BHP and SiTration test new copper recovery technology at historic Arizona site.

A historic copper site in Arizona, is providing a real-world testing ground for technology that could help recover copper from mining-impacted water.

BHP is working with SiTration, an MIT spin-out backed by BHP Ventures, to deploy a two-stage pilot of SiTration’s copper recovery technology on legacy mining water BHP’s Copper Cities site in Arizona’s Globe-Miami mining district.

The pilot builds on bench-scale testing, where SiTration has already demonstrated production of LME Grade A copper. The technology is designed to recover critical minerals from dilute and complex material streams, including sources that have traditionally been difficult to process.

The first stage of the pilot began in August and will test continuous, autonomous copper production over approximately one month. A larger deployment planned for later this year will seek to produce up to two tonnes of commercial-scale copper cathodes over approximately two months.

Copper Cities operated as an open pit mine from 1954 to 1975 with leaching continuing until 1982. Today the site is managed as part of BHP’s Legacy Assets portfolio. The pilot provides an opportunity to explore one way that advancements in technology can unlock new value from historic mining sites.  

BHP General Manager of Legacy Assets Kevin Ramsay said: “The Copper Cities pilot provides an opportunity to evaluate an innovative approach to recover copper from mining-impacted water while generating valuable technical and operational insights. We are excited to work with SiTration to test this technology under real operating conditions and better understand its potential to recover value from legacy mining water sources.”

The work brings together SiTration’s technology with expertise from BHP Ventures and Legacy Assets, providing a real-world environment to better understand the technology’s potential.

Read SiTration’s full announcement.