Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Sandfire Resources
Australian mining and exploration company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Sandfire Resources Limited is an Australian mining and exploration company focused primarily on copper production, with additional output of gold, silver and zinc. The company is based in West Perth, Western Australia, and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: SFR). As of September 2024, Sandfire is a constituent of the S&P/ASX 100 Index following a quarterly index rebalance.[3]
Sandfire became prominent after the discovery and subsequent development of the high-grade DeGrussa copper–gold deposit in Western Australia. The company later expanded internationally through acquisitions and development projects, establishing an presence across Australia, Spain, Botswana, and the United States.[4][5]
Remove ads
History
Sandfire Resources was founded in 2003 and initially focused on exploration projects in Western Australia's Bryah Basin. The company's first major discovery occurred in 2009 when drilling intersected high-grade copper–gold mineralisation at what became the DeGrussa deposit.[6]
Commercial production at DeGrussa commenced in 2012, and the mine soon became one of Australia's highest-grade copper operations.[7] Sandfire later entered a joint venture with Talisman Mining to develop the nearby Monty deposit.[8]
The company's shift towards becoming a major international copper producer began in 2021 with the announcement of the acquisition of the MATSA mining complex in Spain from Trafigura and Mubadala for US$1.865 billion. The deal was described by analysts as one of the first offshore acquisitions of its size by an Australian mid-tier miner.[9][10]
Sandfire further expanded its operational footprint into Africa through development of the Motheo copper project in Botswana, which achieved first production in 2023.[11]
Remove ads
Operations
Summarize
Perspective
Sandfire operates three principal mining assets globally, focusing on copper and base metal production.
DeGrussa (Western Australia)
The DeGrussa operation was a high-grade copper–gold mine located in the Bryah Basin, Western Australia. It was the company's first asset, producing for more than a decade before transitioning to closure and rehabilitation activities in the early 2020s.[12]
MATSA (Spain)
The MATSA complex in Andalusia comprises three underground mines—Aguas Teñidas, Magdalena and Sotiel—which supply a central processing facility. The operation produces copper, zinc and lead concentrates and became Sandfire's largest revenue contributor following the 2022 acquisition. It is located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt.[13]
Motheo (Botswana)
The Motheo copper project is located in the Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana. The operation includes the T3 and A4 open pit mines. The district is viewed by analysts as having development potential pending further drilling and expansion studies.[14]
Other projects
Sandfire holds an 87% equity stake in the proposed Black Butte copper project in Montana, United States, which has faced legal challenges concerning potential water quality impacts.[15] The company also maintains exploration assets in Australia, Spain, and Portugal. In late 2025, Sandfire agreed to earn-in to an 80% stake in the Kalkaroo Copper-Gold project in South Australia.[16]
Remove ads
Corporate affairs and sustainability
In April 2023, Sandfire appointed former South32 executive Brendan Harris as CEO and managing director.[17] The company is frequently cited as one of the ASX's notable mid-tier copper producers due to its international diversification.[18]
Environmental and social focus
The Black Butte project in Montana has been subject to legal action concerning potential impacts on groundwater, leading to court-ordered reviews of regulatory approvals.[19]
In Australia, Sandfire has engaged in extensive rehabilitation work at the DeGrussa site, which has been monitored by Western Australian regulators and reported in industry publications.[20] Furthermore, in 2024, the company disclosed the findings of an external investigation into the historical disturbance of Aboriginal artefact scatters at its former DeGrussa operation, which it attributed to ignorance and process failings at the time.[21]
See also
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads