Iron Ore and Copper Lead Rio Tinto to Solid Q4 Performance

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Written by Amir Richani for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Rio Tinto reported higher year-over-year production of iron ore, copper and lithium. Major assets across commodities, such as Simandou, Oyu Tolgoi and Olaroz, continue to move forward.

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Rio Tinto's Fourth-Quarter Financial Results

Rio Tinto (London, England) reported iron ore production of 89.7 million tons in the fourth quarter from its Pilbara operations, 4% higher than the same quarter last year, allowing the company to end the year with volumes of 327.3 million tons.

During the fourth quarter, the company reached a record quarterly run rate of 360 million tons per annum (MTPA) for its assets, spurred on by investments and favorable weather. Rio Tinto recovered from severe weather conditions at its Pilbara operations that impacted production and shipping during the first quarter.

At the same time, the company achieved its first shipment from its Simandou (Simfer) mine in the Republic of Guinea, following the start of operations last year. The asset contains ore reserves estimated at about 1.5 billion tons, and it is expected to reach a production of 60 MTPA by 2028.

On the copper side, the mining company reached production of 240,000 tons in the fourth quarter, up 5% year-over-year. Throughout 2025, Rio Tinto outpaced its upper-end production guidance for the year with volumes of 883,000 tons, an 11% increase from last year.

The year-end results were driven by ramp-up at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, as well as higher head grades and recovery rates. The asset is on track to achieve an average annual production of 500,000 tons of copper from 2028 to 2036. In the fourth quarter, the company completed the Oyu Tolgoi underground project.

Meanwhile, Rio Tinto's share of the Escondida mine in Chile, the world's largest copper asset, accounted for 84,000 tons of metal in concentrates and 14,000 tons of refined metal in the fourth quarter, a 10% drop and 5% increase year-over-year, respectively.

Rio Tinto's copper guidance for 2026 is set at 800,000 to 870,000 tons.

For lithium, Rio Tinto recorded a production of 15,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in the fourth quarter and 57,000 tons of LCE throughout 2025. This was the result of solid operations at its Fenix and Olaroz mines in Argentina, obtained by Rio Tinto through the 2025 acquisition of Arcadium.

For 2026, the miner forecast lithium production of 61,000 to 64,000 tons of LCE. "Our operations delivered exceptional production performance, both on a quarter-on-quarter and full-year basis, as we leverage our strong foundation of operating excellence and project delivery across our portfolio," said Simon Trott, chief executive officer of Rio Tinto.

Rio Tinto confirmed in January that it was in preliminary talks with Glencore (Baar, Switzerland) over a possible combination and said a that a firm intention on how to move forward should be announced before February 5. The unification of their portfolio and assets would create one of the world's largest mining companies.

Industrial Info is tracking 216 Rio Tinto projects worldwide worth US$35.94 billion. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can view a full list of project reports.

Subscribers can see a full list of all of the article's related plant profiles.

Key Takeaways

• Iron ore production from Pilbara stood at 89.7 million tons in Q4, 4% higher year on year.
• Copper output reached 883,000 tons in 2025, surpassing this year's guidance and representing a 11% year-on-year increase.

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About IIR News Intelligence
IIR News Intelligence is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resource's Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).

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