The World's BIGGEST Copper Mine Is HUGE

Bingham Canyon Copper Mine is the largest man-made excavation on Earth and one of the most important copper mines in history. Located in Utah, this massive open-pit mine has produced more copper than any other mine on the planet and helped shape modern industrial society, electrification, and global mining engineering. This video explores the full story of Bingham Canyon, from Daniel Jackling’s early 20th-century breakthrough in low-grade copper mining to the mine’s rise as a global industrial benchmark. We break down how new milling technologies, large-scale open-pit mining, and relentless engineering transformed ordinary desert rock into a copper production machine that powered cities, industries, and wars. You’ll see how Bingham Canyon survived economic crashes, world wars, labor struggles, and catastrophic landslides — including the 2013 collapse that permanently reshaped the mine. We also examine the shift from open-pit mining to deep underground block caving, automation, and why copper from Bingham Canyon remains strategically vital in today’s electrified world. This is the story of how one mine changed the rules of mining forever — and why its legacy still defines global copper production today. Chapters: 00:00:00 - The $17B Mine 00:05:40 - Economic Shockwaves 00:11:20 - Going Underground 00:16:55 - Discovery Story 00:22:30 - Ownership Battles 00:28:05 - Debt And Power 00:33:40 - China Factor 00:39:15 - Global Copper 00:44:50 - Social Costs 00:50:25 - Environmental Risks 00:56:00 - Financial Engineering 01:01:35 - National Dependence 01:07:30 - Future Stakes Keywords: gold price, silver price, copper mining, bingham canyon mine, largest open pit mine, kennecott copper mine, copper mine utah, world’s largest man made excavation, open pit copper mining, copper mining history, largest copper mine, bingham canyon, kennecott utah, copper production, mining engineering, open pit mining techniques, industrial mining, copper extraction, copper supply chain, block caving mining, underground mining, ore processing, milling technology, mining automation, mine landslide, mining machinery, copper smelting, how copper is mined, history of copper mining, mining megaprojects, industrial revolution mining, modern mining technology, largest excavation ever, global copper demand, critical minerals, energy transition metals