(Reuters) - BHP Group ( BHP ) has bid $38.8 billion for smaller rival Anglo American, offering a deal to forge the world's biggest copper miner.

Here is a list of some previous big-ticket deals in the mining sector:

- Precious metals producer Polymetal International sold its Russian assets to Siberian gold miner Mangazeya Plus in March, for about $3.7 billion.

- Teck Resources ( TECK ) agreed last year to sell its coal business to a consortium led by Swiss miner Glencore for $9 billion. It expects the sale to close no later than the third quarter of 2024, its CEO said in February.

- The world's top gold producer Newmont bought Australia's Newcrest Mining for $16.8 billion in late 2023.

- The world's fourth largest steelmaker Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) bought U.S. Steel late last year in a $14.1 billion deal.

- Whitehaven Coal last year bought mining giant BHP Group's ( BHP ) Blackwater and Daunia mines, part of the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) metallurgical coal joint venture in Queensland, Australia, for $4.1 billion.

- In November 2022, Canada's Yamana Gold agreed to a $4.8 billion takeover bid from Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd and Pan American Silver Corp.

- In December 2022, Rio Tinto completed its more than $3 billion acquisition of Canada's Turquoise Hill Resources, buying the 49% stake it did not already own.

- In 2022, BHP bid $6.5 billion for copper and gold producer OZ Minerals. The deal was completed in May 2023.

- In 2018, Canada's Barrick Gold Corp agreed to buy Randgold Resources Ltd in an all-stock deal valuing the Africa-focused miner at $6.5 billion at the time.

- In 2017, China's top coal miner Shenhua Group Corp Ltd took over China Guodian Group Corp to create a global powerhouse worth $280 billion.

- In 2013, Glencore completed the all-share $31 billion takeover of Anglo-Swiss mining company Xstrata.

- Rio Tinto acquired Canada's Alcan in July 2007 in a deal worth $38.1 billion, making it the world's largest producer of aluminium and bauxite at the time.

Source: Company Statements and Reports

(Compiled by Eva Mathews and Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Catherine Evans)