Description: Bagdad is an open-pit copper mine and concentrator, with molybdenum by-products.

Did you know? Home to the world’s first commercial-scale concentrate leach processing facility (2003) and one of the longest continuously operating SX/EW plant in the world (1970). An unincorporated community, Bagdad is one of two Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold “company towns.” The other is Morenci, Arizona.

Location: About 100 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Ores: The predominant oxide copper minerals are chrysocolla, malachite and azurite. Chalcocite is the most important secondary copper sulfide mineral and chalcopyrite and molybdenite the dominant primary sulfides.

Production: Total projected annual copper production during the next three years is expected to range from 200 to 225 million pounds. Molybdenum production at the Bagdad mill ranges from 8 million to 11 million pounds per year. In December 2007, we announced plans to convert the high-temperature, pressure leaching facility to a molybdenum concentrate leach facility by 2010. This is expected to increase our annual molybdenum processing capacity by about 20 million pounds.

Processes and facilities: Concentrator, SX/EW plant and concentrate-leach plant.

Background: First claims staked in 1882. Property changed ownership numerous times through first half of 20th century. First mill began operation in 1928 to process ore from the underground mine. Transition to open-pit mining began in 1945. A $240 million expansion in 1973 included new haul trucks, shovels, nearly 400 housing units and concentrator. Bagdad became part of the Phelps Dodge mining portfolio in 1999 with the acquisition of Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. and part of the Freeport-McMoRan family in 2007 when it merged with Phelps Dodge.

Ownership: 100%.

BACK TO TOP