The Ray mine is a large copper mine in Pinal County, Arizona, near the town of Kearny, in the southwestern United States. ASARCO, a subsidiary of Grupo México, currently owns the mine, which it acquired from Kennecott Copper in 1986.[1]
 Teapot mesa, above Ray Mine | |
  Ray copper mine Location in Arizona | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kearny |
| County | Pinal County, Arizona |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 33°08′58″N 110°59′14″W / 33.14944°N 110.98722°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Copper, sulfuric acid |
| Production | 62.0 million lbs copper |
| Financial year | 2016 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1880 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Asarco |
| Website | Ray mine website |
| Year of acquisition | 1999 |
The Ray mine has one of the largest copper reserves in the United States, with proven and probable reserves of 835.7 million tonnes (822,500,000 long tons; 921,200,000 short tons) of ore grading 1.73% copper, as of December 31, 2018[update].[2][3][4] Copper from the Ray mine goes to the Hayden Smelter.
Mineral Creek, a tributary of the Gila River, flows north to south through the Ray Mine property.[5] It is dammed before reaching the mine pit at the north by a double-curvature concrete arch dam, Big Box Canyon Dam,[6] which outlets into an underground tunnel that diverts the creek around the mine pit till it emerges into a concrete channel that connects it to the Gila River, immediately south of the Ray Mine complex. This project was privately built and is maintained by the operators of the mine.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Ray mining history". Copper Area News Publishers. 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
- ↑ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Mexico City: Grupo México. p. 35. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ↑ "Company History". Mexico City: ASARCO. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ↑ Ascarza, William (November 11, 2013). "Mine Tales: Ray mining district has history of more than a century". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ↑ "Mineral Creek (Mineral Creek-Gila River) COA". Arizona Game & Fish. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ "RESTORATION PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE RELEASES FROM THE HAYDEN SMELTER AND RAY MINE FACILITIES". Columbia Environmental Research Center. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ Sutter, Jason. "Memorandum: Review of Proposed Designated Use Changes to Mineral Creek" (PDF). Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Ray mine tour, at YouTube
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