Florence Copper
Overview
Located off Hunt Highway in Florence, Florence Copper is part of Arizona’s historic Copper Corridor. But Florence Copper is not a typical mining operation. Rather than employing large shovels and trucks, blasting, open-pits, and other aspects that you would see at typical mining operations, Florence Copper recovers copper using a unique extraction method called in-situ copper recovery (ISCR).
For information on the ISCR process, visit florencecopper.com
Project Status & Timeline
Florence Copper operated a successful Production Test Facility (PTF) for over 18 months, producing more than 1 million pounds of copper using in-situ copper recovery, with the first copper cathode produced in April 2019. The project is now awaiting its final federal permit to expand into commercial operations. The permit is expected in 2023.
Once the final permit is received, construction of the commercial ISCR facility will commence. Following an ~18-month construction period, the project will begin commercial operations and produce copper metal for a period of 20+ years. At the end of the project, the land will look much like it does today and can be redeveloped based on community priorities for housing, agriculture, or other uses – a unique environmental benefit of the ISCR process.
Over the project lifetime, Florence Copper will support approximately 250 high paying direct and indirect jobs in Florence and contribute nearly $3.4 billion in economic activity for the State of Arizona.
For more information about Florence Copper, visit the company’s website at florencecopper.com