The Arizona Republic is running a feature story today by reporter Ryan Randazzo examining the future of copper production in Arizona. Existing resources could be largely mined out in 25 years or so, but the industry leaders interviewed confirm that Arizona is still highly prospective with lots of potential for new discoveries.
Everyone I talk to agrees that there are more ore bodies buried below basin margins or without surface expressions in mountain bedrock. It will take a lot of geologists and deep pockets to find this next generation of deposits. [right, headframe for the new shaft at the proposed underground Resolution Copper mine near Superior]