Local
Copper World project advances near Tucson with higher production forecast
Hudbay Minerals and Mitsubishi have approved development of the Copper World mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, about 30 miles southeast of Tucson. A final feasibility study projects annual production of 102,000 metric tons of copper during the mine’s first decade, 11% above the previous estimate.
Hudbay Minerals and Mitsubishi have given the go-ahead to develop the Copper World copper mine in southern Arizona, following a feasibility study that raised the project’s expected output.
The proposed mine is in the Santa Rita Mountains, about 30 miles southeast of Tucson. Its first 10 years of operation are projected to yield 102,000 metric tons of copper annually — an 11% increase over the earlier forecast, according to the study.
Hudbay, a Canadian mining company, owns 70% of the project, while Mitsubishi owns 30%. Mitsubishi invested $600 million earlier this year to join the venture. Hudbay says the fully permitted project would be among the largest open-pit copper mines in the United States and would include a concentrate leach facility to produce copper cathode for the U.S. supply chain.
The development decision moves a major mining project toward construction, with potential implications for the region and domestic copper supply. The information released with the decision did not include a construction schedule or details about local employment, water use or other environmental impacts.