The Lavender Open Pit Mine is an open-pit copper mine located near Bisbee in Cochise County, Arizona. The Lavender Open Pit Mine operation, carried out by Phelps Dodge Corp. and named after the its vice president and general manager, Harrison M. Lavender, began in 1950. The Lavender Mine was used to mine copper deposits before operations came to a halt in 1974 when copper prices plummeted. The mine produced more than 75 million tons of ore in its existence, resulting from the excavation of 351 tons of material.

The mine produced a variety of minerals, mostly copper, but also silver, gold, and turquoise.

Contents 1 Construction History 1.1 Ceasing Production 2 Equipment Used 3 Refurbishment/Recent Projects/Renovations 4 Unique Facts 5 References

[edit] Construction History

When Phelps Dodge Corp. opened the Lavender Open Pit Mine in 1950, it consisted of porphyry copper deposits and an assortment of ores with low grade disseminated chalcocite containing copper and zinc sulfides.

Work did not begin until 1954 and the first line of work involved pre-mineralization faulting and tilting of the nearby structures. Before the minerals could be extracted, a series of underground tunnels and mine shafts were constructed. It wasn’t until 1951 that Harrison Lavender decided that the best way to operate the mine would be by open pit. Lavender thought mining in an open pit mine would minimize costs. When the decision was made, miners set to work and constructed 50-foot (15-m) benches and loading holes. The holes were drilled as deep as 60 feet (18 m) with 1,200 pounds (544 kg) of blasting material. The blasting method proved efficient and nearly 75,000 tons of rock was blasted during blasting operations that occurred at 3:25pm each afternoon until it was completed.^[1]

The mine covered an area measuring 300 acres (121.4 ha) and delved as deep as 900 feet (274 m). The overburden was excavated using a series of excavators that stripped the surface. 256 million tons of rock was removed and dumped in and around Bisbee, usually in Warren and the Mule Mountains region.^[2]

[edit] Ceasing Production

Production in the mine came to a halt when the price of copper decreased significantly. The 300-acre (121.4-ha), 950-foot (289.5-m) deep pit was abandoned.^[3]

From 1954 to 1974, production amounted to more than 75 million tons of ore. Of this, 0.7 percent (600,000 tons) was copper, with gold and silver being produced as byproducts.

[edit] Equipment Used

• Drill
• Shovel

[edit] Refurbishment/Recent Projects/Renovations

The Cochise deposit is located to the north of the Lavender pit. Although it remains inactive, there may be plans to develop it in the future, as it currently contains approximately 190 million tons of rock, or 0.4 percent acid-soluble copper.

[edit] Unique Facts

• Although the mine is closed down it still garners interest from tourists who come from all over the world to visit one of the oldest copper mines in Arizona. The tour is narrated by retired miners and revolves around the tools and methods that were carried out in the mine, including old drilling tools, blasting methods, and ore loading.^[4]
• The turquoise mined in Bisbee, also known as Bisbee Blue, is some of the most sought after and valuable turquoise in the world.
• Turqouise is usually mined in small scales, as there is not a large demand for it.

[edit] References

1. ↑ Lavender Pit Mine. Virtual Globetrotting, 2008-09-25.
2. ↑ http://www.mindat.org/loc-3304.html
3. ↑ Lavender Pit Mine. Virtual Globetrotting, 2008-09-25.
4. ↑ Official Arizona Heritage Traveler website