Freeport became world's biggest copper producer in 2013

Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold surpassed Chile's state-owned Codelco in 2013 to become the world's largest copper producer, according to an analysis by the mining magazine LatinoMineria.

Phoenix-based Freeport produced 1.87 million tons of copper in 2013 compared to 1.79 million tons by Codelco.   Freeport reports a big jump in production from their Grasberg mine in Indonesia and operations in Africa.

The response from an industry insider when I shared the news, was "Finally!"

[Right, copper plates from Freeport's Morenci mine in eastern Arizona.  Credit, Larry Fellows]