Inspiration

The Inspiration is a copper and molybdenum mine located in Gila county, Arizona at an elevation of 3,707 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Name: Inspiration  

State:  Arizona

County:  Gila

Elevation: 3,707 Feet (1,130 Meters)

Commodity: Copper, Molybdenum

Lat, Long: 33.4081, -110.88610

Map: View on Google Maps

Satelite View

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Satelite image of the Inspiration

Inspiration MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Inspiration
Secondary: Live Oak
Secondary: Bluebird
Secondary: Thornton
Secondary: Joe Bush
Secondary: Ox Hide
Secondary: Cyprus Miami
Secondary: Miami Mine
Secondary: Red Hill
Secondary: Brisbee
Secondary: Miami Inspiration
Secondary: Globe


Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: PGE
Tertiary: Rhodium
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Lead


Location

State: Arizona
County: Gila
District: Miami-Inspiration District


Land Status

Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.


Holdings

Type: Located Claim
Type: Patented


Workings

Type: Surface/Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: Inspiration Resources
Percent: 100.0

Owner Name: Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold Inc.
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 2009
Years: 2007 -

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp.
Percent: 100.0
Years: 2006 - 2007

Owner Name: Cyprus Copper Co.
Years: 1991 -

Owner Name: Cyprus Miami Mining Corp.
Home Office: Arizona
Info Year: 1995

Owner Name: Cyprus Amax Minerals Co.
Company ID: 200112
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1995
Years: 1988 -


Production

Year: 2009
Material type: Freeport McMoRan 2009 10-K p. 23 http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=63811&p=irol-sec
Year: 2008
Material type: Freeport McMoRan 2009 10-K p. 23 http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=63811&p=irol-sec
Year: 2005
Material type: Phelps Dodge 2006 10-K, p. 14.
Year: 2006
Material type: Phelps Dodge 2006 10-K p14.
Year: 2007
Material type: Freeport McMoRan 2009 10-K p. 23
Year: 2004
Material type: Phelps Dodge 2006 10-K, p. 14.
Year: 2002
Material type: Phelps Dodge 2006 10-K, p. 14.
Year: 2003
Material type: Phelps Dodge 2006 10-K, p. 14.
Year: 1998
Mined: 26000000.000 mt
Material type: Cyprus Amax 1998 10-K p4.
Year: 1999
Mined: 2269000.000 mt
Material type: Phelps Dodge 1999 10-K, pp. 7-8.
Year: 2000
Mined: 42135000.000 mt
Material type: Includes material mined for leaching operations. Phelps Dodge 2003 10-K, pp. 7-8.
Year: 2001
Mined: 29667000.000 mt
Material type: Includes material mined for leaching operations. Phelps Dodge 2003 10-K, pp. 7-8.
Year: 1995
Mined: 32000000.000 mt
Material type: Cyprus Amax 1996 10-K p3
Year: 1996
Mined: 27000000.000 mt
Material type: Cyprus Amax 1996 10-K p3
Year: 1997
Mined: 29000000.000 mt
Material type: Cyprus Amax 1998 10-K p4.
Year: 1991
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 24040000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1991
Description: 57740 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1992
Mined: 25600000.000 mt
Material type: MAS, Cyprus Amax 1993 10-K p7-8.
Description: 57100 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1993
Mined: 26300000.000 mt
Material type: Cyprus Amax 1994 10-K p3, Cyprus Amax 1993 10-K p7-8.
Description: 51100 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1994
Mined: 28000000.000 mt
Material type: Cyprus Amax 1994 10-K p3.
Year: 1991
Year: 1991
Mined: 26500000.000 mt
Material type: 0.57:1 strip ratio
Year: 1990
Description: 55203 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1988
Description: 22290 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1988
Description: 3658 Mt From Leach Ppt
Year: 1989
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 18248000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1989
Description: 56327 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1989
Description: 85 Mt Cu From Leach Ppt
Year: 1990
Year: 1990
Year: 1990
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 22361000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1987
Description: 41784 Mt Cu Cathode From Sx-Ew
Year: 1987
Description: 6095 Mt From Leach Ppt
Year: 1988
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 5308000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1988
Year: 1987
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 9848000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1986
Description: 5695 Mt Cu From Leach Ppt
Year: 1987
Mined: 9300000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 2.00 stripping ratio
Year: 1986
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 41943 Mt Cu Cathode Frm Sx-Ew
Year: 1986
Description: 2412 Mt Cu Prod Frm Ore Milled
Year: 1986
Description: 429,000 Mt Ore Milled - Rest To Leach 9514000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1986
Mined: 9085000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 1.91 stripping ratio
Year: 1985
Description: 128 Mt Mo From Ore
Year: 1985
Description: 548 Mt Cu From Leach Ppt
Year: 1985
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 38068 Mt Cu Cathode Frm Sx-Ew
Year: 1985
Description: 31272 Mt Cu Prod Frm Ore
Year: 1985
Description: 7,400,000 Mt Ore Milled - Rest To Leach 15084000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1985
Mined: 7684000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 1.5 stripping ratio
Year: 1984
Description: 11 Mt Mo Prod. Frm Ore
Year: 1984
Description: 537 Mt Cu Frm Leach Ppt
Year: 1984
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 35546 Mt Cu Cathode Frm Sx-Ew
Year: 1984
Description: 32401 Mt Cu Produced From Ore
Year: 1984
Description: 7,218,000 Mt Ore Milled - Rest To Leach 13557000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1984
Mined: 6339000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 1.72 stripping ratio
Year: 1982
Description: No Ore Milled Sent To Leach Dumps 14021000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1982
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 55484 Mt Cu Cathode Produced
Year: 1983
Mined: 6927000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 1.61 stripping ratio
Year: 1983
Description: 5,431,000 Mt Ore Milled - Rest To Leach 27375000 Mt Ore Mined
Year: 1983
Description: 37764 Mt Cu Produced From Ore
Year: 1983
Description: Dump Leach/Sx-Ew 35828 Mt Cu Cathode Frm Sx-Ew
Year: 1983
Description: 130 Mt Mo Prod Frm Ore
Year: 1980
Description: 10127000 12062000 72266000 10127000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1981
Mined: 8285000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 1.12 stripping ratio
Year: 1981
Description: 15847000 17735000 109100000 15847000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1982
Mined: 7571000.000 mt
Material type: Ore; 1.42 Stripping Ratio
Year: 1978
Time Period: 1911-1978
Mined: 760000000.00 mt
Year: 1978
Description: 5630000 15742000 74211000 5630000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1979
Description: 6105000 19810000 81552000 6105000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1975
Description: 6291000 19610000 89794000 6291000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1976
Description: 4610000 8841000 71871000 4610000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1977
Description: 2497000 6054000 39772000 2497000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1974
Description: 8453000 18528000 99401000 8453000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1973
Description: 8722000 16909000 102663000 8722000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1962
Description: 5552000 3933000 104581000 5552000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1963
Description: 5487000 6006000 93874000 5487000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1964
Description: 5837000 9293000 97815000 5837000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1965
Description: 5799000 9490000 106870000 5799000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1966
Description: 5446000 8404000 97832000 5446000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1967
Description: 4013000 5132000 54252000 4013000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1968
Description: 6167000 6313000 69723000 6167000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1969
Description: 8854000 11419000 103513000 8854000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1970
Description: 9376000 13998000 109094000 9376000 St 0re, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1972
Description: 7792000 14332000 101492000 7792000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1971
Description: 6862000 11814000 92508000 6862000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1960
Description: 5315000 4106000 80800000 5315000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu
Year: 1961
Description: 4847000 3448000 78331000 4847000 St Ore, St Waste, Lbs Cu


Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Porphyry Cu-Mo
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Leach-Solvent-Extract-Electrowin
Year First Production: 1915
Discovery Year: 1872
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu-Mo


Orebody

Form: Irregular

Not available


Structure

Type: L
Structure: Low Angle Bulldog Fault, Miami Fault- Both Cutting Are Into Distinct Pieces


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Orthoclazation

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Argillization

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Hydration

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Biotization

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Sericitization

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Silicification


Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Description: porphyritic quartz-monzonite (adamellite), granodiorite, quartz-monzonite, and granite porphyry.
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Schist
Role: Host
Description: coarse grained quartz-muscovite schist, fine grained quartz-sericite-chlorite schist, and fine grained amphibole schist.
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mesoproterozoic


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE NOW AVERAGES LESS THAN 1% CU, 0.02% MO, TRACE AU, AG. PROTORE ASSAYS 0.15-0.4% C


Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Brochantite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Gold
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Quartz
Unknown: Pyrite


Comments

Comment (Development): Miami And Inspiration Are Part Of Same Orebody, Though Owned By Different Companies. Miami Is E Of Inspiration. Former Operators Include Inspiration Copper Co (1908) On Joe Bush, Scorpio And Bulldog Shafts And Woodson, Columbia, Taylor Clipper, And Bulldog Adits; Live Oak Development Co. Consolidated In 1912 To Form Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co.; Keystone Copper Co (1915); Miami Copper Co., And Tennessee.

Comment (Workings): Old Miami Underground Workings, Open Pit. Miami East Under Development (1980) With Planned Production Of 2000 T/Day. In 1989, Miami Was An Open Pit Cu Oxide Mine With Heap And Dump Leaching, As Well As Solvent Extraction.

Comment (Geology): Supergene Enrichment, Much Of Which Occurred Before Most Of the Faulting And Tilting In Area (Concentration)

Comment (Geology): Schistosity (N50e, Steep Se) Controlled Instrusion Of Schultze Granite And Hydrothermal (Solutions) That Deposited Primary Sulfide Minerals [Ore Control]

Comment (Commodity): Rhenium Occurs In Molybdenite.

Comment (Deposit): Supergene Enriched Zone Averages 200 Ft Thick. Higher Grade Mineralization Occurs As Bands Along Miami And Pinto Faults Between Joe Bush And Bulldog Faults. Molybdenite Was Last Stage Of Hypogene Mineralization.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Miami stockpile is 433 million mt ore grading 0.38% Cu, but the anticipated recovery rate is only 1.5%. That works out to 45 Kt Cu, and the table states only 25 Kt. (Freeport 2009 Form 10-K) http://www.fcx.com/ir/downloads/FCX_2009Form_10-K.pdf

Comment (Names): Location Miner Haight Group ID:10209674 and Boston Miami Copper Co Claims ID:10136998 may be possible duplicates to Cyprus Miami

Comment (Geology): Geometry Data Given Pertains Only To The Original Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. Pits. For Bluebird And Ox Hide Geology, See Sequence Numbers 0040070007 And 0040070060, Respectively. However, The Figures Given For The Area Disturbed Include The Disturbed Areas For The Bluebird And Ox Hide Pits.

Comment (Production): In Jan. 1984, The Crusher And Concentrator Were Permanently Shutdown. In 1989, The Leach Precipitating Plant Was Permanently Shutdown. At This Time (5/92), All Production Is From The Leach/Sx-Ew Operation. 1982 - 1992 Production From Arizona Dept. Of Mines & Min. Res. Special Reports On Primary Copper Industry Of Arizona 1993 Production From Sec Form 10-K Rept, 12/31/93, P. 7.

Comment (Ownership): Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company Acquired The Bluebird Property For $700,000 Paid In Six Annual Installments And A Royalty Payment Of $0.033/Kg Of Cu Produced Or A Minimum Annual Payment Of $225,000 Up Through 1999. In 1988, Cyprus Purchased The Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company From Its Parent, Inspiration Resources Corp. For $125 Million, Whose Assets Consisted Of All Their Copper Properties, The Smelter, And Copper Rod Plant. Cyprus Minerals Merged With Amax Inc, In November 1993.

Comment (Deposit): Cyprus Miami Properties Consist Of: Live Oak, Thornton, Joe Bush, Willow Springs, Bluebird, And Ox Hide Mines. The Bluebird Copper Property File (Seq. No. 0040070007) And The Ox Hide Property File (Seq. No. 0040070060) Have Now Been Merged (5,92) Into The Inspiration Property File, Now Known As The Cyprus Miami Mine, Because These Three Properties Are Now Mined As One Integrated Mining Operation By Cyprus Minerals.

Comment (Economic Factors): Mine Transportation Cost Included In Mine Op. Cost. Investment Record 017 Is Mine Working Capital Increase In 1992 Due To Increased Stripping. Investment Records 022 And 023 -- Royalty Rate Of $0.033/Kg Of Cu Produced Is Adjusted By 60% ($0.02) Because 60% Of The Average Ore Production To The Dumps Is From The Bluebird Property.


References

Reference (Production): Dayton, S,1974; Inspiration'S Design For Clean Air: Eng and

Reference (Production): Mcmahon,A D,1965, Copper: A Materials Survey: Us Bumines

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Cyprus Amax Minerals Co., 1994 Form 10-K, P.2.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, Form 10-K. December 31, 1995.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Cyprus Amax Minerals Co., 1993 Form 10-K, P.7.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Mining Business Digest. May 1994. P. 5.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Skillings Mining Review, Nov 24, 1973, P18. (Joe Bush

Reference (Production): Coakley,G J,1976, Selenium, In Mineral Facts and Problems

Reference (Geology): The Porter GeoConsultancy webpages for the Miami Inspiration deposit contain detailed descriptions of the geology. Accessed on 7/27/2010 http://www.portergeo.com.au/index.asp
URL: http://www.portergeo.com.au

Reference (Production): Paydirt, Aug. 25, 1975, P. 46. (Water Source)

Reference (Geology): Olmstead, H.W., and Johnson, D.W., 1966, Inspiration geology, in Titley, S.R., and Hicks, C.L., eds., Geology of the porphyry copper deposits, southwestern North America: Tucson, University of Arizona Press, p. 143?150.

Reference (Geology): Reed,E F, and Simmons,W W,1962, Geological Notes On The Miami-

Reference (Geology): Ransome,F L,1919, The Copper Deposits Of Ray and Miami, Ari-

Reference (Geology): Peterson,N P,1962, Geology and Ore Deposits Of The Globe-Miami district, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 342, 151 p.

Reference (Geology): Sheffer,H W and Evans,L G,1968, Copper Leaching Practices In

Reference (Deposit): Hudson Bay Mining And Smelting Co. 1980 Annual Report.

Reference (Deposit): Engineering And Mining Journal. Polyethylene Pipe Plays Key

Reference (Workings): Dayton,S and Jackson,D, 1974, Mining Program Aims At Growth

Reference (Workings): Hardwick,W R,1963, Mining Methods and Costs, Inspiration Con-

Reference (Deposit): Arizona Pay Dirt. Inspiration To Spend Record $70 Million

Reference (Deposit): Arizona Pay Dirt. Inspiration Raising Production Reducing

Reference (Deposit): Arizona Pay Dirt. Inspiration Predicts Profit Soon From Newsx-Ew Plant After Strike Ends. August 1980, P.4.

Reference (Workings): World Mines Register. 1976/77 Edition, Published By World

Reference (Workings): Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company. 1960-1977 Annual

Reference (Deposit): La Chapelle, G. W. And J. S. Dya. Cyprus Miami Property

Reference (Deposit): Skillings Mining Review. Cyprus Minerals Plans To Buy

Reference (Deposit): Bilson, E., A.J. Savely, And J. Housewert. Hydrometallurgy

Reference (Deposit): Mining Record, V 106/N 28, 7/12/95, P.7.

Reference (Deposit): Cyprus Amax Minerals Co., News Release, 1/27/94, 1pp.

Reference (Geology): Breitrick, R.A., and Lenzi, G.W., 1987, Pinto Valley copper deposit: Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch, Special Paper 5, p. 260?265

Reference (Geology): Hammer, D.F., and Peterson, D.W., 1968, Geology of the Magma mine area, Arizona, in Ridge, J.D., ed., Ore Deposits of the United States, 1933?1967 (Graton-Sales Volume): New York, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, v. 2, p. 1282?1310

Reference (Deposit): Timmers, J., J. Fountain, And J. Housewert. New Hydromet

Reference (Deposit): Lachapelle, G.W., Dyas, J.S., Cyprus Miami Property Overview

Reference (Geology): Maher, D.J., Stavast, W.J.A., Barton, M.D., and Seedorff, E., 2005, A view of the roots of a productive Laramide porphyry copper system exposed in the Globe-Miami district, Arizona [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 37, no. 7, p. 164

Reference (Geology): Seedorff, E., Barton, M. , Stavast, W. and Maher D., 2008, Root Zones of Porphyry Systems: Extending the Porphyry Model to Depth: Econ. Geol. Vol 103 no, 5.
Pages: 939-956

Reference (Geology): Stavast, W.J.A., 2006, Three-dimensional evolution of magmatic hydrothermal systems, Schultze Granite and Ruby Star Granodiorite, Arizona: Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Arizona, 414 p.

Reference (Geology): Manske, S.L., and Paul, A.H., 2002, Geology of a major new porphyry copper center in the Superior (Pioneer) district, Arizona: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, v. 97, p. 197?220

Reference (Geology): Sell, J.D., 1995, Discovery of a deep (3500 feet) unexposed porphyry copper deposit at Superior East, Pinal County, Arizona: Arizona Geological Society Digest 20, p. 373?395

Reference (Production): Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources 2007 Report. Accessed 15-JUL-2009 http://www.admmr.state.az.us/Info/mining_update2007.pdf
URL: http://www.admmr.state.az.us/Info/mining_update2007.pdf

Reference (Geology): Creasey S C 1980 - Chronology of intrusion and deposition of porphyry copper ores, Globe-Miami district, Arizona: in Econ. Geol. v75 pp 830-844

Reference (Deposit): Phillips, K.A., Beard, R.R., Niemuth, N.J., And Bain, D.R., 1991, Active Mines In Arizona--1992: Arizona Department Of Mines And Mineral Resources Directory 39, 20 P.

Reference (Deposit): Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company Annual Report, 1966.

Reference (Deposit): Elsing And Heineman, 1936, Arizona Bureau Of Mines Bulletin 140.

Reference (Deposit): Simmons And Reed, 1962, Az Geol Soc 13th Field Conf-Mogollon Rim.

Reference (Other Database): Cimri

Reference (Deposit): Abm File Data.

Reference (Deposit): Arizona Department Of Mines And Mineral Resources, 1989, Directory Of Active Mines In Arizona, Incorporating Sand And Gravel Operations--1989-90: Arizona Department Of Mines And Mineral Resources Directory 36, 14 P.


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