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Climax Mine

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Climax Mine

Location: 109 km SW from Denver, Colorado, United States

Address:

11236 Hwy 91 - Freemont Pass
Climax
Colorado, United States
80429

Contacts:

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Molybdenum
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotClimax is the largest known deposit of molybdenum in the world.

Climax mine is an open-pit molybdenum mine. The mine is accessible by paved roads. Climax was placed on care and maintenance status by its previous owner in 1995 and, after being acquired by FMC, began commercial production in 2012.

On November 18, 2025, Freeport’s Climax Molybdenum operation in Colorado has completed construction of its molybdenum removal water treatment plant, culminating six years of planning and construction to align with Colorado’s updated water quality standard.

The plant was constructed to remove molybdenum oxide, not recoverable in the flotation process, from water used at Climax before it is discharged into Tenmile Creek.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. 100 % Indirect
Climax Molybdenum Company (operator) 100 % Direct
Freeport-McMoRan owns 100% of Climax mine through its wholly-owned subsidiary Climax Molybdenum Company.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Porphyry

Summary:

The Climax ore body is a porphyry molybdenum deposit, with molybdenite as the primary sulfide mineral. Many intersecting small veins of molybdenite form a stockwork in an altered quartz monzonite porphyry. It's a low-grade ore deposit is, but the ore bodies are very large. The rocks of the Climax are alkaline felsic intrusives, which range from porphyritic alkaline rhyolite to alkaline aplite to porphyritic alkaline granite.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Molybdenum M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1721201623
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe90,000 t90,000 t90,000 t90,000 t90,000 t
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe30 M lbs of molybdenum metal in concentrate30 M lbs of molybdenum metal in concentrate30 M lbs of molybdenum metal in concentrate30 M lbs of molybdenum metal in concentrate30 M lbs of molybdenum metal in concentrate
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe25,000 t25,000 t25,000 t25,000 t25,000 t

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2026
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2026
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2026
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2026
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2026

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2025
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Aerial view:

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