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Sanchez Copper Deposit

Past Producer in Graham county in Arizona, United States with commodities Copper, Molybdenum, Gold, Silver
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Ore body information
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Mineral rights holdings
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Reserves and resources
  19. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10026888
MRDS ID M000791
Record type Deposit
Current site name Sanchez Copper Deposit
Alternate or previous names Safford Inspiration, Carpenter, Safford Deposit, Esperanza, Inspiration Sanchez Project, Bellmon, Bob Carresco, Arichise Copper Co., United Nuclear, Nancy Group, McBride, Azco

Comments on the site identification

  • SEE Associated Deposits: Lone Star- Deposit ID 10209543
    Dos Pobres Mine- Deposit ID 10096999
    San Juan Mine- Deposit ID 10027008
    Safford Mine- Deposit ID 10400314
    Safford Deposit Deposit ID 10027031

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -109.53454, 32.88149 (WGS84)
Elevation 1097
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position 9 MI ENE OF SAFFORD, AT SANCHEZ., 100

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Graham(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Lone Star Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Safford(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Silver City(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Gila-San Carlos Reservoir(hydrologic unit)

Upper Gila(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Gila(hydrologic subregion)

Lower Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management AZ)

Bureau of Land Management AZ BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Arizona Graham

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Gila and Salt River 006S 027E 25;26 Arizona

Comments on the location information

  • Lat-Long Is For Approximate Central Point Of Mineralized Area-- The Old Shaft In Section 26 Is At 32-52-57n, 109-32-43w; Prospect In Section 25 Is At 32-52-53n, 109-32-02w.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary
Gold Secondary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Atacamite Ore
Bornite Ore
Chalcanthite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Copper Ore
Cuprite Ore
Delafossite Ore
Gold Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Tenorite Ore
Malachite Ore
Brochantite Ore
Biotite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Goethite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Jarosite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Plagioclase Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Potassic, quartz sericite, propylitic. Potassic alteration in tmp -1 consists of quartz-magnetite-biotite-bornite-chalcopyrite veinlets, stockwork quartz-biotite +/- kspar +/- chalcopyrite +/- bornite veins/veinlets, and pervasive, disseminated quartz-kspar-chalcopyrite-bornite adjacent to veins. Alteration most intense within 200 ft of monzonite porphyry (tmp-1) in andesite forming a hornfels of biotite-kspar-plagioclase-magnetite-quartz cut by dense network of biotite-magnetite-kspar-plagioclase (?)-chalcopyrite bornite veinlets. Quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration occurs throughout orebody in nw trending fracture zones. Pervasive quartz-sericite-pyrite-chalcopyrite alteration also occurs in core of the breccia pipe. Outside the limits of the orebody, andesite is altered to epidote, chlorite, albite, calcite, pyrite, and zeolites. Chlorite and epidote also occur in potassic altered tmp-1; their relationship to potassic alteration is unclear.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 53
USGS model code 17
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu
Mark3 model number 4
Model code 78
USGS model code 20c
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu-Au
Mark3 model number 34

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Monzonite
    Rock unit name Tmp-3, 4
    Rock description Tmp-3, 4
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock unit name Safford Volcanics;Tmp-1,-2, Breccia
    Rock description Safford Volcanics;Tmp-1,-2, Breccia

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -109.53454, 32.88149
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form PIPE
    Thickness 1066.8M
    Length 762M
    Width 762M
    Depth to top 0M
  • General form Disseminated massive orebody, fissure vein and breccia fill.
    Thickness 610M
    Length 610M
    Width 760M
    Area 526HA

Comments on the geologic information

  • Ore Centered On Oldest Of Four Monzonite Porphyry Intrusive Phases But Mostly Hosted By Andesite.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1899
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1899
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Precipitation
Production years 1899-LATE 1930'S;

Mining district

District name Lone Star District (Safford, Sanchez)

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area
Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Cerro and Superior Corp
    Home office Arizona
    Year 1966
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co
    Home office Arizona
    Year 1969
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Azco Mining Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Lakewood, Co.
    Year 1995
    First year 1989
    Last year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Phelps Dodge Corp
    Interest 100
    Home office Arizona
    Year 2009
    First year 1995
    Last year 1999
  • Type Owner
    Owner Butte Resources
    Interest 100
    Year 1987
    First year 1987
    Last year 1989
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Freeport-McMoran and Gold Inc
    Interest 100
    Home office Arizona
    Year 2009
    First year 1999

Comments on the production information

  • About 50,000 St Bulk Smaples Mined From Open Pits By Inspiration From 1969 To 1972. Azco Mined Additional Bulk Samples From The Same Pits.
  • Recovery Shown Is For The Sx-Ew Plant Only. Total Recovery (Heap Leach And Sx-Ew) Is 82%.

Reserves and resources

  • Type Leaching
    Name mineralized material
    Estimate year 2008
    Inferred 209000000mt ore
    Remarks Freeport-McMoRan 2008 10-K\nhttp://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=63811&p=irol-sec
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.29 wt-pct Copper Primary 2008
  • Type Leaching
    Name mineralized material
    Estimate year 2009
    Inferred 190000000mt ore
    Remarks Freeport-McMoRan 2009 10-K\nhttp://www.fcx.com/ir/downloads/FCX_2009Form_10-K.pdf
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.28 wt-pct Copper Primary 2009
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 209652000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.29 wt-pct Copper Primary 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 152432000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.336 wt-pct Copper Primary 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Indicated 181000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.317 wt-pct Copper Primary 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 20960000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.176 wt-pct Copper Primary 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Reserves 206000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.29 wt-pct Copper Primary 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Indicated 90702000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.4 wt-pct Copper Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1978
    Total resources 35991000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.36 wt-pct Copper Major 1978
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 52607000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.37 wt-pct Copper Major 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1988
    Total resources 113378000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 3.11 g/mt Silver Minor 1988
    Gold Au 0.311 g/mt Gold Minor 1988
    Molybdenum Mo 0.006 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1988
    Copper Cu 0.3 wt-pct Copper Major 1988

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • (1) At 0.2% Cu Cog, 1.08:1 Strip Ratio, Leachable; (2) At Lower Cog. Includes Item (1); (3) Additional Leachable Material, 0.15% Cu Cog; (4) Additional Leachable Material, 0.10% Cog, 1.3:1 Strip Ratio Available For Low-Grade Stockpile. (5) Total Resource Including Ore Grade Material Outside Pit Limits. Ore Grade Material Not Fully Delineated, Particularly At Depth. Deepest Hole Still 0.3% Cu Material At 3500 Ft Depth. No Data Collected On Mo Content. Au Grade Mostly 0.01 Optav.
  • Within The 250,000,000 St Oxide Reserve (1988) Is An Open Pit Minable Block Of 120,000,000 St At A Grade Of 0.37% Cu.
  • World Mining Sept 1977, V. 30, No. 10, P. 110. Reserves Are Open Pit Oxide Copper. Grade Is In Terms Of Acid- Soluble Grade. [Pay Dirt Magazine (Southwestern Edition), April 1993, Pp. 4a-9a.] Property Is Currently Being Developed, Will Began Operating By Mid-1995. Davy International Inc Is Constructing Sx-Ew Plant. Includes 41 M Mt Low Grade Leachable Material. Sold To Phelps Dodge Corp. '95.
  • M1c1=M9c4. Reserves Were Provided By Azco And Are Based On A 1990 Feasibility Study And Previous Exploration By Inspiration Copper Corp.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 124HA

Comments on the workings information

  • Proposed Open Pit-Heap Leach Operation. Development To Begin In 1995.
  • Mining Record # : 1Status of Mining Method : PROPOSEDMining Method : OPEN PITSwell Factor : .6Percent Waste Rock : 52Primary Material Cover : SAND, GRAVELHardness of Ore : M-HARD ROCKSAvg. Bench Height (meters): 12.2Max. Pit Slope (degrees) : 50Capacity : 28235Capacity Units : MT ORE/DAYPreprod. Stripping Vol. : 940000Unit Production Cost : .98Units of Production : $/MT OREOperating Days per Year : 365Operating Shifts per Day : 3Year of Information : 1992

Comments on other economic factors

  • K1 Rec 330 Is An Expenditure For The Contruction Of The Second Heap Leach Pad A Year Or So After Operations Have Begun. Equipment Replacement Costs Include Costs For Additional Equipment That Will Be Purchsed During The Life Of The Operation.

Comments on development

  • Shaft Sunk By Carpenter On Oxide Cu Ore Outcrop About 1910. Porphyry Cu Potential Recognized By Bear Creek Mining Co. (Kennecott) 1950'S. First Hole Cut About 1000 Ft 1% Cu. Subsequently Explored By Several Uranium, Oil And Mining Companies Of Which Inspiration Did The Most Work. Inspiration (Late 60'S To Early 70'S) Identified Sulphide Copper Mineralization Below The Oxide Zone, But Azco Was Not Pursuing The Sulphide Mineralization In 1989. In 1993, Blm Approved The Project After Azco Completed A Full Environmental Impact Statement Process. ; Total$: 45. A Total Of 150 Holes Have Been Drilled With 190,000 Ft Total Footage. ; Econ.Com: Ore For At Least 20 Years Of Operation; Plans To Leach 100,000 To 150,000 Tons/Wk

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    The Porter GeoConsultancy webpage for Dos Pobres, Safford contains a description of the geology of the Sanchez deposit as of 8/4/2010.
    http://www.portergeo.com.au/

  • Development

    The Metals Economics Group (MEG) Sachez webpage contains information about this deposit as of 8/4/2010.
    http://www.metalseconomics.com/

  • Deposit

    Greeley, 1978, Az. Dept. Min. Res., Spec. Rept. No. 2, P. 83-87.

  • Reserve-Resource

    Anonymous, 1995, The Northern Miner, April 10 issue, p. 3.

  • Deposit

    Robinson, R.F., And Cook, A., 1966, The Safford Copper Deposit, Lone Star Mining District, Graham County, Arizona, In Titley, S.R. And Hicks, C.L., Eds., Geology Of The Prophyry Copper Deposits, Southwestern North America: Tucson, Ariz., Univ. Of Az. Press, P. 250-266.

  • Reserve-Resource

    Langton, J.M. and Williams, S.A., 1982, Structural, petrological and mineralogical controls for the Dos Pobres orebody, Lone Star Mining district, Graham County, Arizona; in Advances in Titley, S. R., ed., Geology of the Porphyry Copper Deposits, Southwest North America, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, p. 335-352.

  • Geology

    The Mindat.org webpage for the Safford deposit also describes the geology at Sanchez. Accessed on 8/5/2010.
    http://www.mindat.org/loc-53634.html

  • Deposit

    Dunn, 1978, Az. Geol. Soc. Digest, V. 11, P. 9-15.

  • Reserve-Resource

    Keith and others, 1983

  • Deposit

    Horsnail, 1978, Jour. Geochem. Expl., V. 9, Nos. 2-3, P. 151-153.

  • Reserve-Resource

    John Drier, personal commun. 1993 and 1995

  • Deposit

    Walenga, Karen, 1989, Azco Reviewing Feasibility Study Of Sanchez Copper Project: Southwestern Paydirt, March 1989, P. 3a.

  • Deposit

    Tucson Citizen, 1993, Thursday, March 11, P. 5c.

  • Deposit

    Niemuth, N.J., 1987, Arizona Mineral Development 1984-1986: Arizona Department Of Mines And Mineral Resources Directory 29, 46 P.

  • Deposit

    Sawyer, M.B., Gurmendi, A.C., Daley, M.R., And Howell, S.B., 1992, Principal Deposits Of Strategic And Critical Minerals In Arizona: United States Bureau Of Mines Special Publication, 334 P.

  • Deposit

    Drier, J.E., 1994, Geology Of The Sanchez Porphyry Copper Deposit: Azco Mining Inc., Unpub. Rept., 15 P.

  • Other Database

    Cimri

  • Deposit

    Singer and others, 2008

  • Deposit

    Azco Mining Inc. Sanchez Copper Project Plan Of Operations Submitted To The Blm, Safford District Office, July 1991.

  • Production

    Abm File Data

  • Deposit

    Azco Mining Inc. Feasibilty Study, Azco Sanchez Copper Project, 3 Vol. Wright Engineers Limited, Nov. 1990.

  • Reserve-Resource

    Greeley, 1978, P.85; Walenga, 1989, P. 3a.; Tucson Citizen, 1993; Sawyer And Others, 1992.

  • Deposit

    Dreier, John (Vice President-Exploration). Azco Mining Inc. Personal Communication, January 1992.

  • Deposit

    The Mining Record, V106 N19, 5-10-95, P.7.

  • Deposit

    Sw Pay Dirt, 12-95, P.14a.

  • Deposit

    Sw Pay Dirt, 6-95, P.3a.

  • Deposit

    American Metal Market, V103 N85, 5-3-95, P.2.

  • Deposit

    Azco Mining Inc. Statement Of Material Facts, 3-23-92, P.7.

  • Deposit

    The Mining Record, V106 N13, 3-29-95, P.1.

  • Deposit

    Sw Pay Dirt, 2-95, P.9a.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
General MAS Column # : 1Type of Orebody #1 : DISSEMINATEDShape of Orebody #1 : MASSIVEType of Orebody #2 : FISSURE VEINType of Orebody #3 : BRECCIA FILLPrimary mode of Origin : HYDROTHERMALSecondary mode of Origin : OXIDATIONType of Wallrock Alter. #1 : UNKNOWNMinimum Depth to Top : 0Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0Total Surface Area (HA) : 526Date of Last Modification : 920224
Deposit Associated Rocks Include: monzonite porphyry, quartz monzonite porphyry, tonalite porphyry; granodiorite, quartz diorite;agglomerate, andesite, andesite breccia, basalt, dacite, dacite tuff, rhyolite, tuff

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-83 Peterson, Jocelyn A. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-DEC-89 Bolm, Karen S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-OCT-92 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-94 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 19-DEC-94 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 04-NOV-83 ADMR U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 24-SEP-96 Dolzani, Roger L. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Updater 28-JUL-09 Anderson, Claire U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 04/18/1980
MSHA mine ID0200833
Mine name (MSHA)San Juan Mine
Current operatorCochise Mining Corp
Mine typeFacility (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Phelps Dodge Corp — acquired by Subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan (2007)
    Acquired by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold in 2007 in what was then the largest mining-industry deal ever (~US$26 B).

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Arizona resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.