating Rates [SMM Wire and Cable Market Weekly Review]
7 mins ago
Copper Prices Rebound, Weakening Substitution Effect with Scrap Copper
19 mins ago
Copper Prices Rebound, Weakening Substitution Effect with Scrap Copper
Read More
Copper Prices Rebound, Weakening Substitution Effect with Scrap Copper
Copper Prices Rebound, Weakening Substitution Effect with Scrap Copper
[SMM Copper News Flash] As copper prices rebounded above 100,000 yuan/mt, the intraday substitution effect between refined copper and copper scrap weakened compared to before. From the perspective of Shanghai spot copper transactions, the transaction price of EQ copper declined.
19 mins ago
High Copper Prices Combined with Raw Material Shortages Put Brass Billet Operating Rates under Pressure
23 mins ago
High Copper Prices Combined with Raw Material Shortages Put Brass Billet Operating Rates under Pressure
Read More
High Copper Prices Combined with Raw Material Shortages Put Brass Billet Operating Rates under Pressure
High Copper Prices Combined with Raw Material Shortages Put Brass Billet Operating Rates under Pressure
[SMM Brass Billet News Flash] This week (4.10-4.16), the operating rate of the brass billet industry was recorded at 53.68%, down 1.03 percentage points WoW. Copper prices fluctuated at highs, market trading was subdued, and new orders weakened; recycled brass raw materials remained tight, raw material inventories fell to 4.31 days, and finished product inventories rose to 5.42 days. The operating rate is expected to continue declining by 0.32 percentage points WoW to 53.36% next week (4.17-4.23).
23 mins ago
Following a worker fatality on March 12, Rio Tinto suspended operation - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)