Morenci Copper Mine, Arizona

   

We camped at Roper Lake State Park, near Safford, AZ.  Checking around for "things to see and do" in the area, we became aware of the Morenci Mine, about 50 miles away.
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Morenci is the world's second largest pit mine, covering an area about ten miles long and four miles wide.  That's pretty big.

Morenci Mine from the official viewing point

The ore is reached (after removing the "overburden" -- aka dirt -- covering the ore) by blasting the rock, digging with electric-powered shovels, dumping it into huge trucks, and hauling it to storage areas, or directly into one of the processing areas. 

Really big trucks!

The shovels and trucks are pretty big, too.  The shovel scoops 100 tons of material in each scoop.  Three scoops – 300 tons – fill each truck.

Those little black dots with red circles are those 300-ton trucks

In 2009, the mine had 60 of those big trucks.  Couldn't find a statistic about how many they had today, but we did find that the 2014 output from the mine was double the 2013 output.   (Price of copper went up in the last few years, so obviously, the company – Freeport-McMoRan Inc. - would produce as much as they could.  Probably took more trucks to do it.)

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Morenci processes 115,000 tons of ore per day.   The ore contains only one to two percent copper.  After processing, in 2013 the mine produced 710,000 tons of copper; 400,000 ounces of gold, 46,500 tons of molybdenum, and minor quantities of silver and cobalt.

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We saw several signs at gates:  "ENTERING LEFT-HAND DRIVING AREA".   The trucks drive on the left side of the roads.  That way the driver can see the edge better, reducing the chances of going off the edge and tumbling down several hundred feet.  Take another look at that close up of that big truck.  There's no way the driver can see the right side of his truck or his wheels.  Makes sense to drive on the left!

Trucks and dozers dump waste rock

Trucks and dozers dump waste rock

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Pretty impressive to watch those trucks – looking like ants – scurrying around to and from the several digging and dumping areas.  Somebody somewhere in one of those offices keeps track of where each one of them is, where he goes next, and how to minimize traffic jams.  Whew! 
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Company housing

US 191 - Coronado Scenic Byway
north from the mine