Friday 5 May 2023

South Australia’s energy and minerals exports have again smashed records with an increase of 32.5 per cent in the 12 months to March.

Refined copper continues to lead the way, with exports up $958 million or 62.6 per cent.

South Australia’s copper production is on the rise with Olympic Dam reporting increased production following smelter de-bottlenecking.

As the world’s appetite for copper continues to grow, South Australia is in a prime position with projects in the pipeline and exploration activity reporting new copper resources. Companies working in South Australia are actively defining new projects and growing resources to feed the increasing demand for copper, including BHP’s Oak Dam deposit and Coda Minerals’ Emmie Bluff and Elizabeth Creek deposits. All this activity bodes well for South Australia’s resource industry and maintains our position as a tier one copper jurisdiction.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures also showed iron ore up by $109 million, or 11.7 per cent.

More information on copper mines and projects in South Australia

Find more information on copper mining activities in South Australia via the Major projects and mining activity dashboard.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Energy and Mining

South Australia continues to be an attractive place for miners.

Copper remains an essential metal for the global energy transformation and our production helps to support countries to use greater electrification of their economies to reduce their carbon footprints.

Our mining sector is a significant component in the state’s overall trade performance, supporting our agriculture, wine and manufacturing industries, and a pipeline of approvals for new mines coming to market will ensure that our minerals sector continues to support future export growth.