The following is a list of copper mines in the United States.
Leading copper-producing mines Leading copper-producing mines in the U.S., 2018–2021, in order of output:Brininstool, Mark and Flanagan, Daniel M. 2015 Minerals Yearbook: Copper - U.S. Geological Survey - U.S. Department of the Interior - October 2017 - (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document) The mines on this list account for more than 99% of U.S. mine copper production.
Rank Mine County and State Owner Source of copper Annual production (thousand tonnes) 1 Morenci Greenlee County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan (72%), Sumitomo Group (28%) Open pit, copper-molybdenum ore, producing copper cathode, copper and molybdenum concentrates 286 (2021) 2 Bingham Canyon Salt Lake County, Utah Rio Tinto Open pit copper-molybdenum ore, producing copper cathode, molybdenum concentrate, gold, silver, sulfuric acid 202 (2021) 3 Safford Graham County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper ore, leached 120 (2021) 4 Sierrita Pima County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 86 (2021) 5 Bagdad Yavapai County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 83 (2021) 6 El Chino Grant County, New Mexico Freeport-McMoRan Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 56 (2021) 7 Pinto Valley Gila County, Arizona Capstone Mining Corp. Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated and leached 54 (2020) 8 Ray Pinal County, Arizona Grupo México Copper ore, concentrated and leached 56 (2018) 9 Robinson White Pine County, Nevada KGHM Polska Miedź Copper-gold-molybdenum ore, open pit, concentrate products 56 (2021) 10 Mission Complex Pima County, Arizona Grupo México Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated 44 (2018) 11 Continental Pit Silver Bow County, Montana Montana Resources LLP Copper-molybdenum ore, concentrated 33 (2015)12 Tyrone Grant County, New Mexico Freeport-McMoRan Copper ore, leached 55 (2021) 13 Silver Bell Pima County, Arizona Grupo México Copper ore, leached 19 (2018) 14 Eagle Mine Marquette County, Michigan Lundin Mining Underground mine producing nickel and copper concentrates 18 (2018) 15 Phoenix Lander County, Nevada Nevada Gold Mines Gold-copper ore, concentrated and leached 17 (2021) 16 Lisbon Valley San Juan County, Utah Lisbon Valley Mining Company Copper ore, open pit, heap leached 10–15 (2018) 17 Miami Gila County, Arizona Freeport-McMoRan Copper ore, leached 5 (2021) 18 Carlota Gila County, Arizona KGHM Polska Miedź Porphyry copper open pit, producing copper cathode 3.2 (2018) 19 Pumpkin Hollow (see Anaconda) Lyon County, Nevada Nevada Copper IOCG skarn, underground, producing copper concentrate - (2019)
Copper-mining projects not yet in production Mine County (Borough) and State Operator Type of Deposit Status Pebble Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska Northern Dynasty Minerals Porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum Pre-feasibility Rosemont Pima County, Arizona Hudbay Porphyry skarn Permitting Resolution Pinal County, Arizona Rio Tinto 55%, BHP 45% Porphyry copper deposit beneath the inactive Magma Mine Permitted Back Forty Mine Menominee County, Michigan Gold Resource Corp. Volcanogenic massive sulfide Northmet St. Louis County, Minnesota Polymet Mining Copper-nickel-PGM deposit in disseminated and massive sulfides in layered mafic intrusion All state and federal permits issued for an open pit mine Black Butte Meagher County, Montana Sandfire Resources America SEDEX copper-cobalt-silver PermittingFlorenceFlorence, ArizonaTaseko In situ leach fieldUnder Construction
Inactive or defunct copper mines There are hundreds of inactive or defunct copper mines in the United States. The list below includes only those with Wikipedia articles. Mine County and State Operator Type of Deposit Status New Cornelia Ajo, Pima County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Porphyry copper Inactive since 1983 Copper Queen Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Manto (replacement) in limestone Mining stopped in 1975; now open for tours Lavender Pit Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Porphyry copper Closed in 1974 United Verde Mine Jerome, Yavapai County, Arizona Phelps Dodge Closed in 1953 Iron Mountain Shasta County, California Volcanogenic massive sulfide Operated 1860s to 1963; now a superfund site Minesota Ontonagon County, Michigan Native copper Mined from 1848 to 1870 Nonesuch Ontonagon County, Michigan Native copper Closed since 1912 Quincy Hancock, Houghton County, Michigan Quincy Mining Co. Strataform native copper Closed since 1945. Now part of Keweenaw National Historical Park Cliff Keweenaw County, Michigan Pittsburgh & Boston Mining Co. Vein native copper Productive 1845 to 1887 Victoria Mine Victoria, Ontonagon County, Michigan Victoria Copper Mining Company Closed in 1921 C&H Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan C&H Mining Co. Native Copper Closed in the late 1960s Anaconda Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana Anaconda Copper Closed since 1947 Berkeley Pit Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana Anaconda Copper Porphyry copper Closed in 1982; now a superfund site and tourist attraction Troy Mine Troy, Lincoln County, Montana Revett Minerals, Hecla Mining Closed 2015; active between 1981 and 1983, and 2005–2015 Yerington - Anaconda Lyon County, Nevada Anaconda Copper Closed since 1978 Pahaquarry Warren County, New Jersey Closed since 1928 Schuyler Bergen County, New Jersey Closed since 1901 Burra Burra Ducktown, Polk County, Tennessee Tennessee Chemical Company Volcanogenic massive sulfide Closed in 1987; now part of a state-owned historical site Elizabeth Orange County, Vermont Volcanogenic massive sulfide Open 1809–1957; now a federal superfund site Tubal Cain Washington Tubal-Cain Copper & Manganese Mining Co. Operated 1902–1906Flambeau MineLadysmith, WisconsinKennecott MineralsCopper, gold, and silverOperated 1993-1997
See also Copper mining Copper mining in the United States
References