Las Mesas Deposit

Occurrence in Puerto Rico, United States with commodities Nickel, Iron, Cobalt, Chromium
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Alteration
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Reserves and resources
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10085462
MRDS ID W701053
Record type Site
Current site name Las Mesas Deposit

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -67.10365, 18.18677 (WGS84)
Relative position EXTENDING FROM THE CITY OF MAYAGUEZ TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Mayagüez Municipio(county)

Puerto Rico(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Rosario(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Puerto Rico(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Culebrinas-Guanajibo(hydrologic unit)

Puerto Rico(hydrologic accounting unit)

Puerto Rico(hydrologic subregion)

Caribbean(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Puerto Rico

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Critical Primary
Iron Primary
Cobalt Critical Primary
Chromium Critical Primary

Alteration

  • (Local) Serpentinization

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 110
USGS model code 38a
Deposit model name Lateritic Ni

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Serpentinite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Serpentinite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -67.10365, 18.18677

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1959
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.81 wt-pct Nickel Major 1959
    Iron Fe 28.39 wt-pct Iron Major 1959
    Cobalt Co 0.12 wt-pct Cobalt Major 1959
    Chromium Cr 0.75 wt-pct Chromium Major 1959

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATE BASED ON CUTOFF OF 0.6% NICKEL; AVERAGE THICKNESS 18.5 FEET.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    COX, DENNIS P., AND BRIGGS, REGINALD P., 1973, METALLOGENIC MAP OF PUERTO RICO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, MISCELLANEOUS GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS MAP I-721, ACCOMPANIED BY EXPLANATORY PAMPHLET, 6 P.

  • Deposit

    HEIDENREICH, W. L., AND REYNOLDS, B. M., 1959, NICKEL-COBALT-IRON-BEARING DEPOSITS IN PUERTO RICO: U. S. BUREAU OF MINES REPT. INV. 5532, P. 16, 31.

  • Deposit

    DUTTON, C. E., 1955, IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES, IN UNITED NATIONS DEPT. ECON. AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS SURVEY OF WORLD IRON RESOURCES; OCCURRENCE, APPRAISAL, AND USE: NEW YORK, P. 206.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE LATERITE-SOFT SERPENTINE DEPOSIT COVERS THE CREST OF THE RIDGE, RANGING FROM 250 FEET TO 2,500 IN WIDTH AND AVERAGING ABOUT 1,000. THE DEPOSIT IS VERY IRREGULAR IN TOPOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE AND HAS BEEN CUT OFF ABRUPTLY BY EROSION NEAR THE TOPS OF THE STEEP SLOPES OF THE RIDGE. THE UNDERLYING UNALTERED SERPENTINE OUTCROPS DOWN THE SIDES OF THE RIDGE TO ITS CONTACT WITH THE YOUNGER CRETACEOUS ROCKS.
Deposit [PREVIOUS UPDATER AND DATE: BAWIEC, WALTER J., 90 08.]

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1990 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUL-1991 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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