13 January 2026
South Australia’s copper prospects show no sign of slowing, with the in-demand mineral breaking through the $3 billion mark for refined copper to a new record export figure for South Australia.
New international trade figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that in the 12 months to November 2025, refined copper and copper products reached $3.1 billion on the back of record prices – up from $2.65 billion in the 12 months to November 2024.
Copper is essential to many of the technologies being deployed around the world to electrify and decarbonise economies. It also features heavily in the infrastructure for information technology, meaning the increasing use of artificial intelligence is likely to fuel even greater demand for South Australia’s copper.
Copper’s phenomenal growth is no flash in the pan: the total value of South Australia’s copper exports, including copper ores and concentrates, has grown by almost 100 per cent from $2.15 billion in 2015–16 to $4.28 billion in 2024–25.
South Australia is known to host almost 70 per cent of Australia’s economic copper reserves, with major mines like Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill in production, and more opportunities under investigation and various stages of development.
The Hillside and Kalkaroo deposits progressing through to development and other deposits including the Oak Dam, Mutooroo and Elizabeth are showing high prospectivity.
The state’s leading body for geological knowledge and analysis, the Geological Survey for South Australia (GSSA), has been an important force in many of the state’s key copper discoveries. The GSSA is in the process of ramping up its focus on minerals and other resources considered essential to the energy transition, including copper.
The South Australian Government has also commenced a competitive procurement process for the potentially game-changing Northern Water project, which could unlock more copper mining and processing opportunities in the north of the state.
More information about copper in South Australia
- South Australia's copper resources
An overview of mines and developing projects, pre-competitive geoscience data for copper exploration, and exploration models - Major projects and mining activities dashboard
Use the search facility to access copper information on the major projects and mining activities dashboard - Investing in copper in South Australia
Our future and emerging opportunities - The Geological Survey of South Australia's Discovery Mapping Project
Modernising the capture, management, delivery, and scope of South Australia's pre-competitive geological map datasets - Northern Water Project
Securing sustainable water supply for industry
