An ‘abundance’ of targets for asteroid miners

Production rose because of supply chain improvements, with a record amount of iron ore delivered from the Central Pilbara hub.

Premiums for gold traded on the US-based Comex over the London spot market halved following the news report, to around $20 an ounce.

The DRC in December filed criminal complaints accusing Apple subsidiaries of using so-called conflict minerals in their supply chain.

Barrick holds a 50% interest in Zaldívar, a joint venture with Antofagasta, which produced about 80,000 tonnes of copper last year.