| Deposit ID | 10133672 |
|---|---|
| MAS/MILS ID | 2010491002 |
| Record type | Site |
| Current site name | (Facility) Cananea Copper Smelter |
| Alternate or previous names | Cananea Smelter |
| Point of reference | Town |
|---|---|
| Geographic coordinates: | -110.26626, 31.02655 (WGS84) |
| Elevation | 1625 |
| Location accuracy | 1000(meters) |
Political divisions (FIPS codes)
Pima(county)
Arizona(state)
United States(country)
North America(continent)
Land(continent)
USGS map quadrangles
Nogales(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)
Nogales(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)
| Country | State |
|---|---|
| Mexico | Sonora |
| Commodity | Importance |
|---|---|
| Copper | Primary |
| Town (1) | -110.26626, 31.02655 |
|---|
| Operation type | Processing Plant |
|---|---|
| Development status | Plant |
| Commodity type | Metallic |
| Significant | Yes |
| Mining method | Open Pit |
| Plant type | Smelter |
| Milling method | Leach-Precipitation |
| Type of mineral rights | Fee Ownership |
|---|
| Type | Owner |
|---|---|
| Owner | Compania Mexicana De Cananea |
| Home office | Mexico |
| Year | 1991 |
| Type | Owner |
|---|---|
| Owner | Acec-Union Miniere Sa |
| Home office | Belgium |
| Year | 1991 |
| Agency | Database name | Acronym | Record ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Mines | Minerals Availability System | MAS | 2010491002 |
WORLD MINING, SEPT. 1978: OPERATIONS EXPANSION AT CANANEA--
MEXICO'S LARGEST COPPER ORE DEPOSIT, PP. 64-70.
PINCOCK, ALLEN & HOLT, INC.; THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING,
OPERATING AND ENVIRONMENTAL COST DATA FOR INTERNATIONAL
COPPER SMELTING AND REFINING OPERATIONS - CANANEA,
MEXICO. BUMINES CONTRACT J0290007; FOR INF., CONTACT S.W.
TOWLE, TPO, BUMINES-MAFO, DENVER CO.
MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, FEB. 22, 1991.
| Subject category | Comment text |
|---|---|
| Deposit | THICKENED CONCENTRATE IS PUMPED TO THE SMELTER THROUGH A 3 INCH, 1.7 MILE LONG PIPE TO A 9 DISC DENVER FILTER. CONCENTRATE IS FILTERED TO 12 TO 15 PERCENT MOISTURE AND CONVEYED BY A 10 FOOT DIAMETER BY 60 FOOT LONG GAS OR OIL FIRED STAINLESS STEEL ROTARY DRYER. DRIED CONCENTRATE IS CONVEYED TO A 10,000 TON CAPACITY STORAGE/BLEND BUILDING WHERE FLUX AND SMALL LOTS OF CUSTOM ORE ARE RECEIVED AS WELL. CONCENTRATE IS FED TO THE NEW REVERBERATORY FURNACE. THE REVERB IS OPERATED AT 1,350 DEGREES C. SLAG IS TAPPED THROUGH ONE OF TWO OPENINGS IN THE FURNACE AND FLOWS INTO ONE OF SIX LADLE CARS WHICH ARE MOUNTED ON RAILS. THE TRAIN TAKES THE SLAG TO THE SLAG DUMP. WHEN COPPER MATTE IS TAPPED, IT FLOWS INTO LADLES LOCATED IN THE CONVERTER AISLE. THESE LADLES CAN BE TRANSPORTED BY CRANE IMMEDIATELY TO THE CONVERTERS. MATTE IS TAPPED AS REQUIRED BY THE CONVERTER OPERATION. THE 36-40% COPPER MATTE IS FED TO ONE OF FOUR PIERCE SMITH CONVERTERS. TWO CONVERTERS OPERATE AT A TIME, WITH ONE BEING RELINED AND THE OTHER ON STANDBY. BLISTER COPPER IS TRANSFERRED BY LADLE TO ONE OF FOUR HOLDING FURNACES. FROM THE HOLDING FURNACES, BLISTER COPPER IS CAST ON A CONTINUOUS CASTING BELT INTO 500 KILOGRAM INGOTS. BLISTER IS VERY HIGH GRADE -- FROM 99.5 TO 99.7% COPPER. ALL BLISTER PRODUCED AT CANANEA IS SHIPPED, EITHER BY TRUCK OR RAIL TO THE COBRE DE MEXICO REFINERY IN MEXICO CITY. ALTHOUGH CAPACITY WAS EXPANDED TO 70,000 MTPY, PRODUCTION IN 1978 REMAINED AT 48,900 MT BLISTER. THE MEXICAN GOVT. DECLARED THE MINE BANKRUPT IN SEPT. 1989, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SOLD THE PROPERTY IN AUG. 1990 TO COMPANIA MEXICANA DE CANANEA, A SUBSIDIARY OF GRUPO INDUSTRIAL MINERA MEXICANA, AND TO ACEC UNION MINIERE, FOR $475 MILLION. MINE CLOSURE ON AUGUST 20, 1989 AND REOPENED IN OCTOBER OF 1989. APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE WORKFORCE WAS CUT. |
| Type | Date | Name | Affiliation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporter | 27-DEC-1994 | Towle, Stewart W. | U.S. Bureau of Mines |
Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.