Intrepid Explorer
Lowell, J. David
Published by University of Arizona Press
Lowell, J. David.
Intrepid Explorer: The Autobiography of the World's Best Mine Finder.
University of Arizona Press, 2014.
Project MUSE. muse.jhu.edu/book/35146.
For additional information about this book
https://muse.jhu.edu/book/35146
[ This content has been declared free to read by the pubisher during the COVID-19 pandemic. ]
Contents
Foreword Joaquin Ruiz ix
Introduction John M. Guilbert xi
BOOK I, 1935 –1961
Early life, education, and work, with no freedom to plan
exploration and no discoveries.
chapter one 3
First Exposure to Mineral Exploration, 1935–1949—Cumming and Lowell
Families—Childhood in the Great Depression—Summer Jobs—Education in
the College of Mines
chapter two 55
Marriage to Edith, 1948—Summer Job in Aguas Calientes, Chihuahua, Mexico,
with Edith—Life in Tucson and Graduation
chapter three 73
Mining Engineer, Shift Boss, and Night Foreman, Santa Eulalia Mine, Mexico,
1949—Exploration Geologist with U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
chapter four 111
MS Geology at Stanford, 1954–1955—Ranwick Inc., Menlove Mine, and
Southwest Ventures—Geologist and District Geologist, Utah Construction
Company, 1959–1961
v
co n t e n ts
BOOK II, 1961 –1972
Consulting work with considerable freedom to plan
exploration, three discoveries, and one partial discovery.
chapter one 137
Initial Development of the Porphyry Copper Model—A Consultant on Five
Minutes’ Notice, 1961–1969—The Kalamazoo Discovery—The Vekol Hills
Discovery—The Kaiser Project and Bajo Alumbrera—Daniel Jackling Award
chapter two 175
Fame and Professional Advancement from the Lowell-Guilbert Porphyry
Copper Model—Thayer Lindsley Lecturer for the Society of Economic
Geologists—Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Society Distinguished
Lecturer—Consulting for Bethlehem Copper and the JA Orebody
Discovery—Associate Editor of Economic Geology
BOOK III, 1973 –1991
Launching new enterprises with more freedom to plan
exploration and significant finder’s fees, seven discoveries.
chapter one 185
Exploration in the Canadian Bush and a Unique Career Formula—The
Covered Area Project and the Casa Grande West Discovery—Exploration
Strategy—Moving out of the United States—Adventures in the Philippines—
Fieldwork in Luzon—“Godfather” of Lepanto’s Far Southeast Orebody
chapter two 215
Consultant for Codelco’s Mines in Chile—The Atacama Project—La
Escondida, the Largest Copper Mine in the World—Zaldívar, Another
World-Class Deposit—Two Partial Medium-Sized Discoveries, San
Cristobal and Leonor—The María Rosa Project
chapter three 257
Stories from Chile—Tales from Honduras to East Asia—Mules, Grizzly
Bears, Elephants, and Cobras
chapter four 283
Independent Illegal Miners throughout the World—Gaby and the 1,400
Petroleros—King King, Where There Were 3,000 Illegal Miners—High
Graders in the United States and the Saga of Fraction Brown
vi
co n t e n ts
BOOK IV, 1992 –2014
Total freedom to plan exploration, more innovation and risk
taking with ownership, six discoveries and large financial return.
chapter one 297
Los Calatos Discovery in Peru and Inadequate Financing—Further
Exploration in Southern Peru—Exploration for Gold in Northern Peru
and the Discovery of the Pierina Orebody—Barrick Launches a “Hostile”
Takeover—Consummating a Billion-Dollar Takeover—Doctor Honoris
Causa at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru—Election
to the National Academy of Engineering—2000 Society of Economic
Geologist Exchange Lecture Tour in Australia.
chapter two 337
Zamora River Project in Ecuador 1999–2014—The Warintza Discovery
in Ecuador—The Mirador Discovery in Ecuador—University of Arizona
Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, 2000—Robert M. Dreyer Award—
Mining and Metallurgical Society of America Gold Medal
chapter three 351
Toromocho Discovery in Peru, 2002–2006—One-Year Due Diligence
Study—Privatization from the Peruvian Government—120,000-Meter
Drilling Project and Detailed Geological Analysis—Increase in Ore
Reserves by Ten Times to Over 2.2 Billion Tons of Ore—Sale to Chinalco,
the Largest Chinese Mining Company—American Mining Hall of Fame
Inductee—SEG Penrose Gold Medal
chapter four 369
Alto Paraná Titanium Iron Discovery in Paraguay, 2006–2014—
Potentially Largest Titanium Resource in the World—Australian
Academy of Science 2009 Haddon King Medal—National
Mining Hall of Fame Inductee—London Mining Journal Lifetime
Achievement Award
chapter five 389
Formation of Lowell Copper Ltd.—The Warintza Project in Ecuador—The
Ricardo Project in Chile—The Santa Marta Copper Project in Mexico
chapter six 391
History of Our Atascosa Ranch
vii
co n t e n ts
chapter seven 407
Collecting Mine Lamps—Lifelong Exercise Program—Skin Diving and
the Gulf of California—Other Recreations and Close Personal Friends—
Sea Cloud Trips
chapter eight 423
Susan Lowell Humphreys and William Ross Humphreys—William David
Lowell—Douglas Glenton Lowell and Roxanne Chernin Lowell
Epilogue 433
APPENDIXES
J. David Lowell Family Tree 438
Associations with the University of Arizona 440
Discoveries 444
Honors and Awards 445
J. David Lowell Publications 446
Acknowledgments 451
Index 453
A selection of color photographs follows page 206.
viii
