Open Pit Mining

Open Pit Mining. Santa Rita Copper Mine. In 1909, a consortium of mining engineers and geologists formed the Chino Copper Company., It was here at the Santa Rita Mine that they introduced new mining technology and techniques including the new concept of "open-pit" mining., It took steam, coal, and iron to bring success to Santa Rita. When the railroad arrived in 1898, it opened a new era for mining. A successful copper mine needed to move tonnage , lots of tonnage. With the railroad in place, Santa Rita was waiting to be discovered., In 1905, a young M.I.T. graduate named John M. Sully, determined that many small underground mines here were sitting atop an enormous copper ore body of great potential. His systematic and skillful examination of the ore body was followed by his commitment to find funding to develop this great mine. Sully’s success earned him recognition as one of the great engineers of the period., Another contributor to the success of this mine was a young engineer named Daniel C. Jackling. His new method of open-pit mining of large, low-grade copper ore, earned him recognition across the globe., With funding in place and engineering complete, progress was rapid. The Chino Copper Company was formed and the first steam-shovel began open-pit mining in September 1910. In addition, a processing plant was built in 1911 in the nearby community of Hurley. In time, Santa Rita Mine became known as one of the four “Jackling properties” where the techniques of open-pit mining were perfected.