Morenci is an open-pit copper mining complex that has been in continuous operation since 1939 and previously was mined through underground workings.
Mine unit operations include drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, and auxiliary support.
Morenci’s mining fleet is capable of moving an average of 785,000 metric tons of material per day.
Mine Design
The inter-ramp slope angles vary between 42 to 54 degrees. The haul ramps are planned with a width of 130 feet and with a 10 percent grade but can vary in different sections of the ramp. They are designed to accommodate the current truck fleet.
The final mine design is approximately 3.4 miles in width (east-west) and 4.6 miles in length (north- south). The expected depth of the pit is about 4,450 feet, ranging from 1,800 to 6,250 feet above sea level. Mining is designed to take place on 50-foot benches, with pit slopes allowing for double bench configuration where feasible.
The mine plan is scheduled to deliver a targeted average mill production rate of 130,000 tons of ore per day with the final year at a reduced rate. The plan is scheduled to deliver a targeted average crushed leach production rate of 75,000 tons of ore per day through 2040 with final deliveries in 2042. ROM leach deliveries are variable with an average of 210,000 tons of ore per day through 2052. The LOM plan stripping ratio (waste tonnage over ore tonnage) at the Morenci mine is 0.39. Mining activities a ........