The mining sector is full of companies that explore and mine for precious, base metals and minerals. Some companies explore and produce energy commodities like coal and petroleum. These materials are used for manufacturing a broad range of industrial products, capital goods, and consumer items including machines, computers, clothing, buildings, and automobiles.
Mining is a global industry, but four of the largest companies are headquartered in China, the world’s second-largest economy. Other big mining names are based in the U.K., Switzerland, Australia, India and Brazil. The following is a list of the 10 biggest mining companies by revenue.
1. Glencore PLC
Revenue: USD 255.98 billion
Glencore is a diversified natural resources Switzerland-based multinational commodity trading and mining company. It produces metal, mineral, energy, and agricultural commodities. The company‘s operations include refinement, processing, storage and transportation of metals and minerals, energy, and agricultural products. Glencore produces and trades zinc, lead, copper, aluminum, nickel, iron ore, oil products, coal, ferroalloys, and cobalt. The company owns and operates coal mines in Australia, Colombia, and South Africa. The company also operates oil and gas production assets in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea with other operations in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
2. Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd
Revenue: USD 70.99 billion
Jiangxi Copper is a China-based copper mining company. It engages in the extraction and processing of copper and non- ferrous metal exploration, mining, ore dressing, smelting, and processing activities. It also carries out gold mining and other processing activities. The company’s products include copper cathode, gold, silver, sulphuric acid, copper rod, copper tube, and copper foil.
The company also produces selenium, tellurium, rhenium, silver, sulphuric acid, and bismuth It operates and manages Dexing copper mine, Yongping copper mine, Chengmenshan copper mine, Wushan copper mine, and Yinshan lead-zinc mine. The company distributes its products in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and other markets. Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd is headquartered in Guixi Jiangxi, China
3. BHP Group Ltd
Revenue: USD 60.28 billion
BHP is an Australia-based international resources company that carries out the exploration, development, production, and processing of mineral resources. It discovers, acquires, and markets various commodities including iron ore, coal, nickel, copper, lead, silver, potash, molybdenum, uranium, zinc, and gold. It is focused on helping the world decarbonize with its products and services. The company serves customers worldwide.
The commodities produced are transported by rail and road to port and exported to its customers across the world. The company’s projects include iron ore mines in Brazil and Australia, and copper mines in Peru, Australia, and Chile. It also has a potash development project in Canada, and coal mines in Australia, the US and Colombia.
4. Rio Tinto PLC
Revenue: USD 55.55 billion
Rio Tinto is a metals and mining company headquartered in London, Greater London, the UK that carries out the mining, exploration, and processing of various mineral resources. It supplies a range of minerals and metals, including aluminum, diamonds, uranium, copper, gold, and iron ore. Rio Tinto also supplies industrial minerals such as borax, titanium dioxide, and salt. The company operates port and rail facilities, smelters, refineries, processing plants, shipping and research facilities. It also carries out the exploration, technology, and innovation business through research centers, with operations in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas.
5. Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd
Revenue: USD 42.46 billion
Aluminum Corporation of China is a China-based manufacturer of aluminum products. The company produces aluminum ores, aluminum, bauxite, coal, and other products. It offers alumina hydrate, alumina-based industrial chemical products, coal products, gallium, raw and ancillary materials, carbon products and other non-ferrous metal products. The company also carries out operations in coal mining, trading, logistics, procurement, and power generation. Its power generations assets include conventional coal-fire power generation and renewable energy generation such as wind power and photovoltaic power. The company mainly only operates in the transportation, defense industries and construction industries in China.
6. Vale SA (VALE)
Revenue: USD 41.46 billion
Vale is a Brazil-based multinational mining company in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It produces iron ore, pellets, manganese, iron alloys, gold, nickel, copper, bauxite, alumina, and aluminum. The company also owns and operates railroads and maritime terminals.
The company also produces platinum-group metals (PGMs) and other precious metals such as gold and silver. It operates logistics systems in Brazil and other regions of the world, including railroads, maritime terminals, and ports. The company owns and operates distribution centers to support the delivery of iron ore worldwide. It also invests in energy and steel businesses through its affiliates and joint ventures. The company has operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania.
7. Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd
Revenue: USD 40.96 billion
Zijin Mining is a China-based multinational mineral exploration company. It engages in the exploration, mining, and smelting processing of gold, copper, zinc, and other metal mineral resources. Its portfolio of products include gold, copper, zinc, tungsten, iron ore, lithiuum, and other base metals. The company also carries out operations such as retailing of jewelry and ornaments; construction; and research and development of mine engineering and technology and information technology consulting services. Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd operates mines including Aurora gold mine, Norton gold fields Zijinshan gold and copper mine, Liba gold mine, Shuguang gold and copper mine, Shuiyindong gold mine, Shanggong gold mine, Ashele copper mine, Deerni copper mine, Duobaoshan copper mine, Malipo tungsten mine, Paddington gold mine, Zeravshan gold mine, and Porgera gold mine. The company also conducts metal trading and investment businesses globally.
8. Anglo American PLC
Revenue: USD 35.12 billion
Anglo American is a U.K. based mining company headquartered in London, Greater London, the UK. The company explores, plans, builds, mines, processes, transports and markets bulk commodities, base metals, precious metals and minerals. The company produces iron ore, manganese, metallurgical coal, copper, nickel, platinum, and diamonds.
It operates various mining assets and a coal terminal facility. Its products are used for infrastructure, automotive, engineering, steel manufacturing, electricity generation, construction, and other applications. Anglo American markets diamonds under De Beers Forevermark and DeBeers Jewellers brand names, with operational presence in Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Asia-Pacific.
9. Hindalco Industries Ltd
Revenue: USD 27.83 billion
Hindalco Industries is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and is a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group. The company is a producer and seller of aluminum and copper products with a customer base in India and abroad. The company’s product portfolio mainly comprises of aluminium billets, wire rods and ingots. It also deals in value added products such as rolled products, extrusions and foils. The Indian aluminium unit mainly engages in coal mining, aluminium smelting, , captive power generation, bauxite mining and aluminium refining. The company’s copper facility, Birla Copper, provides a copper smelter and a captive jetty with capability to manufacture copper rods. The copper unit manufactures and sells continuous cast copper rods, copper cathodes, precious metals, sulfuric acid, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), silver, gold, and other precious metals. The products serve automotive, construction, metal, pulp and fiber, textile, carbon black, financial services, cement, fashion retail and chemicals industry. The company’s subsidiary, Novelis, acquired U.S. based Aleris Corporation in 2020, which put it among the world’s top producers of flat-rolled products. The company operates across Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
10. CMOC Group Ltd
Revenue: USD 25.25 billion
Formerly Known as China Molybdenum Company, CMOC Group Ltd (CMOC) operates in mainland China. The company mainly business focuses on the non-ferrous metals industry. The company is mainly engaged in the selection, processing, smelting, deep processing, trade, research and development of molybdenum, copper, tungsten, phosphate, and niobium. It’s products mainly include high-analysis phosphate fertilizers, animal feed supplements, low-analysis phosphate fertilizers, intermediate products such as phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid.  CMOC has a presence in Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, and Europe.
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