Villagers are seeking compensation for loss and damage that could reach billions of dollars.

Las Bambas has for years operated well below its annual capacity of 400,000 tons due to a torrent of community protests.

The Woodlands property, part of the company's Mt Egerton project, is a highly under-explored area with vast gold and copper potential.

The miner controls the La Granja project, worth at least $2.5 billion, and the $1.86 billion Haquira project.

Illegal mining had become a “huge challenge” and that the government was working on a bill to create a new framework for small miners.

Southern Copper operates the Cuajone and Toquepala mines in Peru.

Its Copper Creek project in Arizona is labelled as one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in the US.

Apple has said in the past that it does not directly buy, procure or source primary minerals, and it has been auditing its suppliers for several years.