Hudbay Minerals Inc. officially broke ground on the New Ingerbelle expansion project on June 16 at its Copper Mountain copper-gold open-pit mine, located roughly 20 kilometres south of Princeton, British Columbia.

The New Ingerbelle project will involve a three-phase pushback of the existing Ingerbelle pit walls designed to access higher-grade precious metal content with a stripping ratio about three times lower than current Copper Mountain mining areas.  

The expansion is expected to extend the life of the Copper Mountain mine to 2045, up from an initial estimate of 2040 under earlier project assumptions.

Based on current reserves, the project is expected to produce around 750,000 tonnes of copper, 900,000 ounces of gold and 5.5 million ounces of silver over its mine life, with the start of first production targeted for 2027.

Hudbay received key environmental and regulatory approvals for the expansion project in February 2026 from B.C.’s Major Mines Office, following a review process that began in April 2025.

Construction is now under way on essential infrastructure required to support the expansion, such as an access road, a bridge that crosses the Similkameen River and an east haul road linking New Ingerbelle to existing operations. Hudbay has also started targeted drilling at New Ingerbelle to convert inferred resources into reserves.

Hudbay initially acquired a 75 per cent interest in the Copper Mountain mine in June 2023 through its acquisition of Copper Mountain Mining Corporation, before securing full ownership in March 2025 with the purchase of Mitsubishi Materials’ remaining 25 per cent stake.

The project is anticipated to create significant long-term value for British Columbia over its extended mine life, adding more than $11.5 billion to provincial gross domestic product and generating over $2.2 billion in labour income.

“The opening of New Ingerbelle helps secure the long-term future of the mine, supports more than 800 full-time jobs beyond 2040 and ensures the Copper Mountain mine continues to deliver economic benefits to local families, businesses and communities," Peter Kukielski, president and CEO of Hudbay, said in a news release.

Hudbay has also finalized refreshed participation agreements for the expansion project with the Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands in February 2026, replacing earlier 2019 agreements. The project has faced opposition from the Chiefs and Councils of the Bands, who have previously expressed concerns about the project's timeline and potential environmental impacts.

“As this project moves forward, our priority is ensuring the protection of the Similkameen River and surrounding ecosystems,” Chief Charles Allison of the Upper Similkameen Indian Band said in the news release. “We will continue to work to ensure that development respects our stewardship responsibilities and the long-term health of our territory,”

The Ingerbelle pit was first mined in 1972, with operations continuing until around 1981. The site then remained inactive until the mid-1990s, when renewed drilling and development led to a short-lived restart of mining in 1995. However, mining ceased again in 1996 due to a downturn in global copper prices.