Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
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Mining Method |
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Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2055 |
Montana Resources operates an open pit copper and molybdenum mine in Butte, Montana. The operation comprises the Continental mine, crushers and a concentrator facility where tons of raw ore are processed into high-quality metal concentrates. |
Source:
p. 34, 192
Montana Resources, Inc. (MRI) purchased the property from the Anaconda Company and began mining the East Berkeley (Continental) Pit in 1986. Mining permits were transferred from MRI to Montana Resources, LLP (now Montana Resources, LLC), a general partnership (MR) in 1989.
The Montana Resources LLC is one of the Washington Companies, profits made by Montana Resources contribute to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, a major philanthropic organization.
Contractors
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Summary:
In the Continental area, Butte Quartz Monzonite is host to low-grade, porphyry style, copper and molybdenum mineralization exposed at surface in the footwall of the Continental Fault. This style of mineralization was intercepted by underground workings beneath the Berkeley pit at about the 2,000 level. Subparallel strands of the Continental Fault, collectively thought to have as much as 3,500 feet of dip-slip displacement, are exposed, along strike, in the bottom reaches of the Continental pit and in “cross section” in the north highwall. The deposit is bounded on the west by the Continental Fault and on the East by the Klepper Fault. In the Butte District, two mineralizing events are recognized as important relative to reserve definition: PreMain Stage (PMS) and Main Stage (MS). The Pre-Main Stage veinlet swarms and crackles with distinctive secondary green biotitic selvages, typify the potassium feldspar metasomatism associated with the early quartz-chalcopyrite-molybdenite porphyry style mineralization. Swarms of barren quartz, molybdenite crackles (slicks), and various styles of banded quartzmolybdenite veinlets marked the end of the Pre-Main Stage event and set the structural pattern for the classic mesothermal Main Stage veining to follow. These east to northeasterly trending, steeply dipping, massive copper sulfide veins, characterized by wide sericitic envelopes, often offset by conjugate northwest trending MS veins with gouge in both the hanging wall and footwall, su ........
Summary:
Mining at Montana Resources, LLC (Montana Resources) is done via conventional open-pit methods utilizing blast hole drills, loaders, shovels, trucks, dozers and typical haul road maintenance equipment. All ore is hauled to the primary crusher and then conveyed to the coarse ore stockpile.
Drilling is accomplished using rotary blast hole drills. The drills are crawler or rubber tire mounted and self-contained. Blasting utilizes bulk ANFO and nonelectric primers and delays. Wet holes are loaded with a package ANFO or waterproof slurry.
Blast holes are filled with sufficient ANFO to ensure adequate fragmentation. The mining contractor is instructed not to overfill holes, and to clean up spillage prior to blasting. Spillage is placed in holes prior to stemming to ensure detonation. Cuttings from each blast hole are collected and assayed for delineation of ore and waste.
Loading of ore and waste is performed by front-end loaders or shovels. Trucks are used for hauling ore and waste. Ore is transported to the crushing plant while waste is taken to the dump sites.
Source:
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Summary:
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Source:
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Reserves at January 1, 2015:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Proven & Probable
|
756 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.24 %
|
Proven & Probable
|
756 Mt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.031 %
|
Proven & Probable
|
756 Mt
|
Silver
|
0.074 oz/t
|
Total Resource
|
31 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.6 %
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HME Type | Model | Size | Quantity | Ref. Date | Source |
Drill
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.......................
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.......................
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Jul 7, 2023
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p.1
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Loader (FEL)
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.......................
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|
.......................
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Jul 7, 2023
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p.1
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Shovel (rope)
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.......................
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|
.......................
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Jul 25, 2023
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Shovel (rope)
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.......................
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.......................
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Jun 24, 2018
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Truck (haul)
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.......................
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240 t
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.......................
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Jul 7, 2023
|
p.1
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