Project and operations updateMining and minerals
Strike action begins at Teck’s Highland Valley Copper mine in British Columbia
Teck said operations were continuing at reduced capacity after union strike action began at Highland Valley Copper on October 24.
- Event
- First published on EPC Feed
- Sources
- 3 listed below
- Reading time
- 2 min
Teck said on 24 October that United Steelworkers Local 7619 had begun strike action at its Highland Valley Copper operations in British Columbia. Operations were continuing at reduced capacity. The company said the impact on overall production would depend on the duration of the labour action, with contingency plans prioritising safety and environmental management.
Teck said it remained committed to reaching a collective agreement that it considered fair and reasonable for employees and supportive of the operation’s continuing viability. Its update did not quantify lost output. A reduced-capacity operating statement cannot establish how many tonnes will be affected over the quarter: that depends on subsequent operating conditions and the length of the interruption.
An operating mine with a sanctioned extension
The disruption occurs at a site with an established mine-life extension programme. In July 2025 Teck’s board approved construction to extend Highland Valley Copper from its previous 2028 horizon through 2046. That earlier decision envisaged average annual copper production of 132,000 tonnes over the extended mine life. The figure is a long-term plan, not a forecast of output during the strike.
The sanctioned scope includes site infrastructure and facilities, expansion of the mine fleet, grinding-circuit upgrades, additional tailings storage, and improvements to power and water systems. It also includes further waste stripping to access ore in the Valley Pit. Teck’s 2025 announcement placed project capital at C$2.1–2.4 billion, to be invested from the second half of 2025 through 2028. Those historical project assumptions are separate from the new labour update.
Production context and the limits of the update
Teck’s 2025 management discussion and analysis reported Highland Valley copper production of 127,100 tonnes for that year, compared with 102,400 tonnes in 2024. The company attributed the increase chiefly to higher grades and throughput as more Lornex ore was mined, partly offset by mill availability.
That report, dated February 2026, set out annual copper guidance of 115,000–135,000 tonnes for 2026. It also described the extension as part of the operation’s future production plan. These earlier figures establish scale and the development background; they should not be treated as an updated post-strike forecast. The 24 October statement provides the immediate operating status and leaves the eventual production effect dependent on how negotiations and site operations develop.
Sources
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