The Tyrone Mine is located ten miles south of the historic mining community of Silver City. As the second largest copper deposit in New Mexico, Tyrone is an open-pit copper mining complex that processes copper using a solution extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW) process that produces copper cathode. The mine is a porphyry copper deposit. Leach copper ore is predominantly composed of secondary mineralization of chalcocite and chrysocola.
Prior to 1860, Native Americans mined turquoise at the site. Mining claims were acquired in the area from 1909 to 1916, and began concentrating ore produced from large-scale underground mining in 1916. Operations ceased in 1921. The property returned to operation as an open pit in 1967 with copper produced from a concentrator. An SX/EW facility was commissioned in 1984. Tyrone’s concentrator suspended operation in 1992.
Currently there is one method of processing copper at the Tyrone Mine: SX/EW. Copper production in 2014 amounted to 94 million pounds.
Through 2014, there have been 3,900 acres of tailings reclamation completed. Additionally Tyrone has completed over 600 acres of reclamation of waste and leach stockpiles on the south and east side of the mine. Tyrone continues reclamation of stockpile areas and monitoring and maintenance of all reclamation completed to date.