History

Calumet and Arizona Mining Company (C&A) explored the Copper Giant, Copper Prince, Glory Hole (Globe), and Superior breccias 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 breccias

An adit, driven below the outcrops of the Childs Aldwinkle breccias discovered a copper-molybdenum ore body and production commenced in 1917

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. Modest production continued at Childs Aldwinkle periodically until 1965

Recorded production from the Copper Prince breccia with 21,148 tonnes at an average grade of 3.19% Cu

Bear Creek Mining Company (Kennecott) 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 (around Old Reliable) 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 most of what the property comprises 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 breccias

By this time, exploration was 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. The Humble-Newmont hole HN-12 discovered the third (north) finger of the Childs Aldwinkle breccia

Oxymin assigned their interest in Old Reliable to Ranchers Exploration and Mining Company (Ranchers). In 1972, Old Reliable workings were filled with 4 million pounds of ANFO explosives to fragment the rock. 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 the 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

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 breccia above elevations of 853 meters. Additional holes, plus Newmont’s hole NE-10, comprise the database from which the Mammoth breccia 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 near San Manuel, Arizona

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

Faraday Copper (formerly CopperBank) acquired the Copper Creek project from Redhawk 

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

Discovered Banjo breccia and Area 51 near-surface mineralization. Completed metallurgical program, confirming coarse grind opportunity for the project

Discovered blind Winchester breccia near-surface mineralization. Completed Phase III drilling and commenced Phase IV drill program

Received approval for Exploration Plan of Operations from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management 

Faraday Copper conducted a Phase IV drill program, focused on increasing confidence in near-surface mineralization