By Jeanie Hankins | The Wickenburg Sun
Freeport-McMoRan officials are considering an expansion of Bagdad Mine which would almost double its workforce and could have a significant impact on Wickenburg and surrounding communities by 2024.
Freeport-McMoRan, owner of the long-running copper mine, located about an hour’s drive northwest of Wickenburg, is conducting early-stage evaluations on whether it will be feasible to expand. According to Director of External Communications Eric Kinneberg, “There are significant undeveloped resources at our Bagdad mine. We are conducting an early-stage evaluation for a possible expansion that would be undertaken based on the results of economic and technical feasibility studies, dependent on market conditions.”
Part of that study, which is being carried out by a third-party firm, is to predict the possible social impact, including housing, public services and schools, Kinneberg said.
