Rio Tinto has seen a near-ten per cent increase in copper equivalent production year-on-year, driven by what the company describes as “operational excellence”. Results for the first quarter of 2026 show a nine per cent increase in both copper and copper equivalent production, supported by the ramp-up of the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia, with drilling also underway at the Resolution project in Arizona. Closer to home in Australia, Q1 saw the second-highest iron ore production in the Pilbara since 2018, up 13 per cent year-on-year, despite tropical cyclones impacting shipments by approximately eight million tonnes. It’s ... (full story)