Saddle Mountain BLM to High Chaparral RV Park to Cieneguita Campground
March 5 - 12, 2019
On Thursday, March 7 we left Saddle Mountain BLM and did a utility stop at High Chaparral RV Park for 3 nights. We were there in January before we went to Quartzsite.
On Friday, March 8 we drove down to Asarco Copper Mine and took the tour. It was $8 each for seniors and worth it. We boarded a bus which took us to the open pit copper mine.
Our tour guide said there used to be two separate mines but over the years it has grown into one big one. The mine is 1,500 feet deep and they will never go any deeper because the water table is at 1,700 feet.
They blast the rock and load it on to trucks that can carry 320 tons. This truck is smaller than those.
Then they take it to the mill and crush it into smaller rocks using 8-inch diameter steel balls in the drum. When they get to about 3/8 inch or smaller they are put in a drum with 3-inch diameter steel balls.
This turns them into a fine powder, at which time the copper is broken free from the rocks and are separated by flotation. They agitate the water and the copper sticks to the bubbles, which fall over the edge of the tank and break. They then are ground even finer and purified by another flotation process.
Eventually they end up with a concentrate of 28% copper, which they send to the smelter in NM. It represents less than 1% of the material taken from the mine. After the copper is smelted they make a sheet through an anode process, and then the anode sheets are sent to TX and processed through electrolysis to make 99.99% pure copper sheets. This is a starter anode sheet.
We got back on the bus and went to the display area outside the visitor center. Here is some of the older equipment they no longer use.
Here is John standing in one of the shovels they don't use anymore. The ones they use now are larger.
On Sunday, March 10 we drove back down to Cieneguita Campground in the Las Cienegas National Conservation area near Empire Ranch. We were here in January and loved it. Wade and Debbie met us here because they saw the pictures of the area and wanted to camp here too. We're so glad they're here. Here are the views from our campsite.
Bill and Lisa came from Tucson via a visit to Tombstone to stop by and see us. We decided we'll meet them in Canada sometime around May 10. We are traveling together to Alaska and are looking forward to it! We spent so much time talking I forgot to get any pictures.
Unfortunately the winds have been really blowing since we got here and today, March 12, it has rained on and off today and all last night. I guess every day can't be sunny and 72!
Roving on...
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.
Psalm 19:1
Love the blog post. Really appreciate being here to share a piece of this area with you.
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