【Flash | Lower Grade Cuts Kennecott Molybdenum Output 40% Despite Higher Throughput】
Rio Tinto reported that its wholly owned Kennecott operation's Bingham Canyon mine produced 2,600 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate containing 900 tonnes of molybdenum in the third quarter of 2026. Product mass fell 29.7% from the second quarter and contained molybdenum dropped 40.0%; year-on-year declines were 21.2% and 30.8%. Ore treated rose 46.5% quarter on quarter to 9.726 million tonnes, while copper in concentrate increased 66.8%, but the molybdenum ore grade fell from 0.049% to 0.028%. This indicates that lower molybdenum grade, rather than reduced throughput, drove the decline. Nine-month contained molybdenum output still rose 40.0% year on year to 4,900 tonnes.