Rio Tinto Halts Underground Operations at Oyu Tolgoi Copper Mine — Update
By Rhiannon Hoyle
Rio Tinto said it has suspended underground operations at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia after a seismic event late Thursday triggered a rockfall that injured three employees.
The miner said the seismic activity occurred along a rock fault zone at Oyu Tolgoi at roughly 6 p.m. local time, resulting in ground vibration in the underground mine.
"Underground operations are currently paused in line with procedure, subject to completion of a safety review," Rio Tinto said in a statement Friday.
The disruption comes amid market concerns about the availability of copper, fueled by supply interruptions and large flows of metal into the U.S.
U.S. copper futures are up 17% so far this year.
Rio Tinto has been ramping up underground mining at Oyu Tolgoi, where open-pit operations began in 2011 but the most valuable copper resources lie deep beneath the Earth's surface.
Earlier this month, the miner reported a 29% increase in Oyu Tolgoi copper production year to date. It expects that, by 2030, Oyu Tolgoi will be the fourth-largest copper mine in the world.
Rio Tinto owns 66% of the mine and manages the operation. The Mongolian government owns 34%.
Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 29, 2026 19:05 ET (23:05 GMT)
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