Visiting The World’s Deepest Open Pit Mine - Kennecott Copper Mine

Scientific Concepts, Discoveries, and Natural Phenomena

• Copper Mining and Extraction Process: The video explores the entire Copper Mining process at the Bingham Canyon Mine, the world’s largest open-pit mine.
• Geological Resources: Besides copper, the mine produces gold, silver, molybdenum, and tum (likely a transcription error, possibly “tungsten” or another metal).
• Mining Scale and Dimensions: The mine covers 27,000 acres, is 2.5 miles wide, and half a mile deep, making it the largest excavation on Earth.

Mining and Processing Methodology

1. Drilling and Blasting
   • Large drills create 10-inch diameter holes.
   • 200 holes are filled with explosives (emulsion and boosters).
   • Timed blasting occurs to break rock for extraction.
2. Loading
   • 12 shovels operate continuously, loading ore and waste.
   • Large haul trucks (CAT 794 and Komatsu 930) carry over 300 tons per load.
   • Material is transported either to waste dumps or crushers.
3. Crushing
   • Crushers reduce ore size, capable of processing over 10,000 tons per hour.
   • Crushed ore is conveyed 6 miles to the concentrator.
4. Concentration
   • Ore is stockpiled and fed at 8,000 tons per hour.
   • SAG mills (with 8-inch steel balls) and ball mills grind ore into fine sand.
   • Water and chemicals are added to create a slurry.
   • Froth flotation: chemicals bond with valuable metals (copper, molybdenum, gold, silver) causing them to float as foam.
   • Valuable metal-rich foam is collected; waste settles and is discarded.
5. Smelting
   • The wet concentrate is dried and melted in gas furnaces.
   • Metals are separated; molten copper is poured into large anodes (~98% copper with other metals).
   • This process converts concentrate into a form suitable for refining.
6. Electrolytic Refining
   • Anodes are placed in electrolytic cells.
   • Electrical current causes pure copper to deposit on cathodes.
   • Impurities (lead, silver, gold, other metals) sink and are sent to precious metals recovery.
   • After about 14 days, the refined copper reaches 99.9% purity.

Safety Measures

Workers wear full protective gear including coveralls, gloves, respirators, hard hats, and ear protection.

Additional Information

• Rio Tinto operates the mine and is unique in North America for integrating mining and refining at the same site.
• The mine offers a visitor center open seasonally for public viewing.

Researchers and Sources Featured

• Rio Tinto (Mining company operating Bingham Canyon Mine)