Mining Engineering’s Weekly Rundown: Episode 43

First, Florence Copper in Arizona has produced its first copper cathode, marking the first major new greenfield copper production in the United States in more than a decade. The project, located in Florence, Arizona, will produce refined London Metal Exchange Grade A copper cathode and is expected to play a growing role in strengthening domestic supply.  Once fully operational, Florence Copper is expected to produce about 85 million pounds of copper annually, boosting U.S. refined copper production by roughly five percent compared to 2025 levels. Electrification, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence infrastructure and national defense rely heavily on the metal. The project has also driven economic growth locally, with the workforce expanding from about 35 employees in early 2023 to more than 170 today, with plans to reach around 200 employees in the coming months. 

Next, Peru has approved the environmental impact study for Buenaventura’s proposed Trapiche copper project, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the $3.4 billion development. Peru’s environmental certification agency, SENACE, said the detailed study met the country’s sustainability standards for mining activity in the Apurímac region. However, the company must still secure additional permits, including a construction license, before development can begin. Peru stands as the world’s third largest copper producer. Buenaventura executives have said the project is expected to become one of the company’s most significant copper assets when it becomes operational after 2030. The company maintains a major presence in Peru through multiple gold and silver operations, and holds a nearly 20 percent stake in the Cerro Verde copper mine, operated by Freeport-McMoRan.

Finally, the U.S. Forest Service has issued a major permitting milestone for South32’s Hermosa project in southern Arizona. The agency released the project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement along with a Draft Record of Decision indicating it intends to authorize development on National Forest land after years of environmental review, public consultation and interagency analysis. If finalized later this year, the decision would allow South32 to expand Hermosa beyond privately held land and build key infrastructure including an access road, power line connections and a dry-stack tailings facility. Hermosa stands out as one of the few advanced U.S. mining projects capable of producing critical minerals including zinc, silver and manganese. The project also holds a unique place in federal permitting as the first mining project included in the FAST-41 program, which aims to streamline approval for infrastructure projects deemed important to the nation. The Forest Service concluded that the selected development plan would minimize environmental impacts while enabling the project to move forward.

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