A New Hope

Amidst Superior's hard times, there is hope for the town. In 1998, BHP reported discovery of the Magma porphyry deposit (also called the Resolution deposit), which may well be the largest copper deposit in North America. Everything about this orebody looks to be superlative, from its size (1 billion tons) to its depth (7,000 ft below the surface), to its high-grade mineralization (more than twice the grade of ore typically mined here).

BHP and Rio Tinto, two of the world's largest copper companies, joined forces to form the Resolution Copper Company. Exploratory drilling started in 2001, and continues as methods for mining the deposit are evaluated. Like the former Magma operation, all operations here will be conducted underground, without strip mining. Resolution faces some significant challenges, among them depth and heat. The current floor of the mine is 4,200 feet below the surface. Unfortunately, the water pumps were shut off in '98, and there's 2,000 feet of water in the mine. After the mine is dewatered, they'll have to worry about refrigeration. The "Magma" name was very apt, since the former workings were very hot - miners tell of the mercury hitting 145° at the lowest levels (it was the first mine in the United States to be air conditioned). It is believed that temperatures at the level of the orebody are 175°. As if all that weren't enough, the mine will need to be dug even deeper - about 3,000 more feet.

The Resolution Project is not without controversy - environmental groups are worried about the enviromental impact of one possible method (block caving), and outdoor enthusiasts from rock climbers to campers are concerned about a loss of access to the Oak Flat area.

Despite the opposition, Resolution looks like it's committed to making this work. They're renovating the old Superior Magma Hospital to use it as their corporate headquarters, and they've established scholarship programs to assist local students that plan on studying science and engineering.

It's my hope that all concerned parties can reach an agreement as to how the mining operations may proceed - I really want to see Superior come back.