Talk:Hull–Rust–Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine

Importance
Is this, as the MN state NRHP source states "The world’s largest open pit mine", or is it merely the largest open pit iron ore mine, as the article states? Go for the broader claim if it is accurate! doncram (talk) 05:31, 22 December 2007 (UTC)
 * I don't know the answer. I also wonder if it is currently true, considering that some very large mines in China have been developed since that NHL application was written.--Appraiser (talk) 16:21, 23 December 2007 (UTC)
 * This can't be the largest if it produces 8 Mt per year, when Carajás Mine in Brazil produces 290 MT per year--Leobarlach (talk) 16:14, 12 April 2019 (UTC)

Sentence not precise
"The mine is still operated today by the Hibbing Taconite Company, and taconite pellets are extracted at the rate of 8.2 million tons annually (not counting waste overburden)."

"taconite pellets" are not extracted, rather they are produced by agglomerating the concentrate that results from complex mechanical and magnetic processing of the ore.

"not counting waste overburden" - that number also doesn't include the waste or tailings from processing the ore. Typically 2/3 of the processed ore becomes tailings. So the tonnage removed from the mine = (overburden + processed ore). Processed ore = (tailings + concentrate). The pelletized concentrate = 8.2 million tons per year.

Dougher (talk) 05:39, 11 September 2008 (UTC)