http://travel.spotcoolstuff.com/amazing-views/7-circular-geological-oddities Bingham Canyon Mine — Utah, USA The Bingham Canyon mine is over .75 miles (1.2 km) deep and 2.5 miles (4 km) wide and so, for the moment at least, it beats out Mirny (above) for the title of the world’s largest man made hole. It is travel friendly. Although still a working mine, Bingham Canyon was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and has doubled as a tourist attraction since. Every year from April through October the visitor center there is open for curious travelers. Inside the center are interactive exhibits, mineral samples and a 16-minute video overview of the mine. But the center’s coolest feature is the superb viewing platform from which it is oddly compelling to watch the goings on below. Though the machinery that operates in the mine is massive in comparison to, say, your car, it appears tiny relative to the enormous mine. It is hard to look down at the scene and not imagine that God is a 4 year old boy playing around with his toy trucks. Where To Stay: Bingham Canyon is essentially in the Salt Lake City suburbs. The Jefferson Guest House is a wonderful (and inexpensive) place for backpackers and long-term travelers in downtown Salt Lake. For a hotel close to Bingham Canyon check out the Crystal Inn West Valley. ====================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bingham_Canyon_Mine Wikipedia The Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is the deepest open-pit mine in the world. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto Group, an international mining and exploration company headquartered in the United Kingdom. The copper operations at Bingham Canyon Mine are managed through Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation which operates the mine, a concentrator plant, a smelter, and a refinery. The mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covering 1,900 acres (7.7 km²). According to Kennecott, it is the world's largest man-made excavation.[3] It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 under the name Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine.[2] ======================= http://www.hottnez.com/bingham-canyon-mine-largest-man-made-excavation/ Hottnez.com (pictures) View Larger Map Although the minerals were discovered in Bingham Canyon during 1850s; however, the extraction from the mine was started in 1873 after the construction of railroad. Settlements increased with construction on the steep walls of the canyon. However, with natural disasters and sophisticated mining techniques, the population of the region declined sharply. In 2005, work started for extending the mine 600 feet east. At present date, full-fledged mining operations continue at Bingham Canyon and it thrives as the biggest open-pit mine on Earth in capacity as well as size. ======================== http://www.infomine.com/minesite/minesite.asp?site=bingham infomine.com Rio Tinto Bingham Canyon Public Information * News * - Bingham Canyon * - Kennecott Utah * - Copper * - Gold * - Silver * - Molybdenum * - Rio Tinto * - Open Pit * Owners * - Rio Tinto * Property * - Bingham Canyon * Commodities * - Copper * - Magnetite * - Nickel * Country * - USA * Careers * - Bingham Canyon * - Rio Tinto * - Kennecott Utah * Equipment * - For Sale by Bingham Canyon * - Wanted by Bingham Canyon * Publications * - Bingham Canyon * - Copper * - Gold * - Silver * - Open Pit * Map * - USA * eStore * - Copper Cost Curves * - Silver Cost Curves World Location Regional Location Key Facts Commodity Copper, Gold, Silver, Molybdenum Location USA Latitude: 40 deg 32 min N Longitude: 112 deg 9 min W Map Satellite Image Owner Rio Tinto Operator Kennecott Utah Production Copper, 304kt mined in 2009 Gold, 582k oz mined in 2009 Silver, 4.9m oz mined in 2009 Molybdenum, 11.3kt in 2009 Deposit Type Underground Mining Type Cu-Au-Ag-Mo porphyry deposit Reserves & Resources Copper, 317mt @ 0.53% Gold, 317mt @ 0.027% Siliver, 317mt @ 0.233% Molybdenum,317mt @ 0.0044% (Dec 31, 2009, proven and probable reserves) Mine Type Open Pit Mining Method Truck and Shovel Mine Life To 2020 Contact Information Kennecott Utah Copper P.O. Box 6001 Bingham Canyon, UT USA 84006 Tel: +1 (801) 204 2005 Fax: +1 (801) 569 6803 General Manager: Ted Himebaugh Communications: Jana Kettering Last updated: August 2010 Bingham Canyon Charts Company Charts * Commodity Charts * * * * Smelter Tailings ponds Overview Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC), 100% owned by Rio Tinto, operates the Bingham Canyon mine, Copperton concentrator and Garfield smelter and refinery complex, near Salt Lake City, US. Bingham Canyon supplies about 18% of United States refined copper requirements and is the second largest copper producer in the US. Substantial amounts of gold, silver, molybdenum and sulphuric acid are produced as by-products. Location The mine is located approximately 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. Area population is close to a million people Roads and air routes are excellent. Interstate 80 runs east to New York City and west to San Francisco, and Interstate 15 runs north to Canada and south to Mexico. Salt Lake International is a major airport. Geology The classic copper porphyry orebody is not only huge but also enjoys a fairly uniform distribution of sulphide mineralisation, mainly chalcopyrite. As of end of 2009, the stated reserves were 317Mt proven ore grading 0.53% copper and 207Mt probable are reserves grading 0.39% copper. These reserves are expected to enable open pit operations to continue until 2020 with additional mineral resources potentially extending the open pit mine life to 2032. Recent exploration at the Bingham Canyon mine has identified a new copper-molybdenum-gold porphyry system beneath the current open pit (disclosed in March 2009). The molybdenum deposit is between 450-550 million tonnes at a grade of 0.1-0.15 per cent molybdenum. The average grade of the molybdenum in the open pit reserve is 0.045 per cent molybdenum. Mining & Operations The open pit mine originally began operations in 1904. The ore is crushed in the pit. The crushed ore is transported from the mine site, on a conveyor, to the mill and concentrators 5 miles away at Copperton. An extensive modernization program was initiated in December 1985 and was completed in 1988. A fourth mill line was opened in January 1992. The overall capacity of the ore treatment facilities is 141,960 tons-per-day. A portion of the copper concentrates are smelted and refined onsite to produce cathode copper and refined gold and silver. The remaining concentrates are sold to other smelters. Evaluation of open pit expansion options at the mine continued through the Keystone project in 2009. A pre-feasibility study is expected to be completed in 2010 potentially allowing conversion of significant open pit resource to reserve. Study of the underground expansion option was temporarily halted in 2009 due to the global economic downturn. Processing The Copperton concentrator, opened in 1988, expanded in 1992, and again in 2006, contains some of the largest SAG and ball mills in the world. The copper concentrate is piped about 27km to the smelter. The current smelting facilities are the result of major investment, comprising a new primary flash smelter and flash converter system, designed by Outokumpu with input from Kennecott, plus a slag treatment plant. The converter treats matte that has been granulated and powdered. The 98.6% copper from the new converter is refined to 99.5% copper in two anode furnaces. Smelter off-gas is treated in a 1Mt/y Monsanto sulphuric acid plant. Cast anodes are railed about 3km to the refinery's electrolytic tankhouse, where marketable high-purity copper is produced and the gold and silver content of the concentrate is also recovered. In 2009 the Copperton concentrator set multiple plant production records. Milled ore of just under 53 million tonnes topped the record established in 2008 by 7.6 per cent. Copper in concentrate also reached a new high in 2009 of 303,536 tonnes, a 28 per cent increase over the previous year. Gold and silver in concentrate improved in 2009, exceeding 2008 levels by 58 per cent and 43 per cent respectively, whilst molybdenum concentrate production increased 11 per cent. Environment One hundred years of open pit copper mining, grazing, and unregulated emissions from the old smelter at Magna, Utah took a toll on foothill areas. Current environmental management focuses on vegetation, water, and wildlife. The mine's tailings ponds are being reclaimed and replaced with green fields. The ponds were "pinched off" and planted to grasses. Cattle and wildlife now graze the area. Various tree species are also used to vegetate the tailings ponds, including Salix and Populus species and occasionally tamarisk on very difficult sites. Vegetated tailings ponds provide habitat for many species of wetland birds as well. South of the mine, material containing high levels of lead and arsenic was removed, clean soil deposited where needed, and more than one thousand acres of land recontoured and reseeded. The company has received three Earth Day Reclamation Awards and several national and international awards for these projects. The smelting and refining facilities are recognized as the world's best for environmental protection practice and achievement. Since 1992 more than 2.6 million people have visited the mine, with more than $2 million tour proceeds donated to local charities and non-profit organizations. ===================== http://www.utah-travel-secrets.com/binghamcanyonmine.html Utah Travel Secrets Bingham Canyon Mine It Has To Be Seen to Be Believed Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Mine (or more properly, Bingham Canyon Copper Mine) has to be seen to be believed. Imagine a gigantic hole. On top of a mountain. 2 ½ miles wide and ¾ of a mile deep. Actually visible from outer space. And there are photos in the visitor’s center to prove it. If it were a stadium, it would accommodate nine million people! At 6700 feet above sea level, you can stand and look down into the largest man-made excavation on earth. The Bingham Canyon Mine is less than an hour from Salt Lake City. Located west of Salt Lake City in the Oquirrh Mountains, it is the world's oldest and largest open-pit copper mine. The Mine Has Given Up How Much? Since it first started operation in 1863, the mine has given up more than 12 million tons of copper. And tons more of gold, silver and other minerals. As you stand and look down into the Bingham Canyon Mine, you’ll experience the unbelievable immensity of the largest man-made excavation on the planet. As you watch what’s going on below – an actual working mine- you’ll be able to hear an audio presentation in several languages of what you’re looking at. The sheer immensity of the pit dwarfs the trucks which seem to crawl along the circuitous roads scaling the perimeter of the mine. But those trucks are monstrous themselves. Able to haul loads of 240 and 320 tons. They carry copper ore to the crusher within the open pit. There the ore is reduced to soccer ball sized pieces. And then loaded onto a 5-mile long conveyor ending up at the Copperton Concentrator. The Visitor Center Interactive displays and exhibits. Old mining artifacts. Nostalgic photos. A virtual museum about the Bingham Canyon Mine. There’s even a powerful new 16-minute video tour in the 90-seat theater. It highlights the history of the mine, present operations, and future plans. Does Everyone Have To Pay? Kids in school buses don’t pay. Neither do scout troops in uniform. As well as vans from county operated non-profit senior citizen centers. And the visitor’s area is completely accessible to the disabled. The admission fee is $5 for automobiles. $25 for mini-tour buses. And $50 for a bus. And if you’re wondering where that money goes, all proceeds are donated to local charities and non-profit organizations. More than 2.6 million people have visited the mine since 1992. And more than $2 million has been donated to charity. Where Is The Bingham Canyon Mine? The mine is located west of Salt Lake City in the Oquirrh Mountains at: 12800 South State Route 111 Bingham Canyon, UT When Is It Open? April through October 7 days a week. No reservations are required but you’ll want to get there at least an hour before dusk. Always check the visiting hours ahead of time before making the drive out. You can call them at 801-204-2025. A “Secret" About The Mine If you want an unbelievable view of the Bingham Canyon Mine from above, it won’t cost a dime. Well, maybe a little gas. And not even that if you ride a mountain bike. Just a little north of the town of Herriman in the far southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley, you’ll find a road leading up into the beautiful and scenic Butterfield Canyon. The autumn colors are stunning. Drive or ride up this road. It’s mostly old pavement but some gravel. Take the right fork at the very top. Follow the gravel road straight up. You’ll be able to experience this fantastic view. Looking down into the mine from above. ===================== http://www.crookedbrains.net/2007/06/worlds-largest-open-pit-mine-bingham.html Crooked Brains Kennecott Copper's Bingham Canyon Mine - the world's largest openpit mine or to say the world's largest man-made structure. "This open faced mine is the largest man-made excavation on earth, stretching two-and-a-half miles wide and 3,960 feet deep. What was a mountain has been mined away to form this huge openpit. It was an interesting place, apparently the largest openpit mine in the world where they have essentially turned a mountain inside out by moving over 6 billion tons of rock and ore since its working began in 1906. It continues to grow with 500,000 tons of material being hauled out each day. Engineers estimate the hole will continue to grow another 650 feet deeper, at which point it will not be financially viable to continue mining." The mountain peak you see at the end of Bingham canyon in the picture above taken approximately in the early 1920s. "The trucks typically carry about 300 tons of rock per trip. Interestingly, the tires on these things run anywhere from $18,000 to $26,000 and last only nine months. " Bingham Mine 1981 Bingham Mine 1998 "Since 1906, the mine has produced approximately 17 million tons of copper, making it the most productive copper mine in history. The mine also has produced about 23 million ounces of gold, 190 million ounces of silver, and 890 million pounds of molybdenum, and it also produces about a million tons of sulfuric acid every year." Kennecott maintains a visitor center and mine overlook above the mine, at 6700 ft. elevation. Open daily from 8AM to 8PM, April 1 to October 31. The mine is about a half-hour drive from Salt Lake City. "One of their claims to fame is that they are one of two man made structures easily visible from space (The Great Wall being the other)." ======================= http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=26672 SpaceRef.com ISS015-E-29867 (20 Sept. 2007) --- Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Bingham Canyon Mine (center) located approximately 32 kilometers to the southeast of Salt Lake City, UT is one of the largest open-pit mines in the world, measuring over 4 kilometers wide and 1,200 meters deep. The mine exploits a porphyry copper, a type of geological structure formed by crystal-rich magma moving upwards through pre-existing rock layers. As the magma cools and crystallizes (forming an igneous rock with large crystals in a fine-grained matrix, known as a porphyry), hot fluids circulate through the magma and surrounding rocks via fractures. This process of hydrothermal alteration typically forms copper-bearing and other minerals in spatial patterns that a geologist recognizes as a potential porphyry copper deposit. Parallel benches (stepped terraces), visible along the western pit face (center left), range from 16 to 25 meters high - these provide access for equipment to work the rock face, as well as maintaining stability of the sloping pit walls. A dark, larger roadway is also visible directly below the benches. Brown to gray, flat topped hills of gangue (waste rock) surround the pit, and are thrown into sharp relief by shadows and the oblique viewing angle of this image. Leachate reservoirs associated with ore processing are visible to the south of the city of Bingham Canyon, UT (right). ==================== http://stevebrandikids.blogspot.com/2010/08/bingham-canyon-mine.html The Johns Family Blog spot (picture with tire