Bureau of Mines Information Circular/l976 ..

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Time Required in Developing

Selected Arizona Copper Mines

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTER10

Information Circular 8702

Time Required in Developing

Selected Arizona Copper Mines

By Lorraine B. Burgin
Intermountain Field Operation Center, Denver, Colo.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Thomas S. Kleppe, Secretary
BUREAU OF MINES
Thomas V. Falkie. Director
 As the Nation's principal conservotion agency, the Department of the Interia
h a s responsibility f a most of our nationally owned public lands and natural
resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water re-
sources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and
cultural values of our national parks and h i s t a i c a l places, and providing fa
the enjoyment of life through outdoa recreation. The Deportment a s s e s s e s
our energy and mineral resources and works t o assure that their development is
in the best interests of a l l our people. The Department a l s o has a major re-
sponsibility fa American Indian reservation communities and for people who
live in Island Territories under U.S. administration.

This publication has been cataloged as follows:

Burgin, Lorraine B
Time required in developing selected Arizona copper
Mines. [Washington] U.S. Bureau of Mines [I9761
144 p. illus., tables. (US. Bureau of Mines. Information cir-
cular 8702)
Includes bibliographies.
1. Copper mines and mining-Arizona. I. U.S. Bureau of Mines.
U. Title. (Series)

TN23.U71 no. 8702 622.06173

I
US. Dept. of the lnt. Libracy

For sale by the Supecintendent of Documents. U S . Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402 -
' Catalog No. 128.27:8702
 CONTENTS

Abstract ................................................................
Introduction ............................................................
Elements of mine development ............................................
Exploration ........................................................
Exploration objectives ........................................
.............................................
Land a v a i l a b i l i t y
Preliminary exploration .......................................
.........
Discovery and a c q u i s i t i o n of the mineral deposit
...................
Preliminary evaluation and examination
....................
Detailed exploration and f e a s i b i l i t y study
Development f o r production .........................................
Construction of mine plant ....................................
...........................
Construction of b e n e f i c i a t i o n p l a n t
...........................
Environmental p r o t e c t i o n and reclamation
Time requirements f o r s p e c i f i c events i n the development of selected
copper properties .....................................................
Time periods defined ...............................................
.........................
Descriptions of s e l e c t e d copper properties
Miami property ................................................
..........................................
C a s t l e Dome property
........................................
Copper C i t i e s property
San Manuel property ...........................................
Twin Buttes property ..........................................
.................................
S u m a r i e s of a d d i t i o n a l properties
Pinto Valley property .........................................
Miami E a s t property ...........................................
Pima property .................................................
.............................
Esperanza and S i e r r i t a properties
Mineral Park property .........................................
Conclusions .............................................................
Bibliography ............................................................
Appendix A.--Historical development of the Miami property ...............
.........
Appendix B.--Historical development of the C a s t l e Dome property
Appendix C.--Historical development of the Copper C i t i e s property .......
Appendix D.--Historical development of the San Manuel property ..........
Appendix E.--Historical development of the Twin Buttes property .........
ILLUSTRATIONS

.
1 Time periods f o r various phases of development a t s e l e c t e d
copper mines ....................................................
A.1 . Map sharing l o c a t i o n of selected mines. Miami a r e a . Gila
County. Ariz ....................................................
D-1 . ........................
Map of San Manuel a r e a . Pinal County. Ariz
E.1 . ........................... 129
Pima mining d i s t r i c t . Pima County. Ariz
 TABLES

Exploration period
..........
H i s t o r i c a l synopsis of selected copper mines through 1972
.................................................
Mine development period ............................................
...................................
Beneficiation p l a n t construction
.........................
Expansion of selected b e n e f i c i a t i o n p l a n t s
...........................
Sumnary of the h i s t o r y of Miami property
.....................
Summary of t h e h i s t o r y of C a s t l e Dome property
...................
Sunrmary of the h i s t o r y of Copper C i t i e s property
......................
Sumnary of the h i s t o r y of San Manuel property
.......................
Sumnary of the h i s t o r y of Kalamazoo property
.....................
Sumnary of the h i s t o r y of Twin Buttes property
.....................................
M i a m i mine production. 1911.72
..........................
Sumnary o f M i a m i mine production. 1911.70
Ore reserves and mining and m i l l i n g c o s t s a t the M i a m i mine
...............................................
f o r selected years
Copper. gold. and s i l v e r produced from the Castle Dome mine.
1943.53...........................................................
Copper recovered from p r e c i p i t a t e s from the C a s t l e Dome mine.
1953-71..........................................................
...................
Copper production a t Copper C i t i e s mine. 1954.72
San Manuel mine production. 1956.72 ................................
..................
. ....................
General s h a f t sinking d a t a a t the San Manuel mine
Copper production from the Twin Buttes mine 1969.72
Copper s a l e s from the Thin Buttes mine. 1970.72
...............
 TIME REQUIRED IN DEVELOPING SELECTED ARIZONA COPPER MINES

by

Lorraine B. Burgin

ABSTRACT

This study by the Bureau of Mines documents the leadtime required f o r

preliminary and d e t a i l e d exploration, development of the mine, and construc-
t i o n of b e n e f i c i a t i o n and support f a c i l i t i e s f o r s e l e c t e d copper deposits i n
Arizona. The time f o r major exploration ranged from 1 t o 15 y e a r s , time f o r
open p i t development (or constructian)'was 1 t o 4 y e a r s , and time f o r under-
ground development was 4 t o 8 years; one underground mine presently being
developed may require 12 years t o achieve production. Construction of the
b e n e f i c i a t i o n p l a n t s required 8 months t o j u s t over 2 years.

The data a r e supported by h i s t o r i c a l f a c t s f o r each deposit during the

leadtime stages from l o c a t i o n of claims through e x p l o r a t i o n , construction,
expansion, and leaching. The sequence of development and f a c t o r s contributing
t o differences i n t h e time spans a r e discussed.

H i s t o r i e s a r e d e t a i l e d f o r the Miami, C a s t l e Dome, Copper C i t i e s , San

Manuel-Kalamazoo, and Twin Buttes p r o p e r t i e s ; b r i e f l y suormarized a r e the Pinto
Valley, Mia$ E a s t , Esperanza-Sierrita , Pima, and Mineral Park Properties.
Each mining operation had i t s cwn p a t t e r n of development, and together they
present a source of planning information f o r the development of other
properties.

INTRODUCTION

Time, an important dimension i n the growth of most e n t e r p r i s e s , i s a

f a c t o r l i t t l e documented, considered, or analyzed i n mining l i t e r a t u r e . Since
p r o f i t i s the p r i n c i p a l motivation i n developing a mineral d e p o s i t , time must
be a s i g n i f i c a n t consideration both because of i n f l a t i o n and because f u l l pro-
duction must await d e f i n i t i o n and development of the deposit.

The period from i n i t i a l discovery through e x p l o r a t i o n , development, and

plant construction t o production, generally r e f e r r e d t o a s "leadtime" e)2
l~eologist.
aUnderlined n d e r s i n parentheses r e f e r t o items i n the bibliography preced-
ing the appendixes.
i s one of f a c t f i n d i n g , evaluations, d e c i s i o n s , and c a p i t a l expenditures
absolutely necessary t o t h e achievement of production capacity a t an operating
mine. Important f a c t o r s contributing t o t h i s time span include the inherent
physical environment (available resources and l a n d ) , human resources, tech-
nology, management goals, demand and p r i c e f o r the major c m o d i t y coproducts
and byproducts, and the circumstances of unforeseen events.

I m p l i c i t i n understanding leadtime a s i t applies t o the mining industry

i s the recognition of land a v a i l a b i l i t y problems and the uncertain time
f a c t o r s and s e n s i t i v e timing required i n t h e a c q u i s i t i o n of land. Land uses
must be c a r e f u l l y analyzed and categorized s o a s not t o unnecessarily lengthen
leadtime i n the exploration and production stages. Minerals a r e unique i n
t h a t they a r e nonrenewable and must be sought, found, and extracted where
nature placed them. Furthermore, some depqsits and a r e a s which were once
determined t o be submarginal f o r mining might become economically f e a s i b l e f o r
production a s e x i s t i n g deposits a r e depleted, and a s conrmodity p r i c e s r i s e
o r new technology i s developed.

This Bureau of Mines study documents the leadtime t h a t was necessary t o

develop 10 major copper mines, showing f o r each the f a i l u r e s and successes i n
r e l a t i o n t o time a s p r i c e s f l u c t u a t e d , a s technology and demand changed, o r
a s new promotional a b i l i t y and financing were brought t o bear. Leadtimes,
with explanations of the events bearing upon them, a r e presented f o r the
Miami, C a s t l e D o m e , Copper C i t i e s , San Manuel, and & i n Buttes p r o p e r t i e s of
Arizona; summary information i s a l s o presented on t h e Pinto Valley, Esperanza,
S i e r r i t a , Pima, and Mineral Park p r o p e r t i e s i n Arizona.

H i s t o r i c a l data were obtained from mining company annual r e p o r t s , Bureau

of Mines and Geological Survey p u b l i c a t i o n s , mining journals, the Copper
Handbook, and various o t h e r published sources. Exact comparisons of leadtimes
were not possible owing t o the s p o t t y nature of a v a i l a b l e d a t a ; however,
enough information was c o l l e c t e d and analyzed t o s u b s t a n t i a t e the premise t h a t
each mining operation i s d i f f e r e n t , having i t s own p a t t e r n of development.

ELEMENTS OF M I N E DEVELOPMErn

Mine development follows discovery, t i t l e a c q u i s i t i o n , and exploration,

b u t only r a r e l y i s the s i z e of an i n i t i a l discovery adequate t o warrant con-
s t r u c t i o n of production f a c i l i t i e s . Hence the exploratory work-whether
geophysics and geochemistry, d r i l l h o l e s , s h a f t s , and a d i t s from t h e s u r f a c e ,
o r r a i s e s , winzes , c r o s s c u t s , d r i f t s , or d r i l l holes from e a r l i e r underground
openings--must proceed, phase by phase, u n t i l the evidence warrants investment
i n and construction of mine p l a n t , m i l l , and a n c i l l a r y s t r u c t u r e s . Thus the
development of a mine proceeds i n the sequence of (1) exploration a& (2) devel-
opment f o r production, with (3) reclamation and environmental protection.

Exploration

Exploration involves locating economic deposits and e s t a b l i s h i n g t h e i r

s i z e , shape, p o s i t i o n , grade, and type. Preceding a broad exploration
program, clear-cut objectives must be e s t a b l i s h e d and fundamental questions
regarding the a v a i l a b i l i t y of land must be answered.

Exploration Objectives

Long-range corporate or individual objectives should be well defined t o

provide the necessary framework and guidance t o the exploration and develop-
ment program. Such goals should be e s t a b l i s h e d before the exploration p r o j e c t
begins and then continuously reappraised during i t s progress.

Among the important f a c t o r s influencing any decision on the commodity t o

be sought a r e (1) market opportunities, ( 2 ) p o t e n t i a l production c a p a b i l i t i e s ,
(3) f i n a n c i a l requirements, and (4) p o l i t i c a l and s o c i a l implications.

An evaluation of market opportunities should a s s e s s the supply-demand

p o t e n t i a l of various commodities and i n d i c a t e those f o r which there e x i s t s the
g r e a t e s t margin between the predicted supply and demand. I d e a l l y , the
a p p r a i s a l would note competitors' a c t i v i t i e s , such a s the number of recent
successful d i s c o v e r i e s , the number of companies c u r r e n t l y supplying the
commodity, and t h e i r degree of a c t i v i t y and exploration budgets. I n a d d i t i o n ,
the impact of foreign imports, from p r i c i n g t o p o l i t i c a l s t a b i l i t y , should be
c a r e f u l l y assessed. The s i z e and p r o f i t a b i l i t y of the company making the
study should a l s o be compared with the average s i z e of companies i n the
commodity of i n t e r e s t .

The p r o j e c t would then be examined f o r i t s p o t e n t i a l and probable produc-

t i v e capacity t o determine the stage of production (mining, smelting, f a b r i -
c a t i o n , or f u l l y i n t e g r a t e d ) t h a t would meet the objectives, budget, and
optimum r e t u r n on the investment. I n metal mining the s i z e and grade of the
deposit would be considered along with the c o s t s of exploration and develop-
ment, and the minimum acceptable cashflow.

Avenues of f i n a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e would be i n v e s t i g a t e d t o a s c e r t a i n which

would qualify w i t h i n the framework of t h e s t a t e d corporate objectives and pro-
vide an optimum r e t u r n on c a p i t a l investments. Depending upon the f i n a n c i a l
s t a t u s of the company, f i n a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e may be required before discovery,
o r the p r o j e c t m y be i n t e r n a l l y financed u n t i l a discovery has been made and
proven.

P o l i t i c a l aspects would include consideration of the current l e g i s l a t i v e

climate toward the mining industry, including the prevailing t a x s t r u c t u r e .
Social aspects would include p o t e n t i a l p o l l u t i o n , reclamation, environmental
r e g u l a t i o n s , and human r e l a t i o n s .

The a v a i l a b i l i t y of a d d i t i o n a l areas t h a t might be open f o r f u t u r e explo-

r a t i o n and l a t e r a c q u i s i t i o n should a l s o camnand a t t e n t i o n when objectives a r e
set.
 Land A v a i l a b i l i t y

Gaining access t o a s p e c i f i e d area f o r preliminary and l a t e r d e t a i l e d

exploration introduces the complex problem of land a v a i l a b i l i t y and acquisi-
t i o n . Access t o p o t e n t i a l mineralized a r e a s i s e s s e n t i a l , f o r successful
mines a r e developed only where mineralization i s s u f f i c i e n t f o r p r o f i t a b l e
e x t r a c t i o n . Time consuming and c o s t l y , the s e n s i t i v e process of obtaining
land v a r i e s with each p r o j e c t .

Generally, the a v a i l a b i l i t y of land w i l l be assessed e a r l y i n the

reconnaissance-exploration period; l a t e r , a s t h e area i s t a r g e t e d , the land
s t a t u s i s more c r i t i c a l l y examined. Near the end of the regional reconnais-
sance, i f t h e r e a r e favorable i n d i c a t i o n s of geology o r mineralization, ground
w i l l be obtained f o r f u r t h e r exploration. Throughout the l i f e of a mine, the
property s i t u a t i o n i s examined and evaluated, and a c t i o n i s taken towards
.
a c q u i s i t i o n or abandonment

Land a c q u i s i t i o n may involve one o r more combinations of the following:

d i r e c t location on public lands (Federal and S t a t e ) ; purchase o r lease of
p r i v a t e ground, o r patented and unpatented claims; leases; Indian o r S t a t e
lands; and company mergers o r j o i n t ventures with companies and/or individ-
u a l s . Because circumstances d i f f e r , the time f o r a c q u i s i t i o n v a r i e s with a
myriad of u n c e r t a i n f a c t o r s including the u n p r e d i c t a b i l i t y of dealing with
people, financing, and new govermnental r e s t r i c t i o n s .

Proposed and recently enacted S t a t e and Federal environmental regulations

w i l l inevitably delay access t o lands previously open f o r exploration without
severe r e s t r i c t i o n s . SOUK S t a t e s a r e s e t t i n g up land-reclamation laws t h a t
apply t o e x p l o r a t i o n and exploratory operations. Such S t a t e s include
Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, I w a , Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Oregon, V i r g i n i a ,
Washington, and West Virginia. The time taken t o acquire land w i l l then be
extended by the time needed t o process a p p l i c a t i o n s , permits, environmental
impact statements, or l i c e n s e s ; t o make t e c h n i c a l examinations of the a r e a s ;
and t o allow the companies t o submit e x p l o r a t i o n plans and post bonds where
extensive surface disturbance i s a n t i c i p a t e d .

On public land, any surface-disturbing exploration f o r minerals covered

by the mineral-leasing a c t s requires approval by the Federal Government
(Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey)
and involves an a p p l i c a t i o n f o r permit, a t e c h n i c a l examination of the a r e a ,
and approval of the exploration plan. (The mineral-leasing a c t s , however, do
n o t yet c w e r minerals l o c a t a b l e under t h e Mining Act of 1872.) Exploration
f o r any mineral on Indian land i s regulated by s i m i l a r procedures, i n addition
t o consultation with the landowners and t h e Bureau of Indian A f f a i r s . Prospect-
i n g and location of claims under the Mining Law of 1872 a r e allowed i n
National Forest Wilderness designated a r e a s u n t i l December 31, 1983, but these
a c t i v i t i e s must be compatible with the preservation of the wilderness. Essen-
t i a l use of mechanized t r a n s p o r t , a i r c r a f t , or motorized equipment i s permitted
i n the search f o r minerals; however, no operator may construct roads across
t h e wilderness area unless authorized i n w r i t i n g by the Forest Supervisor. As
of September 1, 1974, a reasonable amount of prospecting or sampling i n
~ a t i o n a lForests
' w i l l be permitted according t o the 1974 regulations, and no
plan of operations i s required t o be f i l e d with the D i s t r i c t Ranger. A sig-
n i f i c a n t disturbance of surface resources, hcwever, requires the a p p r w a l of
a plan of operations. Such disturbances include construction of roads,
t r a i l s , bridges, and a i r c r a f t landing areas. Some operating plans proposed
may necessitate an envirorrmental impact statement t o be prepared by the Forest
Service c).
Copper i s not a leasable mineral, but when prospecting permits o r Govern-
ment leases a r e required, time must be allowed f o r a p p r w a l through governmen-
t a l channels-an additional uncertain time element. Relating t o leased
minerals, lack of time becomes a factor; with the gwernmental announcement
t h a t land i s open t o competitive bidding, the company o r individual must
almost simultaneously evaluate a s p e c i f i c area and inmediately decide whether
t o acquire it.

Preparation f o r preliminary exploration may include gaining physical

access t o the area. A road may have t o be b u i l t t o d r i l l s i t e s o r t o the mine
area where core or bulk samples a r e t o be obtained. Supplies and equipment,
water, and power w i l l have t o be brought i n , o r perhaps flown i n , depending on
the a c c e s s i b i l i t y of the area t o be searched.

Assuming environmental requirements are f u l f i l l e d and the discovery o r

indication of mineralization has been made, open ground on public domain
(subject t o the Mining Act of 1872) must then be secured by claim location
o r relocation. The t i n e period w i l l depend on the number of claims located,
the time needed t o perform discovery o r location work, the distance t o the
cmnty recorder's o f f i c e , investigation i n t o any c o n f l i c t s of claim amership.
and the r e g i s t r a t i o n of the new claims i n the county recorder's office.
Possessory t i t l e i s maintained by completing annual assessment work; l a t e r
(perhaps years l a t e r ) , t i t l e t o the ground may be conveyed by obtaining a
patent from the Bureau of Land Management. I n an unataked area, the location
of new claims w i l l probably require l e s s time than when the area l i e s i n o r
near old mining d i s t r i c t s where the land has o r may have been staked, f o r then
owners of patented and unpatented mining claims must be found and aegotiations
made with the owners o r t h e i r h e i r s .

I n an old d i s t r i c t , prospecting o r preliminary exploration is an accom-

plished f a c t when an individual o r company with a large group of c l a i m
approaches another with the hope of securing additional financing o r expertise
f o r further exploration. Before a d e t a i l e d program i s undertaken, negotia-
tions f o r land acquisition ordinarily a r e completed. Acquisition under these
circumstances may a s s m e t h e form of a purchase, j o i n t venture, or mergar.

Preliminary Exploration

Preliminary exploration o r prospecting i s the search f o r outcrops o r sur-

face exposures of mineral deposits and the preliminary investigation carried
out along c e r t a i n broad features of a mineral area t o determine whether
detailed or f i n a l exploration i s warranted. This f i r s t stage may include
a e r i a l reconnaissance, followed by surface and subsurface i n v e s t i g a t i o n , a l l
of which may be termed "prospecting" o r "preliminary exploration."

Depending on individual circumstances, the procedure i s t o s e l e c t a

region f o r study and then systematically t a r g e t s p e c i f i c search areas.
Regions chosen w i l l probably be near known mineraloccurrences. I n a study of
exploration philosophy, B a i l l y reported t h a t out of 56 porphyry copper
deposits i n North America, 39 were discovered since 1950; t h a t 90 percent of
these were found i n copper mineralized a r e a s recognized before 1950; and t h a t
80 percent were near known deposits (4). Among the other f a c t o r s t o be con-
sidered i n a regional study a r e the s i z e and l o c a t i o n of the a r e a , the c o s t of
e x p l o r a t i o n , and t h e c o s t of developing any deposit found.

The well-financed p r o j e c t has o f t e n been i n i t i a t e d with a l i t e r a t u r e

search, followed by airborne geological and geophysical reconnaissance.
Though employed p r i n c i p a l l y i n the beginning s t a g e s , the geophysical survey
may a l s o be coordinated with other techniques i n a l a t e r , more i n t e n s i v e
e f f o r t . Because an anomaly discerned by geophysical exploration does not
r e v e a l the tenor of the d e p o s i t , the survey i s used i n conjunction with o t h e r
geological and geochemical exploration procedures. Core d r i l l i n g , f o r exam-
p l e , i s of major importance i n the preliminary evaluation of the geology and
mineralization of an area and i n making o r confirming a discovery. Airborne
electromagnetic (EM) surveys, followed by ground EM o r other geophysical
methods, have been applied i n the search f o r greenstone b e l t s and associated
massive s u l f i d e s . Of the various ground methods, the induced p o t e n t i a l (IP)
has been t h e favored t o o l f o r some of t h e prophyry coppers i n Arizona, New
Mexico, and Nevada.

Only an i n d i c a t i o n of the time periods required f o r various surveys

appears i n the l i t e r a t u r e ; the r e s u l t i n g information gaps allow only estimates
of these i n t e r v a l s and r e l a t i o n s h i p s . The time element i n locating new
deposits by exploration geophysics i s noted i n the following examples.

In the Pima mining d i s t r i c t , geophysical techniques were used t o f i n d the

copper ore body of the Pima mine. Prospecting began a f t e r a thorough l i t e r a -
t u r e search focused a t t e n t i o n on the Mineral H i l l area of the d i s t r i c t , where
magnetite was a c o n s t i t u e n t of the ores i n the old mines. After both ores and
h o s t rocks were t e s t e d f o r magnetic s u s c e p t i b i l i t y , e l e c t r i c a l conductivity,
and density, a magnetometer survey was i n s t i t u t e d . With a 400-foot g r i d and
readings taken a t 12.5-, 25-, o r 50-foot i n t e r v a l s , a magnetic anomaly was
detected i n previously unexplored t e r r i t o r y . The r e s u l t s were checked and
corroborated with an electromagnetic survey and a s e l f - p o t e n t i a l survey.
Extended over 7 months, these surveys included mapping and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n .
The magnetometer 2-man crew read between 60 and 70 s t a t i o n s i n 8 hours; the
electramagnetic 3-man crew read between 30 and 40 s t a t i o n s i n 8 hours (72).
Recently, the average surveying r a t e on l a r g e p r o j e c t s u t i l i z i n g ground
electromagnetic systems has been 1 . 8 t o 3 miles per day f o r a 2- t o 3-man
crew (59).

Texas Gulf Sulphur's discovery of the Kidd Creek d e p o s i t , Ontario,

Canada, i s an outstanding i l l u s t r a t i o n of the use of airborne geophysical
methods f o r regional reconnaissance. Scanning more than 15,000 miles, a e r i a l
electromagnetic surveys, which began March 1959 and continued through 1961,
revealed s e v e r a l thousand anomalies. A f t e r the t a r g e t area f o r ground geo-
physical surveys was s e l e c t e d , land negotiation took 2 years before work could
commence. Ground surveys i n October 1963 pinpointed the d r i l l i n g area.
Copper-zinc mineralization showed i n the f i r s t d r i l l core i n November 1963;
by A p r i l 1964, d r i l l i n g confirmed the presence of a minable massive s u l f i d e
deposit @).

The e x t e n t of an i n t e n s i v e regional mineral exploration p r o j e c t (financed

with the a s s i s t a n c e of the U.S. Agency f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development) was
i l l u s t r a t e d by Operation Hardrock, begun i n J u l y 1967. About 144,000 line
kilometers of f l y i n g over 90,000 square k i l m t e r s of p o t e n t i a l ore-bearing
regions i n India involved airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiolraetric
surveys. The airborne geophysical program was completed i n 10 months,
(May 1968). The ground p r o j e c t s s t i l l i n progress during the s m r of 1972
had an estimated time schedule of 46 months f o r reconnaissance ground surveys,
beginning January 1968; 37 months f o r d e t a i l e d i n t e g r a t e d surveys, beginning
October 1968; and 32 months f o r d r i l l i n g , beginning March 1969. The airborne
geophysical survey c o s t an estimated $1.62 m i l l i o n ; exploration equipment
services and supplies c o s t an a d d i t i o n a l $1.7 m i l l i o n . By October 1971,
another $4.4 m i l l i o n was spent on the ground followup program. A t o t a l of
11,000 aeroanomaly i n t e r c e p t s were chosen f o r ground geological reconnais-
sance; by the suarmer of 1972 over 700 of these had been investigated by ground
geophysical, geochemical, and geological techniques, with 25 t a r g e t s emerging.
Up t o t h a t time, 12 had been t e s t e d by d r i l l s , l o c a t i n g 6 promising prospects--
4 copper and 2 zinc-lead (69).

Recently geochemical exploration has included airborne sampling i n remote

and rugged areas where s o i l and stream-sediment samples a r e c o l l e c t e d by fixed-
wing a i r c r a f t and h e l i c o p t e r s . More ccnrmonly applied a r e ground geochemical
surveys; the methods include regional and l o c a l sampling of s o i l s , stream and
lake waters, ground water, and c e r t a i n i n d i c a t o r p l a n t s .

The time required f o r a geochemical survey v a r i e s , depending on the area

t o be covered, and i s influenced by t h e number of samples required t o cover
the area and the mode of t r a n s p o r t a t i o n of the f i e l d personnel--by f o o t , horse-
back, jeep, or h e l i c o p t e r . As an example, Hawkes @) described a p r o j e c t i n
Northern Rhodesia where a normal day's sampling f o r 8 t o 10 f ieldmen on a
reconnaissance soil-sampling expedition was 8 l i n e m i l e s , or 200 samples taken
a t 200-foot i n t e r v a l s (26). About 11 men i n a f i e l d laboratory prepared and
analyzed 400 t o 600 samples d a i l y . I n the Philippines, one 2-man team col-
lected up t o 55 sediment samples per day a t 500- t o 1,000-foot i n t e r v a l s . The
s o i l samples were taken a t an 18-inch depth every 100 f e e t . Three 2-man teams
collected 100 samples per day i n d i f f i c u l t country. Four men performed up t o
245 determinations per day i n the associated laboratory @).

The r e s u l t s of the a e r i a l and ground geophysical and geochemical surveys,

together with other geologic d a t a , a r e compared and analyzed t o s e l e c t a
favorable t a r g e t area f o r more d e t a i l e d exploration. Further i n v e s t i g a t i o n of
anomalies may i n d i c a t e the v i a b i l i t y of a p r o j e c t .
 For v e r i f i c a t i o n of the geological s t r u c t u r e , a s well a s the type and
e x t e n t of any mineralization, the next s t e p i n prospecting w i l l include t e s t -
i n g and sampling of old prospects and mines i n the t a r g e t area and exploring
new t e r r i t o r y by means of d r i l l i n g , s h a f t sinking, or tunneling.

Preliminary exploration, i f successful, would conclude with an i n d i c a t i o n

of mineralization, o r possibly with a discovery s u f f i c i e n t t o enccurage
a c q u i s i t i o n and f u r t h e r exploration and d e l i n e a t i o n of adequate ore reserves.

Discovery and Acquisition of the Mineral Deposit

"Discovery" a s generally used by the mining industry may be described a s

the knowledge of the presence of valuable minerals w i t h i n the l i n e s of the
claim location, o r i n such proximity t h e r e t 0 . a ~ t o j u s t i f y a reasonable
b e l i e f i n t h e i r existence. This d e f i n i t i o n of discovery, however, i s not
adequate f o r l e g a l purposes. As used i n t h i s r e p o r t , discovery could a l s o
be a point i n time when the valuable mineral, o r e d e p o s i t , or mine becanes
known t o the entrepreneur. The a c t u a l d i s c w e r y of the deposit may have
occurred many years before, and the mine U f e . c y c l e of preproduction, pro-
duction, and abandonment may have been repeated several times.

The time required t o make a discovery must be somewhat generalized.

Preliminary exploration by the e a r l y prospectors depended on surface indica-
t i o n s of mineralization-a gossan, an outcrop of a f i s s u r e or a v e i n , or the
f l a s h of yellow metal i n a gold pan, and the l o c a t i o n of mineralization then
required acquiring the land by location with a placer o r lode claim and i t s
proper r e g i s t r a t i o n . B a s i c a l l y , the same procedures a r e followed by the
contemporary searcher, except t h a t the deposits a r e more obscure and the
techniques f o r finding a new deposit have consequently become more sophis-
t i c a t e d . The s e l e c t i o n of a t a r g e t area f o r prospecting may require a longer
period f o r a n a l y s i s , including regional and l o c a l reconnaissance and a n a l y s i s ,
preliminary exploration, d i s c w e r y , and exploration.

Preliminary exploration f o r and d i s c w e r y of a valuable mineral, o r pre-

liminary examination of a known d e p o s i t , i s followed by evaluation o r analysis
of the r e s u l t s , a preliminary f e a s i b i l i t y study, and the a c q u i s i t i o n of the
deposit f o r f u r t h e r exploration. After the smaller t a r g e t area has been
e s t a b l i s h e d , access t o the a r e a must be acquired e i t h e r by claim location and
i t s proper r e g i s t r a t i o n , by lease, and option t o purchase from private owners,
o r by lease from the S t a t e or Federal govermnent.

I f the mineral (potassium, sodium, phosphate, s u l f u r , c o a l , o i l , gas,

e t c . ) i s subject t o the Mineral Leasing Acts, a c q u i s i t i o n by leasing f r w the
Federal Government w i l l depend on compliance with Federal regulations.' D i s -
covery of these minerals on a prospecting lease w i l l allow the discoverer some
p r i v i l e g e s f o r a continued lease. A l l minerals, however, a r e now s u b j e c t t o
recently, enacted S t a t e and Federal laws and regulations. The preliminary
exploration period thus has been extended by the amount of time needed f o r
the Government agencies t o review a p p l i c a t i o n s , examine the areas proposed
f o r exploration, make r e p o r t s , and approve or r e j e c t plans.
 The time required f o r acquiring a mine by d i r e c t purchase w i l l depend on
many f a c t o r s including asking p r i c e , a v a i l a b l e financing, and t i t l e clearance.
Because of valuable f a c t o r s negotiations may take days, months, or y e a r s , with
the f i n a n c i a l l y competent companies b e t t e r a b l e t o wait.

Acquisition by lease and option t o purchase presumably w i l l have begun i n

the preliminary exploration period. Negotiations, however, may begin a t any
s t a g e , o f t e n depending on the financing needed t o continue exploration o r
construction.

Preliminary Evaluation and Examination

Before firm c d t m e n t s f o r a c q u i s i t i o n or d e t a i l e d exploration, a

preliminary evaluation i s made t o determine the type and e x t e n t of the mineral-
i z a t i o n and whether the deposit can be p r o f i t a b l y mined. Included would be a
study of applicable mining and b e n e f i c i a t i o n methods; a survey of markets,
labor conditions, Government policy, t a x s t r u c t u r e , and t a r i f f s ; and a review
of other f a c t o r s a f f e c t i n g the economics of the operation.

The preliminary evaluation and examination may include a study of a known

mineralized area brought t o the a t t e n t i o n of the company by a prospector, a
syndicate, or another mining company. Also, reexamination of a known mineral-
ized a r e a may be warranted p e r i o d i c a l l y because of improved technology,
improved market conditions, or a d d i t i o n a l information.

N m r o u s mineral occurrences a r e examined, but only a small percentage

a r e eventually developed i n t o p r o f i t a b l e mining operations. Cominco Ltd.
explored more than 1,000 properties i n 40 years. Only 78 of these warranted
a major exploration e f f o r t , and of t h e 18 ore bodies developed and brought
i n t o production, only 7 were p r o f i t a b l e (22).

Between 1939 and 1949 the U.S. Govermnent S t r a t e g i c Minerals Development

Program examined 10,071 prospects, of which 1,342 were worked. Ore-grade
tonnage was developed i n 1,053 of the 1,342 d e p o s i t s , but these were not
necessarily successful mines. The most s i g n i f i c a n t success from the e n t i r e
Govermnent program i s the San Manual mine i n Arizona (35).

The preliminary examination i s usually short--a few days, weeks, o r

severalmonths-and may be done by a company g e o l o g i s t , consulting g e o l o g i s t ,
or engineering firm. Because the period i s s h o r t and the t o t a l involvement is
not l a r g e , the property may e a s i l y be dropped by the p a r t i c i p a n t s before large
sums of money a r e expended f o r d e t a i l e d exploration and development.

Although discovery of a mineralized zone may be i n d i c a t e d , the presence

of a valuable mineral deposit cannot generally be determined from the prelim-
inary exploration program. I f the r e s u l t s a r e encouraging, a d e t a i l e d explo-
rationprogramis designed and performed t o c o l l e c t data required f o r a f i n a l ,
dLtailed f e a s i b i l i t y study.
 Detailed Exploration and F e a s i b i l i t y Study

The d e t a i l e d exploration program determines the s i z e , grade, and continu-

ity of the ore body, and data a r e c o l l e c t e d f o r a d e t a i l e d f e a s i b i l i t y study.

I n i t i a l exploration i s usually surface d r i l l i n g on a predetermined g r i d

p a t t e r n modified by d a t a c o l l e c t e d during t h i s exploration phase. Additional
underground exploration by s h a f t sinking, d r i f t i n g , r a i s i n g , and d r i l l i n g
confirms grade and quantity of r e s e r v e s , obtains bulk ore samples, and
determines the mining and support c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the host rock. Infonna-
t i o n derived £ran bulk samples t e s t e d i n p i l o t p l a n t s i s used t o design a
p l a n t t o obtainmoptimum r e c w e r y of the minerals i n the ore.

A d e t a i l e d f e a s i b i l i t y study considers a l l physical f a c t o r s t h a t may

a f f e c t the economics of the operation, including ore r e s e r v e s , mining and
processing methods, power and water a v a i l a b i l i t y , t a i l i n g s d i s p o s a l , pro-
duction r a t e s , and markets. Involved a r e d e t a i l e d c o s t s t u d i e s , analysis of
possible a l t e r n a t i v e d e c i s i o n s , and projected c a p i t a l requirements and cash
flows. Geographic f a c t o r s including c l h t e , topography, and t r a n s p o r t a t i o n
a r e evaluated, a s well a s such s o c i o l o g i c a l f a c t o r s a s l i v i n g quarters f o r
f a m i l i e s , schools, and h o s p i t a l s , which may have t o be p r w i d e d i n remote
areas.

F e a s i b i l i t y s t u d i e s w i l l a l s o a s s e s s the environmental aspects w i t h i n

the mine and surrounding area. The p o l i t i c a l climate--local, n a t i o n a l , and
i n t e r n a t i o n a l - - w i l l be c a r e f u l l y examined because of i t s impact on a l l phases
--of the operation, from exploration and production through marketing of the
commodity. Any one of t h e i n t a n g i b l e factors--sociological, environmental,
o r political--may i n v a l i d a t e an otherwise promising e n t e r p r i s e . Management
w i l l weigh the f a c t o r s revealed i n the f e a s i b i l i t y s t u d i e s and decide whether
t o proceed with t h e p r o j e c t , hold it i n abeyance, o r r e j e c t i t .

A d e t a i l e d exploration and f e a s i b i l i t y study, made f o r Brenda Mines Ltd.,

Okanagan d i s t r i c t , B r i t i s h Columbia, was described by Chapman i n 1970 (9).
The study, begun i n January 1966, was completed i n 15 months under the super-
v i s i o n of Chapman, Wood, and Griswold, L t d . , a t a c o s t of $3,500,000. The
work included 72 holes t o t a l i n g 42,573 f e e t of diamond d r i l l i n g and 19 holes
t o t a l i n g 7,323 f e e t of rotary-percussion d r i l l i n g . Underground work t o t a l e d
1,475 f e e t of d r i f t i n g , 400 f e e t of c r o s s c u t t i n g , and 860 f e e t of r a i s i n g t o
confirm reserves by c o r r e l a t i n g d r i l l i n g grade and bulk-sample grade. A
crushing and screening p l a n t , an automati6 sampling tower, an a n a l y t i c a l
laboratory, and a 100-tpd p i l o t m i l l were constructed t o t e s t the ore. Also
included were s t u d i e s of power, water, t a i l i n g s - d i s p o s a l problems, and markets.
S a l e s were negotiated, the mine and concentrator were designed, reserves were
c a l c u l a t e d , and an economic analysis was made of the e f f e c t s of mining r a t e s ,
p i t configuration, metal p r i c e s , and metallurgical recoveries. C a p i t a l
requirements and cash-flow projections were estimated. The high c o s t of the
d e t a i l e d f e a s i b i l i t y study was j u s t i f i e d because of the s i z e of the projected
operation and the reserves delineated. Mine reserves were estimated t o be 167
m i l l i o n t o n s , with a grade of about 0.19 percent copper and 0.087 percent
molybdenum s u l f i d e .
 The development of a small mine may c-nce without a prolonged scien-
t i f i c a l l y engineered study and a n a l y s i s , i f the objective of the owner o r
developer i s t o recoup the expenses of exploration a s r a p i d l y a s possible.
Thus, d r i l l i n g and development a r e kept t o a minimum. I n such an operation,
the ore i s o f t e n followed a s c l o s e l y a s i s cownensurate with reasonably
good mining p r a c t i c e s , balanced a g a i n s t the rapid e x t r a c t i o n of the ore.

The d e t a i l e d f e a s i b i l i t y study has become a prime r e q u i s i t e t o f i n a n c i a l

arrangements necessary f o r constructing the contemporary large-scale mine-
m i l l complex; t h u s , one of the leadtime v a r i a n t s w i l l be the amount of time
required t o finance the construction of the mine plant and concentrator.

Development f o r Production

During the development s t a g e , the ore deposit i s prepared f o r production

by constructing mining and m i l l i n g f a c i l i t i e s of design c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s d e t e r -
mined during the f e a s i b i l i t y study. Construction follows the conclusion of a
f i n a n c i a l arrangement such a s t h e s a l e of canpany s t o c k , j o i n t venture with
another campany, i n t e r n a l financing, o r bank loan by the e s t a b l i s h e d canpany.

Construction of Mine Plant

Mining methods a r e grouped i n t o two broad c a t e g o r i e s , surface and under-

ground; within each category a r e v a r i a t i o n s which can be adapted t o the
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of a p a r t i c u l a r d e p o s i t . Within the limits of s a f e t y and
conservation, one method w i l l be more economic than the other. Principal
f a c t o r s influencing the s e l e c t i o n of the most e f f i c i e n t mining method a r e t h e
nature of the ore body and country rock ( s i z e , shape, composition, and posi-
t i o n ) , s a f e t y , economics, and conservation.

Environmental c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the deposit which. determine or influence

economics a r e topography, c l i m a t e , type and thickness of overburden, s t r u c t u r e
of the deposit ( h o r i z o n t a l , folded, or f a u l t e d ) , type of ore body (dissem-
i n a t e d , v e i n , massive, bedded), grade and uniformity of mineralized m a t e r i a l ,
depth t o water t a b l e , and s t r e n g t h and physical c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e host
rock.

S t r i p mining, open p i t mining, and quarrying a r e the p r i n c i p a l ways of

recovering materials by surface-mining methods.

S t r i p mining i s used where the mineral deposit is l a r g e , uniform,

h o r i z o n t a l , and c l o s e t o the surface. The time usually required f o r removing
overburden before mining conrences i s r e l a t i v e l y s h o r t . Reclamation of the
area can begin almost immediately a s m a t e r i a l i s removed. Coal, sand and
gravel, and phosphate rock a r e strip-mined.

Open p i t mining of many hard-rock m e t a l l i c d e p o s i t s , such a s copper, i r o n ,

or uranium, involves much smaller a r e a s than s t r i p mining, where the bedded
deposit can o f t e n be followed f o r miles. The metal mine r e q u i r i n g an open p i t
type of operation i s generally limited i n s i z e and o f t e n r e q u i r e s many years t o
develop. Reclamation of the open p i t a r e a does not begin u n t i l the l a s t ore
has been remwed.

Planning f o r developing a low-grade open p i t mine i s aimed toward regu-

l a t i n g the grade of the concentrator feed, recovering any byproduct f r m the
o r e , and metallurgically t r e a t i n g s u l f i d e and nonsulfide material. The close
c o n t r o l and the consequences of variations i n a l l phases of the operation from
s t r i p p i n g t o marketing, including the e f f e c t s of such items a s t a x and'royalty,
r a t e s on the econcmics of the operation, a r e considered i n the planning stages.

Opan p i t development (53) c-nces with s t r i p p i n g and transporting the

werburden t o a waste dump i n a aonmineralized, environmentally acceptable
area. The shape of the p i t w i l l be determined by the r e s u l t s of the explo-
rationanddevelopment d r i l l holes and from a e r i a l photographs, topographic
and geologic maps, and cross sections. The p i t s i z e w i l l be limited by the
cutoff grade of the ore, t h a t grade being determined by the cost of mining
(excluding the cost of s t r i p p i n g ) , she c o s t of beneficiating and marketing the
ore, and the market price of the recoverable values i n the ore. Many deposits
have gradational ore-waste contacts; i n these, the ore-reserve s i z e and cutoff
grade are mutually dependent. The ore reserve v a r i e s with the cutoff grade
used; the economic cutoff grade depends on the s c a l e of operationmade pos-
s i b l e by the s i z e of the ore reserve.

Basic, then, t o the open p i t mine configuration w i l l be the stripping

r a t i o of ore t o waste, p i t slope angle, and cutoff grade. The type of
o r e s , property l i n e s , topography, and water, e t c . , a l s o govern the design
of,bench heights, road grades, and procedures f o r mining each s p e c i f i c area of
the mine.

Time required f o r developing an open p i t operation is generally d i r e c t l y

proportional t o the quantity of overburden remwed frcm the ore. Four years'
leadtime was required f o r the removal of an extraordinary large amount, 246
m i l l i o n tons, of waste a t the W i n Buttes copper deposit. A t the Castle Dome
mine, about 14 million tons of werburden was removed i n 1-1/2 years; a t
Copper C i t i e s , over 20 m i l l i o n tons was stripped i n a l i t t l e over 3 years.

The s t r i p p i n g r a t i o i s based on the market price of the ccomtodity. High

p r i c e s allow a larger p i t , whereas lower prices force the extraction of higher
grade ores and consequently diminish the s i z e of the p i t . The ultimate slope
s t a b i l i t y i s determined by the s t r i k e and d i p of major j o i n t s and f a u l t s with
respect t o the slope face, the physical properties of the material, both
surface and underground waters, and the length of time the steepened slopes
a r e allowed t o stand.

Computers have expedited planning and production i n surface mining;

they a r e a h s t e s s e n t i a l f o r the rapid c o l l a t i o n of necessary mine and m i l l
information including ore reserves, metallurgical and production data, ore-
blending p o s s i b i l i t i e s , and costs. Cmputer programs permit examining a l t e r -
natives t o variously proposed plans f o r maximum prbduction with minimum cost.
 I n both open p i t and underground mining, the s i z e of the operation, the
kind of m a t e r i a l mined, and the distance moved d i r e c t l y influence the time and
c o s t of production. The four stages of excavation i n both methods involve
d r i l l i n g , b l a s t i n g , loading, and hauling the m a t e r i a l .

The choice of d r i l l i n g system i s r e l a t e d t o the a v a i l a b l e energy o r power,

penetration r a t e , b i t wear, and cost. The r a t e of d r i l l i n g o r t i m e required f o r
defining the benches depend on the s k i l l of the d r i l l e r , the type of d r i l l i n g
equipment, the s i z e of the h o l e s , the c i r c u l a t i o n f l u i d , the p r o p e r t i e s of the
rock such a s hardness, porosity, moisture and d e n s i t y , the s t r u c t u r e s
encountered ( f o l d s , f a u l t s , j o i n t s , and bedding), l o c a t i o n , weather, and expe-
rienced supervision.

The physical f a c t o r s of the rock and the chemical f a c t o r s of the explo-

s i v e determine the e f f i c i e n c y of the b l a s t i n g operations. Time i s consumed
i n locating, d r i l l i n g and loading the holes. The c r i t i c a l f a c t o r timewise,
however, i s t h e r e s u l t and fragmentation, placement, and s i z e of the broken
rock d i r e c t l y a f f e c t the next stage--loading and hauling of the ore or waste.

In s t r i p mines, the b l a s t e d o r loosely consolidated m a t e r i a l i s loaded

by large-capacity drag l i n e s , shovels, and wheel excavators; hauling i s by
truck and/or conveyors.

Refinement of open p i t mining techniques allows time i n t e r v a l s t o be

shortened, by improving b l a s t i n g methods t o achieve maximum e f f i c i e n c y while
maintaining slope s t a b i l i t y , and by developing r a p i d loading and hauling of
ore and waste. Equipment used includes shovels, bulldozers, s c r a p e r s , t r u c k s ,
t r a i n s , and conveyors. The time f a c t o r i n t h i s operation depends on the s i z e
of the p i t , the distance t o the waste dumps, and s t o c k p i l e and/or concentrator,
road grades, and the s i z e of the loading and hauling equipment. The s i z e of
the equipment and the most e f f i c i e n t procedures a r e engineered f o r the short-
e s t time f a c t o r s allowed by mining procedures, bench development, and waste
removal.

The trend toward using very large hauling equipment t o minimize the trans-
p o r t a t i o n time a t the mine and from mine t o m i l l has been limited by mainte-
nanceproblems. ,Moreover, large equipment was d i f f i c u l t t o manage under operat-
i n g conditions, and trucks idled by r e p a i r s caused l o g i s t i c s problems i n
maintaining adequate feed f o r the concentrator.

The advantages of the open p i t method a r e g r e a t e r s a f e t y and b e t t e r work-

ing conditions, high recovery, economical e x t r a c t i o n of otherwise unrecover-
able low-grade o r e s , l a r g e r mechanical appliances, high p r o d u c t i v i t y , flex-
i b i l i t y , and e f f e c t i v e supervision. Disadvantages a r e exposure t o weather,
l i m i t a t i o n t o moderate depth, removal of large amounts of waste rock and over-
burden, slope f a i l u r e , and s e l e c t i v e mining of the m a t e r i a l .

I n the design of an underground mine, important considerations i n choos-

ing the mining method a r e the s t r e n g t h of the wall rock, r o o f , and f l o o r ; the
depth of the deposit; width of ore and amount of d i l u t i o n ; shape of ore body
and r e g u l a r i t y of o u t l i n e ; a t t i t u d e of the ore body, planes of weakness such
a s fractures,and shear and f a u l t zones; and mineralization and a l t e r a t i o n
which change the s t r u c t u r e of the rock and a f f e c t i t s behavior under s t r e s s .

D i f f i c u l t i e s encountered with increasing depth i n underground mines

include rock b u r s t s , high temperature, humidity, and dust. Heavy ground neces-
s i t a t e s extensive support, machinery must be e s p e c i a l l y constructed or adapt-
a b l e t o t h e conditions encountered, and g r e a t e r depths require l a r g e r h o i s t s
and pumps t o l i f t ore economically and t o remove waste and water. Mining of
e i t h e r very high-grade o r e s , o r large tonnages of low-grade ores o r improved
development techniques a r e required t o o f f s e t the c o s t s created by these
factors.

Increased c a p i t a l c o s t s , increased tonnages, deeper s h a f t s , and high rock

temperatures demand more e f f i c i e n t mining methods. Provided planning has
been c a r e f u l and complete,new techniques of s h a f t sinking and tunneling w i l l
shorten the construction period.

A breakthrough i n s h a f t sinking came with the development of the circu-

l a r shaft-sinking technique and mechanical mucking, using f o r example the
cactus-type grab which g r e a t l y increased the speed of p u t t i n g down large-
diameter s h a f t s . Standard p r a c t i c e f o r manual cleanup previously employed
over 50 men per s h i f t ; using the new equipment, only 10 men were required
f o r the operation. The c i r c u l a r s h a f t provided an improvement i n v e n t i l a t i o n ,
s t r u c t u r a l s t r e n g t h , and t h e a b i l i t y t o sink through highly fractured zones
and water courses. The development of the curb r i n g , which enabled l i n i n g t o
take place above the bottom of the s h a f t , and the use of multideck stages
allowing sinking and l i n i n g t o be c a r r i e d out concurrently, r e s u l t e d i n a
major advance i n shaft-sinking techniques. A s t h e s h a f t s were deepened,
l a r g e r buckets carrying more tonnage led t o the development of multirope sus-
pension, t o four-drum stage h o i s t s , and t o B l a i r double-drum f r i c t i o n h o i s t s .
For g r e a t e r c o n t r o l of a water zone, another improvement was grouting before
s h a f t sinking connnenced.

Leading the world i n perfecting high-speed s h a f t sinking methods i s the

mining industry i n South A f r i c a , where the ever-increasing c o s t s of deep
mining led t o developing new techniques. A comparative example of s h a f t -
sinking records a t t a i n e d i n South Africa shows how design, mechanization, and
improved techniques accelerated the sinking r a t e : 585 f e e t were advanced i n
1 month a t the Vlakfontein mine i n 1953 versus 1,261 f e e t a t t a i n e d i n 1 month
a t t h e Buffelsfontein mine i n 1961 (3,79).

Although sometimes construction tunneling i n s o f t rock i s not thought t o

be comparable t o tunneling f o r ore recovery, new developments i n t h i s a r e a a r e
leading t o more adaptations i n the hard-rock mining industry. Methods thus
developed w i l l be modified and adapted a s the mining industry turns more t o
large-scale underground e x t r a c t i o n of lower grade ores i n order t o meet
n a t i o n a l resource goals and t o comply with environmental standards.

The l a r g e r tunneling machines employed by the construction industry usu-

a l l y have been assembled and i n i t i a t e d on t h e surface and used i n a s t r a i g h t
d r i v e . Recently, companies have developed machines with more f l e x i b i l i t y i n
d i r e c t i o n and shape of openings, design, and performance of c u t t i n g heads t o
allow the penetration of harder rock. The high c o s t of the machines has been
a d e t e r r e n t t o experimentation i n underground mining operations.

I n 1969, the rapid excavation of tunnels by conventional methods ( d r i l l -

ing, b l a s t i n g , and loading) was a t r a t e s of 50 t o 75 f e e t per day. An
example of the r a t e of tunnel construction by conventional means was the
driving of t h e San Francisco Bay Area Rapid T r a n s i t (BART) tunnels. Driven
i n about 20 months, May 1965 t o March 1967, the horseshoe-shaped Berkeley
H i l l s Twin T r a n s i t tunnels were both 21 f e e t i n diameter and 16,232 f e e t long.
The average driving r a t e f o r the "CL" tunnel was 18.6 f e e t p e r day; m a x i m
driven i n 24 hours was 60 f e e t . Average driving r a t e f o r the "CR" tunnel was
18.5 f e e t per day; maximum driven i n a 24-hour peridd was 68 f e e t . Problems
included caveins, squeezing ground i n the Hayward and o t h e r f a u l t zones, and
water. Formations included s i l t s t o n e , sandstone, conglomerates, and volcanics.
Conclusions from t h i s work were t h a t c a r e f u l supervison and cautious mining
allowed the most rapid excavation (3). A record f o r conventional d r i l l and
b l a s t tunneling was s e t with the 115 f e e t advanced i n a s i n g l e day, i n the 15-
foot-wide and 15-foot-high Granduc tunnel of Newmont Mining Corp. The tunnel
was driven i n the Portland Canal a r e a , B r i t i s h Columbia, i n the l a t e 1960's
@, 25, 67).
Footage advanced per u n i t of time i s a function of rock type and rock-
s t r e n g t h c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , rock conditions, diameter of bore, type of machine,
teamwork, and the c a p a b i l i t y of the supervisor.

I n 1972, Fluor Utah Engineering & Construction, Inc., boring a 20.5-foot-

diameter tunnel, advanced a s much a s 260 f e e t i n a 24-hour day through sand-
stone and s i l t s t o n e a t the Navajo Tunnel No. 3 , U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Navajo i r r i g a t i o n p r o j e c t near Farmington, N.M. (2). Factors contributing t o
t h i s rapid r a t e of advance were rebuilding of c u t t e r s i n the f i e l d , i n s t a l l a -
t i o n of rock b o l t s c l o s e t o the face allowing d r i l l i n g t o continue throughout
the c y c l e , and highly automated muckcar handling a t the heading (2).

A record was established i n 1966 a t the Oso tunnel of the Bureau of Recla-
mation, San Juan-Chama p r o j e c t i n south-central Colorado. The Robbins
104-121A model mole used i n the 10-foot 2-inch-diameter tunnel made a maximum
advance of 419 f e e t i n one 24-hour day, 1,905 f e e t i n one 6-day week, and
6,849 f e e t i n one 26-day month through the Lewis Shale. The time required f o r
the delivery of the mole t o the tunnel s i t e was 7 months (68).

Mechanical r a i s e borers have been developed and used extensively. I n

1971, a new record was established a t the Cia F r e s n i l l o S.A. Naica mine i n
Mexico: a 7-foot-diameter, 1,140-foot r a i s e was completed i n 13 days, with
an average reaming advance of 11 f e e t per hour. High rock temperatures and
water prevented driving the r a i s e by conventional means (38).

Construction or development of the underground operation may u t i l i z e pre-

e x i s t i n g workings, including those driven i n the exploration phase or those
driven s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r the p r o j e c t , thus shortening the development period.
Rehabilitation of a n old mine may r e q u i r e dewatering the workings, retimbering
s h a f t s and tunnels, repairing caved a r e a s , and refurbishing with r a i l , v e n t i -
lationpipe,machinery, and surface plant. The planned construction would
incorporate old workings t h a t may be used and proceed with developing the ore
body.

For a completely new operation, s h a f t s or tunnels driven f o r exploration

w i l l probably be used during the development period; these workings may be
maintained l a t e r a s a production o r supply route. Newly discovered deposits
amenable t o underground mining require a longer time t o develop than most
open p i t operations. A s h o r t e k d construction period f o r underground mines
w i l l come with the development of (1) more e f f i c i e n t removal of rock cuttings
during s h a f t sinking and tunneling, (2) automation techniques, (3) improved
v e n t i l a t i o n from the removal of b l a s t i n g and d i e s e l fumes t o the removal of
dust from the work a r e a , (4) heat and water c o n t r o l , (5) more rapid i n s t a l l a -
t i o n of ground-control units--rock b o l t s , screens, grout, o r concrete, (6) new
or refined rock-fragmentation and d i s i n t e g r a t i n g techniques, (7) mechan-
i c a l boring machines b e t t e r adapted f o r hard-rock mining, and (8) b e t t e r team-
work and more experienced miners and supervisors.

Auxiliary support f a c i l i t i e s w i l l be constructed during the development

of the mine. The sequence of events i n t h e a c q u i s i t i o n and construction of
these f a c i l i t i e s w i l l vary with the operation. Water may have t o be piped i n
from a considerable distance. Conversely, some mines w i l l be faced with too
much water; thus, the a v a i l a b i l i t y of pumps and a constant, unfailing supply
of power become extremely important. A mining d i s t r i c t with operating mines
w i l l have a developed t r a n s p o r t a t i o n network; however, properties i n newer
d i s t r i c t s w i l l need access roads within the d i s t r i c t and possibly roads or
r a i l r o a d s t o marketing o u t l e t s .

The construction of the mine and i n s t a l l a t i o n of surface f a c i l i t i e s w i l l

continue t o require an awareness of the environmental impact. Mining operators
have always had t o consider s a f e , e f f e c t i v e mining techniques t o prevent dam-
age t o men, the mine, and the envirorrment, a l l influenced by the amount of
money a v a i l a b l e f o r elaborate mine systems.

Underground mining methods do not always leave the surface undisturbed.

Surface subsidence w i l l occur i f the stopes a r e not b a c k f i l l e d and properly
supported by p i l l a r s , o r i f the stopes a r e i n t e n t i o n a l l y caved t o surface such
a s i n the block-cave method.

Construction of Beneficiation Plant

Beneficiation i s the processing of ores t o regulate the s i z e of the

desired product, remove unwanted c o n s t i t u e n t s , a d improve t h e q u a l i t y and
grade of the wanted mineral.

I n general, treatment of ores i n v l w e s several types of operations depend-

i n g on the nature of the ore material. Beneficiation o r d i n a r i l y requires
reducing the s i z e of the ore by crushing and grinding, s i z i n g and c l a s s i f y i n g
t h e material f o r f u r t h e r treatment, and recovering the valuable constituents.
Included among the many processes which may be used a r e f l o t a t i o n of copper,
lead, and zinc s u l f i d e ores; cyanidation of gold ores; heavy-media separation
(sink-float process) f o r i r o n o r e s , c o a l , and gravel; magnetic separation of
iron ore; and leaching and p r e c i p i t a t i o n of copper and uranium ores.

The f l o t a t i o n process i s the conventional method of concentrating the

s u l f i d e copper ores. Molybdenum, frequently occurring i n porphyry d e p o s i t s ,
i s separated by s e l e c t i v e f l o t a t i o n f r w the copper concentrate.

Construction of a beneficiation p l a n t or concentrator must begin a f t e r

ore reserves have been e s t a b l i s h e d , a f t e r a favorable f e a s i b i l i t y study has
been concluded, and a f t e r f i n a n c i a l arrangements have been completed. For
economic reasons, the i n i t i a l s i z e of t h e m i l l i s usually r e s t r i c t e d t o the
minimum f o r p r o f i t a b l e operation. Based upon a n t i c i p a t e d change i n ore grade,
plans allow f o r f u t u r e expansion t o the apparent optimum s i z e .

Contributing t o the t i m e required t o construct the concentrator and bring

i t i n t o production a r e such f a c t o r s a s leadtime i n acquiring the equipment, the
tuneup period, and the location of the m i l l i n r e l a t i o n t o the mine. Among
the items considered i n locating the concentrator a r e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n c o s t s ,
topography t o take advantage of gravity flow, adequate space f o r t a i l i n g s -
disposal a r e a , a v a i l a b i l i t y of a s u f f i c i e n t and dependable supply of water and
p w r , envirolrmental hazards such a s floods, l a n d s l i d e s , and s n m l i d e s , and
pollution control.

The routine f l o t a t i o n treatment of the s u l f i d e porphyry copper ores i s

f a i r l y w e l l established; about 2 years i s required f o r construction of the
m i l l . The time required for expanding the concentrator w i l l depend upon the
s i z e of the i n c r e a s e , any changes i n the process, and whether allowances f o r
the expansion were-made during the design s t a g e .

Once the i n i t i a l construction of any mine o r concentrator i s completed,

t h e economics of operation require f l e x i b i l i t y i n responding t o changing
conditions. Adaptation t o new techniques requires a l e r t management, c a r e f u l
planning, and willingness t o experiment, a s w e l l as s k i l l f u l timing t o achieve
increased production a t the propitious mcmrent.

This a d a p t a b i l i t y was demonstrated a t the Miami mine, which grew from a

3,000- t o a 17,000-tpd operation i n four increments between 1911 and 1929.
The e a r l y high-grade ores f r w t h i s underground operation were t r e a t e d i n a
gravity concentrator constructed and brought t o capacity i n about 3 years.
Within 5 y e a r s , the p l a n t had been converted from gravity t o the then-new
f l o t a t i o n process. As the high-grade ore reserves were depleted, the
development of the high-column block-cave mining method allowed low-grade ores
t o be mined p r o f i t a b l y . The average c o s t s dropped $0.758 per ton i n 2 years.
During the 1930's depression, the canpany developed the leach-precipitation-
f l o a t process which impxwed recovery of the mixed oxide-sulfide a r e s . To
e x t r a c t a d d i t i o n a l values frcm abandoned areas of the Miami mine, leaching,
begun i n 1941, has continued t o the p r e s e n t , o r w e r 33 years. These events
and the development of the Miami East o r e body i l l u s t r a t e how mine l i f e has
been extended by new mining and b e n e f i c i a t i n g techniques t h a t allow increased
tonnages and the recovery of low-grade ores.
 Each expansion has i t s own leadtime, including periods f o r exploration
f e a s i b i l i t y s t u d i e s , construction, and production.

Nonsulfide copper ores may be t r e a t e d by leaching both a t open p i t and a t

underground operations. The leach process may be i n s t i t u t e d a t the connnence-
ment of the operation o r l a t e r , supplementing the conventional f l o t a t i o n
treatment of copper ore. I n a d d i t i o n , the process o f t e n becomes a vehicle
f o r extending the l i f e of the mine by allowing t h e r e c w e r y of copper unattain-
able by o t h e r means of mining and treatment.

Diverse leaching methods include dump leaching of waste m a t e r i a l , heap

leaching of lw-grade o r e s , v a t leaching of high-grade amenable o r e s , and i n
place or i n s i t u leaching of areas fractured by p r i o r mining o r coyote b l a s t -
ing. The copper i s recovered from the leach l i q u o r s by p r e c i p i t a t i o n on i r o n
i n the form of shredded cans, i r o n s c r a p , o r sponge i r o n ; l e s s comonly,
e l e c t r o l y s i s of t h e vat-leach l i q u o r s o r solvent e x t r a c t i o n and e l e c t r o l y s i s
of the leach liquors a r e used f o r recovery. F'recipitate o r cement copper i s
shipped t o the smelter f o r conversion t o b l i s t e r copper and then t o the
e l e c t r o l y t i c p l a n t . For many years the leach process was a catch-as-catch-can
operation; however, the a p p l i c a t i o n of s c i e n t i f i c research and development l e d
t o imprwed planning and engineering of open p i t and underground mining,
r e s u l t i n g i n maximum recovery of copper through a combination of sophisticated
leaching processes and f l o t a t i o n concentration processes.

B r i e f l y , the dump leach method i s a s follows. Waste andlor low-grade

m a t e r i a l r e s u l t i n g from the mining of higher grade s u l f i d e ore i s placed on
t h e most s u i t a b l e e x i s t i n g topography--in sane a r e a s an impervious pad i s
necessary t o prevent loss of leach solutions. The n a t u r a l o r t r e a t e d mine or
surface water i s d i s t r i b u t e d over the a r e a by various means including piping
the solutions i n t o ponds and trenches, or spraying the s o l u t i o n over the area
i n a g r i d l i k e p a t t e r n . The pregnant s o l u t i o n s t h a t have percolated through the
dumps are c o l l e c t e d i n a storage a r e a and c i r c u l a t e d through the p r e c i p i t a t i o n
p l a n t , which c o n s i s t s of launders, v a t s , or tanks containing detinned cans o r
o t h e r scrap i r o n . Percolation of s o l u t i o n s through the dumps may require 3
days f o r a 250-foot dump and 12 days f o r a 500-foot dump (78). The waste
dump a t Mineral Park, A r i z . , i s estimated t o contain over 5 m i l l i o n tons of
material; a t Bingham Canyon, Utah, the dumps contain some 4 b i l l i o n tons.

Heap leaching i s used t o r e c w e r copper from a porous oxide copper o r e

t h a t has been placed on a prepared impervious surface. The ore i s generally
higher grade m a t e r i a l than t h a t which i s dump leached. A strong a c i d s o l u t i o n
i s often d i s t r i b u t e d over the m a t e r i a l ; the quantity of a c i d consmned i s a
function of the type of host rock and the copper minerals leached. Acid solu-
t i o n i s d i s t r i b u t e d on a heap Leach f o r 100 t o 180 days, a t which time the
economically recoverqble copper content has been leached. Copper i n the
pregnant s o l u t i o n may be recovered by p r e c i p i t a t i o n , solvent e x t r a c t i o n , and/
or e l e c t r o l y t i c deposition.

In v a t leaching, the copper i s e x t r a c t e d from mixed sulfide-oxide ores

containing more than 0.5 percent acid-soluble copper. The ore i s crushed
and screened before treatment. Theoretically. a high r e c w e r y i s accomplished
because the grinding treatment a l l m more contact with the copper minerals
and because l e s s of the pregnant liquor i s r e t a i n e d i n f i n e s . Flow r a t e s are
affected by permeability of the ore bed, and higher temperatures produce an
increase i n the percolation r a t e .

Kennecott Copper Co. r e c e n t l y designed and constructed a new s i l i c a t e v a t

leaching p l a n t a t Ray Mines d i v i s i o n w i t h i n a time span of over 3-112 years
from i n i t i a t i o n of the study t o completion of the p r o j e c t i n March 1969.
Study and development of the new process t o t r e a t the ores c-nced i n mid-
1965, and the p i l o t p l a n t was completed i n 6 months (by June 1966). A s a
r e s u l t of a successful 4-month t e s t i n g period, the leaching p l a n t was b u i l t ;
ground preparation required 6 months and construction of the plant 22 months
U) -
I n place o r i n s i t u leaching of copper ores has been used f o r many years.
The method involves much the same process a s i n dump and heap leaching; the
solutions percolate through areas t h a t have previously been mined (usually
block caved) o r coyote b l a s t e d and a r e then r e t r i e v e d and p r e c i p i t a t e d by one
of the methods previously mentioned.

Examples of mines t h a t c o l l e c t e d the leach solutions of previously mined

areas a r e t h e Ohio Copper Co., Bingham, Utah, beginning about 1925 (now incor-
porated i n t o the Utah Copper p i t of Kennecott Copper Corp.); Ray mine of
Kennecott, Ray, A r i z . , beginning about 1938 (now using a vat-leach process);
M i d mine, Miami, Ariz., beginning leaching i n 1941 and continuing t o the
present (1972). A t the Miami mine, the acid s o l u t i o n , sprayed over the sur-
face of the caved a r e a , percolates through 600 f e e t of m a t e r i a l i n 3 t o 4
weeks and i s then c o l l e c t e d and pumped t o the p r e c i p i t a t i o n plant (60).

An example of the large-scale coyote b l a s t i n g of a deposit i s the Old

Reliable deposit i n the Copper Creek mining a r e a , 9 miles from Marmoth, A r i z .
Now leased by Ranchers Exploration and Development Co., the mine was operated
by underground conventional methods from 1890 t o 1919 and again i n 1953-54.
Ranchers acquired the property by lease i n October 1970. I n A p r i l 1971, roads
were made f o r access t o the property; preparation f o r b l a s t i n g was begun with
excavation of tunnels and crosscuts by September 1971; anrmomium n i t r a t e
emplacement c-nced i n l a t e January 1972; and the explosives were detonated
March 9 , 1972. The ore deposit is 400 f e e t i n diameter and about 500 f e e t
deep; the b l a s t a f f e c t e d an area 450 t o 500 f e e t i n diameter. Terracing,
begun March 15, 1972, was completed May 30, 1972. Benches were c u t t o allow
the spraying of the s u l f u r i c acid s o l u t i o n over the e n t i r e area; leaching
began i n August 1972. The p r e c i p i t a t e p l a n t , equipped with shredded cans t o
p r e c i p i t a t e t h e copper, was completed and production was begun by l a t e 1972,
f o r a t o t a l period of about 2 years (77).

I n the leaching process, f a c t o r s influencing t h e amount and r a t e of

recovery of copper include c a r e f u l d i s t r i b u t i o n of s o l u t i o n over t h e e n t i r e
area t o assure contact with the copper minerals, the process i t s e l f . the type
and grade of o r e , and t h e maintenance of the proper pH of the leach solutions.
Problems a r e the channeling of s o l u t i o n s i n dumps, heaps, mines, and even in
vats; gelatinous i r o n - s a l t p r e c i p i t a t i o n i n the leach dmps t h a t c r e a t e s
impervious boundaries t o the d i s t r i b u t i o n of the solutions; loss of the leach
and pregnant solutions by evaporation o r permeable ground; corrosion of
equipment by the a c i d s ; maintenance of low i r o n consumption and maximum copper
p r e c i p i t a t i o n ; amount of water a v a i l a b l e ; maintaining a l t e r n a t i n g wet and dry
periods; and recycling solutions t h a t have collected clays t h a t a c t as a
copper absorbent (60).

The construction period f o r the leaching plant w i l l depend on the s i z e

of the operation, the process used, a n t i c i p a t e d l i f e of the f a c i l i t i e s ,
location of the plant with respect t o the mine and source of supplies, and
a v a i l a b i l i t y of equipment, and whether i t i s custom designed o r standard.

For the leach process, the time period begins with the fragmentation of
d m p and heap leach material during the mining phase. Fragmentation of i n
place leaching m a t e r i a l may occur during the mining phase i f the material i s
mined by a method r e s u l t i n g i n ma'jor subsidence such as block caving. I n
s i t u leach m a t e r i a l may a l s o be fragmnted by the large-scale use of explo-
s i v e s detonated within a deposit, such a s a t the Old Reliable mine where
preparation f o r placement of explosives and detonation required almost 2 years.
I n the vat-leach process, the m a t e r i a l i s mechanically crushed before i t is
placed i n the v a t s .

Leaching equipment f o r dump and heap leaching may be i n s t a l l e d i n only a

few months. Development of a new process, such a s the v a t leach, or t h e
elaboration of an old technique could e n t a i l years of t e s t i n g ; the custom
manufacturing, i n s t a l l a t i o n , and use of newly designed equipment might require
2 years.

The duration of leach periods has been described a s follows--dump leach-

i n g and i n place leaching periods a r e measured i n years, heap leaching i s
measured i n months, and v a t leaching i s measured i n days (60).

Environmental Protection and Reclamation

Environment has been defined as the stmunation of a l l the e x t e r n a l con-

d i t i o n s t h a t may influence the developlnent o r existence of an organism o r
comrmnity. Ambient a i r , l i g h t , moisture, temperature, wind, s o i l , and a l l
organisms a r e p a r t of the environment o r environmental f a c t o r s . These f a c t o r s
may a l s o include s t r u c t u r e s , whether n a t u r a l or mamnade o b j e c t s , and s o c i a l
elements such a s customs, laws, and language.

Additional leadtime i n developing a mine may be required t o determine

and analyze the impact of the environment on the operation and the impact of
t h e operation on the environment. A h o s t i l e environment, such as the Sonoran
d e s e r t with i t s heat o r glaciated mountain t e r r a i n a t high a l t i t u d e with
d i f f i c u l t t r a n s p o r t , decidedly a f f e c t s the productivity of the work force
and the e f f i c i e n c y of a mine complex. These elements, viewed as a p a r t of the
operating r i s k s and c o s t s , have always influenced the economic and technologic
decisions of management and taxed corporate a b i l i t y t o a d j u s t t o the neces-
s i t i e s of the environment.
 Conversely, the e f f e c t of the mining operation on the enviromnent, though
given planning e f f o r t and a t t e n t i o n i n the p a s t , was never considered i n the
degree now demanded of the industry. Reclamation of the mined-out a r e a , the
mine dumps, and the t a i l i n g s disposal area were o f t e n of small concern,
p r i n c i p a l l y because t h e disturbance of the e a r t h ' s surface was i n remote areas
and not of p a r t i c u l a r l y l a r g e scale. With the development of s t r i p c o a l min-
ing and the increased mobility of people due t o improved highway systems and
a i r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , the scars on t h e e a r t h ' s s u r f a c e have become more apparent
t o more people. I n recent years new S t a t e and Federal laws have been enacted,
requiring t h a t a l l f u t u r e mining be "envirocmentally" c o n t r o l l e d , from explo-
r a t i o n t h r o u g h f i n a l reclamation.

Exploration time w i l l be increased by the time required t o gain a p p r w a l

from the s p e c i f i c S t a t e or Federal agency concerned. Depending on the loca-
t i o n and the conmodity, various permits and l i c e n s e s a r e required from S t a t e
agencies, and Federal a p p r w a l w i l l have t o be obtained from the Forest
Service or Bureau of Land Management. This time w i l l vary with the l o c a t i o n ,
with the camnodity involved, and with the' time needed t o c w p l y with the
regulations. Requirements may specify t h a t roads and d r i l l s i t e s have t o be
placed i n inconspicuous a r e a s ; t o p s o i l stockpiled f o r f u t u r e use; trenches and
p i t s r e f i l l e d ; sump a r e a s provided t o prevent slimes from the d r i l l water
entering the drainage; and abandoned s i t e s covered and seeded.

A t some time during the f e a s i b i l i t y study t h e company planning a p r o j e c t

may have t o prepare a r e p o r t f o r the various S t a t e and Federal agencies, i n d i -
cating measures t h a t w i l l be undertaken t o p r o t e c t the environment.

Insome S t a t e s t h e leadtime f o r e x p l o r a t i o n and/or development of a sur-

face mining p r o j e c t may be f u r t h e r lengthened by the requirement t o obtain a
permit and post bond with t h e S t a t e . I f an Environmental Impact Statement
@IS) i s needed, preparation time by the agency w i l l be required; allowance
may a l s o have t o be made f o r the statement t o be reviewed by other concerned
government agencies and by the general public.

In January 1972, Bureau of Land Management Regional Planner Kenneth F.

Reinert estimated 90 weeks or 1-314 years would be required t o implement a
work proposal (4l).

Land changes brought about by a mining and m i l l i n g operation may include

the open p i t s c a r s on the e a r t h ' s surface and the formation of waste dumps.
Underground mining may form areas s u b j e c t t o planned, o r unplanned, gradual or
sudden subsidence. I n s t a l l a t i o n of a t a i l i n g s pond may block n a t u r a l drainage
i n lowlands o r canyons, or cause s i l t a t i o n d m s t r e a m . Another problem
associated with t a i l i n g s d i s p o s a l i s t h a t of c o n t r o l l i n g blowing sand and dust.

Reclamation of s t r i p mine areas may proceed with or immediately a f t e r

removal of m a t e r i a l being mined. However, an open p i t copper mine requires
many years t o remove the ore, and any reclaiming process applied t o the p i t
must wait u n t i l mining i s terminated. Even then the c o s t i n time and money
might w e l l be p r o h i b i t i v e . For example, a t an estimated c o s t of $7 b i l l i o n ,
the suggested b a c k f i l l i n g and recontouring of the Utah Copper p i t of Kennecott
would require 66 years i f f i l l i n g proceeded a t a r a t e of 400,000 tpd (l7).
C e r t a i n underground mining methods, such a s open stopes and supported s t o p e s ,
might allow f i l l i n g by waste m a t e r i a l o r t a i l i n g s a s mining progresses,
thereby shortening the reclamation period. Planning an a e s t h e t i c t a i l i n g s
disposal area a t present conmences during the mine-mill construction phase.
The shape and location of the area a r e determined a t t h i s point; s t a b i l i z a t i o n
of t a i l i n g s sand by use of vegetation and other means can begin a t any time.
The Twin Buttes mine, Pima mine, and Miami mine a r e noted f o r t h e i r use of
g r a s s , shrubs, and t r e e s t o improve t h e t a i l i n g s area.

Although the reclamation of the mining area w i l l i d e a l l y be considered a t

t h e beginning of the p r o j e c t , many open p i t mines a r e of long duration. Hence,
o r i g i n a l planned reclamation of the a r e a might be limited, r e f l e c t i n g only
possible land use, because rapidly changing s o c i a l and c u l t u r a l values may
evolve a t o t a l l y new concept of reclamation between the i n i t i a t i o n of the proj-
e c t and the c e s s a t i o n of mining some 10, 5 0 , or
~ 100 years l a t e r .

When any metal mine w i l l conclude i t s operation i s highly unpredictable.

The cessation of operations within a mining d i s t r i c t o f t e n does not mean t h a t
t h e resource has been exhausted. Rather, resumptions of operations may await
higher prices f o r metals or the development of a new technology; t h e r e f o r e ,
e f f o r t s toward reclamation should be c a r e f u l l y considered s o a s not t o render
t h e mine prematurely inoperative.

As mining proceeds, c o n t r o l of the q u a l i t y and quantity of water i s a

constant ,concern. The leadtime i n bringing a mine i n t o proauction i s
a f f e c t e d by extremes i n e i t h e r oversupply o r undersupply. A c l a s s i c i l l u s t r a -
t i o n of t h i s water-control problem and t h e environment w i t h i n the mine was the
d i f f i c u l t y i n regulating the flow of water i n the Fad s h a f t a t Eureka, Nev.
This r i c h s u l f i d e ore body, discovered i n the 1940's by Eureka Corp. Ltd. and
the Bureau of Mines, has y e t t o come i n t o production, because of excessive
water inflows.

Conservation of mine water and maintenance of q u a l i t y a r e evidenced by

the recycling of water from leaching operations and from the concentrator
effluents.

When the operation includes smelting and r e f i n i n g , environmental problems

a r e compounded. The leadtime may be extended by the requirements of the new
emriromoental p o l l u t i o n regulations. S u l f u r dioxide emission i s the p r i n c i p a l
pollutant i n smelting copper, lead, and zinc s u l f i d e ores; t h i s waste product
has yet t o be s u f f i c i e n t l y controlled t o meet the Federal environmental stan-
dards s e t up i n May 1970. Although variances were granted, e x i s t i n g smelters
were ordered t o achieve compliance t o environmental regulations by 1975. The
remwal of SO, a t e x i s t i n g p l a n t s requires a d d i t i o n a l scrubbers and e l e c t r o -
s t a t i c p r e c i p i t a t o r s w h i c h , ~ i n 1973, required 2 years f o r f a b r i c a t i o n and
delivery from t h e d a t e of purchase order, a s a l l such apparatus has t o be
custom designed and constructed f o r the i n d i v i d u a l plant.
 Period from locationof cloirns
to lorge-scale production
Period of development
90 -
Period of explorotion
evelopment,
ferentioted
of explorot ion
- from cornpony
80 acauisition to iarae -
scale production-

PINTO VALLEY

FIGURE 1. - Time periods for various phases of development at selected copper mines.
 I n s t a l l a t i o n of acid plants f o r the conversion of s u l f u r dioxide t o
s u l f u r i c a c i d has been estimated t o r e q u i r e 2 t o 3 years f o r the modern
smelter and possibly longer f o r o l d e r smelters (75). Construction of s u l f u r i c
acid plants has been delayed, p r i n c i p a l l y by problems i n marketing the acid.

A l l of the major copper smelting companies a r e d i l i g e n t l y doing research

and examining new technology t o resolve the SO, problem. Many of these
research techniques involve chemical e x t r a c t i o n ard modifications or abandon-
ment of pyrometallurgical procedures.

TIME REQUIREMENTS FOR SEECIFIC EVENTS I N TW DEVELOPMENT

OF SELECTED COPPER PROPERTIES

Histories of the Miami, Castle Dome, Copper C i t i e s , San Manuel, Twin

B u t t e s , Pinto Valley, Pima, Esperanza, S i e r r i t a , and Mineral Park properties
document the growth and development of t h e large-scale operation. Data on
these properties were studied t o determine the time required t o perform
various segments of work. I n a d d i t i o n t o the discussions i n t h i s s e c t i o n
records of development of the Miami, C a s t l e Dome, Copper C i t i e s , San Manuel,
and Twin Buttes a r e chronologically d e t a i l e d i n appendixes A through E . Each
of these records functions a s a study u n f t and includes a s p e c i f i c b i b l i -
ography f o r t h a t p a r t i c u l a r mine.

The estimated time periods f o r various phases of development a t t h e

selected copper properties are summarized i n f i g u r e 1 and t a b l e 1, and
d e t a i l e d i n t a b l e s 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5. Grouping of these d a t a provides a means
of comparing the r e l a t e d time i n t e r v a l s .

Time Periods Defined

From the information documented i n the l i t e r a t u r e , estimates of the f o l -

lowing time periods f o r the mines were studied: Location of i n i t i a l claims
t o large-scale production; a c q u i s i t i o n by the producing company t o large-scale
production; preliminary examination and evaluation; exploration; mine and
beneficiation-plant construction; and the periods of expansion, plus leaching
of marginal ores t o increase productivity and t o extend the mine l i f e .

The l o c a t i o n of mining claims t o large-scale production i s the i n t e r v a l

from the i n i t i a l claim location t o the d a t e when s u b s t a n t i a l shipments of ore
began. I n most cases, the dates i l l u s t r a t e the considerable number of years
between the time the claims were located and the onset of large-scale pro-
duction. The' various mine h i s t o r i e s show t h a t the mines a r e i n o r near a r e a s
of known mineralization and t h a t prospecting and e a r l y mining of high-grade
deposits were not s u f f i c i e n t l y remunerative t o keep the mines operating with-
out numerous shutdowns or complete aband-at. The time span, t h e r e f o r e , may
include many prospecting periods and i n t e r m i t t e n t small-scale production. For
t h e mines s t u d i e d , t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of large-scale production changed
dramatically from the 3,000 tpd t r e a t e d a t the Miami mine i n 1911 t o the
72,000 tpd t r e a t e d a t the S i e r r i t a mine i n 1970.
.,
 TABLE 2. - Exploration period
D i s t r i c t and property Type of exploration Time period
operation
Globe-Miami d i s t r i c t :
Miami.... ................ Underground and surface1.. . 1907-1910... .................
Castle Dome .............. surfacea ................... F a l l 1940-end 1941.. .........
.......... ..... a d . . ............:.... 1943, 1946-49... .............
Copper C i t i e s . .
Pinto Valley ............. Surface... ................. 1961-69........ ..............
Miami E a s t ............... Underground ................ August 1969-1972?..... .......
Pima d i s t r i c t :
Pima:
United Geophysical ..... ................... February 1951-December 1951?.
Surfacea
Pima Mining Co.. ....... ............... January 1952-May 1952?..... ..
underground1
Twin Buttes:
Banner Mining Co.. ..... .....do1.. ................... 1950-63. .....................
Anaconda Co ............ Surface and underground1 ... March 1963-March 1965.. ......
Esperanza. ..,............ .....do ................... May 1955-June 1957.. .........
West Esperanza ........... s u r f ace1 ................... Ca. J u l y 1960-1962. ..........
Sierrita:
Bear Creek Mining Co... Surface ................... 1960-63?................... ..
Duval Corp ............. Surface and underground1 ... Late 1963-1964?.. ............
Old Hat d i s t r i c t :
San Manuel.. ............. Surface2................... March 1943-February 1948
Do. .................... Underground ............... March 1948-Ca. J u l y 1952.. ...
Kalamazoo.. .............. Surfacez................... 1965-67.... ..................
Do.... ................. underground1............... NA ...........................
Wallapai d i s t r i c t :
Mineral Park... ........... Surface and underground1 ... March 1959-June 1962. ........
NA--Not a v a i l a b l e .
' ~ x p l o r a t i o n and development.
2~xploration.
 TABLE 3. - Mine development p e r i o d
Thickness :nitial rate Mine
- Amount of over-
D i s t r i c t and property Type of of of o r e development merit burden i n i t i a l l y
operation werburden, production, date -
d stripped,

Globe-Miami d i s t r i c t :
feet tpd -
onths m i l l i o n tons

Miami Copper.. ....... underground1. 245- 500 3,000 A p r i l 1907- 11 NAP

March 1911.
C a s t l e Dome.. ... Open p i t . . ... NA 10,000 January 1942- 5 14
June 1943.
Copper C i t i e s . . . ..... ...do... ..... 20- 120 12,000 June 1951- 2 14
August 1954.
P i n t o V a l l e F ........ ...do ........ 500 40,000 J u l y 1972- 4 60
November 1974.
Pima d i s t r i c t :
Pima ............. underground3 . 200- 300 May 1952- 5
October 1955.
DO. ................ Open p i t . . ... NA November 1955- 1
December 1956.
Twin Buttes.. ........ ...do.. ...... 400- 600 J u l y 1965- 2
September 1969.
Esperanza.. ...... ...do. ....... 95- 100 November 1957- 4
March 1959.
West Esperanza ....... Open p i t 4 . . .. NA March 1963- 5
August 1965.
S i e r r i t a . . . . . . ....... ...do. ....... 50- 300 February 1968- 1
March 1970.
Old Hat d i s t r i c t :
San Manuel.. ......... Underground5. 0-1,900 January 1953- -
(av 670) January 1956.
Underground.. 2,500 November 1968- -
1980 (scheduled)
Wallapai d i s t r i c t :
Mineral Park. ......... Open p i t ..... 50- 150 January 1963- 9

NA--Not a v a i l a b l e .
October 1964. -
NAP--Not a p p l i c a b l e .
l S q u a r e s e t , shrinkage s t o p e , t o p s l i c i n g and l a t e r b l o c k cave mining methods.
"xpected r a t e of production.
3 ~ n d e r g r o u n dmethod was l a r g e l y experimental--not e n t i r e l y s u c c e s s f u l .
' ~ x p a n s i o n of t h e Esperanza p i t .
S ~ l o c kcave.
 -
2"
u
E
a
c a 0
o m
2 v
0 -
u
-
,:
2 ,
0

2.22
. r
u
l v a m
2 m au
m u o o
u v 0 3
w k
4
 TABLE 5. - Expansion of selected beneficiation plants1

Initial Total
D i s t r i c t and property designed
capacity,
designed
~apacity,
Expansion dates -Tota time
tears onths

Globe-Miami d i s t r i c t :
tpd tpd - -
6,000 1913-18..................... 5 -
...... 10,000 1923-25..... ................ 2 -
-
Miami Copper... 3,000
...
12,000
17,000
1927-28..................
December 1928-October 1929.. -
1
-
10
Castle Dome.......... 10.000 12,000 December 1943-late 1944..... -1

Pima d i s t r i c t :
6,000 1962-August 1963... ......... -1 -
Pima.... ............. 3,000
18,000
30,000
December 1964-July 1966.....
September 1966-July 1967.... -1 7
10
53,000 F a l l 1970-February 1972..... -1 6
Twin Buttes2......... 30.000 32,000 1971 (planned) ..............
Esperanza ............
Sierrita.............
12,000
72,000
15,000
85,000
Completed June 1967.......
August 1970-January 1972....
.. NA
1
NA
5

Old Hat d i s t r i c t :
San Manue 1. ........... 30,000
40,000
60,000
January 1964-July 1965......
Spring 1969-November 1971... -2
1 7
9

Wallapai d i s t r i c t :
Mineral Park..........
NA--Not a v a i l a b l e .
12.000 17,000 NA NA - -
o on cent rat or o f t e n exceeded planned capacity awing t o improved efficiency.
aActual capacity apparently reached only 28,000 tpd. Expansion announced from 28.000 t o 32,000 tpd,
1972.
 I n t h i s study, company a c q u i s i t i o n t o large-scale production i s the time
span estimated t o bring the property i n t o i n i t i a l large-scale production,
a f t e r c o n t r o l has been obtained by l o c a t i o n , option, l e a s e , o r purchase.

The preliminary examination and evaluation period i s i d e n t i f i e d a s the

time the company has the property under option f o r purchase o r l e a s e , o r
simply a s the time a l l o t t e d for a b r i e f examination of t h e property. Although
the option periods a r e usually noted i n the l i t e r a t u r e , information on the
exact time required f o r t h e examination i s l e s s often s t a t e d .

Exploration may be divided i n t o prospecting, or preliminary exploration,

and d e t a i l e d exploration periods. Detailed exploration d e l i n e a t e s the ore
body and o r d i n a r i l y follows sane form of preliminary examination and evalua-
t i o n or f e a s i b i l i t y study. Part of the exploration stage may be incorporated
within the evaluation or option period.

I d e n t i f i c a t i o n of t h e exploration tiwe i n t e r v a l is d i f f i c u l t because

a v a i l a b l e information does not always i n d i c a t e when exploration begins and
ends, nor when development s t a r t s . This condition i s p a r t i c u l a r l y t r u e f o r
underground mining, when i n i t i a l exploration may include construction of a
s h a f t o r s h a f t s used l a t e r f o r development and production.

Development or construction usually begins a f t e r the existence of a suf-

f i c i e n t quantity of ore has been delineated. The construction period f o r an
open p i t mine commences when removal of the werburden begins and continues t o
the s t a r t u p of the concentrator (mill). For the underground mine, the period
i s approximated by using the date ore was encountered underground or the date
the author c i t e s a s the beginning of mine development. I n the l i t e r a t u r e , the
date underground exploration ceases and development begins i s o f t e n not accu-
r a t e l y defined; morewer, the authors may interchange the words "exploration"
and "development" without regard t o any t e c h n i c a l d e f i n i t i o n .

The b e n e f i c i a t i o n plant construction period begins with s i t e preparation

and extends t o the time the concentrator t r e a t s the ore on a continuing b a s i s .
After the concentrator has been b u i l t t h e r e i s a break-in period when the
plant i s operated t o determine whether the process and equipment w i l l perform
properly.

The time required t o construct a c o n c e n t r a t o r o r m i l l appears t o be the

most c o n s i s t e n t and, perhaps, t h e most p r e d i c t a b l e i n t e r v a l i n the preproduc-
t i o n period. The l e a s t known v a r i a b l e would be the design phase of the plant
when the new process i s under development, before the a c t u a l construction of
the plant. The design phase i s d i f f i c u l t t o determine because an exact date
i s seldom announced when a company undertakes such a f e a s i b i l i t y study; how-
ever,once the process has been successfully t e s t e d i n a p i l o t p l a n t , the con-
s t r u c t i o n of the f u l l - s c a l e plant appears t o be routine.

Expansions of concentrators demand a t l e a s t a corrrmensurate increase i n

ore shipments from the mine and often a considerable investment i n a d d i t i o n a l
equipment and/or new buildings. Because design-capacity f i g u r e s released by
the companies a r e not always c o n s i s t e n t , they may not r e f l e c t increases i n
production t h a t r e s u l t from a more e f f i c i e n t operation r a t h e r than from a
planned enlargment of the plant. Current large-scale production i s o f t e n the
r e s u l t of s e v e r a l such periods of expansion.

Leaching of submarginal copper ores has been used f o r many years t o

recover copper values which might otherwise never be r e t r i e v e d from mined-out
areas and from waste dumps. This paper notes t h e length of time the process
has been employed a t the mines studied.

Descriptions of Selected Copper Properties

Miami Property (22, 37, 43-44, 5 l , 5 5 , 70)

The Miami mine i s i n T 1 N , R 14 E , i n t h e western p a r t of the Globe-

Miami mining d i s t r i c t , near the town of Miami, Gila County, Ariz. The
topography i s f a i r l y rugged, ranging i n a l t i t u d e f r m 3,300 f e e t i n the Miami
Wash t o 4,000 f e e t along I n s p i r a t i o n Ridge. The climate i s semiarid.

Miami Copper Co. owned the mine from i t s inception i n 1907 u n t i l 1960
when the operation was acquired by Tennessee Corp. I n 1963, Tennessee Corp.
became a subsidiary of C i t i e s Service Co.

The Miami-Inspiration deposit includes the Live Oak, Keystone, and

I n s p i r a t i o n ore bodies mined by I n s p i r a t i o n Consolidated Copper Co. and the
Pinto, Captain, and main ore bodies (including the Northwest and Southeast).
The e n t i r e deposit i s about 12,000 f e e t long and 2,500 f e e t wide. The Inspi-
r a t i o n o r e b o d y i s presently mined by open p i t methods; the Miami ore body
was mined by blockcaving methods from 1907 t o 1959, overlappling with i n s i t u
leaching which began i n 1942 and has continued t o date (1972). The Miami ore
body is described a s i r r e g u l a r but roughly t r i a n g u l a r with a n a l t i t u d e of
2,500 f e e t , a base of 3,700 f e e t i n plan, and a thickness of about 350 f e e t .
The Captain'ore body was about 500 by 500 f e e t and averaged 350 f e e t i n thick-
ness; the Pinto ore body was 700 f e e t long and 300 f e e t wide.

The Miami ore body, a disseminated copper, i s found i n the Precambrian

Pinal s c h i s t and, t o a l e s s e r e x t e n t , i n the porphyritic border f a c i e s of
the T e r t i a r y Schultze g r a n i t e stock. Capping, mainly c o n s i s t i n g of a leached
s c h i s t o r g r a n i t e porphyry, ranges from 245 t o 500 f e e t i n thickness; however,
on the southeast s i d e of the mined area a s much a s 150 f e e t of Gila Conglomer-
a t e covered the ore body. The thickness of the capping and the s i z e and grade
of the ore deposit were important i n determining the mining method.

The p r i n c i p a l ore mineral i s c h a l c o c i t e , with smaller amounts of chalco-

p y r i t e , b o r n i t e , c w e l l i t e , malachite, a z u r i t e , chrysocolla, c u p r i t e , native
copper, and molybdenite. These minerals a r e i n seams, v e i n l e t s , and dissem-
inated p a r t i c l e s . Much of the p y r i t e has been replaced with c h a l c o c i t e ,
leaving only minor amounts of p y r i t e i n the ore body. Secondary enrichment,
very important i n t h e formation of t h i s deposit, has gone f u r t h e r t o comple-
tion than i n most mines i n the Southwest.
 Early prospecting i n the Globe-Miami d i s t r i c t was f o r gold and s i l v e r ;
then i n 1881 copper became an important cowodity. I n the 1880's and 18901s,
copper ores near the Miami area weremined from the Black Copper group, the
- -

c o n t i n e n t a l , t h e Keystone, and the Live Oak claims. A t t h e t u r n of the cen-

t u r y , John B. "Black Jack" Newman staked the claims t h a t l a t e r became t h e
nucleus of the M i a m i mine. These claims were optioned December 1906 by
General Development Co., controlled by the Lewisohn i n t e r e s t s of New York City.
Exploration commenced i n January 1907 with t h e s t a r t of sinking t h e f i r s t
s h a f t , but no ore was found i n t h i s s h a f t ; by A p r i l , ore had been found i n the
second s h a f t a t a depth of 220 f e e t . I n June, General Development Co. made
the f i r s t payment on the option. The Miami Copper Co. was organized Nyem-
ber 30, 1907, with General Development Co. holding 50 percent of the stock.

Lasting about 3 y e a r s , the exploration period a t the M i a m i mine included

the development period, which might t e c h n i c a l l y be s a i d t o have ccnmenced with
the discovery of ore i n the s h a f t 3 months a f t e r the s t a r t of exploration.
This i n i t i a l large-scale operation s t a r t e d production a t 3,000 tpd i n March
1911, about 12 years a f t e r the o r i g i n a l claims were located and s l i g h t l y over
4 years a f t e r the cwpany acquired the property.

The Miami was operated a s an underground mine f o r 48 years and a s an i n

s i t u leach operation f o r 31 years; the l a t t e r has continued t o the present
(1972). Production i s d e t a i l e d i n t a b l e A-1 i n appendix A and the h i s t o r y of
the property i s slmrmarized.in t a b l e 6.

Examination of the production record, the r e s e r v e s , the a v a i l a b l e c o s t

records, and the h i s t o r i c a l record shows the mining and treatment of the
e a r l y high-grade o r e s , t h e i r gradual decline i n grade by 1925, and the recov-
e r y of copper from large q u a n t i t i e s of low-grade ore from 1925 t o 1959. The
development o f advanced techniques allowed the economical recovery of lower
grade m a t e r i a l considered a s protores i n t h e e a r l y days. Listed i n h i s t o r i c a l
o r d e r , these f a c t o r s were--

1. Conversion of the o r i g i n a l gravity m i l l t o a f l o t a t i o n concentration

process.

2. Development of block-cave method t o mine the low-grade ores.

3. The development of the l e a c h - p r e c i p i t a t i o n - f l o t a t i o n (LPF) process

t o . handle the oxide-sulfide ores.

4. Use of the leaching process t o recover a d d i t i o n a l copper not econm-

i c a l l y f e a s i b l e by other methods.

The o r i g i n a l g r a v i t y m i l l was brought on stream i n 1 year and 11 months;

however, the break-in period l a s t e d another 11 months before the 3,000-tpd
designed capacity was achieved. The following y e a r , i n s t a l l a t i o n o f . a n exper-
imental f l o t a t i o n c e l l marked the beginning of a changeover from a gravity-
treatment process t o a f l o t a t i o n process. This gradual conversion t o f l o t a t i o n
was completed i n about 5-1/2 years; the capacity was increased t o 6,000 tpd.
High-grade mixed oxide and s u l f i d e ore reserves were becoming depleted by 1923,
t h e development: of the h i g h - c o l m block-cave mining method allowed low-grade
m a t e r i a l t o be recovered economically. Within 6 years and 10 months, begin-
ning i n 1923, che m i l l capacity was increased from 6,000 tpd t o 17,000 tpd.

Improvement i n the recovery of mixed oxide and s u l f i d e ores was achieved

with the LPF piocess developed by the canpany during the Depression. The
development required 5 y e a r s , including the 6 months necessary t o construct
a 3,000-tpd m i l l . The mixed-ore LPF p l a n t t r e a t e d 9.6 m i l l i o n tons of ore
averaging 1.4 percent copper from 1936 t o 1943, when the ore body was mined
out and the p l a n t dismantled.

From 1911 t o 1925, sequential mining methods used t o o b t a i n the high-

grade ore included top-slicing about 4.5 m i l l i o n tons a f t e r mining the peaks
by square s e t t i n g , shrinkage stoping w i t h sublevel caving of p i l l a r s about
2.2 m i l l i o n t o n s , and, l a t e r , undercut caving with hand tramming about 15.4
m i l l i o n tons. Beginning i n 1925, i n order t o mine low-grade o r e s , Miami
developed a high-column method of block caving which dramatically reduced min-
ing c o s t s from $1.129 i n 1924 t o $0.371 per ton i n 1926. S u b s t a n t i a l l y the
same block-caving method was used t o mine 130.9 m i l l i o n tons frcm 1925 t o
1959, when the underground operation was terminated.

Equipment f o r inplace leaching of abandoned areas of the mine was

i n s t a l l e d i n 1941 t o e x t r a c t any copper remaining i n the mined-out areas.
This process has continued t o the present (1972).

The g r e a t e s t amount of ore from the underground mine t r e a t e d i n any 1

year was 6.1 m i l l i o n tons i n 1930; t h e l a r g e s t annual production of copper
was about 72.9 m i l l i o n pounds r e c w e r e d from the 4.87 m i l l i o n tons of ore
t r e a t e d i n 1939. The maximum amount of copper from the leaching operations,
1 9 . 1 m i l l i o n pounds, was recovered i n 1961, the second year a f t e r the under-
ground operation was e n t i r e l y converted t o leaching.

The surface a r e a disturbed by subsidence caused by the underground high-

column block-cave-mining method was 3,400 f e e t north-south, about 2,600 f e e t
east-west, and i n some places over 400 f e e t deep.

The time period from the l o c a t i o n of the f i r s t claims t o f u l l production

a t the Miami property of 3,000 tpd was about 12 years; the period t o maximum
large-scale production of 17,000 tpd was about 30 years. Table 10 contains a
summary h i s t o r y of the Miami property; a d e t a i l e d h i s t o r y i s contained i n
appendix A.

The Miami Copper Co. grew with the a c q u i s i t i o n of the Castle Dome, Copper
C i t i e s , Old Dominion, and Pinto Valley p r o p e r t i e s ; these properties were l a t e r
developed, r e s u l t i n g i n the Castle Dome, Copper C i t i e s , and Pinto Valley open
p i t mines. Because of l o c a l o r world c o n d i t i o n s , the properties were held by
the parent company u n t i l it was economically f e a s i b l e or d e s i r a b l e t o bring
them i n t o production. Castle Dome was held 2-1/2 y e a r s , Copper C i t i e s 12
years, and Pinto Valley 34 years. I n addition t o other sources, Old Dominion
mine i n the Globe area provided water f o r the o t h e r operations. To d a t e ,
however, the famous old mine has not been canmercially e x p l o i t e d , s i n c e i t s
purchase i n 1942.

The Korean c o n f l i c t stimulated copper production, and i n February

Miami Copper Co. signed a contract with the Defense Minerals Procurement
Agency whereby new copper production was obtained £ran submarginal ores and
from old ore reserves of the Miami mine. The gross transactions by the Gwern-
ment eventually c w e r e d the a c t u a l purchase of 25,198 s h o r t tons of copper a t
$15,036,000 (including a c c e s s o r i a l c o s t s ) .

Another mineralized a r e a , the Miami E a s t d e p o s i t , i s being brought i n t o

production. This d e p o s i t , a d m - f a u l t e d segment of t h e Miami ore body, was
f i r s t explored by underground d r i l l i n g i n the old M i a m i mine, 1923 t o 1925.
It was explored from t$e surface i n 1940, and again from the surface from
1968 t o 1970. The decision t o develop the deposit was made i n 1970; produc-
t i o n i s expected by l a t e 1974. Fifty-one years w i l l have elapsed from the
year of i n i t i a l exploration t o expected production.

Contributing f a c t o r s t o the delay i n t h e development of Miami East were

probably the depth t o the d e p o s i t , 2,500 f e e t , and the need f o r using under-
ground mining methods, the price and demand f o r copper on the world market,
and the adequate supply of ore t o company processing f a c i l i t i e s from e x i s t i n g
operations.
 35

TABLE 6. - Summary of the h i s t o r y of Miami property

Total
Activity Date

Location of 1st c l a i m i n Globe-Miami Sept. 19, 1873-

d i s t r i c t t o i n i t i a l large-scale March 1911.
production of Miami mine.
Location of o r i g i n a l claims t o d a t e of Ca. 1899-March 191
i n i t i a l production from Miami mine.
Early prospecting, e x p l o r a t i o n , and produc-
t i o n i n Miami a r e a t o d a t e of i n i t i a l pro-
duction from Miami mine.
A c q u i s i t i o n by precursor of Miami Copper Late 1906-
Co. t o i n i t i a l l a r g e - s c a l e production March 1911.
(3,000 tpd) .
Option p e r i o d , Miami Copper Co..... ........ January 1907-
June 1907.
Exploration p e r i o d , Miami Copper Co. (under, 1907-lo... ........
ground e x p l o r a t i o n and development, churn
d r i l l i n g adjacent t o undergroundworkings)
Mine development: Underground discovery of A p r i l 1907-
ore t o i n i t i a l large-scale production. March 1911.
Concentrator c o n s t r u c t i o n t o i n i t i a l l a r g e - A p r i l 1909-
s c a l e production (design capacity: March 1911.
3,000 t p d ) .
Expansion:
To 6,000 tpd ............................. 1913-18...........
To 10,000 tpd ............................ 1923-25...........
To 12,000 tpd ............................ 1927-28...........
To 17,000 tpd ............................ December 1928-
October 1929.
Underground-mine period .................... March 1911-
J u l y 1959.
Leaching period t o 1972 (includes owner- 1942-72...... .....
s h i p by Tennessee Corp. 1959, and C i t i e s
Service Co. 1964 t o d a t e ) .

C a s t l e Dome Property (37

_a 44
-1 51-5ZJ

The C a s t l e Dome a r e a i s 5 miles west of Miami i n the Globe-Miami mining

d i s t r i c t , Gila County, Ariz. The mine i s on the south f l a n k of Porphyry
Mountain i n unsurveyed secs 20, 21, 28, and 29, T 1 N , R 14 E. The topography
i s f a i r l y rugged and i r r e g u l a r . A l t i t u d e s a t t h e open p i t mine i n 1951 were
4,750 f e e t on the t o p bench near the c r e s t of Porphyry Mountain and 4,265 on
t h e lowermost bench. The climate i s semiarid.

The C a s t l e Dome mine was brought i n t o production by Miami Copper Co. i n

1943. The open p i t was operated u n t i l 1953; a f t e r w a r d s dump leaching was done
through 1970. I n 1960, Miami Copper Co. merged with Tennessee Corp. which
became a subsidiary of C i t i e s Service Co. i n 1963.

The Continental claim, some 3,000 f e e t northeast of Porphyry Mountain,

was t h e f i r s t staked i n the v i c i n i t y of the C a s t l e Dome mine. The claim,
located about 1881, was followed by o t h e r locations on nearby Jewel1 H i l l and
along Gold Gulch. From 1905 t o 1910, many claims were located on Porphyry
Mountain and on P i n t o Creek, 2 miles t o t h e south. The record of a c t i v i t y
a t Pinto Creek i n t h e Cactus-Carlota area i s more complete than i n the Castle
Dome area; however, some of the ccmpanies a c t i v e i n the Pinto Creek area
eventually formed the nucleus of the Pinto Valley Co., which held the C a s t l e
Dome property a t t h e time it was acquired by Miami Copper Co.

C a p i t a l i z a t i o n and amount of holdings of various mining companies a c t i v e

during t h i s e a r l y period a r e chronologically noted i n appendix B. This
sequence i l l u s t r a t e s some of the f i n a n c i a l problems i n the attempts made t o
develop mines i n the Pinto Creek and C a s t l e Dome areas.

The C a s t l e Dome Copper Co. organized i n 1908 held 12 claims "near t h e

Continental mine"; by 1909, the company was reorganized a s the C a s t l e Dome
Mining Co. The property was i d l e i n 1910. I n 1915, the C a s t l e Dome Develop-
ment Co. was organized and held 8 patented claims on Porphyry Mountain and a
97-percent i n t e r e s t i n 1nspi.ration Extension Copper Co. which a l s o held 20
patented claims on Porphyry Mountain. By 1922, exploration by the C a s t l e
Dome Development Co. included some seven c h u r n - d r i l l h o l e s , e i g h t t u n n e l s , and
4,500 f e e t of workings t o depths of 600 f e e t ; the company reportedly developed
a reserve o f 1 0 m i l l i o n tons of ore averaging 1.4 percent copper.

Pinto Valley Co. was organized i n 1921 t o reassemble the properties of

Arizona National Copper Co. and Cactus Development Co. which had attempted
t o operate i n the Pinto Creek area. The Pinto Valley Co. then increased cap-
i t a l i z a t i o n i n 1924 and acquired the a s s e t s of Castle Dome Development Co.
The 37 claims held on Porphyry Mountain became known a s the C a s t l e Dome group;
those on Pinto Creek were known a s the Cactus group. By 1929, C a s t l e Dome
reserves were estimated t o b e 9 m i l l i o n t o n s o f o r e containing 1.27 percent cop-
per and 40 m i l l i o n tons of ore containing 0.8 percent copper. A t t h a t time
plans were made t o use block-caving mining methods s i m i l a r t o those used a t
the Miami and I n s p i r a t i o n mines and t o have the ore t r e a t e d by I n s p i r a t i o n
Consolidated Copper Co. During the Depression, which saw the p r i c e of copper
d i p a s low a t 4.8 cents per pound, the company was unable t o bring these plans
t o fruition.

According t o the annual r e p o r t s , an acute shortage of water f o r the Miami

operation led t o the purchase of the Old Dominion mine near Globe by Miami
Copper Co. i n May 1940. The negotiations included the Continental mine proper-
t i e s held by the Old Dominion since 1899; p a r t of these properties covered t h e
e a s t end of the C a s t l e Dome ore body. I n the f a l l of 1940, Miami Copper Co.
obtained an option on the Castle Dome group of claims from the Pinto Valley Co.
A f t e r a l i t t l e w e r a year of extensive surveys and exploration by churn d r i l l -
ing 61 h o l e s , Miami Copper Co. exercised i t s option on the Castle Dome and
adjoining mining properties. These p r o p e r t i e s , together with the Continental
 group, were deeded t o the newly formed C a s t l e Dome Copper Co., Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary of Miami Copper Co.

P r i o r t o the Miami Copper Co. acquiring the property i n 1940, prospecting

and preliminary exploration of Castle Dome involved i n t e r m i t t e n t churn d r i l l -
' ing and tunneling l a s t i n g almost 35 years. Intensive exploration by Miami
Copper Co. l a s t e d over a year.

Castle Dome i s a t y p i c a l porphyry copper deposit. The p r i n c i p a l host

rock i s the Lost Gulch quartz monzonite i n a prominent h o r s t s t r u c t u r e
trending north-northwesterly through t h e c e n t r a l p a r t of the area. Mineral-
ized i n t r u s i v e s including the Lost Gulch quartz monzonite, g r a n i t e porphyry,
and diabase a r e of Mesozoic or e a r l y T e r t i a r y age and intruded the Precambrian
P i n a l s c h i s t s and g r a n i t e s . Hypogene m i n e r a l i z a t i o n consisted mostly of
p y r i t e and chalcopyrite and a small amount of molybdenite, s p h a l e r i t e , and
galena. The most abundant supergene mineral i n the ore body i s c h a l c o c i t e ; .
however, t h e enrichment i s not a s extensive a s i n the Miami-Inspiration
deposit. Other minerals i n the deposit included c o v e l l i t e , c u p r i t e , malachite,
a z u r i t e , and turquoise.

Measured on the long a x i s , the ore body ranged from 2,000 f e e t on the
4,300-foot l e v e l t o 3,800 f e e t on the 4,085-foot l e v e l . The capping thickness
ranged from a few f e e t t o a maximum of 250 f e e t , averaging about 80 f e e t .

I n l a t e 1941, because of t h e urgent need f o r copper during World War 11,

the Castle Dome Copper Co., Inc., entered i n t o a n agreement with the U.S.
Government through the Defense Plant Corp. (DPC), a subsidiary of t h e Recon-
s t r u c t i o n Finance Corp. The agreement included developing the C a s t l e Dome ore
body and constructing a concentrating p l a n t . The Government supplied $9
m i l l i o n f o r s t r i p p i n g t h e werburden and building t h e p l a n t ; the concentrator
was owned by and leased from the DPC. Miami Copper Co., the parent company
of the Castle Dome Copper Co., I n c . , supplied the a d d i t i o n a l operating c a p i t a l
needed a f t e r the treatment p l a n t was completed.

The mine and concentrator were developed and constructed i n a record 17

months. Rapid construction during the war years was f a c i l i t a t e d by the a v a i l -
a b i l i t y of otherwise scarce s t r u c t u r a l s t e e l and some heavy equipment obtained
from the dismantled Copper Queen m i l l of the Phelps Dodge Co. a t Bisbee, Ariz.

Production of 10,000 tpd was a t t a i n e d by December 31, 1943-35 years

a f t e r the o r i g i n a l C a s t l e Dome Copper Co. was organized. By the end of 1944,
t h e capacity ha8 been increased t o 12,000 tpd.

I n 1953, Castle Dome Copper Co. , Inc. , of Miami Copper Co. declared t h a t
the ore reserves of the open p i t operation were exhausted. The mine was shut
down, and the concentrator was dismantled and t r a n s f e r r e d t o the nearby Copper
C i t i e s Mining Co. of Miami Copper Co.

From 1943 t o 1953, the period of open p i t mining, C a s t l e Dome produced

257,195 tons of copper valued a t $106 m i l l i o n and gold and s i l v e r valued a t
$777,000. About 41.4 m i l l i o n tons of ore were mined and 48.5 m i l l i o n tons of
waste removed. The average grade of ore was 0.725 percent.copper. The copper
recovered during the dump-leach period, 1953 t o 1970, t o t a l e d 32,851 tons.

Production by open p i t mining methods, 1943 t o 1953, and by dump leaching,

1953 t o 1970, i s shown i n t a b l e s B-1 and B-2 i n appendix B , a d e t a i l e d chrono-
l o g i c a l h i s t o r y of the development of the Castle Dome property. Table 7
slmrmarizes t h i s h i s t o r y .

TABLE 7. - Smmmry of the h i s t o r y of C a s t l e Dome property

Total
Activity Date time period

Location of 1 s t claim i n Globe-Miami

- , Sept. 19, 1873-
Years Months
70
d i s t r i c t t o i n i t i a l large-scale .Tine 10, 1943.
production of Castle Dome mine.
Location of claims i n C a s t l e Dome area Ca. 1905-June 1943.
t o i n i t i a l large-scale production of
C a s t l e Dome mine.
E a r l y prospecting and exploration, up t o Ca. 1905-40........
a c q u i s i t i o n by Miami Copper.. Co.
Option period, Miami Copper Co ............. F a l l 1940-end 1941.
Exploration, Miami Copper Co ............... .....do............
Acquisition by C a s t l e Dome Copper Co., F a l l 1940-June 1943
I n c . , subsidiary of Miami Copper Co., t o

.I
i n i t i a l large-scale production.

1 .-!
Mine development: Open p i t , removal of January 1942-
overburden t o production. June 1943.
Concentrator c o n s t r u c t i o n (design capac- .....do.......
i t y : 10,000 tpd).
Expansion t o 12,000 tpd ................... D;:1b;4:43-
I
Open p i t mine period ....................... June 1943-
December 1953.
Leaching period t o d a t e .................... 1953-70... .........
Copper C i t i e s Property (10,26, 2, 51, 61, E)
The Copper C i t i e s mine i s on the south f l a n k of Sleeping Beauty Peak, i n
s e c 1 2 (unsurveyed), T 1 N , R 14 E , and sec 7 , T 1 N , R 15 E , about 3-112
miles north of Miami, Gila County, Ariz. The o r i g i n a l surface a l t i t u d e ranged
from 4,250 f e e t t o 3,870 f e e t a t the Tinhorn Wash on the southern l i m i t s of
t h e mine. The climate i s semiarid.

The mine was brought i n t o large-scale production by Miami Copper Co. i n

1954. Miami Copper Co: was acquired by Tennessee Corp, i n 1960; Tennessee
Corp. was merged with C i t i e s Service Co. i n 1963.

Prospectors and companies f i r s t made sporadic attempts t o recover gold i n

the Lost Gulch area and surrounding t e r r i t o r y north of Miami i n the 18801s,
and t h e n a g a i n i n 1896. Before 1954, t h e production e f f o r t s d i d n o t succeed
f o r v a r i o u s reasons such a s s c a n t w a t e r s u p p l y , u n s a t i s f a c t o r y m e t a l l u r g i c a l
t r e a t m e n t , and t h e f a c t t h a t c a p i t a l was d e p l e t e d f o r a c q u i s i t i o n of p r o p e r t y .
Reorganizations brought new money, new a c q u i s i t i o n of p r o p e r t i e s , and renewed
e x p l o r a t i o n e f f o r t s ; one such r e o r g a n i z a t i o n l e d t o a n i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f m i n e r a l
d e p o s i t s on t h e f l a n k of S l e e p i n g Beauty mountain.

H i s t o r i c a l development of t h e Copper C i t i e s d e p o s i t begins i n 1896 w i t h

t h e a c t i v i t y o f t h e G i r a r d Mining Co., which was r e i n c o r p o r a t e d a s t h e Lost
Gulch Mining Co. t h e same y e a r . The following y e a r t h a t company was reorgan-
i z e d a s t h e Lost Gulch, United Mines Co.; i t s p r o p e r t y included 19 c l a i m s con-
s i s t i n g of 283 a c r e s i n t h r e e contiguous groups 2 m i l e s n o r t h of t h e mouth of
Lost Gulch. That same company became t h e Louis d'Or Mining Co. i n 1912.
Examination of t h e Lost Gulch a r e a by e a s t e r n i n t e r e s t s l e d t o i n v e s t i g a t i o n
of m i n e r a l i z a t i o n on t h e s o u t h f l a n k of Sleeping Beauty Peak and e v e n t u a l l y
t o a r e c a p i t a l i z a t i o n i n 1915 and subsequent r e o r g a n i z a t i o n of t h e company a
y e a r l a t e r . I n 1912 t h e copper v a l u e s . n o t r e c o v e r a b l e i f t h e ore were
t r e a t e d by t h e c y a n i d a t i o n process f o r g o l d o n l y , were deemed inadequate f o r
treatment alone.

With t h e r e o r g a n i z a t i o n i n 1916, t h e company was renamed Louis d'Or

Mining and M i l l i n g Co. An e x p l o r a t i o n program, i n i t i a t e d i n 1917 and c o n t i n -
ued t o about 1922, included 12 c h u r n - d r i l l h o l e s t o t a l i n g 9,000 f e e t and
s e v e r a l s h a f t s and t u n n e l s . Based on i n f o r m a t i o n d e r i v e d from t h e d r i l l i n g
program, t h e company e s t i m a t e d t h e d e p o s i t t o c o n t a i n 150 m i l l i o n t o n s of o r e
ranging from 1 t o 1.5 p e r c e n t copper. By 1926, t h e p r o p e r t y , c o n s i s t i n g of
about 2,800 a c r e s , included 65 claims (30 p a t e n t e d ) of t h e company, 77 claims
purchased from I n s p i r a t i o n Miami Copper Co., and 5 claims purchased from
I n s p i r a t i o n Miami E x t e n s i o n Co. However, t h e c a p i t a l i z a t i o n i n c r e a s e i n 1921
d i d n o t b r i n g i n s u f f i c i e n t money t o f i n a n c e t h e a c q u i s i t i o n s and development
o f t h e p r o p e r t y . Plans had been formulated t o deepen t h e s h a f t t o 800 f e e t
and t o c o n s t r u c t a 12,000-tpd c o n c e n t r a t o r and a u x i l i a r y f a c i l i t i e s a t a n
a n t i c i p a t e d c o s t of $8 m i l l i o n . I n 1928 t h e company's a s s e t s were s o l d t o
s a t i s f y n o t e s . P i n t o Valley Co., e x p l o r i n g i n t h e C a s t l e Dome and P i n t o Val-
l e y p a r t s of t h e d i s t r i c t , advanced funds t o t h e "note h o l d e r s ' p r o t e c t i v e
committee" f o r t h e purchase of t h e p r o p e r t y .

The n o t e h o l d e r s and P i n t o Valley Co. organized Porphyry Reserve Copper

Co. t o manage t h e p r o p e r t i e s . During t h e Depression y e a r s , P i n t o Valley Co.
encountered f i n a n c i a l d i f f i c u l t i e s ; a l t h o u g h Porphyry Reserve Copper Co.
shipped o r e i n t e r m i t t e n t l y , monetary problems developed and many unpatented
claims were allowed t o l a p s e . I n 1942, t h e claims s t i l l h e l d by Porphyry
Reserve Copper Co. were purchased a t a s h e r i f f ' s s a l e by Copper C i t i e s Mining
Co., a newly formed s u b s i d i a r y of Miami Copper Co. The company a l s o bought
most of t h e r e l i n q u i s h e d c l a i m s , which had been r e l o c a t e d by v a r i o u s people.

Prospecting and p r e l i m i n a r y e x p l o r a t i o n of t h e Copper C i t i e s d e p o s i t

l a s t e d over 46 y e a r s ; t h e time p e r i o d t o l a r g e - s c a l e production was approx-
i m a t l e y 58 y e a r s . I n t e n s i v e e x p l o r a t i o n by Copper C i t i e s Mining Co., com-
menced i n 1943, was i n t e r r u p t e d by a manpower s h o r t a g e t h e same y e a r . Churn
d r i l l i n g , resumed i n 1946, continued f o r 3 years. The t o t a l i n i t i a l system-
a t i c exploration period was 4 years.

The Korean c o n f l i c t beginning June 1950 stimulated Goverument and

i n d u s t r y t o increase copper supplies. By November 1950, a $7.5 m i l l i o n loan
with the Reconstruction Finance Corp. (RFC) was negotiated f o r developing the
deposit. The program was planned t o purchase the C a s t l e Dome p l a n t and
equipment from RFC; a f t e r depletion of the C a s t l e Dome d e p o s i t , the concen-
t r a t o r and other f a c i l i t i e s would be t r a n s f e r r e d t o prepared s i t e s a t t h e
Copper C i t i e s property. U t i l i z a t i o n of C a s t l e Dome mining equipment allowed
considerable savings i n c a p i t a l c o s t s and construction time. This savings was
a f a c t o r i n the decision t o bring the deposit i n t o production. I n 1951, under
t h e Defense Production Act, Copper C i t i e s Mining Co. executed a purchase con-
t r a c t with the General Services Administration. The Government was conrmitted
t o purchase a maximum of 170 m i l l i o n pounds of copper a t 23 cents per pound
( i f the cunpany was unable t o s e l l copper a t a p r i c e equal t o or higher than
the c o n t r a c t p r i c e ) . The company repaid the loan i n 1954, and no purchases of
copper were made by the Government.

Preparation of the mine s i t e , including removal of overburden, occurred

between 1951 and 1954. Beginning i n December 1953, the concentrator was d i s -
mantled a t Castle Dome and t r a n s f e r r e d t o the Copper C i t i e s d e p o s i t , where
production was begun 8 months l a t e r (August 1954). F u l l production of 12,000
tpd was a t t a i n e d i n another 3 months. Development of the open p i t mine took.
3 years and 2 months; construction of the m i l l required 8 months. A molyb-
d e n m c i r c u i t was added i n 1968.

Similar t o the C a s t l e Dome d e p o s i t , the Copper C i t i e s porphyry copper i s

found p r i n c i p a l l y i n the highly f r a c t u r e d Lost Gulch quartz monzonite, i n a
g r a n i t e porphyry, and, t o a l e s s e r degree, i n a diabase. These i n t r u s i v e s
a r e i n a h o r s t block; t h e ore body is,bounded by f a u l t s on the west, e a s t ,
and north s i d e s . P r i n c i p a l hypogene minerals a r e q u a r t z , p y r i t e , chalcopyrite
( t h e most i m p o r t a n t o r e m i n e r a l ) , and molydenite. Chalcocite and c w e l l i t e
a r e the supergene s u l f i d e minerals i n the deposit. Other minerals i n the
deposit include malachite, a z u r i t e , and turquoise.

I n 1965, the exposed p a r t of the ore body was w e r 2,000 f e e t long and
1,000 f e e t wide i n the northwest, and 2,000 f e e t wide i n the southeast. The
ore ranged from 100 t o 400 f e e t i n thickness, averaging about 200 f e e t . The
grade of the ore i n 1965 was 0.7 percent copper; however, by 1972 i t had
dropped t o 0.5 percent copper. The molybdenum s u l f i d e content i n 1972 was
0.0007 percent.

Open p i t production of copper ore from 1954 through 1971 t o t a l e d

61,725,501 tons; recoverable metals included 336,112 tons of copper with small
amounts of molydenm, gold, and s i l v e r . From 2962 t o 1971, an a d d i t i o n a l
18,214 tons of copper was obtained by dump leach. Production of copper i s
shown i n t a b l e C - 1 i n appendix C , a d e t a i l e d h i s t o r y of the development of the
Copper C i t i e s property. Table 8 s u m a r i z e s the h i s t o r y of the property.
 41

TABLE 8. - Suuunary of the h i s t o r v of Copper C i t i e s property

Total
Activity Date

Location of 1st claim i n Globe-Miami Sept. 19, 1873-

d i s t r i c t t o i n i t i a l large-scale August 1954.
production of Copper C i t i e s mine.
Early prospecting, exploration, and Ca. 1896-
production i n area t o i n i t i a l large- August 1954.
s c a l e production of Copper C i t i e s .
Acquisition by Copper C i t i e s Mining Co.,
subsidiary of Miami Copper Co., t o
i n i t i a l large-scale production.
Exploration by churn d r i l l . . . .............. 1943, 1946-49......
Mine development: Open p i t , removal of June 1951-
overburden t o production. Aug. 2 , 1954.
Concentrator construction (design capac- . k c . 4 , 1953-
i t y : 12,000 tpd). Aug. 2 , 1954.
Leaching period. ........................... December 1962-1972.

I n i t i a l exploration t o 1949 outlined 33,800,000 tons of ore with an

average grade of 0.7 percent copper a t a cutoff grade of 0.4 percent copper.
I n 1956, 9.5 m i l l i o n tons of s l i g h t l y lower grade ore were added t o the
i n i t i a l reserve estimate. As of January 1959, ore reserves were estimated
t o be 29,220,000 tons with a n indicated waste-to-ore r a t i o of 0.26 t o 1.00.

San Manuel Property (11, -1 _

15 _30
s __
32-33, -*36 42
-9 58
-3 -*63

The San Manuel mine i s i n T 85 S , R. 16 E , i n the Old Hat (Mamoth) mining

d i s t r i c t , 45 miles northeast of Tucson and 7 miles northwest of the San Manuel
townsite i n southeastern P i n a l County, Ariz. The mine, located between the
Black Range and Santa Catalina mountains, i s i n a pediment t h a t slopes north-
e a s t e r l y t o the San Pedro River. A l t i t u d e s i n the inmediate area range from
3,450 f e e t on Red H i l l t o 2,400 f e e t a t the San Pedro River. The climate i s
semiarid.

The San Manuel operation, a d i v i s i o n of t h e Magma Copper Co., wholly

owned by Newmont Mining Corp., includes the San Manuel mine, concentrator,
smelter, r e f i n e r y , and continuous-casting rodmill. The Kalamazoo property,
immediately west of the San Manyel mine, was acguired by Magma Copper Co.
f r m Quintana Minerals, Ltd., i n 1968.

The San Manuel-Kalamazoo is a t y p i c a l porphyry copper deposit. The

p r i n c i p a l mineralized host rock includes the Precambrian porphyritic quartz
monzonite (Oracle g r a n i t e ) , a l a t e Cretaceous quartz monzonite porphyry, and
t o a l e s s e r e x t e n t , a l a t e Cretaceous o r e a r l y T e r t i a r y diabase. Chief ore
minerals a r e chalcopyrite, chalcocite , p y r i t e , and molybdenite. The o r i g i n a l
San Manuel ore body was an oval c y l i n d e r , s m 2,500 by 5,000 f e e t i n cross
s e c t i o n and about 8,000 f e e t i n h e i g h t , which had a barren core. The a l t e r -
s t i o n area extends some 3,000 t o 5,000 f e e t beyond the ore and follows a
d i s t i n c t i v e horizontal and v e r t i c a l pattern. The deposit i s postulated t o
have been t i l t e d following deposition and then f a u l t e d i n t o two roughly equal-
s i z e d segments, the San Manuel and the down-faulted Kalamazoo. The top of
the Kalamazoo ore body, 2,500 f e e t below the s u r f a c e , has an overturned canoe
shape, apparently the mirror image of the San Manuel. The boat-shaped San
Manuel ore body North limb averages 400 f e e t wide; the South limb i s up t o
1,000 f e e t wide. The e n t i r e deposit i s almost e n t i r e l y o v e r l a i n by Gila
conglomerate and some weakly mineralized monzonite. The capping over the
San Manuel portion ranges up t o 1,900 f e e t and averages 670 f e e t deep.

As of 1969, San Manuel ore body reserves were estimated t o be 496.8

m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e ore of 0.728 percent copper and 130 m i l l i o n tons of
oxide ore of 0.7 percent copper. The Kalamazoo ore body was estimated t o
contain 565 m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e ore averaging 0.72 percent copper.

Prospecting i n the Mammoth (Old Hat) area reportedly began before the
C i v i l War. The f i r s t claims, Hackney and Aaven, were staked i n 1879; the
Mohawk, Mamoth, and Mars claims were staked i n 1881-82. These claims, 1 mile
north of the present San Manuel operation, were on v e i n deposits t y p i c a l of
those o f t e n found on the periphery of disseminated porphyry coppers. The
mines were operated i n t e r m i t t e n t l y through the years: t h e f i r s t production
period, 1882 t o 1912, was f o r the r e c w e r y of gold; the second production
period, 1916 t o 1919, was stimulated by World War I , with the mines reopened
f o r the recovery of molybdenum; t h e t h i r d production period began i n 1934 with
the increase i n the price f o r gold. Between 1934 and 1943, l e a d , vanadium,
molydenum, and gold were obtained from the oxidized vein deposits of the
Mamoth, C o l l i n s , and Mohawk-New Years properties. Because the reserves of
oxide ores were declining, mining stimulated by World War I1 consisted primar-
i l y of e x t r a c t i n g lead-zinc s u l f i d e ore from the mines. With increasing depth,
the grade of the ores decreased; the Mamoth-Collins properties were closed i n
1952 because of depleted reserves and the i n f l u x of water on the lower l e v e l s .
I n 1953, Magma Copper Co. acquired these properties which by then were known
a s the S t . Anthony Mining and Development Co., Ltd.

I n the inmediate San Manuel a r e a , claims were stakes on Red H i l l and

reportedly held more or l e s s continuously from 1906. From 1915 t o 1917, the
William Boyce Thompson i n t e r e s t s churn-drilled two holes on some chrysocolla
outcrops southeast of Red H i l l . Exploratory work was discontinued because the
ore was low grade.

Anselmo Laguna located the o r i g i n a l claims on the San Manuel ground i n

1925. Through the years James M. Douglas, R. Burns G r i f f i n , Victor Erickson,
and Henry W. Nichols prospected the property and t r i e d t o persuade others t o
explore and develop the ground. I n 1942, a r e p o r t was submitted t o the Recon-
s t r u c t i o n Finance Corp. (WC) f o r obtaining a $20,000 loan f o r exploration
p r i o r t o building a m i l l ; the RFC r e j e c t e d the loan. However, because of con-
d i t i o n s during World War 11, the property was brought t o the a t t e n t i o n of other
Government agencies, including the War Production Board. I n March 1943, the
U.S. Geological Survey made a preliminary study and recommended t h a t the Bureau
of Mines d r i l l the area. The Bureau o f Mines comenced d r i l l i n g November 1943;
by May 1944 r e p o r t s of s u l f i d e mineralization d i s c w e r e d i n the No. 6 hole
reached Magma Copper Co. This information generated enough i n t e r e s t f o r the
company t o reexamine the property and o b t a i n a n option and purchase agreement
t o explore the ground f o r 1 year. Magma Copper Co. began i t s own exploration
program, including churn d r i l l i n g and underground exploration. A t the end of
the 1-year option period, Magma exercised i t s r i g h t t o purchase the property
and then formed a subsidiary, San Manuel Copper Corp., t o operate it.

The prospecting phase, l a s t i n g 18 y e a r s , began i n 1925 and continued

u n t i l 1943. Exploration of the San Manuel ore body t o t a l e d over 9 years.
Intensive exploration by surface d r i l l i n g approximated 5 y e a r s , 2 years by
the Bureau of Mines and about 3 years by Magma Copper Co. Underground explo-
rationwasbegun when the f i r s t s h a f t was c o l l a r e d March 1948 and was concluded
when the RFC granted a loan f o r development i n J u l y 1952.

The development period could a l s o include p a r t of the e x p l o r a t i o n period;

However, the major mine development period i s considered t o have begun about
January 1953 and t o have continued t o January 1956 when the f i r s t undercut was
completed and production by t h e block-cave system of underground mining
s t a r t e d . Exploration and development by Magma Copper Co. alone required over
11 years t o bring t h e mine i n t o production.

I n 1956, production was obtained a t San Manuel, 12 years a f t e r the prop-

e r t y was optioned by the company; t h i s was 13 years a f t e r the discovery of
mineralization i p the Bureau of Mines d r i l l h o l e s , 3 1 years a f t e r the orig-
i n a l claims were staked by Anselmo Laguna, and 77 years from the d a t e the
o r i g i n a l claims were staked i n the Old Hat d i s t r i c t .

The San Manuel mine was brought i n t o production a f t e r some 7-3/4 years
of developmnt and construction. The period extended from March 1948 with
the c o l l a r i n g of the f i r s t s h a f t , which was used f o r exploration and l a t e r
f o r development work, t o January 1956 when the f i r s t stope undercut was com-
pleted. Construction f o r the operation included f i v e s h a f t s and over 20 miles
of d r i f t s , mine-surface p l a n t s , 30,000-tpd concentrators, 360,000-tpy s m e l t e r s ,
7 miles of standard-gage r a i l r o a d s , and a townsite with 1,050 hnnes, shopping
f a c i l i t i e s , h o s p i t a l , and schools.

The underground block-cave mining method required c a r e f u l planning of the

subsidence a r e a , which by 1972 was 6,400 f e e t long and 4,000 f e e t wide.

Magma Copper Co. advanced San Manuel Copper Corp. $10 m i l l i o n f o r the
i n i t i a l exploration and the beginning exploration-development program. Most
of the mine development, p l a n t c o n s t r u c t i o n , and a u x i l i a r y f a c i l i t i e s were
financed with a $94 m i l l i o n loan from t h e RFC granted during the Korean con-
f l i c t . Construction of the t a m s i t e and homes by Del E. Webb Construction Co.
and M. 0. W. Homes, I n c . , was a separate $10 m i l l i o n transaction. I n 1963,
refinancing through Prudential Insurance Co. of America allowed the RFC loan
t o be r e t i r e d .
 I n a d d i t i o n t o the RFC loan commitment, the company a l s o made an agree-
ment with the Defense Materials Procurement Agency whereby the Government
would purchase 347,500 tons of copper a t a f l o o r p r i c e of 24 cents per pound
plus e s c a l a t i o n . The company, however, could s e l l on the open market when
prices were higher than the Government contract p r i c e . By June 30, 1974,
79,117 tons i n the amount of $42,921,000 had been delivered t o the Government;
"put" r i g h t s not used included 268,383 tons a t a t o t a l value of $147,325,000.
The guaranteed p r i c e provided a n a d d i t i o n a l incentive i n the development of
the mine.

The f i r s t expansion period from January 1964 t o J u l y 1965 brought produc-

t i o n up t o 40,000 tpd. The second expansion period was authorized i n July
1968; by the end of 1972, production averaged 61,440 tpd. This expansion
included sinking three s h a f t s from the s u r f a c e , deepening two s h a f t s , and con-
s t r u c t i n g a 200,000-tpy e l e c t r o l y t i c r e f i n e r y and a 100,000-tpy continuous-
c a s t rodmill. InMarch 1968, t h e second expansion was the r e s u l t of increased
ore reserves with the a c q u i s i t i o n of the Kalamazoo ore body.

About $102 m i l l i o n was required t o bring the San Manuel mine i n t o produc-
t i o n by t h e end of 1956; t h i s t o t a l c a p i t a l expenditure included the property,
deferred development, p l a n t , and r a i l r o a d . The f i r s t expansion was estimated
t o c o s t over $11 m i l l i o n ; the second, which included both San Manuel and
Superior (divisions of Magma Copper Co.), reportedly c o s t over $250 million.
San Manuel production was increased from 40,000 tpd t o over 60,000 tpd;
Superior production went from 1,500 tpd t o 3,300 tpd.

Production expansion and i n s t i t u t i o n of new Federal and S t a t e environ-

mental p o l l u t i o n regulations required modification of the smelting f a c i l i t i e s
and construction of a d d i t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e s . I n 1973 the c o s t of compliance
with t h e new regulations was estimated t o be $47 m i l l i o n .

The prospecting o r preliminary-exploration period of the Kalamazoo ore

body began i n 1946 when claims were staked by Frank F. S a l a s , R. A. Buzan,
H. G. Buzan, and W. C . Buzan of Manrmoth, Ariz. During the foilowing 11 y e a r s ,
seven c h u r n - d r i l l holes were put down t o depths between 1,400 and 2,850 f e e t
on ground optioned by Martha Purcell. Because no ore was i n t e r s e c t e d explora-
t i o n was suspended. From 1965 t o 1967, Quintana Minerals Corp., which had
acquired the property, resumed exploration; 25 holes d r i l l e d t o depths aver-
aging 4,000 f e e t r e s u l t e d i n the discovery of mineralization s i m i l a r t o the
San Manuel deposit.

A t Kalamazoo, the period from the location of the mining claims through
Quintana's exploration and discovery period was 21 y e a r s , including 11 years
of preliminary e x p l o r a t i o n and 2 years of exploration from the surface. Under-
ground exploration and development a r e c u r r e n t l y underway; production is
expected i n 1979 or 1980.

A d e t a i l e d h i s t o r y of the San Manuel and Kalamazoo properties i s con-

tained i n appendix D; a surmnary of these d e t a i l s i s l i s t e d i n t a b l e s 9 and 10.
 45

TABLE 9. - Summary of the h i s t o r y of San Manuel property

Total
Activity Date

Area reportedly worked... .................. Ca. 1870-79

F i r s t claims staked i n Old Hat mining 1879-1956..........
d i s t r i c t t o i n i t i a l large-scale production
E a r l y prospecting, e x p l o r a t i o n , production
from nearby claims t o a c q u i s i t i o n by Magma
Copper Co.
F i r s t claims located on Red H i l l i n San
Manuel area t o i n i t i a l large-scale pro-
duction of San Manuel.
Original San Manuel claims (Nos. 1-5) , date
located t o i n i t i a l large-scale production.
Preliminary e x p l o r a t i o n by U.S. Bureau of March 1943-
Mines and U.S. Geological Survey. February 1945.
Acquisition by Magma Copper Co. t o i n i t i a l Aug. 31, 1944-
large-scale production. Jan. 11, 1956.
Option period, Magma Copper Co ............. Aug. 31, 1944-
Sept. 17, 1945.
Exploration by surface churn d r i l l i n g ...... December 1944-
February 1948.
Exploration and development underground Mar. 17, 1948-
period. Ca. July 1952.
Major mine development t o production ....... January 1953-
January 1956.
Concentrator c o n s t r u c t i o n (design capac- Ca. July 1953-
i t y : 30,006 tpd). Oct. 5 , 1955.
Expansion:
To 40,000 tpd ............................ January 1964-
J u l y 1965.
To 60,000 tpd ............................ Spring 1969-
November 1971.
Smelter construction (100,000-tpy 1953-June 8, 1956..
capacity).
Smelter expansion t o 200,000 tpy ........... Planned............
Refinery construction (200,000-tpy March 1970-
capacity). ' December 1971.
NAP--Not applicable.
46

TABLE 10. - Sumnary of the h i s t o r y of Kalamazoo property 1

1 Total time
Activity Date I period,
years
........... I
I
F i r s t claims staked i n Old Hat mining 1879-1957. 78
d i s t r i c t t o i n i t i a l large-scale production,
Claims staked on the Kalamazoo property t o 1946-(1980).. ........
projected large-scale production.
Preliminary exploration by Mrs. Martha 1946-58..............
Purcell.
Exploration by Quintana Minerals Corp ...... 1965-67..............
Location of claims t o a c q u i s i t i o n by Magma 1946-68..............
Copper Co.
Acquisition by Magma Copper Co. t o i n i t i a l
large-scale production.
March 1968-(1980)....
Mine exploration: Underground ............. .............
1968- (?)
Mine development. .......................... November 1968-
(1980).
l p r o j e c t e d data a r e given i n parentheses.

The Twin Buttes mine i s i n T 18 S, R 13 E , i n the Pima mining d i s t r i c t ,

Twin Buttes area, Pima County, about 25 miles south of Tucson, Ariz. In 1972,
The Anaconda Co. held t h e property on a long-term lease from Banner Mining Co.
However, i n 1973 Banner merged with American Metals Climax, Inc. (AMAX);
negotiations between A M X and Anaconda r e s u l t e d i n forming a 50-50 j o i n t enter-
p r i s e c a l l e d Anamax Mining Co. Topographic r e l i e f i n the immediate v i c i n i t y
i s r e l a t i v e l y low, and t h e average a l t i t u d e i s about 3,350 f e e t . The climate
i s semiarid.

The ore deposit i s o v e r l a i n by 400 t o 600 f e e t of a l l w i u m with a conglom-

e r a t e up t o 50 f e e t t h i c k a t t h e base and an oxidation zone varying up t o
s e v e r a l hundred f e e t i n thickness. The p r i n c i p a l ore mineral i s chalcopyrite,
which occurs with other s u l f i d e minerals including sporadic molybdenite i n the
primary ore zone. The important oxide ore minerals a r e chrysocolla and teno-
r i t e or melaconite, with c u p r i t e and native copper l o c a l l y p l e n t i f u l . Other
minerals noted i n the deposit were p y r i t e , magnetite, s p h a l e r i t e , galena,
c h a l c o c i t e , brochantite , and malachite.

About 73 years of sporadic prospecting, e x p l o r a t i o n , and small-scale pro-

duction preceded a c q u i s i t i o n of the properties i n the area by Banner Mining
Co. i n 1950. I n 1951, with the a s s i s t a n c e of a Defense Minerals Exploration
Administration c o n t r a c t , exploration was resumed a t the old Copper Glance
(Twin Buttes) mine. Banner Mining Co. advanced $67,895, a s did t h e Government
on a n equal p a r t i c i p a t i o n basis. Geophysical exploration i n 1956 d i s c w e r e d
a n anomalous area nearby. By 1963 Banner had assembled a large block of
claims i n the Twin Buttes area and entered i n t o a long-term agreement with
Anaconda f o r exploration of the properties. The exploration and development
by Anaconda extended f r w 1963 t o 1967. Exploratory d r i l l i n g amounted t o 193
holes t o t a l i n g 321,377 f e e t d r i l l e d from the surface and 73 holes t o t a l i n g
45,339 f e e t d r i l l e d frcm underground. An exploration s h a f t was put down 956
f e e t t o observe the geology and t o o b t a i n bulk samples of ore f o r p i l o t plant
t e s t s . By March 1965, r e s u l t s of the d e t a i l e d exploration and t e s t i n g program
were s u f f i c i e n t l y encouraging t o proceed with the development bf an open p i t
mine. S t r i p p i n g operations comnenced i n J u l y of the same year; by the end of
September 1969, 246,196,216 tons of alluvium and 20,312,626 tons of conglom-
e r a t e , waste rock, and ore had been removed t o the dumps o r stockpiled.

Development of the mine by Anaconda required 4 years because of the e x t r a -

ordinary amount of overburden removed t o expose the low-grade deposit. The
design of the mining operation incorporated a n unusual t r a n s p o r t a t i o n system
i n which the m a t e r i a l i s crushed i n the p i t and transported by conveyor b e l t
t o the waste, leach, or concentrator areas..

Concentrator construction began i n August 1967; the f i r s t u n i t s produced

copper concentrates i n September 1969. The molybdenum r e c w e r y p l a n t c-nced
operation i n May 1970. The f i r s t f u l l year (1970) of production yielded
175,751,527 pounds of copper, 265,607 pounds of molybdenum, and 1,206,310
ounces of s i l v e r .

By the end of 1971, a s t o c k p i l e of over 25.6 m i l l i o n tons of oxidized

copper m a t e r i a l a t the mine was awaiting development of a n e f f e c t i v e r e c w e r y
process. The oxidized minerals i n a limestone gangue, not recoverable i n the
conventional s u l f i d e m i l l , w i l l require r e l a t i v e l y large amounts of s u l f u r i c
acid f o r leaching.

Development of the Twin Buttes property from preliminary exploration by

Banner through production from the open p i t by Anaconda required about 19
years. Exploration and development of the property by Anaconda required over
6 years and an investment of some $200 million.

The extensive exploration by Banner, t h a t company's lease negotiations

with Anaconda r e s u l t i n g i n the i n i t i a l development and production by Anaconda,
the a c q u i s i t i o n of Banner by AMAX, and the subsequent j o i n t venture involving
f i n a n c i a l , property, and operating agreements between Anaconda and AMAX
i l l u s t r a t e the tremendous quantity of money and time necessary t o develop t h i s
type of d e p o s i t . The d e p o s i t , deeply buried f o r open p i t mining methods, i s
geologically complex, and the ore i s m e t a l l u r g i c a l l y d i f f i c u l t t o t r e a t . I n
addition t o the $200 m i l l i o n and 6 years previously expended i n bringing the
deposit i n t o production, the j o i n t venture of AMAX and Anaconda c a l l e d f o r the
development of new r e s e r v e s , expansion of the concentrator, and the i n i t i a t i o n
of a new process t o t r e a t the oxide o r e ; these changes were estimated t o cost
an a d d i t i o n a l $244 m i l l i o n and 3 years.

Table 11 summarizes the h i s t o r y of the Twin Buttes property; a d e t a i l e d

history of the property i s i n appendix E.
48

TABLE 11. - S u m r y of the h i s t o r y of Twin Buttes property

Total
Activity

F i r s t claims located a t Twin Buttes camp, Ca. 1876-1969......

Pima mining d i s t r i c t , t o large-scale
production.
Early prospecting, exploration, and
production from nearby claims.
Banner Mining Co. exploration i n area......
Geophysical anomaly found by Banner i n t h e
Twin Buttes area.
Acquisition by Anaconda t o i n i t i a l large- March 1963-
s c a l e production. September 1969.
Preliminary evaluation and option period-- March 1963-
Anaconda. A p r i l 1964.
Exploration period--Anaconda (surface and March 1963-
underground). March 1965.
Mine development: Open p i t , removal of July 1965-
overburden t o production. September 1969.
Concentrator construction (design capa- August 1967-
c i t y : 30,000 tpd). Se~tember1969.
Expansion t o 32,000 tpd.................... Planned 1971..... .. 1 NAP^ NAP
NAP--Not applicable.
Slmnnaries of Additional Properties

Pinto Valley Property (2,

37, 6 3
The Pinto Valley property of C i t i e s Service Co. l i e s on Porphyry Mountain
near the C a s t l e Dome mine, Gila County, Ariz.

L i t t l e has been w r i t t e n on the e a r l y h i s t o r y of t h i s property; however,

i t was reportedly acquired by the Miami Copper Co. sometime i n the 1920's.
According t o an annual r e p o r t , the Miami Copper Co. i n 1941 exercised i t s
option on the C a s t l e Dome group and "adjoining mining properties" which may
have included the Pinto Valley property. Miami Copper Co. and l a t e r C i t i e s
Service Co., which acquired Miami Copper Co. i n 1963, held the Pinto Valley
area i n abeyance. C i t i e s Service s t a r t e d development of t h e Pinto Valley mi=
i n 1972 s o a s t o a t t a i n f u l l production by December 1974. Output from the
new operations w i l l replace t h a t from the canpany's Copper C i t i e s open p i t ,
which had been i n production since 1954 and was phased out i n 1975.

The time span from the location of t h e nearby Continental mine, about
1881, t o large-scale production of the planned Pinto Valley mine i s about 93
years; based on the e a r l y claims located i n 1905 on Porphyry Mountain, t h e
period would be 69 years. The Continental group of claims, c w e r i n g the e a s t
end of the Castle Dome ore body, was acquired by Miami Copper Co. with the
purchase of the Old Dominion Co. p r o p e r t i e s i n 1941.
 Exploration i n the Pinto Valley a r e a , which was deeper and t o one s i d e
of the Castle Dome deposit, began i n 1961; by 1969, 158 holes had been d r i l l e d
t o t a l i n g 230,000 f e e t . A f t e r a 2-year f e a s i b i l i t y and economic study, C i t i e s
Service Co. coaanitted $100 m i l l i o n t o bring t h e mine i n t o production.

I n i t i a l preparation f o r mine development began i n May 1972; s t r i p p i n g of

56 m i l l i o n tons of overburden c-nced by August: eventually reached a r a t e of
125,000 tpd. Approximately 500 f e e t of m a t e r i a l was removed from the t o p of
Porphyry Mountain. Mining a t the s t a r t of production was expected t o be
60,000 tpd of waste and leaching m a t e r i a l and 40,000 tpd of ore. Mine develop-
ment from s t r i p p i n g of overburden t o i n i t i a l large-scale production was e s t i -
mated t o r e q u i r e 2 years.

The concentrator construction period was estimated t o take 2 years t o

reach 20,000-tpd i n i t i a l capacity of t h e f i r s t u n i t i n July 1974. The
designed c a p a c i t y , 40,000 tpd, was expected t o be reached i n l a t e December
1974, a f t e r the second u n i t of the concentrator had been completed.

Reserves of the Pinto Valley deposit have been estimated a t 350 m i l l i o n

tons of ore averaging 0.44 percent copper.

Miami East Property (10, -

37, 9

From 1923 t o 1925, Miami Copper Co. explored t h e a r e a e a s t of the Miami

f a u l t ; although diamond d r i l l i n g from the Miami underground mine penetrated
"good ore," no deposit of "merchantable o r e l a r g e enough t o warrant e x p l o i t a -
t i o n was found" (Miami Copper Co. annual r e p o r t 1924). Tonnage was not e s t i -
mated a t t h a t time. I n the 19401s, some surface d r i l l i n g was undertaken i n
the area; resumption of d r i l l i n g i n 1968 r e s u l t e d i n t h e discovery of
additional mineralization i n A p r i l 1969. On t h e b a s i s of 8 of 10 d r i l l holes
completed by 1970, the deposit was estimated t o be a t depths ranging from
2,460 t o 3,800 f e e t and between 150 and 645 f e e t t h i c k .

Beginning i n A p r i l 1970, the old M i a m i Copper No. 5 was deepened

from 1,120 f e e t t o 3,500 f e e t by January 6 , 1973, t o permit evaluation of the
ore body. Development work, begun i n January 1973 on the 2,900- and 3,300-
f o o t l e v e l s , was i n progress December 1974. Two exhaust s h a f t s , begun i n
January 1973, were s t i l l under construction a s of December 1974.

Located about 2,000 f e e t e a s t of the old Miami d e p o s i t , the Miami East

ore body has been estimated t o contain 55 m i l l i o n tons averaging 1.95 percent
copper. The ore body i s reportedly 3,000 f e e t long, 1,200 f e e t wide, and up
t o 400 f e e t t h i c k , and dips t o the north and e a s t with a maximum p i t c h of
34".

The mine was being developed f o r the c u t - a n d - f i l l mining method t o pro-

duce 5,000 tpd b e g i ~ i n gi n 1975. Ore w i l l be t r e a t e d i n the company's Copper
C i t i e s concentrator, which i s about 10 miles away.
 A minimum of 5 years has been required t o deepen the Miami No. 5 s h a f t
and t o bring the mine t o production. Frau the discovery of "good ore" i n the
Miami East area about 1923 t o projected large-scale production i n 1975, the
time span approximates 52 years; from the discovery of mineralization by
surface d r i l l i n g i n 1969 t o the projected 1975 production d a t e , the period i s
6 years.

-
Pima Property (13-14
-8 64
-s 7
2
J

Mineralization i n the Santa Cruz Valley was noted by Father Eusebio

Francisco Kino, who founded the mission San Xavier d e l Bac i n 1700. The
e a r l y Spaniards worked the deposits i n a small way f o r lead and s i l v e r .

Early mining (1880-1900) i n the Pima d i s t r i c t included t h e San Xavier,

mined f o r lead and s i l v e r ; the Olive, mined f o r gold and s i l v e r ; , a n d Mineral
H i l l and Twin Buttes, mined f o r copper and gold.

Recent exploration f o r copper i n the Pima d i s t r i c t was i n i t i a t e d with a

preliminary exploration program which included a l i t e r a t u r e search, geophysical
survey, and discovery and confirmation by d r i l l i n g i n the e a r l y 1950's.
United Geophysical Co. financed the o r i g i n a l 2-year exploration program. I n
1951, Pima Mining Co. was organized by Union O i l Co. of C a l i f o r n i a t o explore
and develop the Pima ore body. Underground exploration f o r 5 months r e s u l t e d
i n production beginning May 1952. I n August 1955, Cyprus Mines Corp. exer-
c i s e d i t s 1-year option t o purchase a 75-percent i n t e r e s t i n the property;
Union O i l r e t a i n e d the remaining 25 percent. Cyprus l a t e r sold 25 percent of
i t s i n t e r e s t t o Utah Construction Co.

Underground development and mining of high-grade ores continued through

October 1955, when the company decided t o mine the l a r g e r resources of lower
grade m a t e r i a l by open p i t . Development and c o n s t r u c t i o n of the open p i t
operation required j u s t over a year. From the time Pima Mining Co. acquired
t h e property i n 1951 t o the time t h e open p i t reached f u l l production was
about 6 years.

Construction of the designed 3,000-tpd concentrator was begun i n December

1955 and completed 1 year l a t e r . The concentrator capacity was expanded i n
f o u r separate stages t o 53,000 tpd; expansion periods ranged frcm 10 months t o
1 year and 7 months.

As of December 31, 1972, ore reserves a t the Pima property were estimated
t o be 241,019,000 tons averaging approximately 0.50 percent copper and contain-
i n g economically recoverable q u a n t i t i e s of molybdenum and s i l v e r .

Esperanza a n d , S i e r r i t a Properties (s-l.

9 28,
, 34, 49,

The Esperanza property of Duval Corp. i n the southernmost p a r t of the

Pima d i s t r i c t , Pima County, Ariz., i s another example of the sporadic nature
of e f f o r t s t o explore and bring i n t o production a t y p i c a l l y lw-grade copper
d e p o s i t . The a r e a had been prospected s i n c e 1895. Its p o t e n t i a l a s a valu-
a b l e disseminated porphyry copper d e p o s i t was recognized by H a r r i s o n S c h m i t t ,
who r e c d n d e d t h e p r o p e r t y f o r purchase by Duval Sulphur and Potash Co.
i n 1955. This company became Duval Corp. i n 1963--and was l a t e r a wholly
owned s u b s i d i a r y of Pennzoil Co. A f t e r 4 y e a r s o f major e x p l o r a t i o n and
development, t h e p r o p e r t y was brought i n t o production i n 1959. It was 64
y e a r s from t h e time t h e f i r s t claims were s t a k e d i n 1895 u n t i l t h e mine was
brought i n t o l a r g e - s c a l e production. E x p l o r a t i o n and development o f t h i s mine
were p r i v a t e l y financed.

The S i e r r i t a p r o p e r t y a d j a c e n t t o t h e Esperanza was brought i n t o pro-

d u c t i o n by t h e Duval S i e r r i t a Corp., a wholly owned s u b s i d i a r y of Duval Corp.
The development of t h e S i e r r i t a p r o p e r t y was made p o s s i b l e w i t h t h e a i d of
a copper p r o d u c t i o n expansion c o n t r a c t , s i g n e d November 28, 1967. Under t h e
a u t h o r i t y contained i n t h e Defense Production Act of 1950, a program a u t h o r -
i z e d by t h e P r e s i d e n t March 29, 1966, was inaugurated t o encourage a d d i t i o n a l
domestic p r o d u c t i o n of copper i n t h e i n t e r e s t of n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y . This was
during t h e Vietnam c o n f l i c t .

The t o t a l c o s t of t h e p r o j e c t was e s t i m a t e d a t $151 m i l l i o n t o b r i n g t h e

mine i n t o production. The General S e r v i c e s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n was t o advance
$83 m i l l i o n ( a t 6 p e r c e n t i n t e r e s t ) a g a i n s t f u t u r e d e l i v e r i e s of about 109,210
tons of wirebar copper which would be p r i c e d a t 38 c e n t s p e r pound. I n a d d i -
t i o n GSA guaranteed a p r i v a t e l y o b t a i n e d l o a n o f $48,750,000 a t a n i n i t i a l
guaranteed r a t e of 70 percent o f t h e p r i n c i p a l . The balance of t h e t o t a l c o s t
was t o be s u p p l i e d by Duval Corp., i n c l u d i n g $3.5 m i l l i o n a l r e a d y expended on
t h e p r o j e c t . The c o n t r a c t runs through June 3 0 , 1979. By June 30, 1974,
about (26,244,000) had been d e l i v e r e d t o t h e Government.

The p e r i o d from a c q u i s i t i o n t o p r o d u c t i o n l a s t e d about 6 y e a r s i n c l u d i n g

1 year f o r major e x p l o r a t i o n and 2 y e a r s f o r development. One l a p s e i n the
time i n t e r v a l occurred because n e g o t i a t i o n o f t h e Government loan r e q u i r e d
n e a r l y 2 y e a r s . F e a s i b i l i t y and planning s t u d i e s were made during t h a t time
span.

A s of December 3 1 , 1969, o r e r e s e r v e s a t t h e Esperanza mine were e s t i -

mated t o be 27,667,000 t o n s , averaging 0.43 p e r c e n t copper and 0.035 percent
molybdenum. The S i e r r i t a p r o p e r t y o r e r e s e r v e s were e s t i m a t e d t o be 414
m i l l i o n t o n s , averaging 0.35 p e r c e n t copper and 0.035 p e r c e n t molybdenum.

- -a20
Mineral Park Property (18, 27
-) - _a
48-49 a
The M i n e r a l Park ( I t h a c a Peak) p r o p e r t y of Duval Corp., a wholly owned
s u b s i d i a r y of Pennzoil Co., is i n t h e Mineral Park mining camp of t h e Wallapai
mining d i s t r i c t , Mohave County, A r i z .

I n d i a n s mined t u r q u o i s e i n t h e Mineral Park a r e a , perhaps 500 o r more

years! a g o , a s evidenced by s t o n e a r t i f a c t s uncovered i n a n c i e n t trenches and
narrow a d i t s . I n t h e 1 8 5 0 1 s , v a r i o u s e x p e d i t i o n s t r a v e r s i n g t h e a r e a noted
t h e mineral d e p o s i t s of t h e Cerbat Range; t h e f i r s t c l a i m l o c a t e d i n t h e
Mineral Park a r e a of t h i s range was the Mayflower i n 1870, followed by t h e
Keystone claims. The Keystone mine shipped the r i c h e s t ore i n the county and
i n t e r m i t t e n t l y produced s i l v e r , gold, and copper-lead-zinc ores from 1870 t o
1948. The e a r l y mined r i c h s i l v e r ores of the d i s t r i c t were shipped by wagon
t o the Colorado River, then by steamer t o Y m , then t o San Francisco over the
Southern P a c i f i c Railroad, and f i n a l l y by s h i p t o Swansea, Wales, where they
were processed.

Mining a c t i v i t y was c u r t a i l e d i n the 1880's because of declining s i l v e r

p r i c e s ; however, s e v e r a l mines continued i n t e r m i t t e n t small-scale production
a s l a t e as World War 11. After the war, only gem-quality turquoise mines
survived. S e sporadic exploration by s e v e r a l companies was undertaken,
u n t i l 1958 when Harrison A. Schmitt made a favorable r e p o r t on the area f o r
Duval Corp.

Between 1958 and 1962, the land-acquisition program of Duval Corp.

involved gaining c o n t r o l of s e v e r a l old mines (including t h e Keystone) and
acquiring and staking claims over intervening ground u n t i l s u f f i c i e n t a r e a
was obtained t o j u s t i f y the expenditures necessary t o bring i n a large-scale
operation. By 1965, t h e property t o t a l e d 5,138 acres and consisted of 84
mining claims with patents pending, 20 patented claims, 104 unpatented claims,
and s w e prospecting permits, m i l l s i t e s , and f e e land.

The exploration began i n March 1959. The extremely precipitous t e r r a i n

created sane problems i n s e t t i n g up d r i l l s i t e s ; f o r the 5,200-foot Ithaca
Peak d r i l l s i t e , a h e l i c o p t e r was used t o t r a n s p o r t men, equipment, andl
material. The d e t a i l e d exploration program required about 3-114 years t o
complete 123 h o l e s , of ' h i c h 82 churn-drill holes (averaging 320 f e e t per hole)
and 29 diamond-drill holes (averaging 573 f e e t per hole) penetrated the ore
zone. An underground a d i t , crosscuts, and r a i s e s were driven f o r sampling
the ore body t o confirm the d r i l l - h o l e data.

The mine development period c-nced i n Nwember 1962, when the f i r s t

mining equipment was moved i n . Stripping the estimated 23 m i l l i o n tons of
overburden and waste from the ore horizons conrmenced i n January 1963 and was
completed by October 1964. Construction of the designed 12,000-tpd m i l l was
completed i n 1 year and 7 months. The time period from a c q u i s i t i o n t o large-
s c a l e production was 6 years.

As of December 31, 1969, ore reserves were estimated t o be 39,749,000

tons averaging 0.47 percent copper and 0.047 percent molybdenum.

CONCLUSIONS

This study of the h i s t o r i c a l data of s e l e c t e d copper properties i n d i c a t e s

the f a i l u r e s a s well a s the successes of men t o e x t r a c t economically the
minerals necessary t o our economy. The time span from the l o c a t i o n of claims
t o large-scale production i s the slmmation of many leadtimes of several
d i f f e r e n t operations; each i n t e r v a l codtributes s u b s t a n t i a l information
necessary t o the successful production of the metal. The span a l s o included
times when the mines lay dormant a f t e r funds were depleted from e f f o r t s t o
gain s u f f i c i e n t land t o make an exploration program worthwhile, when explora-
t i o n f a i l e d t o find adequate r e s e r v e s , when deposits located were not auenable
t o r e c w e r y by known m e t a l l u r g i c a l technology, o r when production came a t a
time of low metal prices.

Most of these h i s t o r i c a l f a c t o r s t h a t contributed t o t h e length of the

leadtime ' p e r s i s t . S u f f i c i e n t land must be obtained f o r an economic operation
and i t s a c q u i s i t i o n may e n t a i l years of negotiation; l a r g e r companies a r e
b e t t e r able t o t o l e r a t e t h i s delay than small companies o r individuals. Today,
however, these f a c t o r s involve n o t only individual claim owners and companies,
but a l s o S t a t e and Federa1,Goverrrments.

Many S t a t e Gwe-nts now have s e t up exploration regulations requiring

time f o r the company o r individual t o submit.plans and post bonds, and f o r
the agencies t o process the applications and make t e c h n i c a l examinations of
the area. Currently, construction of access roads on National Forest land
requires permission f r a o the Forest Service. Regulations now require the
Forest Supervisor t o approve plans f o r any intended operation t h a t might cause
a s i g n i f i c a n t disturbance of t h e envirorment. On public land, any surface-
disturbing exploration or prospecting f o r leased minerals such a s c o a l o r
phosphates requires an a p p l i c a t i o n , an exploration plan, and bonding before
authorization i s granted by t h e Federal Gwerrrment. (Copper, however, i s a
ccormodity not covered by the leasing a c t . ) Compliance with these and other
government regulations, l o c a l t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l , i s increasing leadtime. I n
a d d i t i o n , recent proposed changes i n the mining law may d e t e r mine exploration
and development .
H i s t o r i c governing f a c t o r s s t i l l contributing t o the time span include
overcoming obstacles of climate and topography t o g a i n physical access t o the
a r e a , a v a i l a b i l i t y of equipment and s u p p l i e s , and a v a i l a b i l i t y of water and
power.

For example, changes i n land-use p o l i c i e s a r e of inmediate concern t o the

mining industry, which may find t h e c o s t of such changes prohibitive. This i s
e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t where mineralized lands have been converted t o recrea-
t i o n , wilderness, and urbanization where c o s t of exploration may become
excessive o r exploration may be banned e n t i r e l y . Many d e p o s i t s , depleted of
o r e , contain marginal o r submarginal materials t h a t a r e becoming ore because
of technologic improvements and higher metal p&es. This i s an element of
time t h a t should not be overlooked i n the zoning and development of p a r t i c u l a r
areas.

Financing of the exploration p r o j e c t a s w e l l as the construction of a

mine-beneficiation p l a n t complex i s becoming increasingly demanding because of
the tremendous expenditures necessary t o bring a large-scale operation on-
stream. The time period i s a l s o lengthened by the need f o r many d i f f e r e n t
s t u d i e s , aside from the a c t u a l d e l i n e a t i o n of ore reserves by d r i l l i n g and
t e s t i n g . Such s t u d i e s include economic, geographic, envirorrmental, and socio-
l o g i c a l analyses; and determination of the p o l i t i c a l climate--local, n a t i o n a l ,
and i n t e r n a t i o n a l . Any one of these f a c t o r s may make an otherwise promising
e n t e r p r i s e impractical.
 During time of c r i s i s the Government has enabled industry t o shorten the
t i m e necessary t o bring mines i n t o production and a l s o t o stimulate production
of marginal ores i n order t o maintain an adequate supply of copper f o r the
Nation. Examples a r e t h e Premium Price Plan which i n s t i t u t e d p r i c e s t a b i l i t y
and stimulated production of copper over a s t i p u l a t e d quota during World
War 11, Reconstruction Finance Loans granted f o r the development of many mines
during World War I1 and during t h e Korean c o n f l i c t , and Defense Production
Act loans and guaranteed base p r i c e f o r metals delivered t o the Government a t
the time of the Korean and Vietnam c o n f l i c t s .

The continuing g e o l o g i c a l , mining, and m e t a l l u r g i c a l s t u d i e s undertaken

by t h e U.S. Department of I n t e r i o r , Geological Survey, and Bureau of Mines
have contributed s u b s t a n t i a l l y t o shorten time spans from discovery t o produc-
t i o n of new mines and t o revive old mines and mining d i s t r i c t s .

I n the properties s t u d i e d , the most predictable time periods i n bringing

a mine i n t o production a r e the mine-development phase, p a r t i c u l a r l y when the
ore reserves a r e well defined, and the concentrator-construction phase a f t e r
the d r i l l cores and bulk samples have been adequately t e s t e d and the metallurg-
i c a l process has been f u l l y developed. I n these s t u d i e s , the mine development
o r construction period f o r an open p i t mine ranged from 1 t o 4 y e a r s , ' b i n
Buttes requiring t h e longest time span because of the thickness of overburden.
Development of an underground mine ranged from 4 t o 8 years. For
beneficiation-plant construction, t h e time period ranged from 8 months t o j u s t
over 2 years; the break-in period required an a d d i t i o n a l 3 months t o 1 year.
..
The most unpredictable time span i s the preliminary and d e t a i l e d explo-
r a t i o n period, when areas a r e targeted and studied and when information i s
amassed, assessed, and t e s t e d . This s t a g e may o f t e n consume an inordinate
amount of time, causing any minerals found t o reach the marketplace under
conditions not considered i n the i n i t i a l c a p i t a l recapture program. Con-
t r i b u t i n g t o the u n p r e d i c t a b i l i t y of t h i s period a r e human f a c t o r s involved i n
gaining a c c e s s i b i l i t y t o land, i n negotiating financing, and i n a t t i t u d e s of
management, a s well as p o l i t i c a l climate ( l o c a l , n a t i o n a l , and i n t e r n a t i o n a l ) .
For the properties studied, the d e t a i l e d exploration period ranged from 1 t o
8 years. I f exploration and some of the development work a r e included, the
time span would range from 1 year a t C a s t l e Dome t o w e r 9 years a t San
Manuel, 13 years a t Twin Buttes under the Banner management, and 2 years by
Anaconda.

These s t u d i e s i n d i c a t e a long leadtime from the discovery of mineraliza-

t i o n i n the immediate area t o the large-scale production of copper. Only the
Miami and Pima mines were brought i n t o large-scale production i n a time
period under 20 years; the r e s t ranged f r w 31 t o 94 years d e s p i t e many
attempts t o bring the mines i n t o production. The e f f o r t s of the i n i t i a l
d i s c w e r e r or claim l o c a t o r may be thwarted by i n s u f f i c i e n t funds, technical
knowledge, and land problems; the option should remain open f o r a r e t u r n t o
t h e area with renewed financing o r perhaps with new technology.
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 APPENDIX A.--HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIAMI PROPERTY

0mershio.--In 1972, the Miami property was owned by C i t i e s Service Co.

Miami Copper Co. owned t h e mine from i t s inception i n 1907 u n t i l 1960, when
t h e operation was ecquired by Tennessee Corp. I n 1963 Tennessee Corp. became
a subsidiary of C i t i e s Service Co.

Location ( f i g . A-l).--The mine i s i n the southeast p a r t of T 1 N, R 14 E ,

near t h e town of M i a m i , i n the western p a r t of the Globe-Miami mining d i s t r i c t ,
G i l a County, Ariz. The Globe-Miami mining d i s t r i c t i s divided i n two p a r t s by
P i n a l Creek. The Globe a r e a l i e s t o t h e e a s t of the creek i n the f o o t h i l l s of
the Apache Range; the M i a m i a r e a l i e s t o t h e west of t h e creek i n the north-
ward extension of the P i n a l Range.

Climate.--Annual p r e c i p i t a t i o n i s about 20 inches, mostly i n cloudbursts

during J u l y and August. The mean annual snowfsll i s 3.6 inches. Temperatures
range from 13' t o 110' F.

To~o%raphy.--Altitude ranges from 3,300 f e e t i n M i a m i Wash t o 4,000 f e e t

along I n s p i r a t i o n Ridge. The topography i n t h e Miami area i s f a i r l y rugged
and i r r e g u l a r .

Geology a, 17-w.'--Mineral deposits i n the Globe-Miami d i s t r i c t a r e of

two types: (1) Disseminated o r porphyry copper o r e bodies associated with
i n t r u s i v e s i n the M i a m i area and (2) f i s s u r e veins i n t h e Globe area. The ,
Miami-Inspiration deposit l i e s i n the M i a m i area.

The most important h o s t rocks a t the Miami mine a r e the Precambrian P i n a l

s c h i s t and, t o a l e s s e r e x t e n t , t h e porphyritic border f a c i e s of t h e T e r t i a r y
Schultze g r a n i t e stock. The M i a m i deposit c o n s i s t s of t h r e e ore bodies:
(1) The Main Miami ore body i n the Pins1 s c h i s t . (2) the Captain o r e body i n
the Schultze g r a n i t e porphyry, which extends west i n t o t h e adjoining I n s p i r a -
t i o n mine, and (3) the Pinto ore body i n t h e s c h i s t between the Main M i a m i and
Captain ore bodies.

The Miami-Inspiration deposit includes the above-named o r e bodies, which

were mined by M i a m i Copper Co., and t h e Live Oak. Keystone, and I n s p i r a t i o n
ore bodies mined by I n s p i r a t i o n Consolidated Copper Co. Apparently the
deposit was o r i g i n a l l y continuous and l a t e r separated by the low-angle Bulldog
f a u l t which c u t through the middle of t h e deposit between the Keystone and
I n s p i r a t i o n ore bodies. The e n t i r e a r e a had been highly f r a c t u r e d and hydro-
thermally a l t e r e d . The ~ i &deposit
i was limited on the e a s t by t h e Miami
f a u l t and displaced on t h e west by t h e Pinto f a u l t . Peterson (17) suggested
the Pinto and Bulldog f a u l t s could have served a s channels for copper-bearing
supergene solutions.

The p r i n c i p a l ore mineral i n the Miami-Inspiration deposit i s secondary

chalcocite formed by supergene replacement of chalcopyrite and p y r i t e . Q u a r t z ,

'underlined numbers i n parentheses r e f e r t o items i n the l i s t of references a t

the end of t h i s appendix.
p y r i t e , c h a l c o p y r i t e , and molybdenite a r e t h e c h i e f hypogene m i n e r a l s . P y r i t e
and c h a l c o p y r i t e occur w i t h q u a r t z i n v e i n l e t s along t h e l i g h t l y s h a t t e r e d o r
s h e e t e d h o s t rocks o r a s disseminated p a r t i c l e s . Small amounts of molybdenite
a r e found a s s e l v a g e s on q u a r t z v e i n l e t s which a l s o c a r r y p y r i t e and chalcopy-
r i t e . Disseminated molybdenum i s found i n l e s s e r amounts i n t h e d e p o s i t .
Other m i n e r a l s i n t h e d e p o s i t i n c l u d e abundant c h r y s o c o l l a and m a l a c h i t e , and
a l i t t l e n a t i v e copper, a z u r i t e , b o r n i t e , and c u p r i t e .

The i r r e g u l a r and t a b u l a r Miami-Inspiration d e p o s i t r e s u l t e d from t h e

supergene enrichment of t h e hypogene s u l f i d e s i n t h e underlying rock. The
d e p o s i t i s o v e r l a i n by a n e a r l y b a r r e n capping ranging from a few f e e t t o 800
f e e t . The boundary between t h e capping and t h e underlying c h a l c o c i t e o r e zone
i s f a i r l y r e g u l a r and roughly p a r a l l e l e d t h e land s u r f a c e a t t h e time of depo-
s i t i o n . C h a l c o c i t e m i n e r a l i z a t i o n d e c r e a s e s w i t h depth. The economic l i m i t s
of t h e d e p o s i t a r e based on t h e p r e v a i l i n g p r i c e o f copper, mining methods,
and c o s t of production.

I n 1965, Hardwick (I) d e s c r i b e d t h e Miami o r e body a s roughly t r i a n g u l a r

i n p l a n w i t h a base of 3,700 f e e t , a n a l t i t u d e o f 2,500 f e e t , and a t h i c k n e s s
of about 350 f e e t ; capping over t h e o r e body ranged from 250 t o 500 f e e t .
P r o j e c t i n g beyond t h e main o r e body, t h e Northwest o r e body was mined s e p a -
r a t e l y . The Captain o r e body was about 500 by 500 f e e t and averaged 350 f e e t
i n thickness. I n 1919, Ransome (l9)noted t h e P i n t o o r e body a s being a lobe
about 700 f e e t long and 300 f e e t wide, p r o j e c t i n g northwest from t h e Captain
and Northwest o r e bodies of t h e M i a m i mine. A t t h a t time he a l s o e s t i m a t e d
t h e main Miami o r e body, i n c l u d i n g t h e Northwest and S o u t h e a s t o r e b o d i e s , a s
being 1,600 by 1,000 f e e t . The Miami-Inspiration o r e body t o g e t h e r t o t a l s
some 12,000 f e e t i n l e n g t h and a maximum of 2,500 f e e t i n width; it i s a s much
a s 900 f e e t i n t h i c k n e s s b u t averages between 200 and 250 f e e t t h i c k .

E x p l o r a t i o n e a s t of t h e Miami f a u l t , i n t h e l a t e 19601s, r e s u l t e d i n t h e
d i s c w e r y of m i n e r a l i z a t i o n a t depths between 2,460 and 3,800 f e e t ; t h e o l d
Miami No. 5 s h a f t i s c u r r e n t l y being deepened t o f u r t h e r examine t h e a r e a .
The M i a m i f a u l t , b e l i e v e d t o l i m i t t h e Miami d e p o s i t on t h e e a s t , i s t h e west
boundary o f t h e Globe V a l l e y f a u l t block. The f a u l t b l o c k w a s e s t i m a t e d t o
have dropped some 1,500 f e e t , b r i n g i n g t h e G i l a conglomerate i n t o c o n t a c t with
t h e mineralized s c h i s t and g r a n i t e on t h e west. The P i n a l s c h i s t u n d e r l i e s
t h e G i l a conglomerate i n t h e Miami E a s t a r e a .

Production.--Copper and molybdenum p r o d u c t i o n of t h e Miami o p e r a t i o n from

1911 t o 1970 i s d e t a i l e d i n t a b l e A - 1 and summarized i n t a b l e A-2 (5, 2, 10-l2).
The ores c o n t a i n v e r y l i t t l e gold and s i l v e r (24).
 TABLE A-1. - Miami mine production. 1911-72
Material Production of Molybdenud
Date Type of material treated, refined copper, n concentrate,
tons ~ounds
- re stockpiled
re stockpiled
Predominantly sulfide ore ......... 445,036
..... ...........................
do 1,040,744
..... ...........................
do 1,058,784
..... ...........................
do 1,096,633
..... ...........................
do 1,348,122
..... ...........................
do 1,842,017
..... .........................
do.. 1,640.206
..... ...........................
do 2,132,941
..... ...........................
do 1,698,446
..... ...........................
do 1,801,958
..... ...........................
do 1,868,757
..... ...........................
do 2,183.020
..... ...........................
do 2,380,155
..... ...........................
do 2,444,079
..... ...........................
do 2,919.600
..... ...........................
do 3,793,207
..... ...........................
do 4,116,255
..... ...........................
do 4,260,599
..... ...........................
do 5,017,983
..... ...........................
do 6,124.993
..... ...........................
do 4,438,808
.....do ........................... 1,417,810
.....do ........................... ine closed
.....do ...........................
.....do ...........................
Mixed ore .........................
Sulfide ore .......................
Total or average .............
Mixed ore .........................
Sulfide ore .......................
Total or average .............
Nixed ore .........................
Sulfide ore .......................
Total or average .............
Mixed ore .........................
Sulfide ore .......................
. Total or average .............
Mixed are .........................
Sulfide ore .......................
Total or average.............
NA ................................
NA ................................
Mixed ore .........................
Sulfide ore .......................
Total or average.............
'Copper solution...................
Total copper produced ........
Sulfide ore .......................
Copper solution...................
Totel copper produced ........
Sulfide ore .......................
Copper solution...................
Total copper produced. .......
Sulfide ore .......................
Copper solution
: Total copper produced. ......,
Sulfide are .......................
Copper solution ...........
Total copper produced.. .....
Sulfide ore .......................
Copper solution ..................,
1948
Burch precipitates ...............
-
See 1
Total copper produced
tnotes at end of table.
........
64

TABLE A-1.- M i a m i mine production. 1911-72-Continued

- Material
-
werag R o d u c t i o n of Molybded
Date Type of macerial treated, . e f i m d copper, i n eoncencrate,
- S u l f i d e ore .......................
-
Total
0.74 47.303.985 502,858
copper s o l a t i m................... .17 NAo
1949
...............
Bureh p r e c i p i t a t e s . 10.63
........
T o t a l copper produced
.......................
S u l f i d e ore .67
...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .19
1950 ................
Burch p r e c i p i t a t e s 13.93
-
........
T o t a l copper produced
.......................
s u l f i d e ore .73
...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .28
1951
................
Burch p r e c i p i t a t e s 8.98
.....
T o t a l copper produced...
.......................
S u l f i d e ore .66
...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .25
1952
..............
Burch p r e c i p i t a t e s . . 6.03
........
T o t a l copper produced
Sulfide ore ....................... .69
1953 ...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .36
........
T o t a l c o p p e r produced -
.......................
S u l f i d e ore .71
...................
Capper s o l u t i o n .28
1954
................
Burch p r e c i p i t a t e s
Total- copper produced........
.......................
S u l f i d e ore .60
...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .24
1955
................
~ u r c hp r e c i p i t a t e s 5.63
T o t a l copper produced ........
.......................
S u l f i d e are .67
1956 ...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .22
Total copper produced. .......
Ore ............................... .70
1957 ...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .20
T o t a l copper produced ........
Ore ............................... .70
1958 ...................
Copper s o l u t i o n .21
T o t a l copper produced. .......
Ore ............................... .71
1959' COppeT' 801ution ................... 84. 43
T o t a l copper produced ........ -
1960 Copper i n p r e c i p i t a t e s 6 . . ......... NAP
1961 .....do ........................... NAP
1962 ..... .........................
do.. NAP
1963 ..... ...........................
do
1964 ..... ...........................
do
NAP
1965 ..... .........................
do..
NAP
1966 ..... ..........................
do.
NAP
1967 ..... ..........................
do.
NAP
NAP
1%8 ..... ...........................
do
1969 ..... ...........................
do
NAP
1970
1971
....
.....
...........................
do
.......................
do....
NAP
NAP
1972 1 ..... do........................... &
UP
NA--Not available. NAP--Not applicable.
'Ilolybde- f i g u r e s not published f o r 1938 (year production s t a t e d ) , 1939, and 1941-43. Molybdenum ~ u l -
f i d e was recovered from copper ores and converted co Ms.
'Pisurer published i n va1u-i only.
'Pigurea f o r 1941-42 a r e s t i l l c l a s s i f i e d information.
*Total production from mixed ore body J u l y 1934 t o ?lay 1943 was 9,591,299 t o m averagiog 1.443 percent eop-
p e r (0.864 percent oxide copper a d 0.579 percent s u l f i d e copper); a t o t a l of 248,793,924 pourids o f cop-
p e r was obtained during t h e period.
'Underground mine closed J u l y 1, 1959. R o d u c t i o n fmm 1960 t o 1970+ by inplace leaching of previously
mined a s a s .
' ~ o u n d s par ton.

Sources: Arizone Departlrent of Mineral Resources. Copper Induatry S t a t i s t i c s (1).

Miami Copper Co. A m a l Reports 1909 through 1959 0.
\I TABLE A-2. - Summary of M i a m i mine ~ r o d u c t i o n . 1911-70

Commodity and source

I Date

COPPER
Ore t r e a t e d ,
tons
Recovery,
pounds

Underground mining period: I I

High-grade o r e............
Low-grade ore1 ............
Mixed orea ( s u l f i d e and
oxide) ...................
Total (48 years). ......
Leaching-operations period:
........
Copper s o l u t ions3.
.......
Burch p r e c i p i t a t e s .
Total (29 years) .......
Total copper production
a l l sources (59 years)
MOLYBDENUM
Byproduct-operations period
(21 years) : Molybdemrm
recovered from copper
concentrates 4 .............. 1938-59..... ....... NAp 7.964.853
NAP--Not applicable.
'complete f i g u r e s a r e not available. Copper production f i g u r e s exclude ore
t r e a t e d i n 1933-34 and 1941-42, and copper recwered i n 1932 and 1941-42.
Small amounts of s i l v e r and gold have a l s o been obtained from the o r e s , but
the amount i s not available. The mine was closed i n 1933-34.
' ~ i g u r e s published i n the Annual Report of the Miami Copper Co. f o r 1943,
page 4, include d a t a f o r 1941-42.
3 ~ r i n c i p s l l yfrom inplace leaching of mined-out areas.
4~olybdenumf i g u r e s not published f o r 1938 (when production s t a r t e d ) , 1939,
and 1941-43. Molybdenum s u l f i d e was r e c w e r e d from copper ores and con-
verted t o molybdic oxide.

Sources: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper Industry S t a t i s t i c s

(U.
M i a m i Copper Co. Annual Reports 1911-59 (11).
Ore was obtained by underground mining from 1909 u n t i l 1959, when t h e
operation was completely converted t o inplace leaching of the f r a c t u r e d o r e
remaining i n the block-caved mining areas. Underground mining methods used b y
the company included (1) top s l i c i n g a f t e r e x t r a c t i o n by square s e t t i n g the
peaks of o r e under t h e cap rock, (2) shrinkage stoping with sublevel caving of
p i l l a r s , (3) undercut caving with hand tramming, (4) high-column block caving,
and (5) inplace leaching of t h e mined-out areas. High-grade ore was mined b y
the f i r s t three methods from 1910 t o 1925, when t h e operation was converted t o
block caving t o economically obtain the low-grade and mixed oxide and s u l f i d e
ores. Inplace leaching, begun i n 1941, became the mining method when conven-
t i o n a l underground mining was stopped i n 1959.
 Production from 1910 t o 1959 has been c l a s s i f i e d by Hardwick (2) as
follows :

Tons of ore Quality

1910-25... ....................... 24,200,000 High grade

1926-54...... .................... 101,000,000 Low grade
1936-43. ......................... 9,800,000 Mixed ore
1954-59. ......................... 18.000.000 Low grade
Total.... ................... 153,000,000

Mining methods. 1910-59 Tons of ore

...................
Square s e t and top s l i c i n g 4,500,000
Shrinkage stoping with sublevel cav ing....... 2,200,000
Undercut caving and hand tramming. ........... 15,400,000
Block caving ................................. 130,900,000

These ore production f i g u r e s do not agree with those obtained from the
Miami Copper Co. annual r e p o r t s , perhaps because of d i f f e r e n t sources of
information, differences i n d e f i n i t i o n of grade of ores, and rounding, and
because data f o r 1941 and 1942 s t i l l remain as c l a s s i f i e d information.

By 1958, underground mining methods had caused surface subsidence over

the Miami mine area extending some 3,400 f e e t north-south, about 2,600 f e e t
east-west, and w e r 400 f e e t deep. The adjacent I n s p i r a t i o n open p i t opera-
t i o n covered an a r e a of some 3,000 by 1,500 f e e t a t t h e Live Oak p i t and 2,500
by 2,000 f e e t a t the Thornton p i t .

Reserves.--Estimated reserves as they appeared i n t h e company annual

reports from 1909 t o 1957 a r e shown i n t a b l e A-3. I n t h e e a r l y days, mining,
milling, and general c o s t s were recorded i n the annual r e p o r t s ; these c o s t s
a r e shown i n t a b l e A-3. The c o s t s , when studied with the h i s t o r y of t h e mine,
i l l u s t r a t e t h e development and depletion of ore reserves. The year 1925 was a
p a r t i c u l a r l y s i g n i f i c a n t date when the high-grade reserves were almost
depleted and the conversion t o t h e high-column method of block caving allowed
l a r g e r tonnages of lower grade o r e t o be mined a t reduced costs. Reserve f i g -
ures were recalculated a t t h a t time, incorporating the low-grade material then
made economically p r o f i t a b l e by t h e lower mining and milling c o s t s .

Current reserves figures f o r the leaching operations a r e not available.

Drilling and underground exploration on t h e Miami East project continues t o
date (1973).
 . .
TABLE 6.3 . .Ore resemee and m i n i m and d l l i m c o s t s a t t h e M i . m i mine f o r s e l e c t e d veara' '
Estimated Average grade G linlog.
.
illing,
.
nerd
.
'0t.1,
Dace Type of ore reserves. p e r s e n t copper per ton sr pound cr pour" r ton r ton
tons total A S X L
1909 ... High grade ............. 14.000. 000 2.75 UP WP NAP UP NAP
1910 ........ do................ 18.000. 000 2.58 NAP UP UP WP NAP
1911 ........d o ................ 18.232. 000 2.58 $1.213 $0.035 $0.018 0.171 2.011
High grade ............. 20.800. WO
1912 ... ( Lou grade .............. 17.200. OW
2.48
1.21 } 1.203 .038 .021 .180 2.041
High g r a d e ............. 20.300. 000
1913 ...
I
Lou grade .............. 17.200. OW
nixed onids a d s u l f i d e 6.000. 000
1914.. . High-grade s u l f i d e ...... 19.500. 000
2.45

I 1.603 .052
.039
.018
.016
.290
.272
2.465

Low-grade s u l f i d e ...... 17.000.000

I
1.188 1.959
High-grade w l f i d e ..... 18.140. 000
1915...
I
Low-grade s u l f i d e ...... 17.000. 000
Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6.000. OW
High-grade e u l f i d e ..... 16.400.WO
1.016 .032 .019 .283 1.878

1916 ... Taw-$rade s u l f i d e ...... 28.000. 000

Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6,000.000
. H i gh.gre.de e u l f i d e ..... 14.760. 000
t 1.119 .039 .020 .229 1.931

I
1917 ...

1919 ...
Low-grade s u l f i d e ...... 28.000. 000
Mixed oxide and e u l f i d e 6,000.000
High-grade s u l f i d e ..... 12.570.000
1918 ... L a - g r a d e s u l f i d e ...... 36.000.000
. .
Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6.000.000
nigh-grade a u l f i d e ..... 11.054. 349
Low-grade s u l f i d e ...... 36.000.000
Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6.000.000
II ? 268

1.360

1.540
.047
.050
.048
.026
.026
.029
.325
.335

.450
2.285

2.418

2.915

High-grade s u l f i d e ..... 10.723. 410

1
1920 ... Lov-grade s u l f i d e ...... 36.000.000
Mixed o x i d e and s u l f i d e 6.000. 000
High-grade s u l f i d e ..... 8.899. 834
1 1.301 .042 .027 .393 2.522

1921...

1922

1923
...
..
I
Low-grade s u l f i d e ...... 36.000. 000
Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6.000.000
.Big h-grade s u l f i d e
Lou-srede s u l f i d e

High-grade a u l f i d e
Lou-grede s u l f i d e
.....
......
.....
......
6.756.187
36.000.000
Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6.000. 000
5.106. 643
36.000. 000
Mixed oxide and s u l f i d c , . 6 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0
.....
I
1
1
1.149

1.113

1.231
.040
.036
.045
.025
.021
.023
.383
.300
.289
2.238

2.051

2.141

1924

19254
...
I
.. (
High-grade s u l f i d e
......
Low-grade 8 u l f i d e
4.034. 505
36.000. 000
'Mixed oxide and s u l f i d e 6.000. 000
plfide
ixed
................
..................
67.917. 514
7.000. 000
I
}
1.129

.853
.a46
.048
.026
.032
.270
. 195
2.031

1.620

.. { Subfid ................. 84.586. 743

} .371 .025 .034 .149
1926.
Mixed .................. 7.000. 000 1.01C

... { Sulfide ................ 99.609. 480

} .416 .032 .032 .165
1927 Mixed .................. 7.000. 000 .994
1928 ... ( Sulfide ................ 95.397. 981 1 .407 .036 .034 .165 .954
Mixed .................. 7.000. 000
Sulfide ................ 90.391. 980 } .423 .036 .031 . 152
1
1929 ...
1930.. .
xed
Sulfide
..................
................
t e s a ..................
See f o o t n oMixed .
t end of t a b l e
7.000. 000
84.276. 787
7.000.000 .396 .036 .027 .139
.934

.832
\ History

1873, Maricopa Book of Mines shows t h e Globe Ledge claim, recorded on

September 19, 1873, was located by Regan, Robert Anderson,
i
I
Sept. 19
David Anderson, Isaac Copeland, W i l l i a m Sampson, William Long, and
T. Irwin (6).

The Globe mining d i s t r i c t was organized i n November 1875. The

Globe claim, the f i r s t i n the newly formed d i s t r i c t , was located
i n 1875 on t h e Old Dominion vein. The old Globe mine, which
included the Globe and Globe Ledge claims, l a t e r became p a r t of
the Old Dominion mine, one of the major producers of t h e Globe
district (=-me
The mines i n the Globe d i s t r i c t were f i r s t worked f o r s i l v e r ; i n
1881, copper became an important comodity. Prospectors worked
much of t h e e n t i r e area, including t h a t now known a s t h e Miami
d i s t r i c t , some 6 miles west of Globe. Among the e a r l y mines of
the Miami area were the Black Copper group, described i n 1887
, and the Continental mine, a l s o located i n the 1880's 0 .
Hardwick reported the Keystone and Live Oak claims were located i n
1887; the mines l a t e r became p a r t of I n s p i r a t i o n Copper Consoli-
dated Co. (1).Stevens G, v. 5 , p. 748) said the Live Oak
Mining & Smelting Co. property was discovered i n 1888 and closed
i n 1898. A t t h a t time chrysocolla and some malachite were the
the p r i n c i p a l ore minerals evident (IS,22).

I n t h e mid-1890's, there was a general r e v i v a l of prospecting i n

the M i a m i area. Development work was i n progress a t the Black
Warrior, Black Copper, and Continental mines, and l a t e r a t the
Live Oak and Keystone mines (m.
I n the l a t e 1890's John B. "Black Jack" Newman located 13 claims in
the M i a m i area near the I n s p i r a t i o n claim owned by John D. Coplen
and obtained c o n t r o l l i n g i n t e r e s t i n several neighboring claims.
He l a t e r c a l l e d a l l the claims t h e Oats-Newman group (2).

I n the Copper Handbook, 1905, M i a m i Copper Co. was reported t o have

been organized with $500,000 c a p i t a l i z e d a t $5 per share. The
address was Globe, Ariz. No o t h e r information was given; t h e
Copper Handbook, 1906, reported a l e t t e r t o the company was
returned unclaimed (22, v. 5-6).

1906, Ransome (m reported F. C. Alsdorf procured options on p o s t of the

Dec. claims now included i n the Miami group during 1905-1906; i n
December 1 9 0 6 , t h o s e p r o p e r t i e s were t r a n s f e r r e d t o General Devel-
opment Co. This company was c o n t r o l l e d by the Lewisohns of
New York City.
1906, According t o Parsons ( E ) ,J. Park Channing, a consulting engineer
late f o r General Development Co., and F. C. Alsdorf, a mining engineer,
v i s i t e d the Miami-Inspiration a r e a i n November. On t h i s v i s i t ,
Channing and Alsdorf negotiated with Newman, Oats, and others i n
a long evening s e s s i o n , f i n a l l y reaching an agreement. Charming
obtained an option t o acquire the claims f o r $150,000 i n cash and
a 1/20 i n t e r e s t i n any company formed t o equip and operate the
property. No payment on the option was required f o r 6 months,
when the f i r s t $50,000 f e l l due.

1907, Under the d i r e c t i o n of J. Parke Channing, General Development Co.

Jan. began exploration by sinking a s h a f t f i r s t on. the Captain claim a t
a point where the rock was stained a b r i l l i a n t green. No ore was
found i n t h i s s h a f t . Some 850 f e e t f a r t h e r e a s t , a second s h a f t
was put d m on the Red Rock claim (x).
1907,
Apr.
Ore was found i n the Red Rock s h a f t a t 220-foot depth (m.
1907, The f i r s t payment on the option was made to Black Jack Neman and
June a s s o c i a t e s (2).

1907, M i a m i Copper Co. was organized. Property t o t a l e d approximately 300

Nw. 30 a c r e s , including 22 claims of about 200 acres and 100 acres i n
m i l l and smelter s i t e s , Water r i g h t s were held on P i n a l Creek.
The company was formed under the laws of Delaware, with a c a p i t a l i -
z a t i o n of $3 m i l l i o n and shares a t $5 par. The stock, a t o t a l of
600,000 shares, was controlled through ownership of one-half of
the stock by General Development Co. By November 1909, authorized
c a p i t a l i z a t i o n was increased t o $3,500,000 and by August 1910 t o
$4 m i l l i o n a t $5 per share f o r a t o t a l of 800,000 shares;
$3,319,000 worth of stock was issued. Of the l a s t increase,
60,000 shares were offered t o stockholders a t $18 per share;
88,236 shares were s e t aside f o r conversion of an issue of
$1,500,000 worth of 10-year 6 percent gold bonds. Ultimately, the
bonds were converted, and 747,116 shares were outstanding u, 3.
Parsons (a described the approximate investment of new c a p i t a l
required t o finance the mine and plant construction t o t r e a t over
2,500 tpd of ore and recover about 2.7 m i l l i o n pounds per month:
Purchase p r i c e (cash).......................... $150,000
I n i t i a l exploration .............................
10Q,QOO
Mine development and exploration.. ............. 4.500.000
.....................................
Total 4,750,000
The experimental m i l l was b u i l t ; equipment included one Nissen
stamp, two Johnson vanners, and f i v e Wilfley t a b l e s (22). A s u r -
vey was made f o r extending the Gila Valley, Globe and Northern
Railroad Co. railway from Globe t o Miami (22).

Mine development or construction by t h i s date included the follow-

ing: Red Rock s h a f t , t h r e e compartments, 720 f e e t deep, with
 l e v e l s a t 270 f e e t , 370 f e e t , and 470 f e e t , and p l a t s c u t f o r
l e v e l s a t 570 f e e t and 670 f e e t . Ore was i n t e r s e c t e d a t 220 f e e t ,
and tenor increased a t depth; however, a t 570 f e e t , the ore i n the
s c h i s t averaged only 1.5 percent copper. The Red Springs s h a f t ,
some 2,150 f e e t northwest of t h e Red Rock s h a f t , was about 348
f e e t deep and a l s o i n ore. The f i r s t s h a f t , the Captain, a t h r e e -
compartment s h a f t , had been temporarily stopped a t the 220-foot
depth. To p r o t e c t against caving, e x t r a c t i o n was planned through
the No. 4 s h a f t , the main working s h a f t spotted outside the proven
ore zone g ) .

1909 The four-compartment No. 4 s h a f t was s t a r t e d outside the known

l i m i t s of the ore. By yearend, the s h a f t was down 450 f e e t
a,
22).
1909, Grading was s t a r t e d f o r construction of m i l l (m.
Apr.
1909, The standard-gage railway was completed from Globe t o t h e M i a m i
Oct. mine (ll).

1909, end Housing construction was underway (ll).

1910 Early i n the year i n an area not reached by underground work,

exploration was s t a r t e d with t h r e e S t a r churn d r i l l s . The surface
was l a i d out i n 200-foot squares and d r i l l e d a t each corner.
Seven holes were d r i l l e d by A p r i l , a l l i n ore ranging from 75 t o
210 f e e t i n thickness with an average grade of w e r 2 percent (m.
The f i r s t ore was mined and stockpiled. Mining methods used were
square s e t t i n g , top s l i c i n g , and shrinkage stoping with sublevel
caving of the p i l l a r s (ll).

Construction of the c e n t r a l powerplant was completed t o provide

compressed a i r and power f o r mine and m i l l . Compressed a i r was
supplied a t 90 pounds' i n i t i a l pressure; power generated consisted
of 25-cycle a l t e r n a t i n g current a t 6,600 v o l t s . The capacity of
the compressor was 4,000 cubic f e e t . The power was obtained from
two 1,000-kilowatt generators run by four-cylinder t r i p l e -
expansion engines using steam a t 185 pounds ' pressure with 100" F
superheat. Fuel was o i l supplied from a 500,000-gallon storage
tank; however, the plant was a l s o designed t o use coal (2, 22).
Construction of one pumping plant was completed, t o bring 1 million
gallons of water per day from the Old Dominion mine i n Globe.
Three 10-inch wells each produced 500,000 gallons per day. Water
was a l s o t r a n s f e r r e d from P i n a l Creek by 25,000 f e e t of 14-inch-
diameter pipe (ll, a).
By the end' of the year, 29 of 32 churn d r i l l holes were completed;
d r i l l i n g t o t a l e d 16,991 f e e t . Cuttings from 14 holes showed a
 "good grade" of s u l f i d e o r e ; the remaining holes c a r r i e d l e s s than
1.5 percent copper, which was temporarily disregarded a s ore.
Exploration d r i l l i n g and underground work showed 58 mineral-
bearing a c r e s , approximately 15 acres of which were considered too
low grade. Underground work included samples taken a t 5-foot
i n t e r v a l s throughout t h e workings. A t t h i s time some 164 acres
remained t o be t e s t e d (ll, a.
By the end of 1910, the No. 4 four-compartment working s h a f t was
sunk t o a depth of 710 f e e t . The s h a f t had a 110-foot s t e e l head-
frame, with sheave journals 90 f e e t above the c o l l a r of the s h a f t .
Eighteen-inch timber used i n the s h a f t was Louisiana longleaf
yellow pine, preserved by 12 pounds of creosote per cubic foot.
By 1911, main d r i f t s were opened a t 220-, 245-, 270-, 295-, 320-,
and 420-foot depths. The e x t r a c t i o n l e v e l s were a t 320-, 420-,
470-, and 570-foot depths; t h e main e x t r a c t i o n l e v e l s were a t t h e
420- and t h e 570-foot levels. Ore was hauled i n twenty 2-1/2-ton
c a r s by s i x 1/2-ton e l e c t r i c locomotives (a.
1911, The f i r s t s e c t i o n of t h e m i l l s t a r t e d operation with a g r a v i t y -
Mar. 15 concentration process. By April, four s e c t i o n s were on-stream,
and the f i r s t shipment was made t o the smelter. By the end of
1911, f i v e s e c t i o n s were completed, and production was increased
t o 2,500 tpd. Concentrates were shipped t o Cananea Consolidated
Copper Co. ( a l s o r e f e r r e d to a s Green Consolidated Copper Co.) a t
La Cananea, Sonors, Mex. a). Between 1906 and 1911, almost $10
m i l l i o n had been expended i n preparation f o r production (24).

1911, end Eight new holes were churn-drilled i n unexplored areas adjacent t o
the o r e body. Most of the ore found was low grade (lJ.

1912, A l l s i x s e c t i o n s of m i l l were completed; by yearend 3,000 tpd was,..

Feb. being processed (ll).

1912, end An a d d i t i o n a l 21 churn d r i l l holes were put down from t h e surface

t o an average 612-foot depth. Some d r i l l holes encountered high-
grade o r e , and others a b e l t of 1.2 percent copper m a t e r i a l 500
f e e t wide, lying t o the north of the Northwest ore body. Nine
v e r t i c a l diamond-drill holes put down below t h e 570-foot l e v e l
i n t e r s e c t e d s u l f i d e ore averaging 2.5 percent copper (ll).

Because of caving of capping i n the Northwest ore body i n April

1913, mining c o s t s increased from $1.20 i n 1912 t o $1.60 per ton.
This ore body was being used by t h e company t o experiment on the
s i z e of shrinkage stopes and p i l l a r s (9.

1913, The f i r s t experimental f l o t a t i o n u n i t (minerals-separation type)

late fall was i n s t a l l e d i n one s e c t i o n of concentration plant. By August
1914, t h e f l o t a t i o n u n i t was replaced with Callow pneumatic f l o t a -
t i o n equipment t o t r e a t slimes. Changes a l s o included regrinding
the middling; plans were made t o expand m i l l capacity t o 4,000 tpd
(8, 25).
 Production increased t o 3,500 tpd because o f changes begun during
the planned expansion (2.

1914, Underground v e n t i l a t i o n was adopted and a 60,000-cubic-foot-

June capacity pressure fan was i n s t a l l e d ; i n 1915 a suction-type fan
was i n s t a l l e d on the surface above t h e Captain ore body (11).

1915, The company began t o ship concentrates t o the new smelter of

Apr. 9 I n t e r n a t i o n a l Smeltiw Co. a t Miami (25).

1915, A l l m i l l s e c t i o n s had been equipped with Callow pneumatic f l o t a t i o n

July u n i t s t o t r e a t the slime portion of the ore. I n a d d i t i o n , i r o n
b a l l s were gradually s u b s t i t u t e d f o r pebbles i n t h e grinding mills.
By introducing o t h e r changes, including Dorr c l a s s i f i e r s , a more
e f f i c i e n t fine-grinding operation was developed from 1915 t o 1919
(8, 2).
A 100-tpd experimental p l a n t was erected t o t e s t changes required
t o bring the plant up t o 6,000 tpd (2.

By yearend concentrator production increased t o 6,000 tpd u).

With only two s e c t i o n s completed, remodeling of the m i l l halted
because of lack of powerplant capacity.

Late i n the year work comnenced on a four-compartment, concrete-

l i n e d , new main h o i s t i n g s h a f t , the No. 5. The s h a f t was com-
pleted t o 963 f e e t by 1919; t h e new e l e c t r i c h o i s t f o r handling
men and supplies went i n t o operation by February 1920. Ore pro-
duction from t h i s s h a f t awaited t h e a r r i v a l and i n s t a l l a t i o n of
the new o r e h o i s t (2.

By 1918, approximately 36 m i l l i o n tons of low-grade ore averaging

1.06 percent copper had been outlined. Churn d r i l l i n g on t h i s
low-grade o r e area had been resumed about 1915 and continued t i l l
,..\
1919, with underground exploration supplementing the d r i l l i n g

1918, Gravity-concentration machines had been discarded and replaced by

Dec. 31 u).
f l o t a t i o n equipment i n f i v e of t h e s i x m i l l s e c t i o n s

Because of depressed copper-market conditions, ore t r e a t e d averaged

4,705 tpd, 75 percent of capacity. I n 1918, the ore t r e a t e d a t
the m i l l averaged 5,900 tpd (ll).

The e n t i r e mine was converted t o a system of mining by shrinkage

stoping with undercutting and caving of p i l l a r s . U n t i l 1919, t h i s
method was employed only f o r the Captain ore body; the Main ore
body was mined by the top-slicing method (25).

The Captain o r e body was reportedly exhausted i n midyear (25).

 During t h e g e n e r a l shutdown of major copper mines, Miami o p e r a t i o n s
continued a t 75 p e r c e n t o f normal c a p a c i t y ; c o n c e n t r a t e was s t o c k -
p i l e d a t I n t e r n a t i o n a l Smelter (ll7).
l,

1921, A new mining and c r u s h i n g p l a n t was e s t a b l i s h e d a t t h e No. 5 s h a f t .

June 20 Mining o p e r a t i o n s had caused t h e s u r f a c e t o s e t t l e , and t h e No. 4
s h a f t had t o be abandoned a s a h o i s t i n g s h a f t (2).

1923 T e r r i t o r y e a s t o f t h e Miami f a u l t was explored d u r i n g t h e y e a r ; o r e

of "good grade" was p e n e t r a t e d by diamond d r i l l s , b u t t h e tonnage
was n o t e s t i m a t e d . I n 1924, it was r e p o r t e d t h a t w h i l e good o r e
was encountered, no body of merchantable o r e l a r g e enough t o war-
r a n t e x p l o i t a t i o n was found. E x p l o r a t i o n i n t h i s a r e a continued
i n 1925 and was d i s c o n t i n u e d without adding anything t o t h e
r e s e r v e s (G).

High-grade mixed oxide and s u l f i d e o r e r e s e r v e s were s u f f i c i e n t f o r

o n l y 2 y e a r s ' o p e r a t i o n ; t h e d e c i s i o n was made t o expand opera-
t i o n s i n o r d e r t o mine low-grade r e s e r v e s (=). The low-grade o r e
body had an a r e a of 50 a c r e s and an average t h i c k n e s s of 206 f e e t ,
and was o v e r l a i n by an average t h i c k n e s s of 320 f e e t of b a r r e n
capping (lo).

1923-25 M i l l c a p a c i t y was i n c r e a s e d from 6,800 t o 10,000 tpd i n o r d e r t o

begin t r e a t i n g t h e low-grade s u l f i d e ore. The i n c r e a s e was
expected t o reduce t h e c o s t p e r ton f o r mining, m i l l i n g , and gen-
e r a l expense, even though t h e y i e l d per t o n would be l e s s .
Remodeling r e s u l t e d i n i n c r e a s e d tonnage and c o n s i d e r a b l y f i n e r
g r i n d i n g , d e c r e a s i n g t h e t a i l i n g s l o s s of s u l f i d e copper (11).

1924 Development mining of low-grade copper o r e body was begun (11).

1925 The new 'high-column" method o f undercut b l o c k caving and con-
t r o l l e d o r e drawing comenced. The o r e body was mined i n i n d i v i d -
u a l s t o p e s o r b l o c k s , o r i g i n a l l y 150 by 300 f e e t i n c r o s s s e c t i o n
and 300 f e e t o r more high. During t h e l a t t e r p a r t of t h e y e a r ,
production of copper came s o l e l y from t r e a t m e n t of low-grade ore.
Average mining c o s t s dropped from $1.12 i n 1924 t o $0.437 per t o n
during t h e l a s t 3 months of 1925 (1, u).
1925, The expansion o f t h e c o n c e n t r a t o r was completed; t h e p l a n t was
Oct. 1 operated a t c a p a c i t y , 10,000 t p d ( 8 ) .

1925, end R e s u l t s of t h e l a s t 3 months' work on t h e low-grade o r e and t h e

i n d i c a t e d lower mining c o s t s allowed a r e c a l c u l a t i o n of o r e
r e s e r v e s based o n o l d e r d a t a obtained from d r i l l h o l e s , mining,
and development work (ll).

1926 - costs
A f u l l vear o f m i n i m low-grade o r e was c o m ~ l e t e d :mining
averaged $0.371 per-ton (il).
 A d d i t i o n a l equipment i n s t a l l e d i n t h e c o n c e n t r a t e r e t r e a t m e n t p l a n t
r a i s e d t h e grade of c o n c e n t r a t e produced from 27.96 percent copper
i n 1926 t o 34.26 p e r c e n t i n 1927, w i t h an i n c r e a s e i n c o n c e n t r a -
t i o n r a t i o from 37.22 t o 51.58 t o n s of o r e t o 1 t o n of c o n c e n t r a t e
(11).
1927-28 P l a n t c a p a c i t y was g r a d u a l l y i n c r e a s e d from 10,000 t o 12,000 tpd.
M i l l i n g c o s t s decreased £ran $0.637 i n 1924 t o $0.382 p e r t o n i n
1928 (11).

1928, A d e c i s i o n was made t o i n c r e a s e p l a n t c a p a c i t y from 12,000 t o

fall 17,000 tpd. P l a n s included c o ~ s t r u c t i o no f a modern powerplant
(a.
1928, Concentrator expansion was s t a r t e ' d (2).
Dec .
1929 C a p i t a l e x p e n d i t u r e s t o i n c r e a s e p l a n t c a p a c i t y from 6,600 t o
17,500 tpd were noted by Parsons (12):

Mining p l a n t ................................... $371,810

Concentrating p l a n t ............................ 2,303,618
Powerplant ..................................... 1.263.606
Total ..................................... 3,939,034
1929, The mine and m i l l were placed on a 17,000-tpd b a s i s (s.
Oct. 1

1930 Mixed o x i d e - s u l f i d e o r e was t e s t e d i n t h e l a b o r a t o r y u).

1930, The p r i c e of copper decreased from 18 c e n t s t o 9-112 c e n t s per
Apr. - f a l l pound E). Average p r i c e f o r t h e y e a r was l i s t e d by Engineering
and Mining J o u r n a l a t 12.982 c e n t s per pound.

1930, An i n c l i n e d v e n t i l a t i o n s h a f t , t h e No. 6 , c o l l a r e d i n August, had

Aug . been p u t down 760 f e e t by yearend. The s h a f t was completed i n
1931 (11).

1931 A 250-tpd experimental b e n e f i c i a t i o n p l a n t t o t r e a t mixed oxide-

s u l f i d e o r e was p u t i n t o o p e r a t i o n June 18, 1931. The p r o c e s s ,
known a s t h e l e a c h - p r e c i p i t a t i o n - f l o t a t i o n (L-P-F) b e n e f i c i a t i o n
method, was developed by F. W. Maclennan and Harmon Keyes (11).

Owing t o t h e below-normal copper consumption and t h e , l o w p r i c e of

copper m e t a l , t h e p r o p e r t y was operated a t reduced c a p a c i t y . The
reduced tonnage allowed f i n e r g r i n d i n g , r e s u l t i n g i n t h e h i g h e s t
grade c o n c e n t r a t e , 40.88 p e r c e n t copper, produced t o t h i s d a t e
from t h e low-grade o r e body (11).
1932, A plant costing $313,089 was constructed t o t r e a t 3,000 tpd of
Feb. -Aug. oxide-sulfide ore. The p l a n t was operated i n t e r m i t t e n t l y u n t i l
February 8 , 1933, when t h e e n t i r e property was shut down (ll).

1932, The mine was closed owing t o the decline i n copper price; during
May 15 1932, the p r i c e averaged 5.555 c e n t s per pound with a low of 4.8
c e n t s per pound (11).

Although t h e property remained closed, an experimental run of the

new leaching plant was made (a.
Production resumed on a small s c a l e . Copper p r i c e f o r 1934 aver-
aged 8.4 cents per pound (ll).

Mixed o r e , not amenable t o treatment i n t h e s u l f i d e ore p l a n t , was

t r e a t e d i n t h e new p l a n t , by the L-P-F method developed by the
company between 1929 and 1934 (2, ll).

Plant operation was c u r t a i l e d (ll).

Mixed ore t r e a t e d i n the L-P-F p l a n t increased from 3,000 t o 4,500

tpd (3. The L-P-F p l a n t capacity, i n i t i a l l y reported a s 4,800
tpd, was r a p i d l y increased t o 6,000 tpd (2).

During the shutdown begun i n 1932, t h e s u l f i d e ore already broken

i n the stopes became oxidized; the o r e had t o be temporarily
abandoned because i t was not amenable t o treatment i n t h e s u l f i d e
p l a n t . New stopes s t a r t e d i n J u l y 1936 were brought i n t o produc-
t i o n i n e a r l y 1937 (u.
Another i n c l i n e d s h a f t , t h e No. 7 , was put down t o replace the
abandoned No. 3 s h a f t . The s h a f t , s t a r t e d i n A p r i l , was sunk
1,653 f e e t by yearend and completed t o a depth of 1,680 f e e t i n
1938 (2).

A molybdenum p l a n t was constructed f o r recovery of molybdenite from

copper s u l f i d e concentrates and put i n operation August 1938 (ll).

Leaching equipment was added t o the molybdenum p l a n t t o increase

the e x t r a c t i o n of molybdenite a).
1940, Miami Copper Co. acquired p r o p e r t i e s of Old Dominion Co. near Globe
May 1 t o provide water f o r the Miami plant. Beginning i n 1937, a water
shortage was p a r t l y a l l e v i a t e d by d r i l l i n g a d d i t i o n a l wells and by
i n s t a l l i n g a 180-foot dewatering tank i n 1939. Beginning i n March
1940, however, operations were gradually reduced because of the
diminished water supply; by J u l y the plant was down t o 72 percent
of capacity. The Old Dominion Co., a subsidiary of Phelps Dodge
Corp., was purchased on May 1, 1940; by August the a d d i t i o n a l
water was made a v a i l a b l e a t the M i a m i mine. The c o s t of the prop-
e r t y and of the mine renovation was about $290,000. Other
 properties of the Old Dominion Co. acquired a t t h a t time included
the Continental group of claims a t the head of Webster Gulch near
M i a m i (12).

F a c i l i t i e s were i n s t a l l e d f o r leaching and p r e c i p i t a t i n g copper

from the capping and from the broken ore remaining i n abandoned
s e c t i o n s of the M i a m i mine (11).

1942, Copper production by leaching the copper-bearing m a t e r i a l i n t h e

Jan. abandoned s e c t i o n s of m i n e connrenced and has continued t o the
present (1972) (u.
1943, The mixed-ore body was completely mined out; operations i n t h i s
May 7 a r e a were discontinued, and the mixed-ore b e n e f i c i a t i o n plant was
dismantled (HJ. Production from t h e mixed-ore body from J u l y
1934 t o May 1943 t o t a l e d 9,591,299 tons of ore assaying 1.443
percent t o t a l copper, of which 0.864 percent was oxide copper and.
0.579 percent was s u l f i d e copper. Copper production amounted t o
248,793,924 pounds i n the form of concentrates, assaying 49.786
percent copper. M i l l recovery was 91.8 percent of the copper con-
t a i n e d i n o r e 0.

Production was then obtained exclusively from the s u l f i d e ore

body--93 percent from the 1,000-foot level and 7 percent from the
Captain area on the 720-foot l e v e l (11).

Mining of s u l f i d e o r e i n t h e Captain ore body, resumed i n 1943,

was completed i n 1944; s h a f t No. 8 , put down t o s e r v i c e t h i s area,
was abandoned. The s e c t i o n was made a v a i l a b l e f o r inplace leach-
ing (11).

1944, Work was s t a r t e d t o move o f f i c e s and residences a w e r a l miles t o a

Apr. new l o c a t i o n on f l a t land, away from the projected subsidence
area. The new s i t e was provided with roads, sewers, e l e c t r i c
power, n a t u r a l g a s , and water for i r r i g a t i o n and domestic use. By
yearend, 13 houses were relocated (11).

Inplace leaching of s u l f i d e copper minerals i n abandoned p a r t s of

the m i n e required a solvent containing s u l f u r i c acid and f e r r i c
sulfate. I n 1945, a p i l o t p l a n t , one-fourth the s i z e of a com-
mercial u n i t , was designed and constructed t o produce the solvent.
The p l a n t was then incorporated i n t o the f u l l - s c a l e f a c i l i t y u).
1945, Dividends aid by Miami Copper Co. up t o December 31, 1945, t o t a l e d
Dec. 31 about $39,461,904 0.

1946 Premium Price Plan payments f o r wartime copper production ceased

f o r Miami Copper Co. on November 1, 1946. These payments were
made on copper produced from i t s operating mines i n excess of pro-
duction quotas. The c e i l i n g p r i c e of 12 c e n t s per pound f o r elec-
t r o l y t i c copper delivered t o points i n New England was established
 August 1941 by t h e Office of P r i c e Administration and remained i n
e f f e c t u n t i l June 3 , 1946, when i t was increased t o 14-318 cents
per pound. Simultaneously, t h e "A" copper premium under t h e
Premium Price Plan was reducedfrom 5 t o 2-518 c e n t s per pound.
On Nwember 10, 1946, the c e l i n g p r i c e s of copper were d i s c o n t i n -
ued; the market p r i c e f o r domestic e l e c t r o l y t i c copper rose t o
17-112 cents per pound. On Nwember 23, 1946, the p r i c e increased
t o 19-112 cents per pound where i t remained u n t i l yearend (llJ.

1949 An i n i t i a l r e p o r t was made of copper being recovered by lime t r e a t -

ment of copper-bearing water pumped from the Burch water basin.
The water was then used f o r i n d u s t r i a l purposes (ll).

1950 Churn-drill exploration beyond the Miami f a u l t , s t a r t e d i n 1949,

.was discontinued i n 1950 because of unfavorable r e s u l t s (u.
1951, A general price-freeze order s e t the p r i c e f o r most domestically
Jan. 26 produced copper a t 24.5 c e n t s per pound. The p r i c e c o n t r o l was
removed February 1953 (2).

1952 Churn-drill exploration increased the reserves of low-grade copper

o r e by an estimated 23 m i l l i o n tons. Development of the ore body,
estimated t o c o s t $3 m i l l i o n , was scheduled t o be completed i n
1955 Ql).

1953 A c o n t r a c t signed on February 13 with Defense Materials Procurement

Agency p r w i d e d t h a t t h e General Services Administration would
purchase 230 m i l l i o n pounds of copper produced from the new, low-
grade, submarginal o r e a t a guaranteed p r i c e of 27.35 cents per
pound (subject t o e s c a l a t i o n ) . The Gwernment a l s o had an option
t o purchase any molybdenum concentrates produced i n c i d e n t a l t o t h e
a b w e low-grade ores. Purchase was guaranteed a t $1 per pound o r
the prevailing market p r i c e , whichever was g r e a t e r . 'Ihe company
had the r i g h t t o tender t o the Government, and the Government was
obligated t o purchase a l l the molybdenum concentrates from the
low-grade ore body t h a t the company was unable t o s e l l on the open
market a t o r above $1 per pound. The c o n t r a c t f u r t h e r provided
t h e Government with an option t o purchase up t o 120 m i l l i o n pounds
of copper produced from previously prwed old reserves of the
Miami mine. The copper was t o be sold t o t h e Gwernment s t the
lower of the following two p r i c e s : (1) The E&MJ Metal & M i n e r a l
Market p r i c e averaged during t h e month of the delivery t o t h e
Government, or (2) the c o n t r a c t o r ' s c e i l i n g price f o r domestic
refined copper on the d a t e of d e l i v e r y t o the Gwernment. Both
delivery p r i c e s were f.0.b. Connecticut Valley (ll, u).
Development of t h e low-grade (0.5 percent copper) o r e body'was
underway. The deposit was l a r g e l y below the old stopes of high-
grade mixed ore i n the Captain area of the mine (17).
1954 Beginning i n March and gradually expanding during t h e year, produc-
Mar. t i o n was obtained from the low-grade ore body i n the Captain area
) The Gwernment exercised i t s option t o purchase up t o 120
m i l l i o n pounds of copper produced from t h e reserves remaining i n
the old s e c t i o n of the mine (9.

Dilution of t h e mixed ore by overlying oxidized capping t o a

g r e a t e r extent than expected r e s u l t e d i n an increase i n t h e amount
of oxide t o s u l f i d e copper i n t h e m i l l feed. Some copper con-
tained i n the malachite, a z u r i t e , and c u p r i t e minerals was r e c w -
ered by f l o t a t i o n ; however, the copper contained i n t h e dominant
copper-bearing mineral, chrysocolla, could not be recovered. The
mixed o r e assayed 0.4 percent sulfide-copper and 0.5 percent
nonsulfide-copper. S e l e c t i v e mining was, t h e r e f o r e , i n i t i a t e d i n
the low-grade s e c t i o n of the mine t o improve copper r e c w e r y and
t o lower c o s t s (2,9 . Mining schedules were revised t o e l i m i -
nate 3.5 m i l l i o n tons of the nonsulfide m a t e r i a l from mining
reserves. The remaining copper i n t h e urnnined reserves was sched-
uled f o r r e c w e r y by inplace leaching a t t h e conclusion of the
block-cave mining operations (11).

1955, The Gwernment c o n t r a c t f o r s a l e of copper from t h e low-grade s e c -

Aug. 31 t i o n of mine was terminated (ll).

1956 Early i n the year, the Gwernment c o n t r a c t covering the high-grade

s e c t i o n of t h e mine was completed when the balance of the required
120 m i l l i o n pounds of copper had been produced ( l l ) .

Research during t h e year suggested recovery could be improved by

treatment of high oxide ores using the L-P-F c i r c u i t developed i n
the 1935-42 period. Treatment involved leaching the crushed o r e
with a c i d , p r e c i p i t a t i o n of copper on shredded i r o n , and f l o t a t i o n
of copper p r e c i p i t a t e s f o r recovery of copper content. I n l a t e
1956, an allotment t o i n s t a l l the L-P-F c i r c u i t i n the concentra-
t o r was requested (2, J l.
Expansion and modernization of the p r e c i p i t a t i o n p l a n t was begun
(11).

1957, Construction of the second s e c t i o n of the new p r e c i p i t a t i o n plant

early was begun and by yearend was 55 percent complete; underground
pumping f a c i l i t i e s were 47 percent complete (ll).
1957, One s e c t i o n of the new p r e c i p i t a t i o n p l a n t placed was i n operation
Mar. f o r inplace leaching (2).

1957, Operation of t h e new L-P-F c i r c u i t was begun and conducted success-

Apr. 16 f u l l y with only normal i n t e r r u p t i o n s u n t i l March 31, 1958, when
the low p r i c e of copper forced shutdown of the m i l l (2). The
average p r i c e of copper dropped from about 42 cents per pound i n
1956 t o 26 c e n t s per pound i n 1958.
1958, Minable o r e r e s e r v e s were e s t i m a t e d to be 3,470,000 t o n s on Janu-
Jan. 1 a r y 1, 1958. The e s t i m a t e s of r e s e r v e s were r e v i s e d downward when
t h e d e c i s i o n was made t o c u r t a i l t h e underground o p e r a t i o n e a r l y
i n 1958 ( l l ) .

1958, The p r o d u c t i o n of high-grade o x i d e o r e was d i s c o n t i n u e d , e l i m i n a t -

Apr. 1 i n g t h e need t o o p e r a t e t h e L-P-F c i r c u i t ; c a p a c i t y of t h e mining
o p e r a t i o n was reduced from 12,000 t o 6,000 tpd (2).

1958, The p r e c i p i t a t i o n p l a n t was completed and a d d i t i o n a l sump c a p a c i t y

late and pumps were i n s t a l l e d on t h e 1,000-foot l e v e l of t h e Miami mine
(ll) -
New pumps and a p i p e l i n e network r e q u i r e d f o r t h e i n s i t u leach
o p e r a t i o n were added t o t h e s o l u t i o n d i s t r i b u t i o n system on s u r -
face ( l l ) .
I n midyear underground mining was discontinued. Remaining recover-
a b l e copper i n t h e mined-out a r e a was t o be e x t r a c t e d by i n p l a c e
leaching and p r e c i p i t a t i o n u.
1960, The Board of D i r e c t o r s of Miami Copper Co. approved and a u t h o r i z e d
Feb. 29 a p l a n f o r complete l i q u i d a t i o n of t h e company t o be submitted t o
t h e s t o c k h o l d e r s f o r t h e i r approval ( l l ) .

1960, 'Tennessee Corp. purchased t h e p l a n t s , equipment, and c e r t a i n o t h e r

June 10 a s s e t s ( i n c l u d i n g investments i n s u b s i d i a r y ' & p a n i e s ) , and
e n t e r e d a l e a s e - o p t i o n agreement covering t h e mining p r o p e r t i e s of
Miami Copper Co. s u b j e c t t o a n i n t e r e s t i n t h e o r e r e s e r v e s
(reserved i n - o r e payment) which was s o l d by t h a t company f o r $15
m i l l i o n . The l e a s e - o p t i o n agreement provides t h a t such r e s e r v e d
i n - o r e payment, t o g e t h e r with an amount e q u i v a l e n t t o 6 p e r c e n t
per annum on t h e u n l i q u i d a t e d balance t h e r e o f , may be s a t i s f i e d by
d e l i v e r y o f 27 p e r c e n t of t h e copper c o n c e n t r a t e s and 27 p e r c e n t
of a major p o r t i o n of t h e copper p r e c i p i t a t e s produced from t h e
Miami p r o p e r t i e s ( o r c a s h e q u i v a l e n t t o t h e market v a l u e of such
copper) u n t i l t h e r e s e r v e d i n - o r e payment i s e x t i n g u i s h e d , o r
u n t i l Tennessee may e x e r c i s e i t s o p t i o n t o purchase t h e mining
p r o p e r t i e s , o r otherwise t e r m i n a t e t h e agreement. I f t h e o p t i o n
t o purchase i s e x e r c i s e d , t h e p r i c e s h a l l be t h e balance o f t h e
r e s e r v e d i n - o r e payment. Upon f i n a l s e t t l e m e n t of t h e r e s e r v e d
i n - o r e payment, Tennessee w i l l t a k e f u l l t i t l e t o t h e remaining
ore reserves, subject t o a s u b s t a n t i a l l y smaller periodic in-ore
( r o y a l t y ) payment" (23, 1960, p. 1 0 ) .

1963, Tennessee Corp. merged w i t h C i t i e s S e r v i c e Co. (3).

June

1969, Miami Copper Co. began mining a low-grade a r e a along t h e Miami-

early I n s p i r a t i o n p r o p e r t i e s boundary by open p i t methods. The m a t e r i a l ,
assaying 0.78 p e r c e n t t o t a l copper (0.59 p e r c e n t oxide copper and
 0.19 p e r c e n t s u l f i d e c o p p e r ) , was t r a n s f e r r e d i n t o t h e subsidence
a r e a c r e a t e d by t h e block-caving o p e r a t i o n . The p r o j e c t , i n v o l v -
i n g t h e t r a n s f e r o f 1,348,172 t o n s i n t o a 200,000-square-foot a r e a
averaging 135 f e e t t h i c k , was t o have been completed i n September.
Leaching s o l u t i o n s a p p l i e d t o t h e s u r f a c e a r e a p e r c o l a t e d through
t h e m i n e r a l i z e d m a t e r i a l ; t h e s o l u t i o n s were c o l l e c t e d on t h e
1,000-foot l e v e l of t h e mine (5,14).

1969, C i t i e s S e r v i c e announced discovery of m i n e r a l i z a t i o n i n Miami E a s t

Apr. a r e a (15).

The I n s p i r a t i o n Consolidated copper Co. annual r e p o r t f o r 1970,

page 8 , r e p o r t e d t h a t C i t i e s S e r v i c e announced discovery of an o r e
body e a s t of t h e f a u l t t h a t terminated t h e e a s t e r n e x t r e m i t y of
t h e Miami-Inspiration d e p o s i t . I n s p i r a t i o n d r i l l e d on p r o p e r t y
a d j a c e n t t o Miami Copper from August 1969 i n t o 1970. I n s p i r a -
t i o n ' s f i v e d r i l l h o l e s ranged i n d e p t h £ r a n 3,300 t o 5,500 f e e t .
The f i r s t f o u r , a s t h e y p r o g r e s s i v e l y probed e a s t of t h e f a u l t
system t o g r e a t e r depths, showed minor b u t i n c r e a s i n g copper min-
e r a l i z a t i o n . The f i f t h h o l e , beginning a t 4,800 f e e t , showed a
300-foot m i n e r a l i z e d column with an average copper c o n t e n t o f
s l i g h t l y over 1 p e r c e n t , u n d e r l a i n by more than 300 f e e t of lower
grade m a t e r i a l ( 9 ) .

1970, Ten d r i l l h o l e s w e r e completed i n t h e downfaulted s e p n t of t h e

Jan. Miami-Inspiration d e p o s i t . On t h e b a s i s of i n f o r m a t i o n from e i g h t
d r i l l h o l e s , t h e Miami E a s t o r e body was e s t i m a t e d t o range from
2,460 t o 3,800 f e e t i n depth and from 150 t o 645 f e e t i n t h i c k n e s s .
D r i l l - h o l e a s s a y s of the m i n e r a l i z e d zone averaged 1.35 p e r c e n t
copper. Engineering s t u d i e s were underway f o r a p r o j e c t e d 4,000-
f o o t s h a f t a t t h e discovery s i t e t o provide access f o r underground
d r i l l i n g , b u l k sampling, and d e t a i l e d e v a l u a t i o n of t h e d e p o s i t .
S h a f t s i n k i n g was e s t i m a t e d t o r e q u i r e approximately 1-1/2 y e a r s
U).
Boyles Brothers D r i l l i n g Co. of S a l t Lake C i t y was awarded a con-
t r a c t t o deepen t h e o l d M i a m i No. 5 s h a f t f o r e x p l o r a t i o n o f t h e
d e p o s i t . The s h a f t was scheduled t o be deepened from i t s p r e s e n t
d e p t h of 1,120 f e e t t o 3,520 f e e t ; completion was expected about
February 1972. Van Dyke-Dail Co. and Hagen C o n s t r u c t i o n Co. made
p r e p a r a t o r y changes i n t h e s h a f t . E x i s t i n g h o i s t f a c i l i t i e s were
t o be r e t a i n e d , and l e a c h i n g was t o c o n t i n u e i n t h e Miami mine
(16).
1973, Deepening o f t h e o l d Miami s h a f t was t o be completed i n 1973, and
Mar. development of t h e mine was t o follow. Production from t h e h i g h -
grade o r e body was t o begin l a t e 1974 and to r e a c h 2,000 tpd by
1978. Ore w i l l be processed i n e x i s t i n g company f a c i l i t i e s .

1973, The Miami E a s t o r e body i s 3,000 f e e t long by 1,200 f e e t wide w i t h

Apr. a maximum t h i c k n e s s of 400 f e e t ; t h e t o p of t h e d e p o s i t i s a t a
depth o f 2,500 f e e t . Located 2,000 f e e t e a s t of the Miami ore
body, Miami East dips north and e a s t with a maximum p i t c h o f 34"
(9.
 REFERENCES

Arizona Department o f Mineral Resources. Copper I n d u s t r y ; S t a t i s t i c s f o r

(yeas) Compared With Other Years, Arizona, United S t a t e s and World
( t i t l e v a r i e s ) . Phoenix, A r i z . , annual p u b l i c a t i o n s 1960 through 1970.

Bean, J. J. The L e a c h - P r e c i p i t a t i o n - P l o t a t i o n Method o f C o n c e n t r a t i o n a t

M i a m i Copper Co. Golo. School Mines Q u a r t e r l y , v . 56, No. 3 , 1961,
pp. 263-281.

C i t i e s S e r v i c e Co. Annual Report, 1963-72.

F l e t c h e r , J . B. Ground Movement and Subsidence From Block-Caving a t

M i a m i Mine. Trans. AIME, v. 217, 1960, pp. 413-422.

- .
Eng.,
I n - P l a c e Leaching, M i a m i Mine, Miami, Arizona. Pres. t o Soc. Min.
AIME, New York, Feb. 26-Mar. 4 , 1971, AIME P r e p r i n t 71-AS-40,
13 PP-
Granger, B. H. Arizona P l a c e N a m e s . U n i v e r s i t y o f Arizona P r e s s ,
Tuscon, A r i z . , 1960, p. 103.

Hardwick, W. R . Block-Caving Copper Mining Methods and C o s t s a t t h e

M i a m i Mine, G i l a County, Ariz. BuMines I C 8271, 1965, 96 pp.

Hunt, H. D. M i l l i n g Methods and Costs a t t h e Concentrator of t h e Miami

Copper Co., M i a m i , Ariz. BuMines I C 6573, 1932, 26 pp.

I n s p i r a t i o n Consolidated Copper Co. Annual Report, 1970, p. 8.

Maclennan, F. W. M i a m i Copper Co. Method of Mining Low-Grade Orebody.

Trans. AIME, v. 91, 1930, pp. 39-86.

Miami Copper Co. Annual Reports, 1909-59.

Parsons, A. B. The Porphyry Coppers. American I n s t i t u t e o f Mining and

M e t a l l u r g i c a l Engineers, New York, 1933, pp. 161-183.

- . The Porphyry Coppers i n 1956. American I n s t i t u t e of Mining,

M e t a l l u r g i c a l , and Petroleum Engineers, New York, 1957, pp. 96-109.

Pay D i r t . Miami Copper Checking P o s s i b l e Ore Discovery. No. 358,

Apr. 28, 1969, p. 28.

15. -. M i a m i Copper Studying Two I n t e r e s t i n g Prospects. No. 367,

Jan. 26, 1970, pp. 1, 6.

16. -. Miami Copper To Deepen S h a f t f o r E x p l o r a t i o n . No. 370, Apr. 27,

1970, p. 3.
Peterson, N. P. Geology and Ore Deposits of the Globe-Miami D i s t r i c t ,
Arizona. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 342, 1962, 151 pp.

Ransome, F. L. Geology of the Globe Copper District, Arizona. U.S.

Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper 12, 1903, pp. 114-118, 134.

- .
Prof.
The Copper Deposits of Ray and M i a m i , Arizona.
Paper 115, 1919, p. 92.
U.S. Geol. Survey

Rubley, G. R. Miami-Inspiration D i s t r i c t . Ch. i n Some Arizona Ore

Deposits. Ariz. BuMines Geol. S e r i e s 12, Bull. 145, 1938, pp. 66-72.

S k i l l i n g s , D. N., Jr. Pinto Valley Project. S k i l l i n g s ' Min. Rev.,

v. 62, No. 17, Apr. 28, 1973, p. 16.

Stevens, H. J. The Copper Handbook. Horace 3. Stevens, Houghton, Mich.,

v. 4 , 1904, 778 pp.; v. 5, 1905; v. 6 , 1906, 1116 pp.; v. 7, 1907,
1228 pp.; v. 8, 1908, 1500 pp.; v. 10, 1910-11, 1902 pp.

Tennessee Corp. Annual Reports, 1960-62.

Tuck, F. J. S t o r i e s of Arizona Copper Mines. Arizona Dept. Mineral

Resources, Phoenix, Ariz., 1957, pp. 9-22.

Weed, W. H. The Mines Handbook. Stevens' Copper Handbook Co., New York,
v. 12, 1916, 1699 pp.; Mines Handbook Co., Tuckahoe, N.Y., v. 16, 1925,
2350 pp.,(replaced Copper Handbook l i s t e d a s reference 22).

Wendt, A. F. The Copper-Ores of t h e Southwest. Trans. AIME, v. 15,

1886-87, pp. 25-77.
 APPENDIX B.--HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CASTLE WME PROPERTY

Ownership.--In 1972, t h e C a s t l e Dome p r o p e r t y was owned by C i t i e s S e r v i c e

Co. C a s t l e Dome Copper Co., I n c . , a s u b s i d i a r y of M i a m i Copper Co., a c q u i r e d
t h e p r o p e r t i e s o f P i n t o V a l l e y Co. i n 1941. I n 1960 Miami Copper Co. merged
w i t h Tennessee Corp., and i n 1963 Tennessee Corp. became a s u b s i d i a r y of
C i t i e s S e r v i c e Corp.

Location ( f i g . A-1). --The C a s t l e Dome a r e a i s 5 m i l e s w e s t of Miami i n

t h e Globe-Miami d i s t r i c t , G i l a County, Ariz. The mine i s on t h e s o u t h f l a n k
of Porphyry Mountain i n unsurveyed s e c s 20, 21, 28, and 29, T 1 N , R 14 E , i n
t h e western p a r t of t h e Globe quadrangle a s mapped by t h e G e o l o g i c a l Survey i n
1901. The o p e r a t i o n was a c c e s s i b l e by a branch road 4 m i l e s long t h a t con-
nected w i t h U.S. Highway 70, 5 m i l e s west of M i a m i ( f i g . A-1).

Climate.--The annual p r e c i p i t a t i o n i s about 20 i n c h e s , mainly from cloud-

b u r s t s d u r i n g J u l y and August. Light s n o w f a l l conmonly occurs i n t h e C a s t l e
Dome a r e a between December and February.

T o p o ~ r a ~ h v . - - T h et e r r a i n i s f a i r l y rugged and i r r e g u l a r . I n 1951, t h e

t o p bench n e a r t h e c r e s t o f Porphyry Mountain was mapped a s 4,750 f e e t ; t h e
lowermost bench was shown a s 4,265 f e e t . The t o p of Red (South) H i l l i s 4,229
feet.

.'
Geolonv (5-6) --The m i n e r a l i z a t i o n i n t h e C a s t l e Dome a r e a covers almost
1 square mile. The p r i n c i p a l h o s t r o c k o f t h e C a s t l e Dome o r e body i s t h e Lost
Gulch quartzmonzonite. Except f o r a l a r g e block of a n i n t r u s i v e west o f t h e
Gold Gulch f a u l t and s e p a r a t e d from t h e main mass, t h e Lost Gulch q u a r t z mon-
z o n i t e i s confined t o a prominent h o r s t s t r u c t u r e which t r e n d s n o r t h -
n o r t h w e s t e r l y through t h e c e n t r a l p a r t of t h e C a s t l e Dome a r e a . The most prom-
i n e n t s t r u c t u r e w i t h i n t h e mine i s t h e n o r t h e a s t - t r e n d i n g Dome f a u l t zone
v h i c h d i v i d e s t h e o r e body i n t o two p a r t s , s e p a r a t e d by i r r e g u l a r bodies of
w a s t e c o n s i s t i n g of leached o r unenriched p r o t o r e r e l a t e d t o t h e f a u l t zone.

Hypogene m i n e r a l i z a t i o n - - c o n s i s t i n g mainly of p y r i t e , c h a l c o p y r i t e , and

s m a l l amounts of molybdenite, s p h a l e r i t e , and g a l e n a - - i s confined p r i n c i p a l l y
t o t h e q u a r t z monzonite and d r a n i t e porphyry. Hypogene m i n e r a l i z a t i o n i n t h e
g r a n i t e porphyry appears t o be weak. P y r i t e and c h a l c o p y r i t e a r e disseminated
o r occur i n narrow, c l o s e l y spaced q u a r t z v e i n s . Veins c o n t a i n i n g massive
c h a l c o p y r i t e occur n e a r d i a b a s e s i l l s i n t h e s o u t h e r n p a r t of t h e q u a r t z mon-
z o n i t e . Molybdenite, widely d i s t r i b u t e d i n many p a r t s of t h e mine, has a v e r -
aged 0.01 t o 0.02 p e r c e n t MoS,. S p h a l e r i t e and g a l e n a a r e p r e s e n t i n a f e w
s c a t t e r e d v e i n s , p a r t i c u l a r l y w i t h i n t h e Dome f a u l t system; gold and s i l v e r
occur only i n v e r y s m a l l amounts. M i n e r a l i z a t i o n shows a d i s t i n c t zoning
pattern.

Supergene enrichment, n o t n e a r l y a s e x t e n s i v e a s i n t h e Miami-Inspiration

d e p o s i t , p l a y s an important p a r t i n t h e formation of t h e o r e body and i s

'underlined numbers i n p a r e n t h e s e s r e f e r t o items i n t h e l i s t of r e f e r e n c e s a t

t h e end of t h i s appendix.
c l e a r l y r e l a t e d t o t h e p r e s e n t topography. The t e n o r of t h e o r e was i n c r e a s e d
by supergene enrichment e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e s o u t h e r n p a r t of t h e o r e body where
c h a l c o c i t e and c o v e l l i t e were formed a s a replacement of c h a l c o p y r i t e . Chalco-
c i t e i s t h e most abundant supergene s u l f i d e mineral. C o v e l l i t e was f o r w d by
t h e o x i d a t i o n of c h a l c o c i t e , o r t o a lesser degree by t h e replacercent o f c h a l -
c o p y r i t e . I n a few p l a c e s i n t h e o x i d i z e d zone, s m a l l masses of c u p r i t e were
formed by o x i d a t i o n of c h a l c o c i t e ; c u p r i t e was f u r t h e r a l t e r e d t o form mala-
c h i t e and a z u r i t e . Small amounts of m a l a c h i t e a r e p r e s e n t throughout t h e cap-
p i n g ; t u r q u o i s e i s f a i r l y widespread i n t h e c h a l c o c i t e zone and i n t h e leached
capping. The most c m o n occurrence of oxidized m i n e r a l s i s i n and near t h e
diabase sills.

L o c a l i z a t i o n of copper m i n e r a l i z a t i o n i s due t o t h e e f f e c t of (1) zoning

i n t h e hypogene m i n e r a l i z a t i o n , (2) t h e r i c h e r copper m e t a l l i z a t i o n a s s o c i a t e d
w i t h t h e f i n e - g r a i n e d d i a b a s e s i l l s i n t r u d e d i n t o t h e q u a r t z monzonite, and
(3) supergene enrichment, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e s o u t h e r n p a r t of t h e o r e body.

I n 1951, P e t e r s o n and o t h e r s (5) e s t i m a t e d t h a t t h e o r e body, measured on

t h e long a x i s , ranged from 2,000 f e e t on t h e 4,330-foot l e v e l t o 3,800 f e e t on
t h e 4,085-foot l e v e l . Leached capping over t h e o r e body ranged from a few
f e e t t o a maximm of 250 f e e t and averaged about 80 f e e t . Complete leaching
r a r e l y extended more t h a n 150 f e e t below t h e s u r f a c e , and g e n e r a l l y contained
l e s s than 0 . 1 p e r c e n t copper. The t r a n s i t i o n from w a s t e t o o r e c o n t a i n i n g 0.4
p e r c e n t copper u s u a l l y occurred i n l e s s t h a n 15 f e e t .

Production (1-2, 4-z).--From 1943 t o 1953 Miami Copper Co. mined t h e

C a s t l e Dome o r e on Porphyry Mountain by open p i t . I n 1953, t h e open p i t oper-
a t i o n was t e r m i n a t e d , and dump l e a c h i n g began and continued t o 1970, t h e l a s t
y e a r production was r e p o r t e d . Table B - 1 shows t h e open p i t p r o d u c t i o n and
c o p p e r , g o l d , and s i l v e r recovered; t a b l e B-2 shows t h e amount of p r e c i p i t a t e
copper recovered from dump leaching.

The following d a t a , which cover t h e l i f e of t h e C a s t l e Dome p r o p e r t y from

J u n e 1943 t o December 1953 when t h e open p i t mine was s h u t down, were pub-
l i s h e d by Parsons (4) :

Ore mined and milled.......... ........ tons..

...................... ..
S t r i p p i n g removed do.
Grade o f o r e ................ pe r c e n t copper..
Tailing ................................ . do..
Recovery a s concentrate............percent. .
Copper produced ....................... tons..
Copper produced, approximate value..........
...
Gold and s i l v e r produced, v a l u e . . . . . . . . . .

I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e m e t a l s r e c w e r e d , t h e d e p o s i t was an important s o u r c e
o f turquoise. The molybdenite and s m a l l occurrences of g a l e n a and s p h a l e r i t e
were not r e c w e r e d .
 TABLE B-1. - Copper, g o l d . and s i l v e r produced from t h e
C a s t l e Dome mine, 1943-53

Year I Ore, tons I Copper, I Gold, ISilver,

I pounds I ounces ounces
1,714,205
4,107,975
18,020,066
49.743.367 1}1,871 1 95,975

1953.. .......... 3.952.775 1 40,815.598 1 451 1 35,908

Total.. .... 41,442.617 1514,390,317 1 8.291 1 554.138
Source: P e t e r s o n , N. P. Geology and Ore Deposits of t h e
Globe-Miami District, Arizona. U.S. Geol. Sur-
vey Prof. Paper 342, 1962, p. 88 (3.

TABLE B-2. - Copper recovered from p r e c i p i t a t e s from t h e

C a s t l e Dome mine, 1953-71

Year I Precipitatecopper 11 year 1 Precipitate copper

recovered. pounds recovered. pounds
162,113 5,513,538

Sources: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper I n d u s t r y S t a t i s t i c s

(3.
Miami Copper Co. Annual R e p o r t s , 1953-58 (2).

Reserves.--Castle Dome ceased open p i t mining i n 1953. No r e s e r v e s f o r

t h e leaching o p e r a t i o n were published.

History.--Mining h i s t o r y i n t h e Globe-Miami a r e a began w i t h t h e l o c a t i o n

of the Globe c l a i m i n t h e Globe a r e a 6 m i l e s e a s t of t h e Miami a r e a . The
importance of t h e d e p o s i t s west of t h e Globe a r e a was recognized about 1881,
r e s u l t i n g i n t h e e r e c t i o n of a s m a l l copper furnace on Western Pass r o a d ,
6 miles west of Globe (6J.
The f i r s t mining l o c a t i o n i n t h e C a s t l e Dome-Miami area was the
Continental claim. Other locations followed on t h e south flank of
Jewel H i l l and along Gold Gulch; however, names of claims and
a c t u a l dates a r e unknown (9.

Considerable development work was underway a t the Continental mine

about 3,000 f e e t n o r t h e a s t of Porphyry Mountain (9.

Old Dominion Co. of Globe, Ariz., purchased t h e Continental mine

(k) -
Ransome @), i n 1903, reported no shipments had been made from the
Continental mine a t the time of h i s v i s i t . Workings consisted of
t h r e e tunnels with s e v e r a l hundred f e e t of d r i f t s and crosscuts
and sane small shafts. Two levels--the fourth and fifth--were
below t h e t h i r d tunnel l e v e l , which i s t h e main a d i t . Total depth
reached was about 350 f e e t . Peterson (6J noted the host rock was
i n a small finger of quartz monzonite p r o j e c t i n g from the e a s t
margin of the i n t r u s i v e , bounded on the north, e a s t , and south by
a diabase i n t r u s i v e . Sulfide o r e i n the main v e i n was generally
low grade, 2 t o 3 percent copper, but there was an occasional 20
percent copper. This v e i n , oxidized 100 f e e t below the surface,
contained r i c h ore of c u p r i t e , malachite, a z u r i t e , and n a t i v e
s i l v e r . Sporadic production from 1906 t o 1936 was reported. An
enriched zone had an estimated 5.2 percent copper, 0.058 ounces of
gold, and 3.4 ounces of s i l v e r per ton. After 1936, copper grade
decreased t o an average of 0.74 percent; gold and s i l v e r increased
t o 0.15 ounce and 4.45 ounces per ton, r e s p e c t i v e l y (6,8 ) .

Many claims were located on Porphyry Mountain and throughout- the

Cactus mineralized a r e a on Pinto Creek, about 2 miles south of
Porphyry Mountain. During t h i s t i m e most of the claims were
acquired by Arizona National Copper Co., the Pinto Copper Mining
Co. , and the Cactus Development Co. (6).

Castle Dome Development Co., with a mine o f f i c e i n Globe, was

reported sinking a 4- by 8-foot s h a f t . The exact l o c a t i o n of the
s h a f t was not given. By November 1908, operations a t the s i t e
ceased; stockholders were n o t i f i e d the $30,000 spent on "develop-
ment work" was t o be refunded ( l o) .
Pinto Creek Mining and Smelting Co. planned t o expand i t s m i l l t o
100 tons by f a l l of 1906. The company had been organized Decem-
ber 11, 1896, i n Arizona; c a p i t a l i z a t i o n increased i n 1906 t o
$1.25 m i l l i o n , shares $1 par. Property was 2 1 claims including
the Yo Tambien claim and the Manito claim i n the Pinto Creek area.
The Yo Tambien had a 570-foot s h a f t and a 900-foot connecting tun-
n e l ; the Manito had a 79-foot s h a f t and three tunnels t o t a l i n g
1,500 f e e t . I n December 1905, D. L. Ricketts and J. C. Erman had
t e s t e d the ore and suggested expanding the 30-ton concentrator t o
100 tons (lo).
1906, Arizona National Copper Co. was organized i n Arizona with a c a p i t a l -
Feb. 1 i z a t i o n of $3 million, shares $10 p a r , and bonds of $300,000 a t
5 percent. Property included 14 claims, 1 m i l l s i t e , and 100 acres
of timber on Pinto Creek (10).

1906, Pinto Creek Copper Mining Co. was organized Nwember 21, 1906, i n
Nov. Arizona, with a c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $1 m i l l i o n , shares $1 par. Land
consisted of nine claims near the Arizona and Globe Standard prop-
e r t y on Pinto Creek u.
1908, C a s t l e Dome Copper Co.wasorganizedunder'1awsofArizonaandreorgan-
Apr. 3 ized April 3, 1908, with a c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $600,000, shares $10
par. Lands included 12 claims (about 240 acres) 17 miles west of
Globe near t h e Continental mine of the Old Dominion, on t h e e a s t -
e r n s i d e of Pinto Creek, ' k i t h the deepest workings of 300 f e e t i n
schist -dioritel' ( a ) .
,"
1908, Cactus Development Co. wA z e d i n Minnesota with a c a p i t a l i -
Oct. z a t i o n of $500,000, shares $ 1 par. Property consisting of 33
claims on Pinto Creek 4 miles west of Miami was held under bonds
and leases aggregating $415,000. Old workings by former owners
consisted of two s h o r t tunnels and two two-compartment s h a f t s
(a).

1909, C a s t l e Dome Mining Co. was organized i n Arizona with c a p i t a l i z a t i o n

June of $1.5 million, shares $5 p a r assessable, $ 1 paid. The company
was previously known a s C a s t l e Dome Copper Co. Property was
reported t o be U claims (260 acres) on the e a s t e r n s i d e of Pinto
Creek, about 1-112 miles m r t h e a s t of t h e Cactus mine, and near
t h e Continental mine "of the Black Warrior, including Continental
Springs. " Workings included the 200-foot -deep Virginia s h a f t .
Mine was i d l e i n 1910-11 (10).

Cactus Development Co., reorganized a s Cactus Copper Co., was i d l e

from 1910 through 1911. Cactus Copper Co. had been organized i n
Minnesota with a c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $5 m i l l i o n , shares $5 p a r ,
2,828,345 issued. The company was controlled by Lycoming Co.,
which owned about 40 percent of the shares. Cactus Copper Co. had
an i n t e r e s t i n the Pinto Creek Copper Mining Co. Original lands
of Cactus Copper Co. covered about 1,400 acres and included 9
claims held under bond from t h e Pinto Creek Copper Mining Co.; 14
claims, a 15-acre m i l l s i t e , snd 100 acres of timber land held by
the Arizona National Copper Co.; and 42 claims, known a s the Upper
group, added i n 1910. Cactus Copper Co. acquired a 51-percent
i n t e r e s t i n Pinto Creek Copper Mining Co. i n consideration for
sinking the Hamilton s h a f t 500 f e e t . The Cactus mine i n the Pinto
Creek area had two s h a f t s t o depths of 530 and 541 f e e t ; about
1 mile of l a t e r a l openings plus considerable churn d r i l l i n g had
been done. The surface showed indications of mineralization;
however, t h e ore was found t o be s p o t t y and not carmercial. Work
was abandoned and bonds on the property were surrendered about
October 1910 ( a ) .
 Development work by Arizona National Copper Co. a t the Pinto Creek
property included 50- and 75-foot s h a f t s and 195-, 250-, and 300-
foot tunnels. Lands were under option t o Cactus Development Co.
(which was succeeded by Cactus Copper Co.). Cactus Copper Co.
reportedly relinquished i t s bonds on the lands l a t e i n 1910. The
deposit, described a s contact veins between the s c h i s t and g r a n i t e ,
averaged 14 inches wide and was traced 785 f e e t . High-grade oxi-
dized ores i n the v e i n contained chrysocolla and n a t i v e copper,
with some chalcopyrite and bornite. The 80-foot "ledge" of decom-
posed s c h i s t contained s l i g h t copper s u l f i d e mineralization (lo).

Mortgage on Pinto Creek Mining & Smelting Co. was foreclosed (lo).

1913, I n s p i r a t i o n Extension Copper Co. was organized i n Delaware with

Feb. 11 c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $ 1 m i l l i o n , shares $5 par, $80,000 issued. Prop-
e r t y a t t h i s time was nine unpatented claims (145 acres) p a r t i a l l y
surrounded by I n s p i r a t i o n Consolidated Copper Co. land. Develop-
ment of t h i s property included a 90-foot s h a f t put down i n
September 1913 (9, l l ) .

C a s t l e Dome Development Co. was incorporated 1915 i n Maine with a

c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $3 m i l l i o n , shares $5 par (11). Peterson (6)
noted t h a t holdings a t the time of incorporation consisted of
e i g h t patented claims on Porphyry Mountain and a 97-percent i n t e r -
e s t i n t h e I n s p i r a t i o n Extension Copper Co.

C a s t l e Dome Development Co. had a bond and lease on the I n s p i r a t i o n

Extension Copper Co. property, and on April 16 began work on a
tunnel "in a n t i c i p a t i o n of opening a low-grade porphyry copper"
deposit. By 1916 I n s p i r a t i o n Extension Copper Co. was reported t o
have an a d d i t i o n a l 29 unpatented claims (about 500 acres) on
Porphyry Mountain (11).

Castle Dome Development Co. owned 94 percent of outstanding c a p i t a l

of the I n s p i r a t i o n Extension Copper Co. (2).

Exploration by C a s t l e Dome Development Co. included d r i l l i n g seven

c h u r n - d r i l l holes ( 6 ) .

Castle Dome Development Co. property reportedly comprised 34

unpatented claims i n the Castle Dome group; t h e company owned 97
percent of outstanding c a p i t a l and had a bond and lease on
Inspiration. Extension Copper Co. and owned four adjacent claims
5 miles west of I n s p i r a t i o n Consolidated Copper Co. Exploration
by churn d r i t l i n g and a tunnel showed a diabase i n t r u s i o n . Ore on
the property was estimated t o contain from 1 t o 3 percent'copper
(11, v. 14).
 Arizona National Copper Co. had been mortgaged t o Susqwhanna Trust
and Safe Deposit Co. f o r a loan of $250,000. Susquehanna f o r e -
closed on the mortgage and obtained t i t l e t o the property i n 1920
(a).
1921, Pinto Valley Co. was incorporated i n Delaware with a c a p i t a l i z a t i o n
Apr. 7 of $500,000, shares $1 par. The company was organized t o reas-
semble the defunct Arizona National Copper Co. and t h e defunct
Cactus Development Co. (which had been previously reorganized a s
Cactus Copper Co.) (u.
Pinto Valley Co. leased and optioned Arizona National Copper Co.
lands from Susquehanna Trust and Safe Deposit Co. f o r 3 years.
The option was exercised and Pinto Valley Co. acquired t h e a s s e t s
of Arizona National Copper Co., which included Pinto Creek Copper
Co. and Cactus Copper Co. (6).

Weed (11,v . 16) reported the C a s t l e Dome Development Co. by t h i s

time had e i g h t tunnels and 4,500 f e e t of workings on Porphyry
Mountain. Churn d r i l l i n g was reported t o show a diabase i n t r u s i o n
20 f e e t wide i n g r a n i t e . An estimated 10 m i l l i o n tons of ore on
the main property was reported t o range from 1 t o 2-112 percent
copper and t o average 1.4 percent copper a).
1924, Pinto Valley Co. increased c a p i t a l i z a t i o n t o $4 m i l l i o n and
Feb. acquired the a s s e t s of C a s t l e Dome Development Co. through a
merger. The merger required an exchange of 600,000 shares of
Castle Dome Development Co. and payment of $15,000 cash The.
property consisted of 1,700 acres and included 65 claims (22
patented), 34 adjacent claims t h a t were controlled through sub-
s i d i a r i e s , and options on 3 other claims. The property was known
as the Castle Dome Development group and included claims formerly
held by Cactus Consolidated Mining Co., Arizona National Copper
Co., and Pinto Copper Mining Co. (ll) The. 37 claims on Porphyry
Mountain became known as the C a s t l e Dome d i v i s i o n , and t h e Pinto
Valley Co. property on Pinto Creek was known as the Cactus d i v i -
s i o n ( 6 ) . Weed (11,v. 16) reported the C a s t l e Dome disseminated
copper ore body had been explored f o r 3,000 f e e t and showed a
1-112 percent copper s u l f i d e o r e with a thickness of 100 f e e t ; i n
the Pinto Valley group, the o r e was estimated t o contain upwards
of 100,000 tons of 4-112 percent carbonate ore i n f i s s u r e veins
and "large bodies of disseminated ore."

Four more c h u r n - d r i l l holes were put down on the C a s t l e Dome d i v i -

sion. On the b a s i s of ore indicated i n t h e 11 c h u r n - d r i l l holes
driven t o t h i s time, a m e t a l l u r g i s t was employed t o conduct t e s t s
f o r t h e leaching of copper from t h e Castle Dome @).

A small p i l o t p l a n t f o r m e t a l l u r g i c a l t e s t s was s e t up on the

property (6).
 C a s t l e Dome d i v i s i o n was estimated t o have reserves of 40 m i l l i o n
tons of 0.75 percent copper. The C a s t l e Dome group had been
developed by 5 tunnels and explored by 11 c h u r n - d r i l l holes; the
Pinto Valley property had 3 s h a f t s and 25 c h u r n - d r i l l holes
(2,1).
Two more c h u r n - d r i l l holes were d r i l l e d on Porphyry Mountain (6).

Additional exploration included a diamond-drill hole put down t o a

depth of 1,085 f e e t . A contract was made with I n s p i r a t i o n
Consolidated Copper Co. t o t r e a t 3,000 tpd of C a s t l e Dome ore i n
an 8-year period. Reserves a t t h i s time were estimated t o be
9 m i l l i o n tons of ore containing 1.27 percent copper and 20 m i l -
l i o n tons containing 0.8 percent copper. The proposed mining
method was underground block caving s i m i l a r t o t h a t used a t the
M i a m i mine. Encountering considerable d i f f i c u l t i e s during the
Depression years, Pinto Valley Co. was unable t o finance the
venture (9.

1940, Miami Copper Co. purchased t h e Old Dominion Co. and i t s holdings
May 1 from Phelps Dodge Corp. The properties acquired were i n the Globe-
M i a m i d i s t r i c t and included the Continental mine, held by Old
Dominion s i n c e 1899. P a r t of the Continental claims covered t h e
e a s t end of t h e C a s t l e Dome ore body. Production from the
Continental mine, 1906 t o 1941, has been reported t o be 34,000
tons of ore containing about 2 m i l l i o n pounds of copper, 134,000
ounces of s i l v e r , and 3,600 ounces of gold; 14,300 tons of ore was
mined from 1906 t o 1908 (2-9.

1940, Exploration d r i l l i n g conmer+ed i n t h e C a s t l e Dome area, including

July the newly acquired Continental claims (2, 9 .

1940, M i a m i Copper Co. obtained an option on the C a s t l e Dome group of

fall claims from t h e Pinto Valley Co. (2,5).

1941, Miami Copper Co. exercised i t s option f o r t h e Castle Dome group and
Nov. adjoining mining properties. These p r o p e r t i e s , including the
Continental group, were deeded t o the C a s t l e Dome Copper Co., Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Miami Copper Co. (2, h).

1941, C a s t l e Dome Copper Co., Inc., and the U.S. Government through the
late . the Defense P l a n t Corp. (DPC), a subsidiary of t h e Reconstruction
Finance Corp. (RFC), entered i n t o an agreement f o r the developing
of the C a s t l e Dome o r e body and construction of t h e concentrating
plant and necessary f a c i l i t i e s and services. The concentrating
plant was reported t o be owned by and under lease f r m DPC. The
M i a m i Copper Co. noted i n i t s annual r e p o r t t h a t when t h e t r e a t -
ment p l a n t was c m p l e t e d and the operation on-stream, they would
be required t o supply a d d i t i o n a l working c a p i t a l needed by the
Castle Dome Copper Co., Inc., f o r the operation (2,4). Parsons
(4) noted the Goverument supplied $9 m i l l i o n t o finance s t r i p p i n g
of the overburden and building the p l a n t .
1941, end Churn d r i l l i n g of 6 1 h o l e s had been completed by yearend a s p a r t of
a campaign t o determine t h e e x t e n t and g r a d e of t h e copper d e p o s i t
(2).
1942, C o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e t r e a t m e n t p l a n t and o t h e r f a c i l i t i e s commenced.
Jan. W. A. Bechtel Co. was t h e c o n t r a c t o r f o r removing 14 m i l l i o n t o n s
of overburden and f o r b u i l d i n g t h e c o n c e n t r a t o r (4).

1943, C a s t l e Dome Copper Co. took over t h e mine e x c a v a t i o n o p e r a t i o n s

Apr. 19 from t h e c o n t r a c t o r (2).

1943, Mine p r o d u c t i o n and t r e a t m e n t f a c i l i t i e s were brought on-stream i n

June 10 a r e c o r d 17 months. The o r e body was s t r i p p e d and mined w i t h 40-
f o o t -high benches.

1943, By yearend 1 3 of t h e benches had been worked t o a v e r t i c a l depth of

Dec. 3 1 550 f e e t (2). The m i l l was brought up t o a designed c a p a c i t y of
l o , 000 t p d (2).
1944 E x p l o r a t i o n d r i l l i n g c o n s i s t e d o f 11 h o l e s averaging 254 f e e t (2).
Late i n t h e y e a r m i l l c a p a c i t y was i n c r e a s e d t o 12,000 tpd (2).

1945 E x p l o r a t i o n t o t h e n o r t h e a s t of t h e known o r e body c o n s i s t e d of

seven holes d r i l l e d t o an average depth o f 385 f e e t , b u t r e s u l t s
were n e g a t i v e . E x p l o r a t i o n t o t h e southwest of t h e o r e body
carmenced; 10 h o l e s were d r i l l e d (2).

E x p l o r a t i o n t o t h e southwest of t h e C a s t l e Dome o r e body was com-

pleted. The 4 3 c h u r n - d r i l l h o l e s , t o t a l i n g 13,508 f e e t , developed
6,127,000 t o n s of o r e w i t h a copper c o n t e n t of 0.704 p e r c e n t of
which 0.05 p e r c e n t was oxide. E s t i m a t e s i n d i c a t e d t h a t h i g h e r
mining c o s t s were a n t i c i p a t e d a t t h e new o r e body (2).

1948, An agreement under which m i l l and o t h e r f a c i l i t i e s were owned by

Jan. 1 t h e RFC b u t l e a s e d by C a s t l e Dome Copper Co., Inc., was amended
e f f e c t i v e January 1, 1948, t o permit mining t h e southwest o r e
body. Parsons (6) noted t h a t t h e investment by t h e Government
i n c r e a s e d from $9 m i l l i o n t o $13.8 m i l l i o n . P r e p a r a t i o n s were
made t o mine o r e underlying Red H i l l t o t h e southwest of t h e main
o r e body (2,4).

1949 S t r i p p i n g was completed p r e p a r a t o r y t o mining of t h e Red H i l l

s e c t i o n (2).

1953, C a s t l e Dome completed open p i t mining o p e r a t i o n s on December 4;

Dec. 4 dismantling and moving o f t h e p l a n t and equipment t o t h e Copper
C i t i e s p r o j e c t of Miami Copper Co. began 2 days l a t e r . Some p r e -
c i p i t a t e copper was recovered during t h e y e a r (2).
1953, Lease with RFC was terminated.
Dec. 31

1953-70 Leaching of dumps was continued t o 1970 (2). I n 1957-58 i n s t a l l a -

t i o n of p i p e l i n e s and pumping system t o d i s t r i b u t e water on top of
old dumps was completed f o r improving the leaching operations (2).

1970 Production from the property was l a s t reported i n t h i s year (lJ.

 REFERENCES

1. Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper I n d u s t r y ; S t a t i s t i c s f o r

(year) Compared With Other Years, Arizona, United S t a t e s and World
( t i t l e v a r i e s ) . Phoenix, Ariz. , annual p u b l i c a t i o n s 1959 through 1971.

2. Miami Copper Co. Annual R e p o r t s , 1940-59.

3. Neale, W. G. The Mines Handbook. Mines Handbook Co., Inc., New York,
v . 17, 1926, 2129 pp. ( r e p l a c e d Copper Handbook l i s t e d a s r e f e r e n c e 10).

4. Parsons, A. B. The Porphyry Coppers i n 1956. American I n s t i t u t e Mining,

M e t a l l u r g i c a l , and Petroleum Engineers, New York, 1957, pp. 96-109.

5. P e t e r s o n , N. P. Geology and Ore Deposits of t h e Globe-Miami D i s t r i c t ,

Arizona. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 342, 1962, 151 pp.

6. P e t e r s o n , N. P . , C. M. G i l b e r t , and G. L. Quick. Geology and Ore Depos-

i t s of C a s t l e Dome Area, G i l a County, Arizona. U.S. Geol. Survey
B u l l . 971, 1951, 134 pp.

7. Rand, L. H . , and E . B. S t u r g i s . The Mines Handbook. Mines Information

Bureau, I n c . , S u f f e r n , New York, v . 18, p t . 1, 1931, 2026 pp. (replaced
Copper Handbook l i s t e d a s r e f e r e n c e 10).

8. Ransome, F. L. Geology of t h e Globe Copper D i s t r i c t , Arizona. U.S.

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 12, 1903, 168 pp.

9- - .
Prof.
Copper Deposits o f Ray and M i a m i , Arizona.
Paper 115, 1919, 192 pp.
U.S. Geol. Survey

10. Stevens, H. J. The Copper Handbook. Horace J. Stevens, Houghton, Mich.,

v. 6 , 1906, 1116 pp.; v. 7, 1907, 1228 pp.; v. 8 , 1908, 1500 pp.;
v. 9 , 1909, 1628 pp.; v. 10, 1910-11, 1902 pp.

11. Weed, W. H. The Copper Handbook. W. H. Weed, Houghton, Mich., v. 11,

1912-13, 1413 pp.

12. -. The Mines Handbook. S t e v e n s ' Copper Handbook Co., New York,
v. 12, 1916, 1699 pp.; W. H. Weed, New York, v. 13, 1918, 1896 pp.;
v. 14, 1920, 1992 pp. ; Mines Handbook Co., Tuckahoe, N.Y., v. 15,
1922, 2248 pp.; v. 16, 1925, 2350 pp. (replaced Copper Handbook l i s t e d
a s r e f e r e n c e 10).
 APPENDIX C.--HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COPPER CITIES PROPERTY

Ownershi2.--In 1972, t h e Copper C i t i e s p r o p e r t y was owned by C i t i e s

S e r v i c e Co. Miami Copper Co. owned t h e p r o p e r t y from 1942 t o 1960 when t h e
company was acquired by Tennessee Corp. I n 1963 Tennessee Corp. was merged
w i t h C i t i e s S e r v i c e Co.

Location ( f i g . A-l).--The mine i s l o c a t e d i n unsurveyed s e c 12, T 1 N ,

R 14 E , and s e c 7 , T 1 N , R 15 E , on t h e south f l a n k of Sleeping Beauty Peak,
3-1/2 m i l e s n o r t h of Miami, i n t h e Globe-Miami mining d i s t r i c t , G i l a County,
Ariz.

Climate. --Annual p r e c i p i t a t i o n , o c c u r r i n g mainly i n J u l y , August, Decem-

b e r , January, and February, i s about 20 inches. Mean annual s n o w f a l l i s about
3 . 6 i n c h e s . Temperatures range from 14" t o 110' F.

Topo~raphy.--The o r i g i n a l s u r f a c e a l t i t u d e ranged from 4,250 f e e t on t h e

h i g h e s t h i l l t o 3,870 f e e t i n t h e bed of t h e Tinhorn Wash a t t h e s o u t h e r n
l i m i t s of t h e mine.

Geology (2,4, l0, =).I--Host r o c k s f o r t h e Copper C i t i e s d e p o s i t a r e

t h e Lost Gulch q u a r t z monzonite i n t r u d e d by a g r a n i t e porphyry. The r o c k s ,
i n c l u d i n g t h i n d i a b a s e d i k e s , a r e s i m i l a r t o t h e i n t r u s i v e s i n t h e C a s t l e Dome
a r e a . The o l d e s t rock formation i n t h e Copper C i t i e s a r e a i s t h e Precambrian
P i n a l s c h i s t . The Lost Gulch q u a r t z monzonite i s i n a h o r s t block bounded by
t h e Sleeping Beauty f a u l t on t h e northwest s i d e , t h e Ben Hur f a u l t on t h e
n o r t h e a s t s i d e , and t h e Miami f a u l t on t h e e a s t s i d e . The o r e body i s bounded
by t h e Coronado f a u l t zone on t h e west, t h e Drwnmond f a u l t zone on t h e e a s t ,
and t h e Sleeping Beauty f a u l t on t h e north. The q u a r t z monzonite h o s t r o c k
was i n t r i c a t e l y d i s s e c t e d by j o i n t s and f r a c t u r e s . The copper c o n t e n t i s
g r e a t e s t near t h e q u a r t z monzonite-granite porphyry c o n t a c t ; t h e g r a n i t e p o r -
phyry has a higher molybdenite c o n c e n t r a t i o n than t h e q u a r t z monzonite.

P r i n c i p a l hypogene m i n e r a l s , arranged i n descending o r d e r o f amount, a r e

q u a r t z , p y r i t e , c h a l c o p y r i t e , and molybdenite. C h a l c o p y r i t e i s t h e most
important o r e m i n e r a l ; molybdenite i s s p a r s e b u t i n c r e a s e s w i t h depth. Chal-
c o c i t e and c o v e l l i t e a r e t h e o n l y supergene s u l f i d e m i n e r a l s i n t h e d e p o s i t ;
c h a l c o c i t e i s t h e predominant m i n e r a l , and enrichment extends from 100 t o 220
f e e t below t h e leached capping. I n 1962, t h e mine l i m i t s were s a i d t o roughly
d e l i n e a t e t h e c h a l c o c i t e o r e (10). Malachite, a z u r i t e , and t u r q u o i s e a r e
p r e s e n t i n t h e o r e body and i n t h e leached capping.

I n 1966, t h e mine was over 2,000 f e e t long by 1,000 f e e t wide i n t h e

northwest and 2,000 f e e t wide i n t h e s o u t h e a s t . The o r e ranged from 100 t o
400 f e e t i n t h i c k n e s s , averaging about 200 f e e t . Grade of o r e i n 1965 was 0.7
p e r c e n t t o t a l copper; by 1972, B e a l l (2)noted t h e grade of t h e o r e was 0.5
percent copper and 0.007 p e r c e n t molybdenum s u l f i d e . Leached capping ranged

'underlined numbers i n parentheses r e f e r t o items i n t h e l i s t o f r e f e r e n c e s a t

t h e end of t h i s appendix.
from 20 t o 120 f e e t i n t h i c k n e s s , averaging 70 f e e t . Grade o f t h e capping was
l e s s t h a n 0 . 1 p e r c e n t copper.

Production (1-2, 5, x ) . - - F r o m 1954 through 1972, open p i t p r o d u c t i o n of

copper o r e t o t a l e d 66,778,118 t o n s ; copper recovered was 357,363 t o n s . Dump
l e a c h i n g began i n 1962; by 1972, 20,376 t o n s o f copper had been o b t a i n e d .
B e a l l (2)r e p o r t e d 28,000 tpd of o r e and waste were mined i n 1972; o r e pro-
d u c t i o n was a t a r a t e of 14,000 t p d , averaging 0.5 p e r c e n t copper and 0.007
p e r c e n t Moss.

The c o n c e n t r a t o r , o r i g i n a l l y designed f o r 12,000 t p d , was t r a n s f e r r e d

from t h e C a s t l e Dome mine t o t h e Copper C i t i e s a r e a i n 1953. By 1970 t h e
c a p a c i t y had been i n c r e a s e d t o 13,500 tpd. A molybdenite c i r c u i t was
i n s t a l l e d i n t h e c o n c e n t r a t o r i n 1968; c a p a c i t y was r e p o r t e d t o b e 180 t p y by
1972.

Production d a t a f o r copper a r e shown i n t a b l e C - 1 ; no p r o d u c t i o n f i g u r e s

a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r molybdenum.

TABLE C-1. - Copper p r o d u c t i o n a t Copper C i t i e s mine. 1954-72

Copper o r e Average grade Copper Dump l e a c h copper

Year mined, t o n s of copper,
. -
recovered, recovered, pounds
percent pounds
996.160 0.783 12,514,108
4,004,052 55,097,164
4,167,147 55,264,337
3,482,482 41,492,801
2,768,390 36,072,087
3,060,575 36,939,297
3,058,372 33,100,562
3,137,253 34,672,592
3,150,952 33,827,784
3,149,260 35,402,918
3,163,565 35,969,908
3,200,202 34,950,395
4,353,896 43,286,852
2,429,806 22,315,647
3,359,097 29,218,381
4,644,525 39,785,236
4,970,196 47,456,074
4,629,571 44,858,816
1972 ............... 5,052,617 42,501,763
NA--Not a v a i l a b l e . 9p--Not appl

Sources: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper I n d u s t r y S t a t i s t i c s

(.-
1).
Miami Copper Co. Annual R e p o r t s , 1954-58 (5).
 Reserves.--As of January 1, 1959, ore reserves were estimated t o be
29,220,000 tons with a waste-to-ore r a t i o of 0.26 t o 1.00 (5). From i n i t i a l
exploration d r i l l i n g , t h e o r e body was estimated t o contain 33,800,000 tons of
o r e with an average grade of 0.7 percent copper, based on a cutoff grade of
0.4 percent copper; waste was estimated t o be 34,700,000 tons, making the o r e -
to-waste r a t i o 1 t o 1.03. D r i l l i n g nine holes i n 1956 r e s u l t e d i n increasing
t h e reserves by 9,500,000 tons of a s l i g h t l y lower grade ore (9.

History.--First mining i n the Lost Gulch area was f o r gold and s i l v e r

deposits i n the P i n a l S c h i s t . The area was prospected i n the 18801s, and
again about 1896 (l2).

1896 Girard Mining Co. began development work; l a t e r i n the year, t h e

company was reincorporated a s the Lost Gulch Mining Co. The 10-
stamp m i l l t r e a t i n g the inued because of the scant
water supply. The gold o r e was then treated
i n arrastras ( lQ
J.
The value of mineral production from Lost Gulch i n 1896 was
reportedly $48,000 (l-2).

1909 Lost Gulch Mining Co. was reorganized a s Lost Gulch United Mines
Co. (N.
1912, Louis d'Or Gold Mining Co., p r a c t i c a l l y a reconstruction of the
July Lost Gulch United Mines Co., was organized i n Arizona with a
c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $2 million, shares $ 1 par; 1,116,540 shares were
issued. The property included about 19 claims c o n s i s t i n g of 283
acres i n 3 contiguous groups about 2 m i l e s north of the mouth of
Lost Gulch. Ores were i n v e i n s averaging 3 t o 4 f e e t wide. Mines
included t h e Badger with a 145-foot s h a f t and a 400-foot tunnel
with ore t h a t reportedly averaged $7 per ton i n "values"; the
Bonanza, with a 1,050-foot tunnel; and t h e Cedar Tree, with ores
mainly containing argentiferous and auriferous galena, with some
copper and zinc. Copper values i n 1912 were reported t o be inad-
equate t o warrant t r e a t i n g the ore only f o r t h e i r recovery; f u r -
thermore, t h e values were considered not r e c w e r a b l e a f t e r the
ores had been cyanided f o r gold (l5,l8J.

1913 Charles E. Hart of Baldwin Syndicate examined the gold deposits i n

the Lost Gulch area and observed the porphyry outcrops of Sleeping
' Beauty Peak. This examination led t o t h e eventual reorganization
of the Louis d'Or Gold Mining Co. I n a d d i t i o n t o 12 claims owned
by the company, the G i l a Monster, Bessie, and Sarah groups c w e r -
ing the porphyry were optioned by the company f r m J . W. Bennet
(no exact d a t e given) (lo).

1915, Louis d'Or Gold Mining Co. c a p i t a l i z a t i o n was increased t o $3 m i l -

July l i o n and 1,234,450 shares issued; 300,000 shares were offered f o r
s a l e by t h e Baldwin Syndicate i n April 1916 a t 25 cents per share.
The company was c o n t r o l l e d by the Baldwin Syndicate of Chicago
(18).
1916, Louis d t O r Mining and M i l l i n g Co., a r e o r g a n i z a t i o n of t h e Louis
Nw. 29 dlOr Gold Mining Co., was i n c o r p o r a t e d i n Arizona w i t h a c a p i t a l i -
z a t i o n of $3 m i l l i o n a t $ 1 p a r , and 1,168,195 s h a r e s were i s s u e d .
Assets i n May 1917 were noted t o be $35,000 (2).

Churn d r i l l i n g corrmenced i n 1917 and continued through 1922

(19, v s . 14-15).

Louis d'Or Mining and M i l l i n g Co. i n c r e a s e d c a p i t a l i z a t i o n t o $40

m i l l i o n , $10 p a r , 2,400,000 s h a r e s were i s s u e d and held i n escrow
t o January 1, 1922. P r o p e r t y was r e p o r t e d t o be 33 c l a i m s atid
f r a c t i o n s on 500 a c r e s ; a f a i r l y uniform o r e zone 400 f e e t t h i c k
averaging 1.15 p e r c e n t copper r e p o r t e d l y ' u n d e r l a y 180 a c r e s
(19,v . 15).
~ 0 t d h l & Mining and M i l l i n g Co. e x p l o r a t i o n up t o t h e end of 1922
c o n s i s t e d of 12 d r i l l h o l e s t o t a l i n g n e a r l y 9,000 f e e t , s e v e r a l
s h a f t s and t u n n e l s i n c l u d i n g t h e 1,050-foot Bonanza t u n n e l , a two-
compartment s h a f t 362 f e e t deep by May 1922, a 125-foot s h a f t , and
a 65-foot s h a f t (19,v. 1 6 ) .

Louis d t O r Mining and M i l l i n g Co. acquired a l l a s s e t s of

Inspiration-Miami Copper Co. and Inspiration-Miami Extension
Copper Co. The Inspiration-Miami Copper Co. c a p i t a l i z a t i o n had
been $10 m i l l i o n , $ 1 p a r ; 6 m i l l i o n s h a r e s were o u t s t a n d i n g .
P r o p e r t y of Inspiration-Miami Copper comprised s e v e r a l detached
groups (77 c l a i m s ) a d j o i n i n g t h e Inspiration-Miami Extension, 3
m i l e s west of Burch, a s t a t i o n on t h e Arizona E a s t e r n R a i l r o a d .
The K l e i n f e l d e r group of 30 c l a i m s was considered t h e most prom-
i s i n g . The Inspiration-Miami Extension Copper Co. c a p i t a l i z a t i o n
had been $2 m i l l i o n , $ 1 p a r ; 1,200,000 s h a r e s were o u t s t a n d i n g .
This company h e l d f i v e p a t e n t e d claims b e l i e v e d t o be an e x t e n s i o n
of t h e Louis d l O r o r e body. Inspiration-Miami and I n s p i r a t i o n -
Miami Extension companies had been owned by t h e same i n t e r e s t s
a, 19).
Louis dlOr Mining and M i l l i n g Co. p r o p e r t i e s , comprising a t o t a l of
about 2,800 a c r e s , included t h e following: 65 claims (30 p a t e n t e d )
on 1,041 h a l f a c r e s owned by t h e company; 77 c l a i m s purchased from
Inspiration-Miami Copper Co.; 5 p a t e n t e d claims purchased from
Inspiration-Miami Extension Co. The company e s t i m a t e d 150 m i l l i o n
t o n s o f o r e ranging from 1 t o 1.5 p e r c e n t copper on t h e b a s i s o f
12 d r i l l holes. However, t h e l a r g e c a p i t a l i z a t i o n had drawn only
$3 m i l l i o n , which was used t o a c q u i r e t h e p r o p e r t y , f o r c i n g t h e
company t o i s s u e n o t e s t o s e c u r e funds f o r development. A r e o r -
g a n i z a t i o n was contemplated. Plans had been formulated t o com-
p l e t e t h e s h a f t t o 800 f e e t deep, t o c o n s t r u c t a 12,000-tpd con-
c e n t r a t o r , and t o provide r a i l w a y , w a t e r , power, and o t h e r f a c i l i -
t i e s a t a c o s t of $8 m i l l i o n ( I ) .
1928, Louis d'Or Mining and Milling Co. a s s e t s were sold t o s a t i s f y
J u l y 17 .
notes (ll) I n 1928, the "noteholders p r o t e c t i v e c o r n i t t e e "
entered i n t o an agreement with Pinto Valley Co., then exploring a t
C a s t l e Dome and Pinto Valley a r e a s , whereby Pinto Valley advanced
funds t o the conmittee f o r purchase of t h e Louis d'Or property a t
a bankruptcy s a l e (10).

Porphyry Reserve Copper Co. was organized e a r l y i n the year t o

operate t h e property formerly owned by Louis dlOr Mining and
Milling Co. I n l a t e 1929 Pinto Valley Co. was reported t o have
taken the property under option. Lessees were s a i d t o have
shipped copper o r e from t h e workings about 1931 (m.
Thirteen t e s t holes were d r i l l e d on the old Inspiration-Miami
Copper Co. properties. I n the Tinhorn Wash e a s t of Sleeping
Beauty Peak, 350,000 pounds of copper was recovered from stream
gravel cemented by copper carbonates and s i l i c a t e s (I&).

Porphyry Reserve Copper Co. shipped i n t e r m i t t e n t l y from 1934 t o

1942. Bonds i n amount of $500,000 were issued i n 1928 o r 1929,
and i n t e r e s t payments were defaulted i n 1934. Many of the lapsed
unpatented claims were relocated by J . R. Heron of Globe. Bond- '

holders foreclosed on the small group of claims t h a t Porphyry

Reserve Copper Co. s t i l l held; i n 1942, these claims were pur-
chased a t a s h e r i f f ' s s a l e by Copper C i t i e s Mining Co., a new
subsidiary of Miami Copper Co. (lo).

Copper C i t i e s Mining Co. acquired most of the r e s t of the o r i g i n a l

claims from Heron and o t h e r l o c a t o r s O
l(J .
Exploration by churn d r i l l i n g was begun on Copper C i t i e s Mining Co.
p r o p e r t i e s i n 1943. D r i l l i n g was interrupted because of the man-
power shortage during World War 11; then i n 1946 the program was
resumed and continued i n t o 1949. The basic d r i l l i n g p a t t e r n was a
250-foot r e c t i l i n e a r g r i d with intermediate holes i n questionable
areas. By 1948, about 100 holes, averaging 600 f e e t deep, had
been d r i l l e d t o d e l i n e a t e t h e ore body. Ore reserves were e s t i -
mated t o be 33.8 m i l l i o n tons of 0.7 percent copper. Overburden
was estimated t o be 34.8 m i l l i o n tons, of which 20 m i l l i o n tons
had t o be stripped before production could begin (4-2).

1950, Copper C i t i e s Mining Co. concluded negotiations f o r a loan from the

N w . 15 Reconstruction Finance Corp. (RFC). An agreeuent was executed
covering terms and conditions under which disbursement of t h e loan
may be requested. Moneys were t o be used p a r t l y a s a means of
financing t h e c o s t of bringing the Copper C i t i e s p r o j e c t i n t o pro-
duction (5). A loan of $7.5 million was obtained w. The
development program was planned so t h a t a f t e r the depletion of the
C a s t l e Dome d e p o s i t , t h e concentrator and other f a c i l i t i e s would
be moved t o prepared s i t e s a t Copper C i t i e s and production would
begin (5).
 Preparation f o r development of t h e open p i t operation commeuced.
The work was p r i n c i p a l l y t h e construction of access roads (a.
1951 Expenditures t o bring Copper C i t i e s i n t o production were estimated
t o t o t a l $12 million, the g r e a t e r p a r t t o be financed a t the com-
pany's option, through t h e loan agreement with t h e RFC (5J.
Copper C i t i e s Mining Co. executed a purchase c o n t r a c t with General
Services Administration which p r w i d e d t h a t the company had the
r i g h t t o c a l l on the Gwernment t o purchase a t the c o n t r a c t p r i c e
of 23 c e n t s per pound (subject t o e s c a l a t i o n ) a maximum of 170
m i l l i o n pounds of the f i r s t 192.5 m i l l i o n pounds of copper pro-
duced. This s t i p u l a t i o n was i n e f f e c t i f t h e company was unable
t o s e l l such copper f o r domestic use a t a p r i c e equal t o o r higher
than the c o n t r a c t p r i c e (5).

1951, The C a s t l e Dome p l a n t and mining equipment were purchased from the
Jan. RFC. T i t l e t o the C a s t l e Dome p l a 'and equipment passed t o the
company when the lease betwe A H : and Castle Dome Mining eo.
was terminated (I).

1951, Stripping of overburden was begun and building s i t e s were prepared

June (5).
1951-53 Overburden removed t o t a l e d 14,101,083 tons. During 1952, concrete
foundations were prepared f o r t h e concentrator, crushers, t a i l i n g s
thickeners, and various o t h e r s t r u c t u r e s (I).

1953, Dismantling of the C a s t l e Dome p l a n t and t r a n s f e r of the equipment

Dec. 4 t o Copper C i t i e s comnenced Q-9.

1954, Production was begun. The m i l l was brought i n t o f u l l production,

Aug. 2 12,000 tpd, by November ( 3 .

1954, Copper C i t i e s repaid RFC the $7.5 m i l l i o n borrowed under t h e loan

Sept. agreement of November 1950. Funds came from Miami Copper Co. and
from a $4.5 m i l l i o n bank loan ( 3 .

1954, Ore t r e a t e d during the year amounted t o 996,160 tons averaging

Dec. 31 0.783 percent copper. During 1954, overburden removed was
7,257,380 tons, bringing t h e t o t a l amount of waste removed from
1951 through 1954 t o 21,358,463 tons (I).

A t o t a l of $13,718,000 was reported t o have been expended on the

Copper C i t i e s p r o j e c t by t h i s date. Miami Copper Co. p r w i d e d
$9,218,000, i n a d d i t i o n t o t h e $4.5 m i l l i o n bank loan (I).

1955, During the f i r s t f u l l year of production, waste removal amounted t o

Dec. 31 3,347,720 tons; ore shipped t o t a l e d 4,004,052 tons averaging 0.824
percent copper and containing 356 ounces of gold and 38,824 ounces
of s i l v e r (5).
 Nine h o l e s were d r i l l e d , r e s u l t i n g i n a n a d d i t i o n t o t h e r e s e r v e s
of 9.5 m i l l i o n t o n s b u t o f s l i g h t l y lower grade (I).

1960, C e r t a i n a s s e t s of Miami Copper Co., i n c l u d i n g Copper Cities, were

June acquired by Tennessee Corp. m,
1960).

Based on e s t i m a t e s made from deep d r i l l i n g i n t h e previous few

y e a r s , about 25 m i l l i o n t o n s of low-grade primary o r e was r e p o r t e d
underlying t h e o r e r e s e r v e s a s o f 1962. The o r e extended t h e l i f e
of t h e Copper Cities open p i t f o r a n a d d i t i o n a l 8 y e a r s i f mined
continuously a t t h e 1962 r a t e (1Z, 1962).

1962, The copper p r e c i p i t a t i o n p l a n t a t t h e mine s i t e was completed and

Dec. l e a c h i n g- o -p e r a t i o n s comnenced. P y r i t e i n t h e o r e e l i m i n a t e d t h e
n e c e s s i t y o f adding a c i d t o t h e l e a c h s o l u t i o n s (13).

1963, Tennessee Corp. merged w i t h . C i t i e s S e r v i c e Co. (a.

June

The Diamond H pocket o f o r e was dicovered n e a r t h e Copper Cities

mine (20).

Copper C i t i e s conmenced o p e r a t i o n of a molybdenum c i r c u i t i n t h e

c o n c e n t r a t o r . Much of t h e equipment had been t r a n s f e r r e d from t h e
o l d Miami t r e a t m e n t p l a n t . A s t u d y of 1957-66 d a t a i n d i c a t e d
0.012 p e r c e n t molybdenum s u l f i d e i n t h e heads, 0.387 p e r c e n t
molybdenum s u l f i d e i n t h e c o n c e n t r a t e s , and 0.005 p e r c e n t molyb-
denum s u l f i d e i n t h e t a i l s . The molybdenum s u l f i d e c o n t e n t o r e
ranged from 0.007 t o 0.014 p e r c e n t i n t h e o r e and from 0.003 t o
0.007 p e r c e n t i n t h e t a i l s . This information led t o t h e p l a ~ i n g
and i n s t a l l a t i o n o f t h e molybdenum c i r c u i t i n 1968 (l6).

The Diamond H pocket of o r e , approximately o n e - s i x t h t h e s i z e of

Copper C i t i e s mine, was scheduled f o r p r o d u c t i o n i n J u l y . The
d e p o s i t was e s t i m a t e d t o c o n t a i n 11 m i l l i o n t o n s o f copper o r e
assaying 0.5 t o 0.6 p e r c e n t copper ( 8 ) .

The removal of o r e and w a s t e st t h e Copper Cities mine was 28,000

t p d , and t h e c o n c e n t r a t o r t r e a t e d 14,000 t p d o f ore. The grade of
o r e averaged 0.5 percent copper and 0.007 p e r c e n t molybdenum
s u l f i d e (2).

1972, Copper C i t i e s continued a n a t t e m p t t o s t a b i l i z e t e r r a c e d t a i l i n g s

Feb. by e s t a b l i s h i n g g r a s s and p l a n t growth on t h e dam. About 36,000
c u b i c yards o f e a r t h was s p r e a d over 7,200 f e e t on t h e f a c e of t h e
dam (2).

A t t h e p r e s e n t r a t e of p r o d u c t i o n , t h e two o r e bodies o f t h e Copper

C i t i e s mine w i l l be exhausted i n 1975 (M).
 REFERENCES

Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper I n d u s t r y ; S t a t i s t i c s f o r

( y e a r ) Compared With Other Years, Arizona, United S t a t e s and World
( t i t l e v a r i e s ) . Phoenix, A r i z . , annual p u b l i c a t i o n s 1959 through 1972.

B e a l l , J . V. Copper i n t h e United S t a t e s - - a P o s i t i o n Survey. Min. Eng.,

v. 25, No. 4 , A p r i l 1973, pp. 35-47.

C i t i e s S e r v i c e Co. Annual Report, 1963.

Hardwick, W. R . , and M. M. Stover. Open-Pit Copper Mining Methods and

P r a c t i c e s , Copper C i t i e s D i v i s i o n , Miami Copper Co., G i l a County, Ariz.
BuMines I C 7985, 1960, 5 1 pp.

Miami Copper Co. Annual Reports, 1942-59.

Miami Copper Co., D i v i s i o n Tennessee Corp. D e s c r i p t i o n of Copper C i t i e s

C o n c e n t r a t o r , Miami, Arizona. Pres. b e f o r e M i l l i n g Div., Tucson, Ariz.,
Sec., AIME, Apr. 6 , 1962, 24 pp.; a v a i l a b l e f o r c o n s u l t a t i o n a t Bureau
of Mines Intermountain F i e l d Operations Center, Denver F e d e r a l C e n t e r ,
Denver, Colo.

Neale, W. G. The Mines Handbook. Mines Handbook Co., I n c . , New York,

v. 17, 1926, 2129 pp. ( r e p l a c e d Copper Handbook l i s t e d a s r e f e r e n c e
15).

Pay D i r t . No. 372, June 22, 1970, p. 18.

. No. 392, Feb. 28, 1972, p. 32.

P e t e r s o n , N. P. Geology and Ore Deposits of t h e Globe-Miami D i s t r i c t ,

Arizona. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 342, 1962, pp. 88-95.

Rand, L. H., and E . B. S t u r g i s . The Mines Handbook. Mines I n f o r m a t i o n

Bureau, Inc., S u f f e r n , New York, v. 18, p t . 1, 1931, 2026 pp. ( r e p l a c e d
Copper Handbook l i s t e d a s r e f e r e n c e 15).

Ransome, F. L. Geology o f t h e Globe Copper D i s t r i c t , Arizona. U.S. Geol.

Survey P r o f . Paper 1 2 , 1903, 168 pp.

Simmons, W. W . , and J. E. Fowells. Geology of t h e Copper C i t i e s Mine.

Ch. i n Geology of t h e Porphyry Copper Deposits; Southwestern North
America. The U n i v e r s i t y o f Arizona P r e s s , Tucson, A r i z . , 1966,
pp. 151-156.

S k i l l i n g s , D. N . , Jr. P i n t o Valley P r o j e c t . S k i l l i n g s ' Min. Rev.,

v. 62, No. 17, Apr. 28, 1973, p. 15.
15. S t e v e n s , H. J. The Copper Handbook. Horace J. Stevens, Houghton, Mich.,
v . 6 , 1906, 1116 pp.; v. 7 , 1907, 1228 pp.; v. 8, 1908, 1500 pp.;
v. 9 , 1909, 1628,pp.; v. 10, 1910-11, 1902 pp. .
16. S u t l w , A. Molybdenum and Rhenium Recovery From Porphyry Coppers.
U n i v e r s i t y of Concepcion, Concepcion, C h i l e , 1970, pp. 107-111.

17. Tennessee Corp . Annual Reports, 1960-62.

18. Weed, W. H. The Copper Handbook. W. H. Weed, Houghton, Mich., v. 11,

1912-13, 1413 pp.

19. -. ?he Mines Handbook. Steven's Copper Handbook Co., New York,
v. 12, 1916, 1699 pp.; W. H. Weed, New York, v. 13, 1918, 1896 pp.;
v. 14, 1920, 1992 pp.; Mines Handbook Co., Tuckahoe, N.Y., v. 1 5 ,
1922, 2248 pp. ; v . 16, 1925, 2350 pp. (replaced Copper Handbook
l i s t e d a s reference 15).

20. World Mining. Miami Coppers Diamond H , P i t ; 1 7 t h Copper P i t i n S t a t e .

V. 6 , No. 9 , August 1970, p. 53.
1'
 APPENDIX D.--HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAN MANUEL PROPERTY

Ownership.--In 1972, the San Manuel property, including the Kalamazoo ore
body, was owned by Magma Copper Co., a subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corp. It
was operated by the San Manuel Division of the company.

Location (fig. D-I).--The mine, largely in secs 34 and 35, T 8 S, R 16 E,

in the Old Hat mining district, Pinal County, Ariz., is 45 miles northeast of
Tucson, 5 miles west of llammoth, and 7 miles northwest of San Manuel. The
concentrator, smelter, refinery, and continuous-casting rodmill are next to
the town of San Manuel. Located between the Black Hills and Santa Catalina
Mountains, the deposit is in the pediment that slopes northeasterly to the an
Pedro River. The oldMamth-St. Anthony or'Tiger area i$ less than 1 mile
north of the mine, and the recently acquired Kalamazoo deposit is just south-
west of the San Manuel ore body.

Climate.--The winters are mild with temperatures rarely below freezing;

summer temperatures frequently exceed 100' F; mean annual surface temperature
is 71.7' F. Rainfall is between 10 and 13 inches per year.'

Topography.--Altitude ranges from 3,450 feet on Red Hill to 3,000 feet in

Tucson Wash west of shaft No. 1 an4 2,400 feet at the San PedroRiver. Vege-
tation is of a typical desert variety.

Geology (5, l0, 12-12,.6

l , 20, 3 l , =I.--The principal host rocks are
the Precambrian porphyritic quartz monzorulte (sometimes called Oracle granite),
Late Cretaceous quartz monzonite porphyry, and to a lesser extent, Late
Cretaceous or early Tertiary diabase. The diabase, which intrudes the quartz
monzonite and quartz monzonite porphyry, is itself intruded by rhyolite. Late
Cretaceous or Tertiary andesite porphyry dikes and Tertiary rhyolite dikes in
the deposit also may be slightly mineralized: The andesite porphyry with
pyrite, and the rhyolite with crusts of chrysocolla or copper oxide.
Lowell (IZ) described the San Manuel -Kalamazoo hydrothermal mineraliza-
tion as appearing to be centered in the middle of a monzonite dike swarm which
was intruded in Laramide time. Ore deposition was almost equally distributed
between Oracle Granite and monzonite. Following this event, the area was
tilted to the northeast and eroded, and a thin chalcocite enrichment blanket
formed on the exposed deposit. Further regional tilting occurred with the
deposition of the volcanics and conglomerates of the Cloudburst Formation in
Late Cretaceous or early Tertiary time. By Pliocene-Pleistocene time, the
Gila Conglomerate was deposited on the Cloudburst erosion surface. Tke third
stage of tilting gave the Gila Conglomerate its present inclination and
brought the original vertical axis of the ore body to a 20' southwest-
plunging attitude. The San Manuel fault then diagonally sliced the tilted
deposit and its distinctive alteration pattern into two equally sized parts,
San Manuel and Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo, the uppermost part of the cylin-
drical deposit, was faulted 8,000 feet downdip in a S 55" W direction. Later,

=Underlined numbers in parentheses refer to items in the list of references at

the end of this appendix.
steeply dipping faults offset the San Manuel part; further erosion exposed the
host rocks and some of the San Manuel part of the deposit, thereby allowing
further oxidation and limited chalcocite enrichment.

Ore mineralization, though slightly higher grade in the Precambrian

quartz monzonite, is about equally distributed between that host rock and the
Laramide quartz monzonite porphyry. The principal primary ore minerals are
chalcopyrite, pyrite, some molybdenite, and rarely bornite. Chalcopyrite and
pyrite are almost in equal proportions and finely disseminated throughout the
ore zones, but also appear on fracture surfaces and in veinlets. Molybdenite
forms a coating on fractures. Magnetite is present locally, and minor amounts
of bornite are found. The chief minerals formed during oxidation were
chrysocolla, chalcocite, and iron oxides. Cuprite, native copper, and black
copper oxides are also found; Creasey (A), however, reports the copper
carbonates are rare. According to Lowell (13), chalcocite is common in the
lower part of the oxide zone and near the t o p of chalcopyrite mineralization
in the San Manuel ore body; however, both chalcocite and oxide minerals are
absent in the Kalamazoo ore body.

Buchanan (2) estimated the sulfide zone in the San Manuel ore body as
ranging from 475 to 2,665 feet in depth; the base of the oxide zone is
irregular and extends in depth from 400 to over 1,600 feet.

The fairly well defined zones of mineralization and alteration in the

San Manuel-Kalamazoo deposit were described by Lowell (12). Because of the
tilted position of the deposit, this zoning was more readily available for
observation than in most other deposits. From the core outward, zones of
lateral alteration include potassic, phyllic, argillic (sometimes absent),
and propylitic. Ore mineralization is characteristic of certain alteration
zones. The core potassic alteration zone, averaging about 2,600 feet in
diameter, contains about 0.3 percent copper, almost all in a disseminated
form of chalcopyrite; the pyrite-to-chalcopyrite ratio is about 1:2. An ore
shell, in the potassic zone and grading into the phyllic zone, ranging from
0.5 percent to 1.0 percent copper and averaging about 600 feet thick,
surrounds the low-grade core. In this ore shell the pyrite-to-chalcopyrite
ratio is about 1:l; pyrite is in veinlets, and chalcopyrite is disseminated.
Within the phyllic and argillic alteration zone are three types of mineraliza-
tion: (1) Outer part of the ore shell; (2) adjacent to the ore shell is a
marginal copper mineralization zone about 200 feet thick; values range from
0.1 to 0.5 percent copper, and the pyrite-to-chalcopyrite ratio is about
0 : ; (3) surrounding this zone and still within the phyllic and argillic
zone is a 1,000- to 1,500-foot-wide pyrite mineralized zone that ranges in
grade from 0.01 to 0.10 percent copper and averages about 0.03 percent copper.
The area averages about 0.03 percent copper. The area averages about
10 weight-percent pyrite. The propylitic zone contains a few high-grade
silver, gold, and chalcopyrite veins and pervasive pyrite veinlets. Lowell
(2)also observed vertical mineral and alteration zones along the original
axis of the deposit.

The original unfaulted San Manuel-Kalamazoo deposit was described by

Lowell (2) as being a flattened, elliptical cylinder. The deposit was
estimated to be at least 7,700 feet long and from 2,500 to 5,000 feet in
diameter at a 0.5 percent copper limit. The width of the ore shell around
the low-grade core ranges from 100 to 1,000 feet, and the alteration pattern
extends from 3,000 to 5,000 feet beyond the deposit.
The San Manuel ore body was described by Thomas (35) as consisting of two
separate limbs converging to the northeast, the center being weakly
mineralized. The North limb averages 400 feet wide and dips 55' SE. The
South ore body limb is up to 1,000 feet wide and dips southeasterly to ver-
tical and to the northwest. At depth, the limbs flatten and coalesce,
resulting in a "U" shape leaning to the northwest. Thomas (35) reported
the San Manuel ore body to be 7,700 feet long and up to 2,700 feet deep, the
entire mineralized and altered area being 9,300 feet long and 8,000 to
9,000 feet wide. The ore body is almost entirely overlain by the Gila con-
glomerate and some weakly mineralized monzonite; only a small, oxidized
portion of the ore body cropped out. Capping ranges up to 1,900 feet and
averages 670 feet in depth.

By 1962, the South limb of the San Manuel ore body had been mined under-
ground on the first or 1,475-foot level over an area about 2,500 feet long
and 700 feet wide. At this time the surface showed subsidence of 120 to
140 feet over an area roughly 2,900 feet long and 1,900 feet wide. The time
interval between the first undercut in the South limb and the first evidence
of surface cracking was approximately 100 days. At the North limb, which is
considerably smaller, the time interval before subsidence was about 500 days.
Factors contributing to the time interval included areal extent, the height
of ore column, rate.of draw related to height, competence of overlying rocks,
and the shape of the blocks. In 1972, subsidence over both limbs and the
areas between totaled as much as 6,400 feet in length and 4,000 feet in width.
The Kalamazoo ore body, as interpreted by Lowell 0, has an overturned-
canoe shape (apparently the mirror image of the San Manuel ore body), and the
top of the ore body is about 2,500 feet below the surface of the ground.
Production Q, 14-15, 19-2.--Using
) the block-caving method, Magma
Copper Co. brought the San Manuel underground mine into production in 1956
after some 7-314 years of construction. The initial designed capacity of
mine and mill was 30,000 tpd; the capacity was increased gradually until
1963 to 35,000 tpd. A planned expansion to 40,000 tpd authorized in January
1964 was completed by July 1965. The expansion program begun in July 1968
brought the capacity up to 60,000 tpd; by 1972 the production was 61,440 tpd.
The smelter, with a designed capacity of 360,000 tpy, was completed in
January 1956, and by 1971 the capacity was expanded to 670,000 tpy. The
electrolytic refinery, with a designed capacity rated at 200,000 tpy of
refined copper, was completed in 1972; half of the output was as cathode plate
and half as continuous -cast rod. A new continuous-cast-rodplantwas also
finished in 1972. ,
The available statistics for the mine production and recwery of copper,
molybdenum, gold, and silver, from the San Manuel ores from 1956 to 1971 are
shown in table D-1, In 1971, rhenium was recovered from molybdenum concen-
trates. By 1974, the company will have installed a 2,000-tpd acid plant at
the smelter.
 109

TABLE D-1. - San Manuel mine p r o d u c t i o n , 1956-72

- Copper y a b l e metal Ore
Year Ore mined, sulfide, copper, Molybdenum Silver, milled,
tons >ercent pounds sulfide, ounces ounces t OnS
-
1956 5,539,581 0.754 78,152,140
pounds
591,970 9,719 136,074
p e r day
NA
1957 8,825,130 .755 119,797,769 1,452,080 13,578 200,301 24,357
1958 11,486,300 .716 149,401,672 1,872,450 16,868 253,858 31,997
1959 7,595,867 .719 92,340,444 1,435,613 10,232 158,594 32,533
1960 12,261,220 .710 163,448,339 2,807,671 18,010 290,617 34,053
1961 12,529,243 .727 165,223,023 3,869,166 17,597 295,553 34,249
1962 12,565,545 .748 168,416,024 4,157,051 15,025 302,953 35,165
1963 12,555,000 .795 177,072,298 4,735,771 18,760 310,228 35,139
1964 12,442,752 .828 185,178,000 4,972,000 20,746 282,334 34,756
1965 13,504,024 .773 187,534,000 5,726,000 21,550 273,610 40,312
1966 14,391,355 .772 202,780,000 7 ,O88,OOO 22,396 311,699 40,091
1967 7,891,854 .758 107,926,000 4,002,000 10,534 166,893 41,463
1968 11,367,640 .701 144,148,000 2,596,000 14,303 245,316 39,840
1969 15,280,816 NA 191,443,365 NA NA NA NA
1970 15,446,474 NA 189,979,096 NA NA NA NA
1971 14,975,910 NA 166,656,905 NA NA NA NA
-
1972
NA--I
21,844,943
~t a v a i l a b l c
NA 271,501,061 4,953,567 NA NA NA

Sources: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper

-. Industry S t a t i s t i c s
0.
Magma Copper Co. Annual R e p o r t s 1956-68 (I&).
Newmont Mining Corp. L i s t i n g A p p l i c a t i o n t o New York S t o c k Exchange
@) -
Newmont Mining Corp. Preliminary Prospectus w.
Reserves @).--In 1969, based on a n a v e r a g e 0.50 p e r c e n t s u l f i d e copper
a s t h e c u t o f f g r a d e , t h e San Manuel s u l f i d e o r e reserves were e s t i m a t e d t o be
496,800,000 t o n s of 0.728 p e r c e n t n e t s u l f i d e copper b e f o r e d i l u t i o n ; of t h i s
volume 228,500,000 t o n s of 0.71 p e r c e n t s u l f i d e copper c o u l d b e mined from t h e
second o r 2,075-foot l e v e l . Oxide-ore reserves were e s t i m a t e d t o be 130 m i l -
l i o n t o n s of 0.70 p e r c e n t t o t a l copper (0.47 p e r c e n t o x i d e copper) b e f o r e
d i l u t i o n , a l l l y i n g above t h e second l e v e l .

The Kalamazoo o r e body was e s t i m a t e d t o c o n t a i n 565 m i l l i o n t o n s o f

s u l f i d e o r e a v e r a g i n g 0.72 p e r c e n t n e t s u l f i d e copper, b e f o r e d i l u t i o n .
History.--The a r e a was s a i d t o have been p r o s p e c t e d b e f o r e t h e C i v i l
War a,
37).a

h he h i s t o r y of t h e Kalamazoo p r o p e r t y i s t r e a t e d s e p a r a t e l y a t t h e end of
t h i s appendix.
110

1870 First claims were reportedly staked on Red Hill near the San
(ca. Manuel deposit (ll).

1873, The Mamnoth mine area (about 1 mile north of the present San
Dec. 27 Manuel mine) was mentioned in the Arizona Citizen newspaper as
being worked by "E. M. Pearce, C. 0. Brown, and Tully, and Ochoa
and Co." @).

1879-82 Frank Schultz located the Hackney and Aaven claims on the Collins
vein in 1879, the Mohawk claim in 1881, and the Mamoth and Mars
claims in 1882, in an area about 1 mile north of the San Manuel
deposit. The place was first known as Schultz, later Tiger, and
was also called the Mammoth mining camp and the St. Anthony area.
The mining camp lies 3 miles southwest of the town of Mammoth
(5. 29. 31).
1881- Production at the Mammoth mining camp from 1881 to 1947 totaled
1947 1,887,375 tons of ore containing 386,701 ounces of gold, 983,918
ounces of silver, 3,456,121 pounds of copper, 74,730,289 pounds
of lead, 48,272,654 pounds of zinc, 6,314,812 pounds of MOO,, and
2,540,842 pounds of VZ03. This production was from the Mamoth,
Collins, and Mohawk-New Year mines. These mines were consoli-
dated in 1934 and later operated as the St. Anthony Mining and
Development Co. Ltd. (5)-
1906 SO& claims now on San Manuel property were staked during this
year and then held more or less continuously through the years
w.
1910 Magma Copper Co., organized under the laws of Maine with a
.
(ca June) capitalization of 1 million shares at $1 par, was founded by
William Boyce Thompson. Properties held under bond and lease
at that time included those of Lake Superior & Arizona Mining
h Smelting Co. and Silver Queen Mining Co., about 8 miles west
of Miami and 12 miles north of Ray, Ariz. (34).

1915-17 Between 1915 and 1917 two holes were churn-drilled just southeast
of Red Hill where copper mineralization, principally chrysocolla,
crops out; low-grade (0.8 percent) oxidized copper may have been
penetrated (6). The holes penetrated the pyritic mineralized
zone that forms the footwall of the present ore body (3l).
Walter H. Aldridge did the work for the William Boyce Thompson
interests that were associated with Magma @).

1921, Newmont Corp. was incorporated in Delaware to manage the William

May 2 Boyce Thompson interests.

1925, The name Newmont Corp. was changed to Newmont Mining Corp., and
Feb. 130,000 of the outstanding 430,000 common shares were offered to
the public at $40 per share (l.9).
1925, Anselmo Laguna located the original San Manuel Nos. 1-5 claims
Jul. 1 -on July 1, 1925 G).
James M. Douglas bought one-third interest in the San Manuel
claims June 18, 1926, and another one-third interest August 19,
1939, James Douglas and R. Burns Giffin bought the remaining
one-third interest October 25, 1939. Douglas and Giffin deeded
Victor Erickson a one-fourth interest in the claims on March 29,
1940. Before Laguna died, he reportedly had taken R. Burns
Giffin as a partner (11,21).
Douglas, Giffin, and Erickson offered their San Manuel property
to Magma Copper Co. for $50,000; however, the company's engineer
reported there was no apparent value (11).
Giffin took an option on the property but let it expire in 1942
(111.

1942, The partners asked Henry W. Nichols, an assayer for Magma, for
Apr . technical assistance. Nichols examined the property, wrote a
report, located some new claims for the owners, and also tried
to interest Magma Copper Co. u).
1942, The partners gave Nichols one-fourth interest in the partnership
Aug . (3.9
Together with his report on the San Manuel claims, Nichols
submitted an application for a $20,000 loan at the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. (RFC), Phoenix, Ariz., office. The loan request
was for drilling holes to prove enough ore to warrant building
a mill ( l 2).
l ,

1943, Wm. B. Maitland examined Nichols' report for the RFC (31).
Jan. 22
1943, Apparently the RFC rejected Nichols' loan application on this date.
Mar. 10 Because of the urgency of obtaining copper for the World War I1
efforts, other Government agencies became interested in the area.
After much correspondence with the owners, RFC, and the War
Production Board (WPB), the U.S. Geological Survey undertook an
initial study of the area (21).

1943, N. P. Peterson and B. S. Butler of the U.S. Geological Survey

Mar. 6-19 mapped, studied, examined, and sampled the outcrops, and
recommended further exploration (3l).

1943, T. L. Chapman and W. D. Hughes of the Federal Bureau of Mines

May 22-26 examined the property, reviewed the U.S. Geological Survey and
Nichols' reports, and then reconmgnded a preliminary drilling
program (3l). Old workings, which had been previously excavated
principally in order to satisfy assessment requirements, were
 examined during the Bureau of Mines investigation. Such workings
included a 100-foot shaft, nine shallow shafts, a tunnel, and
some trenches and pits on the San Manuel ground. Three shafts
were in copper ore, including a 60-foot vertical shaft and a
25-foct incline shaft under the conglomerate hanging wall. A
160-foot tunnel was in a copper-bearing diabase dike that marked
one boundary of the ore body (4).

1943, May The partners offered to sell the San Manuel property to various
to July people with no takers ( llJ .

1943, The Bureau of Mines concluded an agreement to drill the San Manuel
Aug. deposit (ll).

1943, The Bureau of Mines started churn drilling; authorization was for
Nov. 23 five holes, each about 300 feet deep. The drill grid coordinate
system nearly paralleled the western tabular-shaped part of the
ore body. Preliminary holes were based on geology and topography;
later holes were set at 400-foot intervals in an east-west direc-
tion and at 200-foot intervals in a north-south direction (21).

1944. Project funds were exhausted. Work on four holes had been
Jan. 15 completed to 300 feet and on the fifth to 200 feet. Rock
penetrated included Gila(?) conglomerate and altered monzonite
porphyry. Continuous low-grade copper oxide ore showed in all
footage below the conglomerate a).
1944, The Geological Survey prepared a plane table map of the area (21).
Feb. 9-
Mar. 31

1944, The Bureau of Mines allocated funds for drilling to reach sulfide
Mar. 28 ore E).

1944, Bureau of Mines hole 6 reached sulfide ore for the first time at
May 27 685 to 690 feet. Assays taken in a 20-foot zone of oxidation
averaged 0.797 percent copper, assays in the 340-foot secondary
sulfide zone averaged 1.02 percent copper, assays in the 150-foot
zone of variable weak enrichment averaged 0.728 percent copper,
and assays in the 235-foot zone of partly oxidized pyritic ore
averaged 0.202 percent copper. The hole bottomed at 1,410 feet
'2).
1944, The partners continued to approach various mining companies in an
June attempted to sell or drill the claims. John Gustafson, geologist
for the Magma mine of Magma Copper Co. at Superior, Ariz., made
a brief reconnaissance of the claims at Red Hill and expressed
interest in the property (ll).

1944, The Bureau of Mines received additional funds to resume drilling

Aug . (2).
1944, After a more thorough examination, Gustafson submitted t o Magma a
Aug. 25 d e t a i l e d r e p o r t on the San Manuel property, which summarized the
s i t u a t i o n and outlined problems and s t e p s t o be taken t o ' d e t e r -
mine t h e o r e body s i z e . The New York o f f i c e of Magma approved a
verbal agreement t h a t Gustafson had arranged with the partners
(11).

1944, Magma Copper Co. signed an option agreement with t h e partners for
Aug. 31 a group of 21 claims knam a s San Manuel. Options were a l s o
obtained on two contiguous groups, seven claims i n one and s i x
claims i n t h e other. The option on the 21 claims s t i p u l a t e d t h a t
a f t e r 1 year from the date of t h e option Magma would form a
corporation t o acquire, develop, and operate the property.
Depending on s i z e and grade of the ore body, the vendors were
t o receive shares i n the new corporation, but no more than
10 percent of t h e t o t a l shares. Magma Copper Co. was t o receive
an option t o purchase unissued shares i n t h e corporation. Magma
a l s o located 35 claims on surrounding property (14).

Magma purchased t h e claims adjoining i t s property held by Apex

Lead Vanadium Mining Corp. and t h e Quarelli family (37). I n the
following 19 plus years, San Manuel Copper Corp. (see August
1945) and i t s s u b s i d i a r i e s obtained a d d i t i o n a l patented and
unpatented claims f o r mining, ranch and d e s e r t lands f o r concen-
t r a t o r , t a i l i n g s , smelter, r e f i n e r y , and town s i t e s , and other
lands. 'Ihese a c q u i s i t i o n s included 135 lode mining claims cover-
ing about 2,542 acres leased from t h e S t a t e of Arizona. I n 1947,
San Manuel applied f o r patents on 84 unpatented claims; patents
were granted on 82 by 1950 (l4).

1944, Magma cormaenced exploration by churn d r i l l i n g . From December 1944

Dec. t o February 17, 1948, 88 holes t o t a l i n g 172,692 f e e t were d r i l l e d ;
t h e d e e p e s t was 2,755 f e e t . Only one hole was c o r e - d r i l l e d (31).

1945, Under the name of the Houghton group, Thomas Lyon of I n t e r n a t i o n a l

early Smelting and Refining Co., and Associates obtained an option and
working agreement between San Manuel and t h e Mammoth-St. Anthony
mines. The Anaconda Co. comenced churn-drilling on these claims.
Eighteen holes were d r i l l e d f o r a t o t a l of 27,908 f e e t ; the
deepest was 2,000 f e e t (4, 6 , 2).

1945, The Bureau of Mines d r i l l i n g program ended with the exhaustion of

Feb. 2 a l l o t e d funds. Seventeen holes t o t a l i n g 15,839 f e e t had been
d r i l l e d by February 1945; the maximum hole depth was 1,990 f e e t .
The delineated a r e a was 3,100 f e e t long by 400 t o 800 f e e t wide
by 500 t o 700 f e e t thick; the ore averaged about 0.8 percent
copper (4). Chapman (4) reported t h a t half the ore was oxidized,
with t h e bulk of the copper i n chrysocolla. Total c o s t of churn
d r i l l i n g was $96,253.67, averaging $6.077 per foot (6).
1945, In accordance with the agreement between Magma and the vendors
Aug . (partners), San Manuel Copper Corp. was incorporated in August
1945 under the laws of Delaware, with an authorized capital of
1,500,000 shares with a par value of $1 each. San Manuel became
a subsidiary of Magma Copper Co. to carry on exploration. The
vendors received 75,000 shares of San Manuel Copper Corp. in
exchange for their mining claims and, depending on the tonngage
and grade of ore developed in certain defined areas, were
possibly entitled to an additional 75,000 shares. By December 31,
1946, 515,000 shares of San Manuel Copper Corp. were issued and
outstanding. Magma Copper Co. owned 458,941 shares, and the
vendors owned 56,059 shares.

San Manuel Copper Corp. executed an option agreement whereby Magma

Copper Co. received the exclusive right and option to purchase
all unissued shares, at up to $10 per share, including all or
such portion of the shares reserved for the vendors to which they
might not be entitled (14).

1945, Magma exercised its option to obtain the San Manuel property (14).
Sept. 17

1948- This period was one of underground exploration and development

1953 (21). Time intervals for sinking five shafts are shown in
table D-2.

1948, Exploration by churn drilling essentially was completed; 109 holes,

Mar. 17 totaling 205,536 feet, had been drilled at a cost of over $2.5
million (2). Collared March 17, 1948, the No. 1 shaft, located
north of the ore zone, was to be used for lowering supplies for
development work and as a downcast ventilation shaft; completed
-
in January 1952, the shaft was 1,643 feet deep (31).

No. 2 shaft, collared over the southeast limb of the ore body, was
to permit early exploration, development, testing the character-
istics of the ore, and studying the flow of water and drainage.
Completed in 1951 to a depth of 2,068 feet, the shaft was
-- 9.
abandoned by late 1958 (5-6,
The Government granted patents to 82 lode mining claims consist-
ing of 1,458+ acres (14).
1950, Drifting from the No. 2 shaft was begun on the 1285 level to
Dec . explore.the southeast limb of the ore body. Diamond drilling
and sampling on that level outlined the ore body and explored
an area nQt covered in churn drilling (5).
1952, Sinking of the No. 1 shaft was completed at a depth of 1,643 feet
Jan. -
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 Drifting was begun on the 1475 haulage level from No. 2 shaft (4).
this level was for development and exploration (l4).

1952, On July 10, the Reconstruction Finance Corp. (RFC) granted San
July Manuel Copper Corp. a $94 million loan to be used for mine
development, plant construction, and equipment. The note would
mature in 20 years and had a 5-percent annual interest rate.
Payments on account of principal of the note were required in
the amounts of $1,550,000 quarter-annually beginning January 1,
1959, or 2 years after completion of the project, whichever was
earlier, together with annual payments of certain earnings of
the corporation. m e note was secured by a first mortgage on
the San Manuel Copper Corp. property. Magma Copper Co.
guaranteed the RFC load and agreed to advance certain of its
earnings to the San Manuel Copper Corp. during the period of
the load. No cash dividends were to be paid by Magma Copper Co.
during the life of the RFC loan. Before San Manuel Copper Corp.
received the Government loan, Magma Copper Co. had advanced San
Manuel Copper Corp. about $10 million (6, 14).

Based on authorization of the RPC loan, the exploration period

could be assumed ended.

1952, An August 29 agreement with the Defense Materials Procurement

Aug . Agency and the San Manuel Copper Corp. stipulated that the
Government could purchase or be required to purchase all or
substantially all the corporation's first 5-1/2 years of
estimated production of refined copper and molybdenum concen-
trates. The agreement was for the purchase of 347,500 tons of
copper at 24 cents per pound from the first 365,000 tons produced,
and 15,330 tons of molybdenum concentrate at 60 cents per pound
from the first 16,060 tons produced. Prices were subject to
adjustment with increased wages and cost of materials; however,
the Corporation could sell on the open market when were
higher than the contract prices (6, 3 ) .
Exploratory drifting on the 1285 level from the No. 2 shaft was
completed (14).

1952, Drifting was begun on the 1415 grizzly level from the No. 2 shaft
Nov. (2).
1953, Major mine development was begun about January 1953, and initial
Jan.- production beganin early 1956 when the first stope undercut was
1956, completed (2). By the end of 1955 the development necessary for
Jan. 23 production, exclusive of stope development, totaled 8,708 feet of
shaft, 97,463 feet of drift, and 116,998 feet of diamond-drill
hole (5).

Final agreement was made with Del E. Webb Construction Co. and
M. 0. W. Holmes, Inc., to finance and build a town for serving
the needs of the people of the San Manuel operation w.
 San Manuel Arizona Railroad Co. was incorporated in Arizona. The
company commenced construction of a railroad from the concen-
trator to the Southern Pacific Railroad near Hayden, a distance
of 29.5 miles; the railroad was completed January 1955 (I&).

A contract was made with Arizona Public Service to supply power

for the entire operation during construction and production.
Part of a substation was installed and power was made available
(I&)
1953, In a joint venture, the Utah Construction Co. and The Stearns-
early Roger Manufacturing Co. were awarded a contract covering the
design and construction of the entire surface plant, including
the concentrator, smelter, railroads, and auxiliary facilities
(14).
1953, Magma Copper Co. issued 10,000 shares of its capital stock in
Feb. 5 exchange for substantially all of the adjoining St. Anthony
Mining and Development Co., Ltd., property. The ground was to
be used principally for living quarters for the San Manuel
project (3).

1953. The No. 4 shaft was collared 600 feet from the No. 1 shaft on the
July northwest side of the ore zone. The shaft was to be used for
downcast ventilation and to provide service, supplies, and equip-
ment to the 1415 and 1475 levels. Preliminary work on the shaft
started July 19, 1953, and continued to December 26, 1953, when
contract work was begun. This contract work was completed
December 28, 1954. The initial sinking of the shaft went to
1,582 feet (6).

Excavation of the plant site commenced (14)

1953, No. 3A and No. 3B shafts were collared 165 feet apart southwest of
Sept. the ore zone. Ihe shafts, to be used for production and upcast
ventilation, were completed to the 1737 level by 1955 (5, 3.

1954, A conmercial center, park, and 1,000 housing units were completed
July MI.
1955, Magma Copper Co. acquired the San Manuel tamsite, buildings, and
early physical assets by an exchange of stock with the original devel-
opers. Additional facilities, including a hospital and three
schools, were constructed (14).

1955, The 30,000-tpd concentrator and crushing plant were completed, and
end Sept. treatment of stockpiled and mine development ore commenced (14,
3sJ.
1956, The smelter was finished, and the first copper anode was poured.
Jan. 8 Smelter construction, from design to completion, took about
3 years; the smelter was designed to produce 70,000 tons per
year of copper (ll).

1956, The first block was undercut, and production started, using the
Jan. 23 block-caving method of mining (14).

1956, The molybdenum sulfide section of the concentrator was put into
Apr. operation (14).

1956, By yearend, six caving blocks. on the 1415 level had been placed
end into production, and surface subsidence had occurred over more
than 1.4 million square feet (6).
Total capital expenditures at San Manuel by December 31, 1956,
including the railroad but excluding the townsite, were
$102,589,445. Distribution was $1,150,847 for property,
$27,701,948 for deferred development, and $73,736,650 for the
plant. Of the total, $88,587,000 was expended on the "production
project," which commenced January 1, 1952, and was substantially
completed by December 31, 1956 (14).

1957, The mine attained its scheduled output of 33,000 tons of ore per
Oct. 16 day. Development of the 2015 and 2075 levels was in progress
Q).
1957, Twelve blocks a b w e the 1475 level had been placed in production
end by yearend (6J.

1958, The mine achieved full production (36).

early

1958, The first block was drawn to completion (6).

Feb.
1960, The "Cyanide plant for the recovery of gold from the molybdenum
July sulphide concentrate was completed in July 1960,.." (14).

Production was begun on the 2075 level (second level) (32). Early
in the year Newmont Mining Corp. increased its ownership in
Magma Copper Co. from 21.5 percent to 80.6 percent w. By
February 1, 1962, San Manuel Copper Corp. had reduced the
U.S. Government loan of about $77 million to $65.5 million u).
1962, San Manuel Copper Corp. and San Manuel Tamsite Co., wholly owned
Apr. 30 subsidiaries of Magma Copper Co., transferred all their proper-
ties and assets to Magma Copper Co. and were dissolved as
separate corporations. Magma formed the San Manuel Division to
operate the property and the San Manuel Townsite Division to take
 care of the San Manuel tamsite. The railroad subsidiary (San
Manuel Arizona Railroad Co.) remained as a separate corpbrition
(14).
\
1963 The remaining amount of the Government loan was fully repaid on
Peb. \ February 8 with a $54 million loan from Prudential Insurance Co.
of America. The maturity date on the new loan was extended from
1973 to 1982; payments at a 5-112-percent interest rate were to
be made semiannually beginning in 1965. This refinancing allowed
Magma to resume payment of cash dividends; development of the
company's properties was now less restricted than under the
Government loan (14).

Magma Copper Co. entered into a lease and option agreement with
The Anaconda Co. for the Anaconda property adjoining the San
Manuel mine and containing a smll part of the San Manuel ore
body. 'Ihe lease, to expire December 1987, required yearly rent
or royalty payments beginning January 1964. The option to
purchase was to expire July 1983 (14).

1964, A decision was made to install a primary crushing plant and

Jan. additional grinding and flotation circuits in the concentrator
for treating an additional 4,000 tpd. Expansion, scheduled for
completion,bymid-1965, was estimated to cost $11,800,000 (14).

1964, The sodium hypochlorite-ferrocyanide process used from 1956 to

Jan. 9 1964 was modified to increase plant capacity and molybdenum
recovery, and to reduce corrosion rate and the high maintenance
costs caused by the hypochlorite process (2).
1965, The 1475, or first, level was mined to completion in January1965
Jan. (14, GI.
1965, Expansion from 35,000 to 40,000 tpd was completed. Work, under
July the direction of Steams-Roger Corp., included installation of
crushing facilities at the collar of the two ore shafts,
expansion of other plant facilities, and installation of a new
reverberatory furnace at the smelter (8,a).
"The Kalamazoo copper property was purchased by Magma from
Quintana Minerals, Ltd. in March, 1968, for $27,000,000, made
up of $15,000,000 in cash and 212,390 shares of Magma common
stock having a then market value of $12,000,000. Under Magma's
agreement with Quintana and Newmont Mining Corporation, Quintana
received from Magma $15,000,000 in cash and $42,478 shares of.
Magma stock and from Newmont $4,800,000 in cash and 78,208 shares
of Newnont common stock and Newnont received from Magma 169,912
shares of Magma stock" (14, 1968, p. 6). The Kalamazoo property
is west of the San Manuel property, and the ore body is estimated
to contain 565 million tons of sulfide ore averaging 0.72 percent
net sulfide copper (l.4). The top of the ore body is about
 2,500 f e e t below the surface. Plans were t o open the deposit f o r
exploration on the 2950 l e v e l sometime a f t e r 1972 w. /
h i s t o r y of Kalamazoo property a t the end of t h i s appendix.) On
July 22, Magma authorized an expansion program a t San Manuel and
Superior Divisions. A t San Manuel, production capacity was 'to be
'se7
increased from 40,000 t o 60,000 tpd; capacity a t Superior was t o
be increased t o 3,000 tpd. 'Ihe c o s t f o r both p r o j e c t s was
expected t o exceed $100 million. The Stearns -Roger Corp ,was .
awarded the contract for engineering and construction of surface
f a c i l i t i e s a t both mines,withconstruction expected t o s t a r t i n
the second quarter of 1969 (l.4).
I n the t h i r d quarter contracts were awarded t o Cementation Co. of
America, I n c . , f o r sinking s h a f t s a t San Manuel and t o Stearns-
Roger Corp. f o r the design and construction of a d d i t i o n a l surface
f a c i l i t i e s . Completion of the p r o j e c t s was expected t o take 3 t o
4 years (l.5).
Expansion a t San Manuel included--
No. 1 development s h a f t was deepened 600 f e e t and completed i n
e a r l y 1969. Since then excavation f o r s&ations below 2075 f e e t
and development of 2375 (intermediate) level and the 2675 ( t h i r d )
l e v e l has been underway. Production was expected from the 2375
l e v e l i n mid-1974, and from the 2675 l e v e l i n 1978--following
7 years of development (32).
No. 4 s e r v i c e s h a f t , used f o r men, supplies, and downcast v e n t i l a -
t i o n , was t o be deepened 600 f e e t (32).
No. 3C production s h a f t for production and exhaust v e n t i l a t i o n was
s t a r t e d November 1968 and completed April 1971. The 22-foot-
diameter s h a f t was concrete lined; skip-loading s t a t i o n s were
put i n a t t h e 2075, 2375, and 2675 l e v e l s . Ore production was
scheduled t o begin i n the f i r s t quarter of 1971 from the 2075-
foot l e v e l .
No. 3D production s h a f t , s t a r t e d May 1971, was a 22-foot-diameter,
c i r c u l a r , concrete-lined s h a f t ; completion of a 3,700-foot-deep
s h a f t was expected by 1973 (26, 32).
No. 5 s h a f t , t o be used f o r men, supplies, downcast v e n t i l a t i o n ,
and h o i s t i n g development rock, was s t a r t e d November 1968. This
25-foot-diameter, c i r c u l a r , concrete-lined s h a f t has f i v e
s t a t i o n s . The f i n a l depth was planned t o be 4,350 f e e t , the
bottom of t h e Kalamazoo ore body w, 32).
1969, To f a c i l i t a t e financing the 50-percent expansion t h a t became
-Y 6 possible with the purchase of the Kalamazoo ore body, Newmont
acquired a l l the remaining Magma shares and reincorporated Magma
as a wholly owned subsidiary (l.9).
1970 Power was t o be increased by the addition of a 12,600-kw turbo-
generator and a new 115-kv-a transmission l i n e b u i l t by Arizona
Public Service from Oracle, Ariz. 'Ihe present power supply a t
 San Manuel was obtained from a 10,000-kw steam-driven turbo-
generator supplied by waste-heat boilers and from Arizona
Public Service w.
1970, Work was begun on a refinery designed for 200,000 tpy, or about
~ar. 650 tpd, of copper with the capability for expansion up to
300,000 tpy. The first cathodes were produced September 16,
1971 (24).

In 12 months of operation the average daily mine production was

44,500 tons a). In November, mine and mill production reached
58,000 tpd, just slightly less than the designed capacity of
60,000 tpd (25).

Rich rhenium-bearing molybdenite was recovered from porphyry

copper ores at the San Manuel mine. In 1971, this material was
sold to Shattuck Chemical Co., Denver, Colo., a division of
Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals Corp., and rhenium salts were
recovered. M&R Refractory Metals, Inc., produced rhenium salts
primarily from Magma concentrates for Engelhard on a "toll" or
contract conversion basis at their plant in Winslow, N.J., with
recoveries reportedly in excess of 60 percent. Approximately
1,200 tpy of molybdenite concentrate is processed in this
facility (35).

Newmont Wning Corp. announced plans for engineering the first

flash-copper smelter to be planned in the United States;
Western Knapp Engineering Div. of Arthur G. McKee 6. Co. received
the contract. Outokurnpu Oy, Helsinki, Finland, which developed
and used the method in 1949, was to assist McKee. Plans were to
replace one or more of the existing reverberatory furnaces with
one or more flash smelting furnaces. A sulfuric acid plant was
to be installed to recover SO, from smelter gases. By the end of
1973 the smelter with the new emission-control system was to
process up to 710,000 tpy of copper concentrates. Total smelting
capacity was planned to expand to 1 million tpy. Pollution-
control facilities were estimated to cost $50 million (23).
Newmont joined other copper companies to form the Smelter Control
Research Association, a nonprofit organization for research and
pilot plant work, for improving removal of sulfur dioxide from
smelter stack emission. To test the use of wet limestone and
other alkaline reagents to remove SO, from reverberatory gas,
the association operates a pilot plant at the Kennecott smelter,
McGill, Nev. w.
1971, The electrolytic refinery was completed within the estimted $31
Dec , million cost. The refinery, with an annual capacity of 200,000
tons of refined copper, was to produce half of the output as
cathode plate and half as continuous-cast rod (l9).
 The new 200,000-tpy electrolytic copper refinery and the 100,000-
tpy continuous-cast copper rodmill at San Manuel were dedicated
January 29, 1972. Expansion programs of production and process-
ing facilities and underground development at San Manuel and
Superior were estimated to cost over $250 million. Also included
were the enlargement of the concentrator, additional crushing
facilities, erection of the smelter stack (550 feet), and con-
struction of new homes for employees @). Smelter capacity was
planned to be raised from 100,000 tpy to 200,000 tpy (1).

1972, The Industrial Development Authority of Pinal County (IW) and

early Magma Copper Co. agreed to study a $53 million bond program for
the San Manuel facilities to meet Federal and State standards of
emission control. One estimate of the cost of the facilities
amounted to $100 million. IDA is a nonprofit independent
organization established in September 1970, under a 1968 law, to
sell tax-exempt bonds to finance construction of industrial
facilities (2l).

Plans to install flash furnaces and a three-module acid plant to

handle gases from furnaces and smelter converters were canceled
when the cost of installation was estimated to be from $81 to $88
million. The company then planned to build an acid plant to
handle only converter gases. On February 25 State Air Pollution
Control Board granted Magma a 1-year renewal of its conditional
permit to operate its San Manuel smelter (l9,21). The condi-
tional operating permit was granted on the basis of a two-stage
compliance plan: (1) Beginning in 1972, construction of a
sulfuric acid plant totteat converter gases, and (2) development
of a limestone-scrubbingprocess to treat reverberatory furnace
gases (l9).

1972, The mine andconcentratorwere operated up to 65,000 tpd (19).

Feb.
1972, Production for the year averaged about 61,440 tpd; a maximum
end 71,000 tpd was achieved early in the year (11). Progress and
planning of shaft sinking by 1972 included (M, 33):

No. 4 shaft had been deepened to 2,730 feet by yearend.

Nos. 3A and 3B shafts were at 2,305 feet (for the second lift)
by yearend. Plans were to sink both shafts to 2,866 feet and
later to 2,950 feet--the 3A shaft beginning in 1975, and the
3B shaft beginning by mid-1976.

NO. 3C shaft, completed to 2,859 feet by April 1971 (hoisting

started August 1971), was scheduled for expansion beginning in
1977.
 No. 3D shaft was sunk to 2,894 feet by yearend 1972 and was
scheduled for completion to 3,713 feet by yearend 1973.

No. 5 shaft was sunk to 3,910 feet and was scheduled for comple-
tion to 4,280 feet by October 1973.

1973, The State Air Pollution Control Hearing Board granted Magma a
Mar. 5 1-year renewal permit to operate the San Manuel smelter in
variance with the State air quality regulations. The company's
$47 million program to comply with these regulations included:
(1) installation and modifications (begun February 28, 1972) to
the converter gas collection system--replacement of converter
hoods was begun June 8, 1972; (2) construction of an acid plant
(engineering started June 6, 1972) designed to acconmmdate
converter gas at the ultimate planned capacity of 1 million tons
of concentrate per year; (3) installation of additional electro-
static precipitator capacity, which was required because the
alkaline scrubbing of reverberatory furnace gas was eliminated;
(4) installation of a closed-loop system; (5) establishing six
monitoring stations; (6) employment of a staff meteorologist;
and (7) destruction of excess acid (28). Estimated production
of acid by 1974 was 1,638 tpd, with a marketing outlet planned
for 85 percent of the total. Final production capacity of acid
was expected to be 2,072 tpd. To dispose of excess acid, it was
proposed to neutralize the acid in a slurry of powdered limestone
and incorporate it with the tailings (28).
History of Kalamazoo Property

1946 Frank F. Salas, R. A. Buzan, H. G. Buzan, and W. C. Buzan of

Manunoth, Ariz., staked mining claims covering the area iumedi-
ately west of the San Manuel ore body (l2).

1946 Martha Purcell optioned the claims (U).

1947 -58 Seven churn-drilled holes ranging in depth from 1,400 to 2,850
feet put down by Mrs. Purcell did not intersect ore w.
1965 Quintana Minerals, Ltd., of Houston, Tex., began exploration work.
The geologic and assay logs and drill-cutting samples from the
Purcell drill holes were reviewed. Four of the seven holes
showed an alteration pattern similar to that of the San Manuel
ore body. One hole appeared to bottom in an area typical of the
San Manuel marginal mineralization zone. A geochemical soil
survey in the preore outcrop area of the Purcell claims showed
a moderately well defined copper and molybdenum anomaly, which
was later found to overlie the Kalamazoo ore body. Based on
data compiled from U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 256,
a structure contour map of the San Manuel fault was made. A new
interpretation of the geology evolved (12).
1965-67 J. David Lowell, consulting geologist, Tucson, Ariz., determined
the possible location of an ore body and directed the Quintana
exploration project. 'Ihe Kalamazoo ore body was located by the
first drill hole that was spotted according to the normal fault-
ing interpretation and other evidence. !Ihe first Quintana drill
hole passed through propylitic and quartz-sericite alteration
zones, going from pyritic and marginal mineralized zones into ore
grade mineralization at about 2,500 feet. 'Ihe ore body axis was
estimated to be about N 57O E. A 600-foot rectangular grid was
centered on the first drill hole and laid out using the N 57" E '
and N 33' W alinements. Twenty-five holes were drilled to an
average depth of 4,000 feet (E, 22). Holes were drilled to
about 3,000 feet by a rotary drill rig; when cuttings assayed
0.2 percent copper, coring was started. 'Ihe last 1,000 feet,
which contains the marginal and 'ore zones, was drilled with an
NX wireline core drill (E).
1968, Magma Copper Co. purchased the Kalamazoo property from Quintana
mr. Minerals, Ltd. (l4).
1. Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper Industry; Statistics
for (year) Compared with Other Years, Arizona, United States and
World (title varies). Phoenix, Ariz., annual publications 1969
through 1972.

2. Buchanan, J. P., and F.' H. Buchella. History and Development of the

San Manuel Mine. Trans. AIME, v. 217, 1960, pp. 394-404.
3. Burke, H. K., and J. F. Shirley. San Manuel's New Process for the
Recovery of Molybdenite. Pres. to Soc. Min. Eng., AIME, Chicago,
Ill., Feb. 14-18, 1965, AIME Preprint No. 65 B 10, 24 pp.

4. Chapman, T. L. San Manuel Copper Deposit, Pinal County, Ariz. BuMines

RI 4108, 1947, 93 pp.
5. Creasey, S. C. Geology of the San Manuel Area, Pinal County, Arizona,
with a section on Ore Deposits by J. D. Pelletier and S. C. Creasey.
U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 471, 1965, 64 pp.

6. Dale, V. B. Mining, Milling and Smelting Methods, San Manuel Copper

Corp., Pinal County, Ariz. BuMines IC 8104, 1962, 145 pp.
.
7. Dayton, S. H. (ed.) Magma Closes Mine to Market Gap. Eng. and Min.
J., v. 173, No. 4, April 1972, p. 73.
Engineering and Mining Journal. San Manuel Expands to 40,000 TPD.
V. 167, No. 3, March 1966, pp. 104-105.

Granger, B. H . Arizona Place Names. University of Arizona Press,

Tucson, Ariz., 1960, p. 298.
Johnson, G. H., and J. H. soul&. Measurements of Surface Subsidence,
San Manuel Mine, Pinal County, Ariz. BuMines R I 6204, 1963, 36 pp.
Knoerr, A. W. (ed.). San Manuel--America's Newest Large Copper Producer.
Eng. and Min. J., v. 157, No. 4, April 1956, pp. 75-100.

Lowell, J. D. Geology of Kalamazoo Orebody. Econ. Geol., v. 63, No. 6,

1968, pp. 645-654.

Lowell, J. D., and J. M. Guilbert. Lateral and Vertical Alteration-

Mineralization Zoning in Porphyry Ore Deposits. Econ. Geol., v. 65,
No. 4, June-July 1970, pp. 373-408.

Magma Copper Co. Annual Reports, 1944-68.

. Interim Report, October 1968.
Magma Copper Co., San Manuel Division. The San Manuel Mine General
Information Booklets. Ca. 1971 and 1972, various pages.
Magma Copper Co., San Manuel Division. Personal comnication. Avail-
able upon request from L. B. Burgin, Bureau of Mines, Denver, Colo.

Newmont Mining Corp. Preliminary Prospectus. Mar. 14, 1962, 57 pp.

. Annual Repores, 1968-72.

. Listing Application to New York Stock Exchange. May 5, 1969,

59 PP.
. Semi-annual Report. June 30, 1971.

Pay Dirt. Kalamazoo Orebody Sells for $27 Million. No. 346, Apr. 29,
1969, p. 6.

- . Magma Picks Contractor for Flash Smelter.

p. 15.
No. 383, May 31, 1971,

. Magma Produces First Electrolytic Copper At San Manuel. No. 387,

Sept. 27, 1971, pp. 1, 5.

- . Faulty Equipment Delays San Manuel Production Goals.

Nov. 29, 1971, p. 18.
No. 389,

- . Magma To Dedicate New San Manuel Refinery.

1972, pp. 22, 24-28, 32, 58.
No. 391, Jan. 24,

, Magma Alters Smelter Plan, Gets One-Year Permit. No. 393,

Mar. 27, 1972, p. 19.

. Magma Gets San Manuel Smelter Permit Renewal. No. 405, Mar. 26,
1 9 7 3 , p. 7.

Peterson, N. P. Geology and Ore Deposits of the Mamoth Mining Camp Area,
Pinal County, Ariz. Ariz. BuMines Bull. 144, 1938, 63 pp.

Pillar, C. L. Progress on Three Big Shafts Reveals Up-to-Date Sinking

Practice. Min. Eng., v. 6, No. 7, July 1954, pp. 688-695.

Schwartz, G. M. Geology of the San Manuel Copper Deposit, Arizona.

U.S. Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper 256, 1953, 65 pp.
Skillings, D. N., Jr. San Manuel Copper. Skillings' Min. Rev., v. 59,
No. 9, Feb. 28, 1970, pp. 1-3, 6-9.
Skillings' Mining Review. Magma Copper Co. Construction and Expansion
in Arizona. V. 61, No. 53, Dec. 30, 1972, p. 21.

Stevens, H. J. 'lhe Copper Handbook. Horace J. Stevens, Houghton, Mich.,

v. 10, 1910-11, 1902 pp.
35. Stevens, R. F . , Jr. Rhenium. BuMines Minerals Yearbook,
1973. pp. 1022 -1029.

36. llmnas, L. A. The San Manuel Orebody. Ch. i n Geology of the porphyry
Copper Deposits, Southwestern North America, ed. by S. R. T i t l e y and
C. L. Hicks. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, A r i z . , 1966,
pp. 133-142.

37. Tuck, F. J. S t o r i e s of Arizona Copper Mines. Ariz. Dept. Mineral

Resources, 1957, pp. 46-50.
 .
APPENDIX E --HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TWIN BUTTES PROPERTY

Dwnership.--In 1972, The Anaconda Co. operated t h e Twin Buttes property

under a lease from Banner Mining Co. I n June 1973, American Metal Climax,
Inc. (AMAX), acquired Banner; AMAX and Anaconda, a s equal p a r t n e r s , then
formed Anamax Mining Co. t o operate the property.

Location ( f i g . E-l).--The Twin Buttes mine, i s i n secs 5 and 6, T 18 S,

R 13 E , i n the Pima (Twin Buttes camp) mining d i s t r i c t , Pima County, Ariz.
The property, about 25 miles south of Tucson, l i e s i n t h e f o o t h i l l s of the
S i e r r i t a Mountains, west of the Santa Cruz River.

Climate.--Sunrmers a r e hot; winters a r e mild; annual r a i n f a l l i s 8 t o 10

inches.

Topography.--Sloping g e n t l y t o the e a s t , t h e r e l a t i v e l y f l a t t e r r a i n i s
broken by small dry washes running e a s t e r l y . A l t i t u d e s range from 3,200 t o
3,800 f e e t . The mine i s a t 3,350 f e e t . Twin Buttes, j u s t north of the mine,
has a maximum a l t i t u d e of 3,740 f e e t .

Geology (8, l4, l6, 2,2,w . ' - - T h e Twin Buttes d e p o s i t , according t o

Caldwell (3, i s i n Paleozoic limestones, s i l t s t o n e s , and Mesozoic c l a s t i c
rocks along the contacts of the d i k e l i k e quartz monzonite porphyry contacts.
I h e strongest mineralization i s found i n t h e s i l i c a t e d garnetized and c h l o r i -
t i z e d limestones and s i l t s t o n e ; q u a r t z i t e s a r e only weakly mineralized.
C l a s t i c s are-mineralized on the south, and b e t t e r copper values occur i n con-
t a c t with t h e porphyry t o the southeast. The quartz monzonite porphyry shows
only s c a t t e r e d and weak mineralization. Knaebel (3)noted t h e host rocks a r e
limestone, s i l i c a t e d limestone or t a c t i t e , impure argillaceous limestone and
s i l t s t o n e , arkosic sediments and tuffaceous rocks, q u a r t z i t e s , and i n t r u s i v e
q u a r t z monzonite porphyry. S t r u c t u r a l l y complex, the sediments a r e folded and
contorted with generally s t e e p d i p s , s t r a t i g r a p h i c unconformities, several
systems of f a u l t s , and displacements ranging from a few f e e t t o hundreds of
feet .
The i r e minerals as l i s t e d by ~ n a e b e l(l4) include chalcopyrite, the
dominant primary copper mineral; subordinate b o r n i t e ; and o t h e r s u l f i d e s
including considerable p y r i t e . Molybdenite occurs s p o r a d i c a l l y i n t h e primary
ore. According t o Caldwell (8) , the p r i n c i p a l oxide minerals are chrysocolla
and t e n o r i t e o r melaconite, with c u p r i t e and n a t i v e copper l o c a l l y p l e n t i f u l ;
some brochantite and minor malachite are also present. I n addition, he
reported t h e occurrence of l o c a l s p h a l e r i t e and galena, abundant magnetite i n
c e r t a i n a r e a s , and t r a c e s of gold and s i l v e r . The secondary s u l f i d e enrich-
ment ore, c h a l c o c i t e , may occur l o c a l l y i n narrow zones beneath t h e oxides.
P e t e r s (29) noted t h a t the c h a l c o c i t e blanket was t h i n and e r r a t i c .

As described by Knaebel (a,

the deposit i s not t y p i c a l l y a disseminated
porphyry of uniform assay grade; r a t h e r t h e metals were'introduced a s bunchy

lunderlined numbers i n parentheses r e f e r t o items i n the l i s t of references a t

the end of t h i s appendix.
 -
FIGURE E-1; -Pima mining district, Pimo County, Ariz.
replacements, a s v e i n l e t s along f r a c t u r e s , and a s more disseminated g r a i n s and
specks. D i s t r i b u t i o n of t h e m i n e r a l i z a t i o n depends upon t h e n a t u r e of t h e
h o s t rock.

The Twin B u t t e s s u l f i d e o r e body i s o v e r l a i n from t h e s u r f a c e downward by

alluvium m a t e r i a l ranging i n t h i c k n e s s from 400 t o 600 f e e t , by conglomerate
a s much a s 50 f e e t t h i c k , and by a n i r r e g u l a r oxide zone up t o 200 f e e t t h i c k .
The oxidized zone occurs i n bedrock. The s u l f i d e zone, ranging from 600 t o
800 f e e t below t h e s u r f a c e , averages about 0.5 p e r c e n t copper (8).

I n 1970, i t was e s t i m a t e d t h e p i t might e v e n t u a l l y be a s g r e a t a s 1,800

f e e t i n d e p t h and exceed 1 by 1-112 m i l e s . i n l a t e r a l dimensions (us
2).
Production (1-3, a ) . - q o p p e r p r o d u c t i o n from t h e Twin Buttes o p e r a t i o n
began i n November 1969. Table E - 1 shows t h e o r e processed and copper recov-
e r e d i n t h e c o n c e n t r a t e s f o r 1969-72. Table E-2 shows t h e copper s a l e s f o r
1970-72 (28). Molybdenum, g o l d , and s i l v e r were recovered a s byproducts.
S a l e s of molybdenum c o n c e n t r a t e s , g o l d , and s i l v e r t o t a l e d $1,380,964 f o r 1970,
$2,937,592 f o r 1971, and $4,426,630 f o r 1972 ( 6 ) . I n 1971, t h e Twin B u t t e s
o p e r a t i o n produced 1,208,000 pounds of r e c o v e r a b l e molybdenum; i n 1972, p r o -
d u c t i o n was 2,119,249 pounds o f r e c o v e r a b l e molybdenum (3.

TABLE E-1. - Copper p r o d u c t i o n from t h e Twin B u t t e s mine, 1969-72

Copper o r e Average t o t a l Average Net copper i n

Year processed, copper a s s a y , concentrator concentrates
tons percent1 recovery, produced a t
percent m i l l . pounds
196ga.. ..... 1,030,654 1.008 67.75 l3.574.000
1970 ........ 8,975,192 1.236 80.01 175;752;000
1971..... ... 7,666,009 .988 71.72 106,662,000
1972........ 10,738.748 .975 75.50 I 155.720.000
' o r e processed contained an average of 0.02 t o 0.04 pelrcent molyb-
denum. Ore processed i n c o n c e n t r a t o r included some mixed o x i -
dized and s u l f i d e o r e . Most of t h e oxidized copper a s s a y c o n t e n t
i s n o t recovered.
November and December only.

Source: Banner Mining Co. (6J.

TABLE E-2. - Copper s a l e s from t h e Twin Buttes mine, 1970-72

Refined copper
Copper s o l d , Average p r i c e
Year pounds and c o n c e n t r a t e s , of copper
I I g r o s s value1 I per pound
1970....... ......... 99,588,000 $72,347,848 $0.581
1971................ 104,078,000 53,447,773 .514 .
1972................ 1151.032.000 1 76.887.027 I .509
lDoes n o t i n c l u d e v a l u e of molybdenum c o n c e n t r a t e s , g o l d , a n d s i l v e r .

Source: Pay D i r t . C o n s t r u c t i o n Underway a t Twin B u t t e s ' L e a c h P l a n t

(2).
 Reserves (2,6J. --In 1968 Anaconda estimated t h a t ore reserves on i t s
leased p r o p e r t i e s i n Pima County, including Twin Buttes, were approximately
292 m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e o r e averaging 0.88 percent copper and 0.03 percent
molybdenum (2). I n 1973, Anaconda estimated the ore reserves a t Rrin Buttes
t o be 447 m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e ore with an average grade of 0.63 percent
copper and 0.03 percent totalmolybdenum, and 55 m i l l i o n tons of oxide ore
with an average grade of 1.2 percent t o t a l copper (0.82 percent acid soluble).
These tonnages were c a l c u l a t e d with a 0.2-percent cutoff grade for s u l f i d e s
and a 0.6-percent c u t o f f f o r oxide ore. Approximately 68 percent of the
t o t a l copper content of t h e oxide ore i s acid soluble; an oxide s u l f u r i c acid
leaching plant was under study f o r the recovery of the acid-soluble copper.

An additional 28 m i l l i o n tons of oxide material with an average grade of

0.49 percent t o t a l copper a t a cutoff grade of 0.4 percent t o t a l copper has
been estimated. Widely spaced d r i l l holes and geological evidence i n d i c a t e an
a d d i t i o n a l 300 m i l l i o n tons of o r e with an average grade of 0.8 percent t o t a l
copper with a cutoff of 0.4 percent copper. Some of t h i s a d d i t i o n a l o r e i s i n
small pockets outside the present operation; some i s a t g r e a t depths. Devel-
opment of t h i s ore w i l l depend on f u r t h e r geological work, development of
s u i t a b l e mining methods, metallurgical advances, market conditions, and other
f a c t o r s (6).

History

1876 F i r s t mining claims a t Twin Buttes were reportedly located i n 1876,

but l i t t l e mining was done u n t i l the e a r l y 1900's (9.

1877 Pima mining d i s t r i c t was organized m).

1890 Minnie claim was located (1).
1903, Twin Buttes Mining and Smelting Co. was organized under Arizona
Sept. 8 laws with c a p i t a l i z a t i o n of $ 1 million. The c a p i t a l i z a t i o n was
increased t o $1.25 m i l l i o n a t $ 1 par share about 1905, and t o
$2 m i l l i o n a t $1 par share on January 10, 1910 (25).

1905 Twin Buttes Mining and Smelting Co. b u i l t a 26-mile standard gage
r a i l r o a d from Tucson t o Twin Buttes (a).The r a i l r o a d was com-
pleted t o the mines about J u l y 1906 (21). I n 1910, 18 miles of
t h i s r a i l r o a d was sold t o Southern P a c i f i c Co. and became p a r t of
i t s branch i n t o Nogales, Ariz. (2, 25).
1906 Early production i n the area came from the Senator Morgan mine, the
Main s h a f t , the Copper Glance mine, and the Copper King mine. By
1906, the Senator Morgan mine had a 7- by 16-foot, t h r e e -
compartment s h a f t about 200 f e e t deep with 550 f e e t of l a t e r a l
workings. The vein was reportedly "25 f e e t wide with proven depth
of 95 f e e t and proven length of 300 f e e t carrying s u l f i d e o r e of
c i r c a 10 percent copper tenor i n the bottom workings." The e s t i -
mate was l a t e r reported a s excessive. By 1910, equipment from the
mine had been moved t o the new Main s h a f t 700 f e e t t o the e a s t .
 By 1906, t h e Copper Glance was opened by a 415-foot s h a f t w i t h 450
f e e t of l a t e r a l workings. T h i s s h a f t r e p o r t e d l y passed through 30
f e e t of gossan and 200 f e e t of carbonate o r e . The c r o s s c u t on t h e
300-foot l e v e l i n t e r s e c t e d 35 f e e t of m a r c a s i t e c a r r y i n g ''kidneys"
of c h a l c o c i t e ; a c r o s s c u t on t h e 400-foot l e v e l encountered s o f t
leached o r e . A t t h i s t i m e t h e Copper King mine had a 250-foot
s h a f t , with 250 f e e t of l a t e r a l workings with c a r b o n a t e s i n t h e
upper workings and s u l f i d e s i n t h e bottom workings. Company prop-
e r t i e s were r e p o r t e d t o have s u r f a c e dumps c o n t a i n i n g 10,000 t o n s ;
about 1 m i l e o f underground workings had a n e s t i m a t e d 50,000 tons
of o r e blocked o u t f o r s t o p i n g . The o r e averaged about 7 p e r c e n t
copper, 1.85 ounces o f s i l v e r , and a t r a c e of gold (35). Produc-
t i o n of copper and s i l v e r from 1906 t o 1910 i s shown by Weed (9.

1906-13 Twin B u t t e s Mining and Smelting Co. produced 132,500 t o n s of o r e

averaging5.92 p e r c e n t copper, mainly from t h e S e n a t o r Morgan mine
b u t sane from t h e Copper Glance (Glance) and Copper King (King) ,
mines (3.

1913 Twin B u t t e s Mining and Smelting Co. operated t h e Copper Glance,

Senator Morgan, and Copper Queen (Queen) mines. During t h e year
t h e company shipped 1,500 t o n s of o r e p e r month t o E l Paso, Tex.
(2).
1913-14 Ed (E. G.) Bush and a s s o c i a t e s (Bush-Baxter Mining Co.), during
l e a s i n g of t h e Senator Morgan mine, produced a few c a r l o a d s of
low-grade o r e and then r e l i n q u i s h e d t h e l e a s e (2).

1913-18 Ed Bush and a s s o c i a t e s (included William Foy) took a l e a s e and

(ca.) i s s u e d a bond on t h e Glance mine, and t h e n operated t h e mine under
t h e Glance Mining Co. (l3, w. Glance Mining Co. was r e p o r t e d l y
i n c o r p o r a t e d i n 1916. P r o p e r t y o f t h e company was t h r e e patented
claims h e l d under o p t i o n from o l d Twin B u t t e s Mining & Smelting
Co. and a 2-year l e a s e o n t h e Twin' Buttes r a i l r o a d (21).

1917 Ed Bush and a s s o c i a t e s organized Midland Copper Co. and took a

l e a s e and o p t i o n t o purchase f o r t h e Copper Glance and Copper
Queen m i n e s . The Copper Queen was paid f o r o u t of r o y a l t i e s . The
l e a s e on Copper Glance was s u r r e n d e r e d i n 1918, and t h e mine was
i d l e d ( 9 ) . Ransome (m r e p o r t e d t h e Glance and Queen mines were
i n o p e r a t i o n up t o t h e l a t t e r p a r t o f 1920.

1918 During an 8-month p e r i o d i n 1918, Midland Copper Co. r e p o r t e d pro-

d u c t i o n o f 4,842 tons of o r e , y i e l d i n g 783,493 pounds of copper
and 8,901 ounces of s i l v e r . The p r o p e r t y was l i s t e d a s f i v e
claims i n t h e Twin Buttes d i s t r i c t ; a s p e c i f i c mine was n o t named.
Development included a n i n c l i n e s h a f t 550 f e e t deep and 400 f e e t
of underground workings (21).

1922-26 Midland Copper Co. reopened t h e Copper Queen mine under the manage-
ment of William Foy and shipped o r e from 1923 t o 1926 (?).
1925-26 Midland Copper Co. purchased t h e Twin B u t t e s R a i l r o a d i n 1925 and
took a n o p t i o n on p a r t of t h e S e n a t o r Morgan group, s t i l l owned by
t h e Twin B u t t e s Mining and Smelting Co. (28).

1926 E a r l y p r o d u c t i o n f o r t h e mines a t Twin B u t t e s , 1906-26, follows:

Copper, S i l v e r , Zinc , Value

~ o u n d s ounces oounds
Morgan mine ,l I I
$2,035,307
Minnie
mine:
1914-18.. ... . 69,605 4.71 1.66 1,339,804
Queen mine ,"
1918-26.. .... 78,249 7.054 2.048 1,747,853
Glancemine' ' 124,032 6.721 2.30 2,786,127
King mine, 1
1908-13 ...... 8,772 7.35 2.20 1
1,289,484 19,299 1 NA 275,020
Total... . 419,433 '6.1975 '2.0189 $9.648.435 1817.024 11.090.000 '8.244.041
'--Revised. NA--Not a v a i l a b l e . 4Buttes Copper Co.
'Twin Buttes Mining and Smelting Co. 'Midland Copper Co.
' g u s h - ~ a x t e r Mining Co.
' ~ m e r i c a n Smelting and R e f i n i n g Co.
-
'Glance M i n i m Co.
'Includes v a l u e of z i n c , $59,930.

Source: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Production P o s s i b i l i t i e s of

Marginal Copper Mines i n Arizona (4).

1928 I n t e r m i t t e n t o p e r a t i o n of four o f t h e n i n e mines i n t h e Twin Buttes

camp t o 1928 ( p r e s m a b l y from 1905) y i e l d e d 388,231 t o n s of o r e
averaging 6.19 percent copper and a s m a l l tonnage of high-grade
oxidized z i n c ore. The n i n e mines included: S e n a t o r Morgan'group,
Copper Glance, Copper B u t t e , Copper B u l l i o n , Copper King, Copper
Queen, Arizona B u t t e s (Minnie) group, Contention (North S t a r )
group, and Taurus. The Contention l i e s 3,500 f e e t s o u t h of t h e
Minnie and j o i n s t h e Senator Morgan group on t h e s o u t h e a s t (2).

1928-35 Mine idle?

1929 Twin B u t t e s Copper Co. (William Foy) was r e p o r t e d i n 1929 a s s u c -

(ca.1 c e s s o r t o Twin B u t t e s Mining and Smelting Co. The Twin B u t t e s
Copper Co. acquired t h e Twin Buttes Copper p r o s p e c t s , i n c l u d i n g
t h e Senator Morgan. Other p r o p e r t i e s acquired included Venus,
North S t a r , King, Queen, Glance, and B u l l i o n i n t h e Twin B u t t e s
d i s t r i c t . .The new company e n t e r e d on a $500,000 development p r o -
gram, 50 men were employed, and p l a n s were underway f o r a 600-tpd
f l o t a t i o n p l a n t (30).

1936-42 No production.
134

1942, A Federal Bureau of Mines i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e area was terminated

.
Aug - when i t became necessary to d i v e r t personnel and funds t o other
1943, work. During the i n v e s t i g a t i o n , the Bureau of Mines mapped an
Jan. area 1,000 by 8,000 f e e t , including the Copper Glance group of
mines and t h e Contention mine, 213 mile southwest of t h e Minnie
mine. Accessible mine workings surveyed included t h e Minnie,
Copper King, and Contention claims ( 9 ) .

1946 A r e p o r t by C. H. Sandberg, 'Geophysical Survey i n the Twin Buttes

D i s t r i c t , Pima County, Arizona," described a study of n a t u r a l -
p o t e n t i a l measurements and a few d i r e c t - c u r r e n t r e s i s t i v i t y mea-
surements made i n the v i c i n i t y of Minnie, Copper Bullion, Copper
King, Copper Glance, Copper Queen, and Copper Butte mines (9.

1949? Properties i n the Twin Buttes area consisted of t h e Senator Morgan

group, owned by Twin Buttes Mining and Smelting Co.; the Copper
Glance, Copper Butte, Copper Bullion, and Copper King claims,
owned by Twin Buttes Mining and Smelting Co., and leased by
William Foy u n t i l 1948; the Copper Queen claim, formerly owned by
Midland Copper Co. (taxes paid by William Foy); t h e Contention
group, owned by William Foy; and t h e Taurus claim, owned by
Gus Gavin ( 9 ) .

1949 W. L. Allison of Phoenix, who held a lease and option of t h e

Senator Morgan, Copper Queen, Copper Glance, Copper King, and
Minnie mines, c a l l e d the Twin Buttes d i s t r i c t t o the a t t e n t i o n of
Allan Bowman, Banner Mining Co. (1).

1950 Banner Mining Co. acquired i t s f i r s t claims i n the Twin Buttes

d i s t r i c t (34). Twenty-two claims were obtained a t Twin Buttes
(13).
I n October Banner Mining Co., through a long-term lease and option
agreement, gained c o n t r o l of 38 patented Mineral H i l l claims
located about 7 miles t o t h e north of Twin Buttes (1).

Banner applied f o r a DMEA loan f o r exploration a t Mineral H i l l mine

and Copper Glance mine i n the % i n Buttes area. The Government
c o n t r a c t was t o supply t h e Mineral H i l l mine $63,936 and Twin
Buttes (Copper Glance) $67,895; the company p a r t i c i p a t e d i n both
p r o j e c t s on an equal b a s i s (l5). The p r o j e c t s were t o unwater and
r e h a b i l i t a t e p a r t s of both mines, sample any unmined reserve, and
explore underground by diamond d r i l l i n g (1).

1951, The DMEA loan applied f o r i n 1950 was granted. Banner was t o
June 30 advance c a p i t a l f o r work each month, one-half of which would be
l a t e r reimbursed by DMEA (1).

1953, DMEA granted Banner another loan t o build a 300-tpd m i l l and t o

May - . and d e v e l o ~the Mineral H i l l mine f o r uroduction. Total
equiu
c o s t of the work was estimated t o be $563,665; Banner was t o
 f u r n i s h $90,000 over 12 months. From 1954 t o 1957, 12,960,000
pounds of copper was produced f o r t h e Gwernment s t o c k p i l e ; t h e
p r i c e of t h e copper was 3 1 c e n t s p e r pound. The need f o r copper
d u r i n g t h e Korean War was impetus f o r t h i s DMEA loan (7).

1953, E x p l o r a t i o n work done under t h e DMEA l o a n found 500,000 t o n s of

June 30 low-grade m i l l o r e a t t h e Mineral H i l l mine and 4,000 t o n s of o r e
averaging 4.95 p e r c e n t copper a t t h e Copper Glance mine (1).

1956 Magnetic and e l e c t r o m a g n e t i c surveys wer t h e 'Ruin B u t t e s p r o p e r t y

of Banner l o c a t e d s e v e r a l s t r o n g anomalies. One of t h e l a r g e s t
was over t h e e a s t e x t e n s i o n o f t h e Copper Glance mine f a u l t zone.
S e v e r a l i n i t i a l d r i l l h o l e s , p u t down t o t e s t t h e anomaly near t h e
Copper Glance s h a f t , passed through a s t r o n g s u l f i d e zone c o n t a i n -
ing p y r i t e and c h a l c o p y r i t e a t o r j u s t above t h e c o n t a c t between
t a c t i t e and what p r e v i o u s l y was thought t o be unmineralized g r a n -
i t e . One o r two of t h e s e d r i l l h o l e s , extended about 100 f e e t
i n t o t h e g r a n i t e , encountered disseminated s u l f i d e copper m i n e r a l i -
z a t i o n v a r y i n g between 0.5 p e r c e n t and 1 p e r c e n t copper. High
copper p r i c e s i n 1955 and 1956 prompted Banner t o extend d r i f t s o n
t h e 525-foot l e v e l of t h e Glance mine eastward under t h e e l e c t r o -
magnetic anomaly. A d r i f t was d r i v e n along t h e f a u l t c o n t a c t
between t h e limestone and t h e g r a n i t e porphyry; some 900 f e e t of
t h e e a s t e r m s t p a r t of t h e d r i f t was i n o r e averaging about 1.5
p e r c e n t copper. I n 1958 and 1961, s u r f a c e assessment d r i l l i n g
e a s t of t h e d r i f t f a c e d i s c l o s e d f u r t h e r m i n e r a l i z a t i o n of sub-
s t a n t i a l t h i c k n e s s (2).

1956-57 .' Banner shipped some o r e from t h e Copper Glance mine.

1957, Twin B u t t e s (Copper Glance?) mine was t e m p o r a r i l y c l o s e d because o f

June a s e v e r e d e c l i n e i n copper p r i c e (5).

1958-63 Banner Mining Co. r e p o r t e d e x p l o r a t i o n d r i l l i n g on t h e 'Ruin Buttes

p r o p e r t y . I n 1961, widespread copper m i n e r a l i z s t i o n c o n t a i n i n g
s i l v e r and molybdenum v a l u e s was encountered by s u r f a c e d r i l l i n g
-
(9
1960 Major mining companies acquired blocks of c l a i m s a d j o i n i n g t h e Twin
Buttes p r o p e r t y on t h e e a s t and s o u t h e a s t (I).

1963 By 1963, Banner had assembled a block of 300 t o 400 claims c o v e r i s

s e v e r a l square m i l e s (24).

On March 1, t h e Anaconda Co. obtained a n o p t i o n agreement t o l e a s e

a l l Banner p r o p e r t i e s i n Pima County excluding t h e Daisy mine,
a f t e r which Anaconda began t h e i r e x t e n s i v e g e o l o g i c , geophysical,
and diamond-drilling a c t i v i t i e s i n t h e a r e a . The Twin B u t t e s o r e
body was p a r t i a l l y o u t l i n e d a s a r e s u l t o f t h i s work.
 Anaconda obtained Banner's old Mineral H i l l m i l l ; the 1,000-tpd
m i l l was remodeled and converted t o a 250-tpd p i l o t m i l l t o t e s t
Twin Butte ore. The feed t o t h e m i l l was sized i n t h e crushing
p l a n t , which was a l s o adapted f o r use a s a bulk sampler and f o r
producing pebbles f o r autogenous grinding t e s t s (14).

1963, Anaconda exploration by s u r f a c e d r i l l i n g commenced March 11, 1963.

Mar. 11- By June 27, 1967, ,193 v e r t i c a l holes had been d r i l l e d by Anaconda,
1967, ranging i n depth from 700 t o 2,500 f e e t , f o r a t o t a l of 321,377
June 27 f e e t completed (14).

1964, Anaconda exercised i t s option and entered i n t o a long-term lease

Apr. 15 agreement with Banner. Anaconda was t o advance funds, without
i n t e r e s t , f o r exploration, development, and mining operations
u n t i l the mine was i n conmercial production. Accumulated expendi-
t u r e s w i l l be amortized w e r f u t u r e operations of property.
Agreement w i l l r e s u l t i n a d i v i s i o n of a f t e r - t a x n e t income on an
approximately equal b a s i s between Banner and Anaconda. I n 1964,
Banner received $3.6 m i l l i o n f o r lease bonus, s a l e t o Anaconda of
stockpiled oxide ore, some property, and loans by Anaconda. On
January 10, 1965, Banner received the f i r s t advanced r o y a l t y of
$1.75 million. A t l e a s t t h i s much r o y a l t y was t o be advanced
annually f o r a minimum of 4 years, with provision f o r continued
payments on a prorated b a s i s f o r up t o 2 a d d i t i o n a l years o r u n t i l
t h e f i r s t mine reaches the production stage. Under t h e agreement
Anaconda exercised i t s o p t i o n t o lease a l l mining properties of
Banner i n Pima County, except the '!Daisy Mine Cone." The ores
from the Daisy Mine Cone a r e mined and milled under a custom
agreement with Pima Mining Co. Anaconda w i l l lease t h e mining
properties f o r an i n i t i a l term of 60 years with an option t o renew
f o r such periods a s a r e needed t o exhaust the deposits. Banner
w i l l receive advanced r o y a l t i e s through January 1971. Banner w i l l
be e n t i t l e d to production r o y a l t i e s based on the n e t p r o f i t s of
the leased properties when the mine reaches the production stage.
The advanced r o y a l t i e s and c e r t a i n loans, including accrued i n t e r -
e s t , made by Anaconda a r e deductible from the production r o y a l t i e s .
The lease may be terminated by Anaconda by giving not l e s s than
180 days' n o t i c e t o Banner (5, 1964 and 1969).

1964, Anaconda's Twin Buttes No. 1 exploration s h a f t , c o l l a r e d a t a 3,280-

July- foot e l e v a t i o n , was sunk t o o b t a i n bulk samples of o r e f o r p i l o t
1965, p l a n t t e s t s and t o observe mineralization and geology. The t h r e e -
Mar. compartment exploration s h a f t was sunk 956 f e e t through 475 f e e t
of alluvium and 481 f e e t of blocky porphyry (8, l 4 ) .

1965, P i l o t m i l l i n g operations a t the Mineral H i 1 1 m i l l commenced w i t h

Feb. 12- ore from the d i s t r i c t f o r 3 o r 4 months; t h e r e a f t e r ore from Twin
1967, Buttes was used. A t o t a l of 93,793 tons was milled i n the t e s t
Apr. 13 run, including 85,978 tons of o r e from Twin Buttes. Laboratory
and bench t e s t s were run concurrently a t Anaconda's m i l l a t
Anaconda, Mont., and a t the Mineral H i l l m i l l (16).
1965, E x p l o r a t i o n t h a t d e l i n e a t e d t h e o r e d e p o s i t was e s s e n t i a l l y con-
Mar. cluded, and t h e d e c i s i o n was made t o develop t h e mine. A d d i t i o n a l
d r i l l i n g and "underground development" i n c l u d i n g bulk sampling
confirmed t h e e s t i m a t e d o r e grade (14).

1965, D r i f t i n g and c r o s s c u t t i n g o n t h e 880-foot l e v e l t o t a l e d 16,835 f e e t .

Mar. 29- Ore and marginal-grade m a t e r i a l was trucked t o t h e p i l o t m i l l (14).
1967,
June 19

1965, Removal of alluvium, conglomerate, waste r o c k , and o r e t o t a l e d

J u l y 15- 7,140,460 t o n s and averaged 81,142 tpd (14).
Dec. 3 1

1965, Anaconda commenced s t r i p p i n g o p e r a t i o n s . Up t o September 1969, t h e

J u l y 15- end o f t h e p r e p r o d u c t i o n p e r i o d , 246,196,216 t o n s of a l l u v i a l o v e r -
1969, burden had been removed ( &).
Sep t .
1965, Underground d r i l l i n g of 73 h o l e s r a n g i n g from about 300 t o 800 f e e t
Aug. 19- deep t o t a l e d 45,339 f e e t (14).
1967.

1965, P r e c o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e mine-mill complex comenced (14,32).

mid

1966 Removal of alluvium, conglomerate, waste r o c k , and o r e t o t a l e d

49,538,259 t o n s and averaged 148,080 tpd (14).

Excavation was begun f o r t h e c o n c e n t r a t o r and r e l a t e d f a c i l i t i e s

(D. Seven and f o u r - t e n t h s m i l e s of s t a n d a r d gage r a i l r o a d was
b u i l t from Southern P a c i f i c R a i l r o a d a t S a h u a r i t a t o t h e m i l l s i t e
a r e a a t Twin B u t t e s , Under c o n s t r u c t i o n were t h e warehouse, m i l l
shop, m i l l a s s a y and r e s e a r c h l a b o r a t o r y , foundations f o r seven
d i e s e l - g a s g e n e r a t o r s f o r mine and m i l l p l a n t power, t i r e shop,
g a s o l i n e t r u c k r e p a i r f a c i l i t i e s , and diamond-drill c o r e s t o r a g e
b u i l d i n g s . A 1-mile e x t e n s i o n t o t h e l a r g e conveyor system was
n e a r l y completed (I).

1967 Removal o f alluvium, conglomerate, waste r o c k , and o r e t o t a l e d

89,555,730 t o n s and averaged 267,065 t p d (14).

I n s t a l l a t i o n of a complex waste-rock and o r e handling system was

begun. A 60-inch conveyor system was b u i l t t o handle 8,500 t p h of
overburden. The f i r s t s e c t i o n of t h e complex conveyor system was
t o be o p e r a t i n g by t h e f i r s t q u a r t e r of 1968 (1, l6). g-u,
196 7, Ralph M. Parsons Co., prime c o n t r a c t o r , cormnenced c o n s t r u c t i o n of
.
Aug - t h e ore-processing p l a n t i n August (34J. F a c i l i t i e s were designed
1969, by Parsons Jurden Corp. f o r a 30,000-tpd c a p a c i t y w i t h p o s s i b l e
Nov. 1 expansion l a t e r . By December 1, 1968, 600 personnel were engaged
on t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n p r o j e c t (22).

Removal o f alluvium, conglomerate, waste rock, and o r e t o t a l e d

70,527,151 t o n s and averaged 264,147 tpd (14).

I n August, t h e f i r s t 50-foot bench was developed i n r o c k a t a n

e l e v a t i o n of 2,850 f e e t ; t h e 2,800-foot bench, December 1968; t h e
2,750-foot bench, February 1969; and t h e 2,700-foot bench i n A p r i l
1969 (34).

The West o r e and waste conveyor system was completed, and t h e f i r s t

phases o f t h e t r u c k s t o c k p i l e loading-bin p r o j e c t were completed
and i n o p e r a t i o n . The m i l l r e s e r v o i r , t h r e e w e l l s , w a t e r pumping
o p e r a t i o n , and p i p e l i n e components of t h e p l a n t water system were
completed, and o p e r a t i o n was begun. The purchasing department,
c e n t r a l shops a t t h e m i l l s i t e , and r o c k e x c a v a t i o n f o r c o n c e n t r a -
t o r were completed d u r i n g t h e y e a r (9.

Late i n t h e y e a r f o u n d a t i o n s were begun f o r t h e molybdenite concen-

t r a t e recovery p l a n t and f o r copper and molybdenum c o n c e n t r a t e
drying f a c i l i t i e s (x)..

1969, Removal of alluvium, conglomerate, waste r o c k , and o r e t o t a l e d

J a n . 1- 49,747,242 t o n s and averaged 258,204 tpd. T o t a l removed s i n c e
Sept. 30 J u l y 1965 was 266,508,842 t o n s (14).

1969, A p r o p o s a l t o merge Banner Mining Co. and Newmnt Mining Corp. was
Feb. 10- d i s c u s s e d and terminated (9.
Mar. 26

1969, Anaconda began c o n s t r u c t i o n of a 6-tpd p i l o t p l a n t f o r e v a l u a t i n g

first and developing a p r o c e s s f o r d i r e c t r e d u c t i o n of copper s u l f i d e
quarter- o r e s i n t o m e t a l l i c copper, e l e m e n t a l s u l f u r , s i l v e r , g o l d , molyb-
1970, denum, and o t h e r v a l u e s . The p r o c e s s , being developed by Anaconda,
Aug . was known a s t h e Anatread p r o c e s s . Treadwell Corp. of New York,
h o l d e r of t h e p a t e n t s of t h e p r o c e s s , e n t e r e d i n t o a j o i n t - v e n t u r e
agreement w i t h Anaconda (20).

1969, The f i r s t of t h r e e s e c t i o n s of t h e copper c o n c e n t r a t o r was brought

Sept. on-stream (5).

1969, The f i r s t s i g n i f i c a n t s u l f i d e o r e had been mined on t h e 2,650-foot

Sept. 30 l e v e l (24). By t h i s d a t e , t h e approximate end of t h e preproduc-
t i o n p e r i o d , t h e alluvium removed amounted t o 246,196,216 t o n s .
Hard r o c k p r o d u c t i o n t o t a l e d 20,312,626 t o n s ; conglomerate and
waste r o c k 7,963,112 t o n s ; oxidized and mixed m a t e r i a l s s t o c k p i l e d
f o r f u t u r e t r e a t m e n t (much of t h i s m a t e r i a l was v e r y low grade)
 11,354,844 tons; ore stockpiled f o r s u l f i d e concentrator 798,750
tons; and ore s e n t d i r e c t l y t o m i l l 194,000 tons (14). Best
s i n g l e day's performance was ~ e b r u a r21, ~ 1969, when 359,000 tons
of material was. mwed by d i r e c t haul and t h e two conveyor systems
(19).
1969, Shipments of copper concentrates were made t o the American Smelting
Nov. 1 and Refining Co. smelter a t Hayden and t o the I n s p i r a t i o n Consoli-
dated Copper Co. smelter a t Miami, Ariz. (5). Concentrates were
a l s o shipped t o Magma Copper Co. smelters a t Superior and San Manuel
(24). NO copper was sold i n 1969 because a f t e r t h e o r e was milled
approximately 90 days elapsed before concentrates were smelted and
the refined copper was i n s a l a b l e form Q).

1969, By yearend Anaconda had expended over $200 m i l l i o n f o r exploring

Dec. 31 and developing the Banner p r o p e r t i e s i n Pima County. A t o t a l of
1.5 m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e o r e had been processed during 1969;
about 30,000 tons of concentrates containing almost 19 m i l l i o n
pounds of copper was produced. S u l f i d e and mixed sulfide-oxide
ores t o t a l i n g about 1,500,000 tons were stockpiled ( 5 ) .

1970 The f i r s t f u l l year of production was a s follows: 8,975,192 tons

of ore, 285,023 tons of concentrate, 175,751,527 pounds of copper,
265,607 pounds of molybdenum, and 1,206,310ounces of s i l v e r (5).

1970. Treadwell Coro. was c o n s t r u c t i n e an exoerimental o l a n t i n Tucson a t

c a . jan.
July
- H c o s t of $3'million. -
The o l a & was t o be used i n t e s t i n g a
method f o r converting s u l f i d e copper i n t o m e t a l l i c copper by
hydrometallurgical means. The p l a n t , t o process 6 tons of copper
concentrate per day i n t o 2 tons of f i n i s h e d copper, was scheduled
f o r completion J u l y 1970 (38).

1970, Sections of the m i l l were put i n t o operation as completed. During

Mar. t h e break-in period, t h e d a i l y tonnage of ore processed was
increased t o 23,000, and by l a t e April t h e m i l l was reported t o
have reached designed capacity of 30,000 tpd; the o r e contained
from 0.5 t o 0.7 percent copper and some molybdenum (19,34).

1970, The molybdenum recovery p l a n t conmenced operation (2)

May

1970, Under discussion was a merger plan among Banner, Rico Argentine,
June - T i n t i c Standard Mining Co., Consolidated Eureka Mining Co., and
1971, Houston Natural Gas. Transactions were terminated (5).
Mar. 29

1970, The p i t was 6,000 by 5,000 f e e t on the surface and 800 f e e t deep.
Aug . Planned s i z e was 9,000 f e e t long by 6,500 f e e t wide and 1,000 f e e t
deep (3.
 Anaconda reported lower copper production f o r the year because of
the copper s t r i k e (see below) and treatment of lower grade ore. A
major s l i d e i n the p i t r e s u l t e d i n the processing of a lower aver-
age grade of o r e than had been f o r e c a s t Q, 1971). Reportedly,
the s l i d e covered 10 m i l l i o n tons of ore (m. During the year,
7,666,009 tons of ore averaging 0.988 percent copper was processed
i n the concentrator. This o r e was p a r t l y oxidized, making i t d i f -
f i c u l t t o m i l l . Copper concentrates t o t a l e d 179,707 tons from
which 108,594,565 pounds of copper was recovered. A t o t a l of
1,208,433 pounds of molybdenum was obtained from molybdenum con-
c e n t r a t e s . Oxidized o r e averaging 0.72 percent copper was mined
and stockpiled. The s t o c k p i l e of oxide o r e t o t a l e d 25,644,994
tons. Lower production i n 1971 was a t t r i b u t e d t o the August cop-
per s t r i k e and t o the l i m i t a t i o n of smelting capacity by S t a t e
environmental a n t i p o l l u t i o n regulations. Consequently, t h e Twin
Buttes m i l l was shut down f o r 4 weeks i n August and 5 weeks during
October and November (5).

1971, Workers a t Twin Buttes joined the industrywide copper s t r i k e , which

J u l y 31 began J u l y 1. Twin Buttes was shut down u n t i l an agreement was
reached about August 27 (Zl).

1971, M i l l operations were t o cease October 1 u n t i l the concentrates

Oct. accumulated during the smelter s t r i k e had been shipped. Hayden
smelter was unable t o take concentrates u n t i l a f t e r September 13;
the company was unable t o dispose of them i n t h e United S t a t e s or
abroad. About 25,400 tons of concentrates awaited shipment. Of
the hourly work force of 1,250, 125 were temporarily l a i d o f f w.
Anaconda announced a reorganization of personnel and company oper-
a t i o n s because of severe r e v e r s a l s r e s u l t i n g from the l o s s of
income from Chilean properties. This reorganization was r e f l e c t e d
i n Arizona when research operations were temporarily closed,
including a p i l o t p l a n t developing a d i r e c t reduction process of
s u l f i d e ores a t the E x t r a c t i v e ' h e t a l l u r g i c a l Research Center a t
'Rtcson, and another p i l o t plant developing a method of b e n e f i c i a t -
ing low-grade copper oxide ores (a.
1971, Indications of prolonged a d d i t i o n a l t e s t i n g i n order t o a r r i v e a t a
fall workable flowsheet prompted Anaconda t o discontinue p i l o t plant
a c t i v i t y on the Anatread process. Under consideration was another
hydrometallurgical process which would eliminate smelter p o l l u t i o n
(U.
1971, Anaconda announced plans t o increase ore production from an average
Nw. 28,000 tpd t o 32,000 tpd (24).

1972, Under a three-way proposed agreement involving American Metal

Aug . Climax, Inc. (AMAX), The Anaconda Co., and Banner Mining Co., AMAX
would acquire Banner a s s e t s , become a 50-50 partner with Anaconda,
and furnish a d d i t i o n a l c a p i t a l f o r enlarging the Twin Buttes
 operation. Enlargement of t h e operation would include t h e con-
s t r u c t i o n of a new plant t o t r e a t oxide ore. No decision had been
reached on t h e type of p l a n t , but "it i s expected t o use s u l f u r i c
acid f o r leaching and electrowinning f o r recovery of the copper"

1973, Anaconda announced c o n s t r u c t i o n of a new plant t o convert copper

Jan. concentrates i n t o e l e c t r o l y t i c copper by a new hydrometallurgical
process c a l l e d the Arbiter Process. The proposed p l a n t , having a
capacity of 36,000 tpy of copper, was t o be b u i l t i n Anaconda,
Mont., a t a c o s t of $22 million. Compared with the conventional
pyrornetallurgical process, t h e Arbiter Process o f f e r s t h e follow-
ing advantages: (1) Cost i s lower, (2) process avoids a i r p o l l u -
t i o n , and (3) process i s adaptable f o r small-capacity p l a n t s (2).

1973, AMAX completed a c q u i s i t i o n of Banner. AMAX and Anaconda, with a

June 50-50 percent partnership, formed a new company c a l l e d Anamax
Mining Co. t o operate the Twin Buttes mine. T i n t i c Standard Min-
ing Co., which held 11.33 percent of Banner c o m n stock, was a l s o
acquired by AMAX. Other companies involved i n the complex merger
t r a n s a c t i o n included Rico Argentine Mining Co., which held 10.5
percent of Banner common s t o c k , and t h e Consolidated Eureka Mining
Co. AMAX and Anaconda estimated an expenditure of about $244 m i l -
l i o n t o expand Twin Buttes, with AMAX reported t o have made an
i n i t i a l investment of $93 m i l l i o n . Under the j o i n t venture $60
m i l l i o n would be a l l o c a t e d f o r building a solvent e x t r a c t i o n e l e c -
trowinning p l a n t , $40 m i l l i o n f o r open p i t development including
new t r a n s p o r t i n g and crushing u n i t s , and $51 m i l l i o n f o r expanding
the s u l f i d e - o r e concentrator. The present concentrator would be
expanded from 30,000 tpd t o 40,000 tpd, and the oxide plant was t o
have a 10,000-tpd capacity. Production i n 3 years was anticipated
t o be 120,000 t p y of copper. Each company would market i t s share
of t h e production. The new company was t o develop the umined
northeast ore body, and t h e e n t i r e development program--mine, con-
c e n t r a t o r expansion, and oxide plant--was expected t o r e q u i r e
3 years. Development of the Palo Verde (Mineral H i l l area) was t o
undergo a f e a s i b i l i t y study and evaluation, including discussions
with ASARCO which owns the adjoining Mission property. The
Helvetia properties of Banner have been under geologic and
economic evaluation.

Reserves a t Palo Verde (Mineral H i l l ) have been approximated t o be

95 m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e o r e with an average grade of 0.74 per-
cent copper using a 0.35-percent-copper c u t o f f . The Helvetia
properties contain an estimated 320 m i l l i o n tons of s u l f i d e mate-
r i a l with an average grade o f 0.64 percent copper using a 0.3-
percent-copper c u t o f f , plus a d d i t i o n a l oxide material. Further
exploration was expected (6,26).

1973, AMAX announced the formation of a wholly owned subsidiary, AMAX

A% Arizona, Inc., t o manage AMAX's 50-percent i n t e r e s t i n Anamax (27).
 REFERENCES

The Anaconda Co. Annual Reports, 1964-71.

-. Prospectus. Nov. 19, 1968, p. 10.

Arizona Department of Mineral Resources. Copper I n d u s t r y ; S t a t i s t i c s f o r
( y e a r ) Compared With Other Years, Arizona, United S t a t e s and World
( t i t l e v a r i e s ) . Phoenix, Ariz., annual p u b l i c a t i o n s 1969 through 1972.

- . Production P o s s i b i l i t i e s of Marginal Copper Mines i n Arizona. A

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t h e r e q u e s t of t h e Arizona Copper T a r i f f Board. Phoenix, Ariz., 1941,
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Banner Mining Co. Annual R e p o r t s , 1957-71.

-. Proxy Statement. Mar. 13, 1973, pp. 5 , 10, 14-15, 52-55.

Bowman, A. B. H i s t o r y , Growth and Development of a Small Mining Company.
Min. Eng., v. 15, No. 6, June 1963, pp. 42-49.

Caldwell, A. B. Twin Buttes--Anaconda 's Concept f o r Mining and Process-

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A p r i l 1967, pp. 91-99.

-. Twin B u t t e s Solves t h e Problems o f G r e a t Depth, Low Grade, Complex

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- , V. 173, No. 5, May 1972, p. 128 (news n o t e ) .

K a l t , W. D . , Jr. Awake t h e Copper Ghosts; The H i s t o r y o f Banner Mining
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. Anaconda's Work on Anatread Process I s Expanding M e t a l l u r g i c a l

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- . Copper S t r i k e Winding Down; Late S e t t l e m e n t s Clouded by P r e s i -

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-. Halt Twin B u t t e s Milling. No. 387, Sept. 27, 1971, p. 8.

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