earth science

Molybdenum mining in the United States

Molybdenum mining in the United States is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Molybdenum mining in the United States rather than just read about it. In short: Molybdenum mining in the United States produced 65,500 metric tons of molybdenum in 2014, worth US$1.8 billion. The US was the world's second-largest molybdenum producer, after China, and provided 25% of the world's supply of molybdenum.

Key takeaways

Molybdenum mining in the United States belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Molybdenum mining in the United States to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Molybdenum mining in the United States from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Molybdenum mining in the United States produced 65,500 metric tons of molybdenum in 2014, worth US$1.8 billion. The US was the world's second-largest molybdenum producer, after China, and provided 25% of the world's supply of molybdenum. The US was a major exporter of molybdenum; net exports made up 48% of US production. Because most molybdenum is used as a steel alloy, demand for, and therefore the price of, molybdenum, tracks the demand for steel. As of the end of 2014, the United States had 2.7 million tons of molybdenum reserves, and 5.4 million tons of identified molybdenum resource.

Molybdenum mines Molybdenum is produced in the US from porphyry deposits of two types. The first class, which produces molybdenum as the primary product, includes molybdenum porphyry deposits. In 2014, three such molybdenum porphyry deposits were mined: two in Colorado and one in Idaho; the mine in Idaho was put into inactive status at the end of 2014. The second class, which produces molybdenum as a byproduct of copper mining, includes copper porphyry deposits. In 2014, byproduct molybdenum was produced at ten porphyry copper mines, in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico. Byproduct molybdenum from copper mines accounted for 47% of US molybdenum production in 2013. In both molybdenum porphyries and copper porphyries, the molybdenum is present as molybdenite.

Climax mine, Colorado

The Climax mine, historically the world's largest source of molybdenum, is north of Leadville, Colorado. Climax first produced molybdenum in 1915, and was worked continuously from 1924 until it was shut down in 1995. Formerly an underground mine, the Climax mine reopened as a surface mine in 2012. It is owned by the Climax Molybdenum Company and now operates as an open pit.

Henderson mine, Colorado

The Henderson molybdenum mine, near Empire, Colorado, started producing molybdenum in 1976, and was the nation's leading molybdenum producer in 2013, with 13,600 metric tons of molybdenum. The mine is owned by Climax Molybdenum Company.

Thompson Creek mine, Idaho The Thompson Creek mine, in Custer County, Idaho, is owned by the Thompson Creek Metals Co., Inc. The mine was a large producer in 2014, but was put on inactive status in December 2014.

Byproduct of copper mining As of 2014, there were ten US copper mines producing molybdenum as a byproduct. The number of mines producing byproduct molybdenum at any given time depends on the price of molybdenum and the amount of molybdenite in the ore. Both copper sulfides and molybdenite are separated from the gangue by froth flotation. To separate the molybdenite from the copper sulfides, the copper/molybdenum concentrate is run through a molybdenite recovery flotation circuit, in which chemicals are added to "depress" the copper, meaning to prevent the copper sulfide minerals from attaching to the froth, while the molybdenum is unaffected. A few plants do the opposite, adding other chemicals to depress the molybdenum while the copper floats.

Bagdad mine, Yavapai County, Arizona, Freeport-McMoRan, recovered 3,630 tons of molybdenum in 2013. Bingham Canyon mine, Salt Lake County, Utah, owned Rio Tinto, mined 5,700 tons of molybdenum in 2013. Chino mine, Grant County, New Mexico, owned by Freeport-McMoRan, mined 910 tons of molybdenum in 2013. Continental mine, Silver Bow County, Montana, owned by Montana Resources LLP. Mineral Park mine, Mohave County, Arizona, owned by Waterton Global Resource Management. Mission mine, Sahuarita, Arizona, owned by Grupo México. Morenci mine, Greenlee County, Arizona, owned by Freeport-McMoRan, produced 910 tons of molybdenum in 2013. Pinto Valley mine, Gila County, Arizona, Capstone Mining Corp. Robinson mine, White Pine County, Nevada, KGHM Polska Miedź. Sierrita mine, Pima County, Arizona, owned by Freeport-McMoRan, recovered 9,070 tons of molybdenum in 2013.

Inactive ore deposits There are a number of undeveloped and currently inactive molybdenum deposits in the United States. Inactive mines

Ashdown mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, owned by Win-Eldrich Mines. Questa mine, Taos County, New Mexico, owned by Chevron Mining. Deposits not yet mined

Mt. Hope, Nevada Lucky Jack mine (Mt. Emmons deposit), Gunnison County, Colorado, owned by U.S. Energy Corporation, planning and permitting. Rico deposit, Dolores County, Colorado, has an identified resource of 124,000 tons of molybdenum.

History The United States dominated molybdenum production for most of the 20th century, producing more than half the world's production each year from 1925 through 1981. In 1953, US mines supplied 92 percent of world molybdenum production. The US was the world's leading molybdenum producer from 1924 through 2006, after which US production was overtaken by China.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Molybdenum mining in the United States

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Molybdenum mining in the United States claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Molybdenum mining in the United States before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Molybdenum mining in the United States ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Molybdenum mining in the United States

In research: Molybdenum mining in the United States appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Molybdenum mining in the United States in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Molybdenum mining in the United States is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Mining in the United States by mineral, Molybdenum mining, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Molybdenum mining in the United States outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Molybdenum mining in the United States in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Molybdenum mining in the United States means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Molybdenum mining in the United States out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Molybdenum mining in the United States in simple terms?

Why does Molybdenum mining in the United States matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Molybdenum mining in the United States?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Molybdenum mining in the United States.