Transcript Slide 1
MINING Copper Queen Mine A Few AZ Mining Towns: Bisbee Sierrita Jerome Clifton Morenci Miami Ajo Safford Bagdad New Cornelia Mine, AZ Mining in Arizona Lavender Pit, Bisbee Arizona has 72 mining companies operating 126 mines in the state, with an additional 70 sand and gravel producers Morenci Mine*, Clifton AZ More than 15,000 people are directly employed by the mining industry Lavender Pit again Mining In AZ Major Companies Mines & Minerals Asarco Copper Peabody Coal Freeport-McMoRan Copper, Molybdenum (Phelps-Dodge) BHP Copper Others Uranium, Pumice, Sand, Cinders These are giant companies! Copper Internationally traded Properties: superior electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, structural capability, efficient heat transfer and aesthetics Other materials that compete with copper include aluminum, plastics, stainless steel and fiber optics Recent increased demand in China, Malaysia & India Copper consumption is closely associated with industrial production and therefore tends to follow economic cycles. During an expansion, demand for copper tends to increase, thereby driving up the price. As a result, copper prices are volatile and cyclical. Molybdenum Molybdic oxide, derived from molybdenum, is used primarily in the steel industry for corrosion resistance, strengthening and heat resistance Example: care-and-maintenance status Demand is heavily dependent on the worldwide steel industry What is a mineral resource? The concentration of naturally occurring solid, liquid, or gas in the crust of the earth which can be extracted and processed into useful materials at an affordable cost 3 MAIN TYPES Energy Metallic Nonmetallic Coal Fe Salt Gas Cu Gypsum Oil Al Clay Uranium Phosphates Geothermal ore: metal-bearing mineral or rock Water Soil How do we access mineral resources? First, we have to find them Ways that tectonic plates move: - Diverge - Converge (subduction) - Transform by faults …Finding Mineral Resources Methods of Discovery: - Aerial photos - GIS - Effects on earth’s magnetic/gravitational fields Consider the effort it will take: - Is it worth it? - How accessible is the mineral? - What is the depletion time? Depletion time: time it takes to use up a certain proportion (80%) of the reserves of a mineral at a given rate of use. Reserve-to-production ratio: the number of years that the proven reserves of a particular nonrenewable mineral will last at current annual production rates Reserves: identified resources that can be extracted economically at current prices using current technology Question How can depletion time be altered? Once we find mineral resources, How are they extracted? The method depends on the mineral Subsurface/Underground Mining Room & Pillar Method: Animation: http://www.bcminerals.ca/movies/roomandpillar.html Long-Walled Method video: http://www.peabodyenergy.com/# Surface Mining Strip Mining Open Pit Mining Dredging Dredging for gravel, shown here on the Umpqua River, can reduce or eliminate salmon spawning habitat Mountain Top Removal http://adtunes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99011 Some Effects of Mining - Lifestyle for workers - Remediation - Dangers - Overturn Alternatives? Mining on the Navajo & Hopi Reservations Peabody Coal Plant & Bans against uranium mining What do you think? http://www.peabodyenergy.com/content/333/Vide o-Gallery/Peabody-Celebrates-40-Years-on-BlackMesa-