Update: Rio Tinto Says Oyu Tolgoi Copper Output Up 29% Year-to-Date

04:23 AM EDT, 10/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with lithium output guidance in the last paragraph) Rio Tinto (RIO) said Tuesday that copper production at its Oyu Tolgoi mine rose 27% in the third quarter from a year earlier and 29% in the first nine months of 2026. Global iron ore sales were 90.8 million metric tons in the quarter, up 3% from a year earlier, according to the company. Pilbara sales rose 2%. Rio Tinto said it has released more than $2 billion of capital through asset sales and other initiatives year-to-date as part of a $5 billion to $10 billion capital-release program. The company expects fiscal 2026 lithium production to be at the lower end of its guidance range of 61,000 tonnes to 64,000 tonnes, it added.