Mining Intelligence and News
United States

Climax Mine

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Categories

Overview

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.

Over the past three years, Climax has been operating at approximately 75% of capacity.

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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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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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Molybdenum M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1721201623
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe90,000 t90,000 t90,000 t90,000 t90,000 t
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe25,000 t25,000 t25,000 t25,000 t25,000 t
Annual production capacity  ....  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

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 24, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2024

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required 2017

Aerial view:

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