History

Calumet and Arizona Mining Company (C&A) explored the Copper Giant, Copper Prince, Glory Hole (Globe), and Superior pipes by adits, shafts, and drifts. 

C&A drilled 1,828 meters across 14 surface collared drill holes and found traces of copper in the Glory Hole and Copper Prince pipes.

An adit, driven below the outcrops of the Childs Aldwinkle pipes discovered a copper-molybdenum ore body. These claims were surveyed in 1916 and patented in 1919.

The property title was passed to Phelps Dodge Corporation after the purchase of C&A.

Arizona Molybdenum acquired the property and developed the copper and molybdenum ore body to 158 meters below the haulage level. Between 1933 and 1938, approximately 329,000 tonnes were milled. 

Recorded production from the Copper Prince pipe produced 23,312 tonnes with an average grade of 3.19% Cu.

Bear Creek Mining Company (Kennecott) optioned the Childs Aldwinkle patented claims. Bear Creek mounted the first integrated exploration at Copper Creek, including geologic mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, and drilling. A total of 15 drill holes were drilled, but none of the intersections appeared minable, so they abandoned the project.

Newmont Exploration Limited (NEL) optioned the Siskon property and enlisted Magma Copper Company as co-venture and operator. The Childs Aldwinkle patented claims were also optioned and additional claims were made on adjacent Federal and State land. This was eventually leased, forming the bulk of how the property is comprised today.

Occidental Minerals Corporation (Oxymin) leased land and drilled 67 surface and underground drill holes to test the Old Reliable, Glory Hole, Copper Prince, and Copper Giant pipes.

By this time, exploration was being directed toward the discovery of major disseminated copper deposits. The geology of the district was mapped and 30 deep core holes were drilled. This work demonstrated a significant copper-mineralized zone, at depth, beneath the American Eagle area. 

Humble Oil (now Exxon Corporation) joined Newmont and Magma in exploration for porphyry copper deposits. It was Humble-Newmont hole HN-12 that discovered the third (north) finger of the Childs Aldwinkle pipe. 

Oxymin assigned their interest in Old Reliable to Ranchers Exploration and Mining Company (Ranchers). Three holes were drilled to confirm Oxymin’s findings. Copper was leached with dilute sulfuric acid and recovered from the leach solution by precipitation on tin cans in a plant below the mine. More than 5,478 tonnes of cement copper were recovered until Ranchers’ lease expired in 1981.

Newmont resumed management of the Copper Creek Joint Venture, but interest in porphyry copper exploration had waned. Drilling was reduced to the amount needed to underwrite property maintenance costs, uncovering hole NE-6 as the lower Mammoth feeder-zone and hole NE-10 as the Mammoth breccia pipe. 

Exxon ceased contributing to the joint venture and withdrew. Newmont distributed Magma’s equity to Newmont’s shareholders. Newmont’s ownership interest was incorporated into Magma, making Magma an independent company. 

Arizona Mineral Technology (AMT) acquired the Copper Creek property from Magma.

AMT began field investigations at Copper Creek, drilling nine reverse circulation (RC) holes at Old Reliable to confirm that leaching by Ranchers had not significantly depleted the chalcocite ore body there. AMT also obtained an interest in Phelps Dodge Corporation’s patented claims and obtained prospecting permits for State lands in the south half of Section 2, near Bluebird Mine.

AMT drilled 37 angled diamond core holes (12,229 meters in total) to test the Childs Aldwinkle pipe above elevations of 853 meters. These holes, plus Newmont’s hole NE-10, comprise the database from which the Mammoth pipe resource was estimated. 

Redhawk Copper acquired AMT’s property at Copper Creek, organizing and consolidating the available data and drill core. The historical core, along with the core from subsequent drill programs, is now housed in a core storage facility in San Manuel, Arizona. 

Redhawk reached an agreement with Phelps Dodge to purchase 27 mineral claims.

CopperBank acquired Copper Creek from Redhawk to conduct advanced exploration, including new drilling and extensive geological, geochemical, and geophysical testing.   

CopperBank was renamed to Faraday Copper Corp.

Faraday Copper completed a Phase I drill program and delivered an updated Mineral Resource Estimate

Faraday Copper delivered a Preliminary Economic Assessment, including an updated Mineral Resource Estimate, and a Technical Report

Faraday Copper completed a Phase II drill program, and commenced a Phase III drill program and a gold re-assay program