San Xavier Mining Laboratory

Located 23 miles south of Tucson, the Henry G. “Hank” Grundstedt San Xavier Mining Laboratory is the University of Arizona’s very own multilevel, underground mining lab run by students. And it’s the only such lab in the U.S. with a working vertical shaft, legacy rail haulage access, modern declines and a current depth of 250 feet.  This the unique site is home to a long list of national defense, geosciences, mine safety and miner rescue research, testing and training.

Established in 1880, the once commercial San Xavier mine produced silver, lead, zinc and copper. Then in 1952, the University of Arizona began operating and modernizing the facility as an educational laboratory.  In 2021, the University of Arizona invested $750,000 into an expansion project that included installation of sophisticated sensor systems and a new 15-by-15-foot decline that provides a modern testbed for state-of-the-art underground mining equipment.

Student Experiences

Activities at the lab complement mining,  mineral resources, safety, and environmental coursework and help students compete in international mining competitions and prepares them for careers in the modern mining industry. Working with the latest technology in mining and excavation, students gain hands-on experience in exploration, mine development, operations and maintenance, environmental management, and safety by working weekly shifts in the flexible, non-production setting.

Research and Training

We partner with federal and state agencies as well as private organizations devoted to underground research, tunnel safety, and mine rescue to conduct industry research projects and testing programs. Current research efforts include:

• Advancing mine rescue technology and miner self-escape tools
• Examining the use of drones for mining safety
• MSHA testing of products and procedures
• Private-company testing of equipment, robotics and 3-D scanning technology
• Researching workplace and physiological factors to mitigate heat stress
• AI for PPE sensing and compliance
• Technical training of First Responders and Mine Rescue Teams
• Development of underground communications and sensing systems
• Evaluating  underground and surface engineered ground support
• Training location for workforce development

The SX Mine. owned by the College of Engineering, is also an ideal training site for an array of University and external entity programs. For example, UArizona students in exposure assessment, industrial hygiene, and disaster prevention classes in the College of Engineering and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health use the mine to learn about occupational health, safety, and risk mitigation, Arizona first responders use the mine’s narrow, twisting tunnels for search and rescue training, and several federal groups come here each year for hands-on technical skills training.   

Mine Tours and Demos

To help educate and inspire the public on mining in Arizona and the importance of the mineral and construction industries, Lowell Institute staff offers free tours of the San Xavier mine to the community, including middle school, high school and college students. Public tours are indoor/outdoor and can accommodate groups of up to 15 people at a time. Tours last 1.5 to 2 hours. We also offer K–12 STEM programming at the mine for groups up to 40 students.