Lists of copper mines in the United States

Mines producing copper in the US in 2003. (Alaska and Hawaii produced no copper in 2003.) Source:USGS

The following lists of copper mines in the United States:

Leading copper-producing mines

Leading copper-producing mines in the U.S. in 2005, in order of output:[1] The mines on this list accounted for more than 99% of U.S. mine production in 2005.

Rank Mine County and State Operator Source of copper Capacity (thousands of metric tons)
1 Morenci Greenlee County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper ore, leached 390
2 Bingham Canyon Salt Lake County, Utah Kennecott Utah Copper Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated 300
3 Ray Pinal County, Arizona ASARCO Copper ore, concentrated and leached 170
4 Bagdad Yavapai County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 100
5 El Chino Grant County, New Mexico Freeport-McMoRan Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 125
6 Sierrita Pima County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 100
7 Tyrone Grant County, New Mexico Freeport-McMoRan Copper ore, leached 80
8 Continental Pit Silver Bow County, Montana Montana Resources LLP Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated 45
9 Mission Complex Pima County, Arizona ASARCO Copper ore, concentrated 70
10 Silver Bell Pima County, Arizona ASARCO Copper ore, leached 22
11 Robinson White Pine County, Nevada Quadra FNX Mining Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated 60
12 Miami Gila County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper ore, leached 50
13 Pinto Valley Gila County, Arizona BHP Copper Copper ore, leached 5
14 Miami Gila County, Arizona BHP Copper Copper ore, leached 5

Other copper-producing mines

Mine County and State Operator Type of Deposit Annual Capacity (metric tons)
Lisbon Valley San Juan County, Utah Constellation Copper sandstone 9100[2]
Safford Graham County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Porphyry copper Production began December 26, 2007[3]
Mineral Park Mohave County, Arizona Mercator Minerals 4900[4]
Tohono Pinal County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan 1360[5]
Johnson Camp Cochise County, Arizona Nord Resources Began production January 2008[4]
Carlota Pinal County, Arizona Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. Started mining in 2nd half of 2008[4]

Copper-mining projects not yet in production

Mine County (Borough) and State Operator Type of Deposit Status
Pebble Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska Pebble Mines Corp. Porphyry copper Planning
Rosemont Pima County, Arizona Augusta Resource Corp. porphyry skarn Plan of operations filed with US Forest Service[6]
Resolution Copper Pinal County, Arizona Rio Tinto Group 55% and BHP Billiton 45% Operation stalled pending proposed land swap with federal government[4]
Eagle Project Marquette County, Michigan Rio Tinto State mining permit approved December 2007
Northmet St. Louis County, Minnesota Polymet Mining copper-nickel-platinum State and federal permits applied for an open-pit mine[7]
Rocky-Beaver Lake Beaver County, Utah Copper King Mining porphyry Expected to start production in 2008[8]

Inactive or defunct copper mines

There are hundreds of inactive or defunct copper mines in the United States. The list below includes only those with Wikipedia articles.

Mine County and State Operator Type of Deposit Status
Copper Queen Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Manto (replacement) in limestone Mining stopped in 1975; now open for tours
Lavender Pit Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Porphyry copper Closed in 1974
New Cornelia Ajo, Pima County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Porphyry copper Inactive since 1983
Iron Mountain Shasta County, California volcanogenic massive sulfide Operated 1860s to 1963; now a superfund site
Minesota Ontonagon County, Michigan native copper Mined from 1848 to 1870
Nonesuch Ontonagon County, Michigan native copper Closed since 1912
Quincy Hancock, Houghton County, Michigan Quincy Mining Co. strataform native copper Closed since 1945. Now part of Keweenaw National Historical Park
Cliff Keweenaw County, Michigan Pittsburgh & Boston Mining Co. vein native copper Productive 1845 to 1887
Anaconda Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana Anaconda Copper Closed since 1947
Berkeley Pit Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana Anaconda Copper Porphyry copper Closed in 1982; now a superfund site and tourist attraction
Troy Mine Troy, Lincoln County, Montana Revett Minerals, Hecla Mining Closed 2015; active between 1981 and 1983, and 2005-2015
Burra Burra Ducktown, Polk County, Tennessee Tennessee Chemical Company volcanogenic massive sulfide Closed in 1987; now part of a state-owned historic site
Elizabeth Orange County, Vermont volcanogenic massive sulfide Open 1809-1957; now a federal superfund site
Anaconda Lyon County, Nevada Anaconda Copper Closed since 1978
Pahaquarry Warren County, New Jersey Closed since 1928
Schuyler Bergen County, New Jersey Closed since 1901
Tubal Cain Washington Tubal-Cain Copper & Manganese Mining Co. Operated 1902-1906
Victoria Mine Victoria, Ontonagon County, Michigan Victoria Copper Mining Company Closed in 1921

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edelstein, Daniel L. 2005 Minerals Yearbook: Copper - U.S. Geological Survey - U.S. Department of the Interior - March 2007 - 21.10 - (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document)
  2. ↑ Bon, R.L., and K.A. Krahulec, 2007 Summary of Mineral Activity in Utah, Utah Geological Survey, p.5 - (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document)
  3. ↑ "Safford Mine Tops 5 Million Pounds of Copper in First Month" - Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold - (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Niemuth, Nyal J. "Arizona". Mining Engineering. May 2008. p.71.
  5. ↑ Niemuth, p.72.
  6. ↑ http://rosemonteis.us/
  7. ↑ William R. Yernberg, "New projects highlight Minnesota's mining industry," Mining Engineering, July 2008, p.38.
  8. ↑ Bon, R.L., and K.A Krahulec, "Utah," Mining Engineering, May 2008. p.127-128.
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