/ Mining Method

Mining Method

The most viable way to recover the ore body is by a well-established underground mining method called block caving. Block caving is safe, environmentally sound, and cost-effective for mining a large, deep orebody.

In block caving, a large section of ore is initially undercut by drilling and blasting, causing it to collapse under its weight. The blasted ore breaks apart and falls into a series of pre-constructed funnels and access tunnels to form ore extraction drawpoints. From the drawpoints, ore will pass through a series of handling systems to an initial crushing circuit underground before transferring to the above surface Concentrator Complex.

Learn more about the Underground Mining Method here >

Concentrating

In the second step of the production process, we convert the ore from a low-grade material into a concentrate of high-grade copper inside the Concentrator Complex.

The technique all begins with a wet grinding process that turns the crushed ore into a slurry and transports it to flotation cells. When mixed with water, reagents, and air, the copper minerals produce a bubbly froth. The bubbles with copper are skimmed and filtered to produce copper concentrate.

The concentrate, which contains about 29-31% copper, will then be sent to customers for further processing.

Smelting and Refining

When the concentrate leaves our facility, it will complete the smelting and refining phases to separate the copper from other metals. The final result is a 99.999% pure copper cathode, which is an essential raw material for the processing industry. Copper originating from 7,000 ft below the surface will eventually find its way into electrical wiring, electronics, power generation and transmission, automotive applications, and antimicrobial medical products.

Resources

Our Work

Resolution Copper employee Bryan Seppala awarded 2026 AAED Member of the Year

The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) honored Resolution Copper employee Bryan Seppala, AZED Pro, with the prestigious Member of the Year award.

New Water Recycling System Reduces Annual Use by One Million Gallons

A new Potable Water Recycling System is now operating on site, reducing water use by an estimated one million gallons per year. The system captures clean analyzer water and returns it to the plant for reuse, replacing water that was previously discharged onto the ground.

Reflecting on His Past, Bryan Mines a New Future

Bryan’s family is no stranger to mining. Born and raised in Globe, Bryan grew up watching his father and uncles work at the Magma Copper Mine. The industry was volatile at the time, and Bryan’s father was laid off three different times. Wanting a more stable path for his son, Bryan’s father encouraged him to do anything else for a living. Bryan followed that advice and decided to enroll at the University of Arizona, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in economic development.

Apache Owned Business to Manage Oak Flat Campground

Resolution Copper reaffirms that public access to the Oak Flat Campground, as well as to recreational roads and climbing areas on private land in the Oak Flat area, will remain open for the foreseeable future following completion of a federal land exchange this month.

United States Forest Service and Resolution Copper Complete Land Exchange

The U.S. Forest Service and Resolution Copper, a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP that represents one of the world's most significant untapped copper deposits, have completed a Federal land exchange required to unlock the full potential of the project.

Eight Years of Emory Oak Restoration and Cultural Stewardship

Across Arizona’s National Forests, Emory oak trees and the restoration of their groves support far more than wildlife and shade. For Western Apache communities, these trees provide acorns that are central to food traditions, ceremonies, and cultural practices that stretch back generations.

Resolution Copper in the Community: 2025 Recap

If there’s one thing 2025 proved, it’s this: engaging with the community isn’t a side project for us. Across the Copper Triangle and surrounding communities, Resolution Copper showed up in hundreds of ways, big and small. Some days it looked like volunteers packing food bags. Other days it looked like robotics kits in classrooms, filling sandbags, or youth baseball teams taking the field.

$4.5M Invested in Local Communities in 2025

Together alongside local partners, we invested over 4.5 million dollars to support students, families, communities, small businesses, and the places we all care about in the Copper Triangle region. The year was full of real moments that changed lives in quiet, meaningful ways. A robotics team getting their first competition kit. Families picking up holiday meals with dignity and relief. Teachers gain new tools for hands-on learning

Inside Our Underground Concrete Work on 68L

At Resolution Copper, we recently completed a major upgrade on 68L, one of the key levels deep in our underground system. The work was a collaboration between our team, Redpath, and Oddonetto, and it is a good window into what it takes to build strong mining infrastructure before full operations begin.