Minews - Freeport resumes processing at sole U.S. copper smelter

(Minews) - Freeport McMoRan Inc operations at its sole U.S. copper smelter have returned to normal production levels after it completed repairs on an electric furnace damaged in a fire at the Arizona facility, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Freeport, the largest U.S. miner by market value and revenue, resumed processing copper concentrate at the site on Dec 7, said Eric Kinneberg.

The company temporarily shut the smelter around Nov 13 after a fire broke out as molten copper breached a processing vessel and flowed onto the ground. There were no injuries.

The smelter, part of the company's mining operations some 90 miles east of Phoenix, has capacity to produce 180,000 tonnes per year, about 14 percent of annual U.S. output.

North American annual consumption of copper, used to make electrical wire and tubing, is about 2.3 million tonnes.

Shares of Freeport were down 4 percent on Thursday, mirroring broad declines for mining stocks, closing at $22.98 on New York.