Molten Copper Causes Explosions at Freeport Smelter

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) has shut down operations at its Arizona smelter following an incident in which molten copper breaching a processing vessel. The breach caused a fire an explosions at the Miami Arizona facility, but no injuries have been reported.

As quoted in the publication:

A.J. Howell of the Tri-City Fire District said explosions heard and felt by residents of Miami and the neighboring communities of Globe and Claypool happened when the molten copper came in contact with water.

Freeport McMoRan stated:

Freeport McMoRan’s Miami Smelter is dealing with an industrial accident and our prime concern is for the safety of our employees and the emergency response personnel.

There have been no injuries and all personnel have been accounted for.

This incident involved molten copper that breached one of our processing vessels and flowed onto the ground inside and around the west side of the smelter building.

This material caused some infrastructure in its path to catch fire.

The local fire department responded and is containing the resulting fire.

The molten material is contained, no longer flowing and is cooling.

The smelting process has been shut down and we are working to safely extinguish any remaining fire.

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