Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO) is a prominent mining company that specializes in the exploration, mining, smelting, and refining of copper and other minerals across several countries, including Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company’s operations encompass the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to generate copper and molybdenum concentrates. Additionally, they are involved in the smelting of copper concentrates to yield blister and anode copper, as well as the refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes. Southern Copper Corporation also produces molybdenum concentrate, sulfuric acid, refined silver, gold, and other materials, while mining and processing zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, and lead.
The company operates two major open-pit mines, Toquepala and Cuajone, along with a smelter and refinery in Peru. In Mexico, it manages La Caridad, an open-pit copper mine that includes a copper ore concentrator, a SX-EW (solvent extraction and electrowinning) plant, a smelter, refinery, and a rod plant. Additionally, Southern Copper Corporation runs Buenavista, another open-pit copper mine in Mexico, featuring two copper concentrators and two operating SX-EW plants.
Apart from these operations, the company runs five underground mines that extract zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold. It also oversees a coal mine that generates coal and coke, as well as a zinc refinery. Southern Copper Corporation has interests in exploration concessions spanning 493,117 hectares in Peru and Mexico, 239,077 hectares in Argentina, 30,568 hectares in Chile, and 7,299 hectares in Ecuador.
Established in 1952 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Southern Copper Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.