1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Copper Queen Mine

Past Producer in Cochise county in Arizona, United States with commodities Copper, Semiprecious Gemstone, Gemstone, Silver, Gold, Lead, Zinc
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
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. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10046248
MRDS ID M241115
Record type Deposit
Current site name Copper Queen Mine
Alternate or previous names Halero
Included sites Bisbee
Related records 10185978, 10233921

Comments on the site identification

  • *****SEE Related Deposits-Laverder Pit- Deposit ID 10046238
    Sacramento Mine- Deposit ID 10046235
    Cochise- Deposit ID 10282707

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -109.91509, 31.44097 (WGS84)
Elevation 1652
Relative position APPROX. 1 1/2 MI. NW OF LOWELL.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Cochise(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Bisbee(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Douglas(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Douglas(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Whitewater Draw(hydrologic unit)

Rio De Bavispe(hydrologic accounting unit)

Sonora(hydrologic subregion)

Lower Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Arizona Cochise

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Gila and Salt River 023S 024E 09,15,16 SW OF SW Arizona

Comments on the location information

  • ALL MAJOR SHAFTS FOUND IN THE SW SECTION OF THE SW SECTION OF SECTION 9. USBM GIVES LOCATION AS 31-21-02N, 109-54-15W. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1992)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Semiprecious Gemstone Primary
Gemstone Primary
Silver Secondary
Gold Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • MALACHITE FROM THIS SITE IS SUITABLE FOR CUTTING AND POLISHING INTO GEM MATERIAL.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anglesite Ore
Bornite Ore
Calcite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Copper Ore
Cuprite Ore
Delafossite Ore
Gold Ore
Malachite Ore
Selenite Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Gossan With Mn And Fe Oxides Induced By Hydrothermal Metamorphism

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 72
USGS model code 19a
Deposit model name Polymetallic replacement
Mark3 model number 47
Model code 53
USGS model code 17
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu
Mark3 model number 4
Model code 58
USGS model code 18a
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu, skarn-related
Mark3 model number 9

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock type qualifier granitic texture composed of quartz, orthoclase, plagioclase and biotite
    Rock unit name Juniper Flat Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Jurassic
    Chronological age 170.5
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Escabrosa Limestone;Naco Limestone;Martin Limestone
    Rock description Escabrosa Limestone;Naco Limestone;Martin Lst
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Mississippian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Middle Cambrian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type
    Rock type qualifier The quartz porphyry of the Sacramento Stock has been thoroughly altered, silicified and pyritised destroying the original composition and texture. It is now composed of anhedral grains of quartz, intergranular pyrophyllite and phenocrysts of quartz
    Rock unit name Sacramento Stock-Sacramento Quartz Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Jurassic
    Chronological age 170

Nearby scientific data

(1) -109.91509, 31.44097
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Pre-Mineralization Faulting And Tilting
Type of structure Local
Structure description Main Fault Directions, N10w To N40e, S30w To N50w, Pre-Mineralization

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Thickness 289.56M
    Length 762M
    Width 762M
    Depth to top 0M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore Bodies Near Dikes And Sills, And Faulting And Associated Brecciation

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1877
Year of first production 1881

Mining district

District name Warren District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Phelps Dodge Corp.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Phelps Dodge Corp.
    Home office Phoenix, Ariz
    First year 1988

Comments on the production information

  • ALL OF PHELPS DODGE PRODUCTION IS INCLUDED UNDER COPPER QUEEN IN ABGMT-USBM FILE. THIS INCLUDES NUMEROUS SHAFTS SEPARATE FROM SHAFTS NEAR THE COPPER QUEEN, AND PIT PRODUCTION IN THE SACRAMENTO HILL AREA. AVERAGE PRODUCTION OF 3,000,000 LB COPPER PER YEAR.

Comments on the workings information

  • A MAZE OF WORKINGS CONNECTING WITH THE SURFACE THROUGH FOUR WORKING SHAFTS AND SEVERAL OTHER LESS-USED OPENINGS. THE AREA THOROUGHLY INTERSECTED BY DRIFTS AND CROSSCUTS COVERS NEARLY HALF A SQUARE MILE, WHILE THE EXTREME VERTICAL RANGE IS ABOUT 950 FT; SHAFT NAMES ARE CZAR, QUEEN INCLINED, HOLBROOK, SPRAY, GARDNER, HAYES.

Comments on development

  • IN 1989, MINE DUMP LEACHING. IN 1991, A SMALL LEACH PRODUCER OF PRECIPITATED CU.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    Bryant, D.G., Metz, H.E., 1966, Geology and ore deposits of the Warren mining district: in Titley, S.R., Hicks, C.L., 1966, Geology of the Porphyry Copper Deposits, Southwestern North America University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp 189-203

  • Development

    Mine history is available at Wikipedia:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Queen_Mine

  • Deposit

    KEITH, S.B., 1973, ARIZONA BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 187, P. 86.

  • Geology

    Cook, S.S. and Porter, T.M., 2005, The Geologic History of Oxidation and Supergene Enrichment in the Porphyry Copper Deposits of Southwestern North America, in Porter, T.M., (Ed.), Super Porphyry Copper and Gold Deposits: A Global Perspective, v1 pp 207-242

  • Deposit

    RANSOME, USGS PP 21, P. 110, 13-15.

  • Geology

    Titley, S.R., 1993, Characteristics of porphyry copper occurrence in the American Southwest; in Kirkham, R.V., Sinclair, W.D., Thorpe, R.I. and Duke, J.M., Mineral Deposit Modeling, Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper 40, p. 433-464.

  • Deposit

    ARIZONA BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 140.

  • Geology

    Bryant, D.G. (1968), Intrusive breccias associated with ore, Warren (Bisbee) mining district, Arizona, Economic Geology: 61: 1-12.

  • Deposit

    MINES HANDBOOK, 1931.

  • Deposit

    USGS FOLIO 112, 1904.

  • Geology

    Lowell, J.D. and Guilbert, J.M., 1970, Lateral and vertical alteration-mineralization zoning in porphyry ore deposits; Economic Geology, v. 65, p. 373-408.

  • Deposit

    PHILLIPS, K.A., BEARD, R.R., NIEMUTH, N.J., AND BAIN, D.R., 1991, ACTIVE MINES IN ARIZONA--1992: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES DIRECTORY 39, 20 P.

  • Geology

    Porter GeoConsultancy entry for Bisbee, Warren Mining District, Cochise, Arizona:
    http://www.portergeo.com.au/database/mineinfo.asp?mineid=mn742

  • Deposit

    NIEMUTH, N.J., 1987, ARIZONA MINERAL DEVELOPMENT 1984-1986: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES DIRECTORY 29, 46 P.

  • Geology

    Einaudi, M.T., 1982, Description of skarns associated with porphyry copper plutons, in Titley, S.R., ed., Advances in geology of the porphyry copper deposits, southwestern North America: Tucson, University of Arizona Press.

  • 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 STATS BUREAU OF MINES SPECIAL PUBLICATION, 334 P.

  • Geology

    GILMOUR, P., 1982, GRADES AND TONNAGES OF PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS: IN - ADVANCES IN GEOLOGY OF THE PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS, SOUTHWESTERN NORTH AMERICA, ED. BY, S.R. TITLEY UNIV. AIR. PRESS, TUCSON, AZ, 1982.

  • Deposit

    PEIRCE, H.W., 1969, GEM MATERIALS, IN USGS, ABM, AND USBR, MINERAL AND WATER RESOURCES OF ARIZONA: ABM BULLETIN 180, USGS BULLETIN 871, P. 359.

  • Geology

    Titley, S.R., 1992, Evidence for crustal controls of metallogeneis in epigenetic ores of the Southern Cordillera, United States and Mexico: Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Annual Meeting Preprint 920-210, 11p.

  • Deposit

    Metals Economics Group (MEG) entry for Cochise/Bisbee:
    http://services.metalseconomics.com/minesearch/Default.aspx#profile&projAid=89923

  • Geology

    Mineralogy discussion at:
    http://www.mindat.org/loc-3318.html

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORIGINAL COPPER MINE OF THE DISTRICT. THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD D002955 OF J. WILLIAM HASLER WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT
General The original claim to the mine was staked in 1877 by a prospector named George Warren, attracted by outcrops with the lead mineral cerussite, which often carried silver. An option on the mine was acquired in 1880 by entrepreneur Ed Reilly who raised $80,000 capital from Dewitt Bisbee to begin production. The surface pockets of cerussite were soon exhausted, but the owners found that the orebody ran 23% copper, with silver and gold as byproducts. Most mines of that era could profitably mine ore containing 3% or 4% copper, so the Copper Queen orebody was considered extraordinarily high grade. The surface oxide ore was exhausted after three or four years, but miners explored deeper and eventually found even larger orebodies.
In 1884-5 the mine was offered for sale to London investors for #350,000, but the offer was not taken up, and the mine was acquired by Phelps Dodge, which introduced a policy of racial segregation at the mine, with workers of Mexican origin not allowed to perform skilled jobs.
In the early 20th century deposits of gold and silver were also discovered in the mine.
In 1917 the mine was involved in the Industrial Workers of the World miners' strike which led to over 1000 miners being arrested and deported.
By the middle 1960s, the grade of ore from the Copper Queen had declined to 4%. The mine ceased production in 1975, but tours are conducted for visitors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Queen_Mine
Deposit ORE MAINLY IN LIMESTONE ALONG A STRUCTURAL TROUGH. HIGH-GRADE COPPER CARBONATES WITH MINOR LEAD AND ZINC CARBONATES OCCUR IN IRREGULAR REPLACEMENT ORE BODIES, MAINLY IN LIMESTONE ALONG A STRUCTURAL TROUGH.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-80 Zigler, Jan L. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-82 Laraba, Peter (Gest, Don E.) Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology
Updater 01-NOV-93 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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.

External references

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.