Maricao West and Las Tetas De Cerro Gordo West

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 10085466
MRDS ID W701057
Record type Site
Current site name Maricao West and Las Tetas De Cerro Gordo West

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -66.98004, 18.14789 (WGS84)
Relative position THE MARICAO WEST DEPOSIT LIES ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MAYAGUEZ.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Maricao Municipio(county)

Puerto Rico(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Maricao(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Puerto Rico C(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) -66.98004, 18.14789

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1959
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.98 wt-pct Nickel Major 1959
    Iron Fe 22.05 wt-pct Iron Major 1959
    Cobalt Co 0.1 wt-pct Cobalt Major 1959
    Chromium Cr 0.59 wt-pct Chromium Major 1959

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATE IS FOR THE MARICAO WEST DEPOSIT, BASED ON A CUTOFF OF 0.6% NICKEL; AVERAGE THICKNESS 25.0 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. 25, 28, 31.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit [PREVIOUS UPDATER AND DATE: BAWIEC, WALTER J., 90 08.]
Deposit THE MARICAO WEST DEPOSIT, WHICH COVERS ABOUT 80 ACRES, IS AN EROSIONAL REMNANT OF A MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE DEPOSIT. IT LIES ON THE CREST OF A SOUTHEAST-TRENDING RIDGE. THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF LATERITE AND SOFT SERPENTINE, AS DISCLOSED BY THE FEW HOLES DRILLED, IS 11 AND 27 FEET, RESPECTIVELY. THE ENRICHED ZONE IS ABOUT 25 FEET THICK, INCLUDING 1.5 FEET OF LATERITE AND 23.5 FEET OF SOFT SERPENTINE. ONLY ONE OF THE HOLES REACHED THE HARD SERPENTINE, AND THE ZONE OF ENRICHMENT EXTENDED TO THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE HOLES DRILLED.

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.