Grupo Mexico, says its ASARCO Copper Smelter located at Hayden, Ariz. in Southern Gila County is expected to be in full operation before this year is out.

Here is the latest information issued by the parent company based in Mexico City:

“The project to modernize the Hayden smelting facility in Arizona to comply 100 percent with the environmental regulation of the Environmental Protection Agency, with an investment of US $229 million, has been completed.

The smelting facility has state-of-the-art technology in its converter furnaces and the collection and management of gases and dusts.

This will result in greater efficiency and it will once again reach its copper concentrate smelting design capacity of 630,000 tons per year; it was previously operating at 580,000 tons per year. At present, we are at the startup stage, achieving 80 percent capacity, and expect to reach 100 percent capacity during third quarter of the current year.”

ASARCO at its Hayden Smelter and Converter in addition to its Ray Mine at Kearny has some 1,400 workers.

Grupo Mexico recenty told stock holders in its second quarter 2019 report copper production at its operations (US, Mexico and South America) during this 90 day period reached 286,561 tons which was a 16 percent increase with a profit of $439 million US off 4.5 percent. The company claims it has the lowest cost of copper production in the industry at $1.02 a pound ( US).