1588 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
around 8% of global refined copper consumption [6]. This
reliance on imported copper has raised concerns about the
country’s ability to secure adequate supplies for its growing
economy and infrastructure needs [7]. As the world transi-
tions towards a low-carbon economy, the demand for cop-
per is expected to surge further. The expansion of renewable
energy sources, the electrification of transportation, and the
modernization of infrastructure will place a heavy strain on
global copper supplies [8, 9]. The mining industry will face
the challenge of balancing environmental concerns with the
need to increase production to meet the demands of a rap-
idly evolving world (Figure 1).
Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Mine is one of the big-
gest copper mines in the US and has produced copper and
other metals from its open pit mine since 1903. Underneath
the open pit mine are several smaller ore bodies with higher
metal grades than the surface mine. Two underground
mining areas have recently been approved for execution –
Lower Commercial Skarn and North Rim Skarn – with a
declared mineral resource of 26 Mt at 2.7% Cu.
A brief introduction on the skarn geology is discussed
later in the section.
The targeted underground ore bodies are all skarn ore
types and are comprised of the North Rim Skarn, Fortuna
Skarn, Middle Block Skarn, and Carr Fork Skarn. Rio Tinto
Kennecott has been studying the potential to mine these
underground skarns for over 10 years, most recently under
several parallel internal studies called the Integrated Skarns
Program. To successfully incorporate the underground ore
into the Kennecott value stream, geo-metallurgical charac-
terization studies have become an important component
of the program to avoid any unexpected responses during
ramp-up.
The Integrated Skarns Program (ISP) ore deposits lie
within the footprint of the Bingham Canyon mine south-
west of Salt Lake City, Utah (Figure 2). The deposits of the
ISP are primarily mineralized skarn deposits in the Jordan
and Commercial limestone units of the Lower Bingham
Mine Formation. The North Rim Skarn (NRS) deposit is
hosted in the Lower Jordan Limestone (LJLS) unit below
the Midas thrust fault, on the local mine grid north periph-
ery of the Bingham porphyry and below the north wall of
the open pit. The orebody extends from 3,500 feet eleva-
tion to below the 2,000 feet elevation where it is open at
depth. The NRS and other skarn ore bodies are shown in
Figure 3.
The North Rim Skarns (NRS) has been sub-divided
into two mining areas: Stage 1 NRS (NRS1) and Stage
Figure 1. Top 5 Copper Producers in 2022 [8]
around 8% of global refined copper consumption [6]. This
reliance on imported copper has raised concerns about the
country’s ability to secure adequate supplies for its growing
economy and infrastructure needs [7]. As the world transi-
tions towards a low-carbon economy, the demand for cop-
per is expected to surge further. The expansion of renewable
energy sources, the electrification of transportation, and the
modernization of infrastructure will place a heavy strain on
global copper supplies [8, 9]. The mining industry will face
the challenge of balancing environmental concerns with the
need to increase production to meet the demands of a rap-
idly evolving world (Figure 1).
Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Mine is one of the big-
gest copper mines in the US and has produced copper and
other metals from its open pit mine since 1903. Underneath
the open pit mine are several smaller ore bodies with higher
metal grades than the surface mine. Two underground
mining areas have recently been approved for execution –
Lower Commercial Skarn and North Rim Skarn – with a
declared mineral resource of 26 Mt at 2.7% Cu.
A brief introduction on the skarn geology is discussed
later in the section.
The targeted underground ore bodies are all skarn ore
types and are comprised of the North Rim Skarn, Fortuna
Skarn, Middle Block Skarn, and Carr Fork Skarn. Rio Tinto
Kennecott has been studying the potential to mine these
underground skarns for over 10 years, most recently under
several parallel internal studies called the Integrated Skarns
Program. To successfully incorporate the underground ore
into the Kennecott value stream, geo-metallurgical charac-
terization studies have become an important component
of the program to avoid any unexpected responses during
ramp-up.
The Integrated Skarns Program (ISP) ore deposits lie
within the footprint of the Bingham Canyon mine south-
west of Salt Lake City, Utah (Figure 2). The deposits of the
ISP are primarily mineralized skarn deposits in the Jordan
and Commercial limestone units of the Lower Bingham
Mine Formation. The North Rim Skarn (NRS) deposit is
hosted in the Lower Jordan Limestone (LJLS) unit below
the Midas thrust fault, on the local mine grid north periph-
ery of the Bingham porphyry and below the north wall of
the open pit. The orebody extends from 3,500 feet eleva-
tion to below the 2,000 feet elevation where it is open at
depth. The NRS and other skarn ore bodies are shown in
Figure 3.
The North Rim Skarns (NRS) has been sub-divided
into two mining areas: Stage 1 NRS (NRS1) and Stage
Figure 1. Top 5 Copper Producers in 2022 [8]