ACID Freeport McMoran's first "Hill Turn" is pulling Shannon Hill. The 5 GP38s with the original face of the 1970's blasts up the 4.5% with 21 cars of heavy Sulfuric Acid. Traditional copper smelting ended at Morenci in 1984. In 2001 Phelps Dodge had completely converted the facility to a mine for leach process that recovers far more copper, and the finished product is 99.99% pure. This is one of the largest copper leaching facilities in the world. The black pile of slag in the valley (Right side of photo) is from the defunct Shannon Smelter.
