Rio Tinto Group’s much-followed copper discovery in remote Western Australia could leapfrog a key US project to be fast-tracked into production by the world’s No. 2 miner, according to a senior executive.
Work is progressing to assess the size and quality of the Winu exploration project in the Paterson province in the state’s north, Copper and Diamonds CEO Arnaud Soirat said after visiting the discovery for the first time this month.