Copper was enacted as the Utah state mineral by the Utah State Legislature in 1994 (Utah Code). Governor Mike Leavitt signed H.B. 225 into law. Representatives Tom Matthews (D-Helper) and Dan Tuttle (D-Magna) sponsored the bill after Castle Valley Center students nominated copper as Utah’s state mineral.

Copper (Cu) is versatile and widely used due mainly to its conductive properties (heat and electricity). It is used in electronics, plumbing, transportation, and in alloys (a mixture of two or more metals). 

Most of the copper mined in Utah comes from Kennecott Utah Copper, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. Kennecott Utah Copper is a division of the Rio Tinto Group. Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon mine in the Oquirrh Mountains on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. The Bingham Canyon mine is the one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines, measuring 0.5 miles deep and 2.5 miles wide. For perspective, one of the world’s tallest buildings, the Sears Tower, is 1,454 feet tall and would reach only half way up the side of the pit. The mine has produced 12 million tons of copper since open-pit operations began in 1906. This production figure is eight times the total metallic mineral yield from the Comstock Lode, Klondike, and California Gold Rushes combined. The Bingham Canyon mine is an important contributor to Utah’s economy.

The Morenci Mine in Arizona, part of Freeport-McMoRan, is the largest copper producer in North America. It produces significantly more copper than any other mine in North America, including Bingham Canyon mine. Utah is the second highest producer of copper. 

Copper’s atomic number is 29 and its atomic weight is 63.546.