The Vancouver-based company is looking to be the first one in the world to commercially mine the deep sea.

“We could be pushed into extreme price levels,” Jeremy Weir, the commodity trader’s chief executive officer, said.

It is the largest copper theft since a spate of gangster heists in northern Chile last October forced the government to tighten security on trains carrying copper cathodes.

Alcoa has reverted to using gas to fuel the powerhouse boilers at its partially owned Kwinana and Pinjarra alumina refineries.

Maaden owns 75% and Alcoa holds 25% of the massive aluminum complex in Saudi Arabia.

Higher price is also driving up the shares of mining companies, with BHP notching a record high.

India has identified one copper and two lithium mines in Argentina to either acquire or secure long-term leases, Reuters sources say.

For the year, the Mexico-focused silver miner outputted a record 10.3 million oz.