Water Management Today

In order to prepare for shaft sinking and further exploration of the mining site, it is first necessary to remove the water that has accumulated in the existing mine shaft since previous mining operations ceased. The shaft currently holds nearly two billion gallons of water, and we anticipate the extraction will take about two years. This water seeped into the mine through natural processes such as rain infiltration.

A water treatment facility is required to prepare the water for discharge once it is pumped to the surface. We’ve finished constructing a processing facility that will clean the extracted water, and we expect to begin the dewatering process in 2008.

A larger question is: Where will the water go once it’s been extracted and treated? We’re happy to report that we have signed an agreement with the New Magma Irrigation and Drainage District (NMIDD) for beneficial agricultural use of the extracted water. (We will also pursue alternative end-uses, since NMIDD cannot take advantage of all water we expect to extract during the cooler winter months.)

Here’s how the process will work: Our company will treat the water so it can be used for agricultural purposes. We plan to build a pipeline to carry the water from our facility to the New Magma Irrigation and Drainage District between Florence and Queen Creek. There it will be combined with Central Arizona Project (CAP) water and used to irrigate cotton, alfalfa and Bermuda rye grass.

In a time of drought and increasing water demand, we are happy to have found a way to put this extracted water to such beneficial use.

Another top priority is securing water for the project. Resolution Copper is taking a long-term approach to water management. We are currently evaluating sustainable, renewable sources of water for our project.