Hale Copper Mine

Past Producer in Comanche county in Oklahoma, United States with commodities Copper, Nickel, Zirconium, Chromium, Vanadium, Zinc
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. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10098089
MRDS ID DE01711
Record type Site
Current site name Hale Copper Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -98.78091, 34.75232 (WGS84)
Elevation 512
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position GO 8.75 MI S. OF COOPERTON ON OK HWY 54; TURN E. 4.25 MI ON OK HWY 49, THEN N. 0.5 MI ON HWY 49, THEN 0.25 MI NE ON HWY 49 TO N. TURN IN HWY TO WICHITA REFUGE FENCE LINE. WALK ABOUT 500 FT N. OF FENCE, AND 200 FT E. OF ROAD FOR VEIN NO. 1. VEIN NO. 2 IS ABOUT 900 FT E. OF ROAD ALONG S. SIDE OF FENCE. LAT. AND LONG. FOR VEIN NO. 1 ARE LISTED ABOVE. FOR VEIN NO. 2, LAT. IS 34-45-02N., LONG. IS 098-4 6-44W. SECTION, SECTION FRACTION, ETC. ARE GIVEN ABOVE FIRST FOR VEIN NO. 1 AND THEN FOR VEIN NO. 2.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Comanche(county)

Oklahoma(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Cooperton(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Lawton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Lawton(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

West Cache(hydrologic unit)

Red-Lake Texoma(hydrologic accounting unit)

Red-Washita(hydrologic subregion)

Arkansas-White-Red(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

FWS(Federal land areas administered by FWS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Oklahoma Comanche

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Indian 003N}003N 015W}015W 9}9 NW OF SW OF NW OF NE; CENTER OF N2 OF N2 OF NE OF SW OF NE Oklahoma

Comments on the location information

  • SEVERAL COPPER VEINS OCCUR IN THE NW OF 9. JOHNSON, E.L. (1955, P. 8) LOCATED THE ORIGINAL PITS IN A GROVE OF TREES ON TOP OF A TROCTOLITE KNOLL, ABOUT 200 FT E. OF ROAD AND 150 FT SW OF HALE SPRING, W. OF A SMALL STREAM THAT FLOWS S. FROM THE SPRING AREA. THE VEIN STRIKES N80W. AND DIPS ABOUT 15 DEGREES SW. POWELL AND OTHERS (1982, P. 116, SAMPLE 201) ANALYZED THE ORIGINAL VEIN IN THE SW OF NW OF NE OF SEC. 9 (VEIN NO. 1). ROCKWELL (1936) ALSO DISCUSSES THIS BUT HAS A LOCATION IN THE C-E2-SE-NW-SW-NE OF 9 WITH NATIVE COPPER, CUPRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, AND BORNITE IN A NW-SE VEIN. THIS WOULD BE THE NO. 1 VEIN, WITH ORTHOCLASE, QUARTZ, AND HORNBLENDE CRYSTALS 5 INCHES IN LENGTH.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Nickel Critical Tertiary
Zirconium Critical Tertiary
Chromium Critical Tertiary
Vanadium Critical Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • WOODRUFF (1904, P. 28) SAID THAT THE ORE ASSAYED AT 26% CU (VEIN NO. 1). ALLEN (1904, P. 92) HAD 0.35% CU (VEIN NO. 1).

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Cuprite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore

Analytical data

Result SANDY CREEK GABBRO IN N1/2-9-3N-15W. - 54-195 PPM CU, 115-171 PPM CR, 80-100 PPM ZN, 83-122 PPM NI, 50-190 PPM BA, 282-379 PPM SR, 140-200 PPM V. HALE SPRING PEGMATITE NO. 1 VEIN (SAMPLE 201) SW-NW-NE-9-3N-15W. - 43 PPM CU, 136 PPM ZN, 120 PPM BA, 20 PPM SR, 15 PPM V, 4100 PPM ZR.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Sandy Creek Gabbro;Mount Scott Granite;Post Oak Conglomerate, Possibly Of Hennessey Group
    Rock description Sandy Creek Gabbro;Mount Scott Granite;Post Oak Conglomerate, Possibly Of Hennessey Group
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Cambrian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Pegmatite
    Rock unit name Hale Spring Pegmatite Of Quanah Granite
    Rock description Hale Spring Pegmatite Of Quanah Granite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -98.78091, 34.75232

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Wichita Mountains, Igneous Intrusions, Hydrothermal Veins
Type of structure Local
Structure description Quanah Granite Pegmatite Veins In Sandy Creek Gabbro And Mount Scott Granite, Irregular Occurrences. The Weathered Ore Is Then Mixed With The Post Oak Conglomerate Of Possible Hennessey Group.

Ore body information

  • Name HALE COPPER MINE
    General form LINEAR
    Strike N80 DEGREES W}SW-NE
    Dip 15 DEGREES SW}VERTICAL
    Length 182.88M
    Width 0.61M
    Depth to bottom 10.67M
  • Name VEIN NO. 2
    General form LINEAR
    Strike N80 DEGREES W}SW-NE
    Dip 15 DEGREES SW}VERTICAL
    Length 274.32M
    Width 0.61M

Comments on the ore body information

  • Orebody is in an outcrop

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Hydrothermal Veins; Extracted Cu From Gabbro

Comments on the geologic information

  • AFTER SANDY CREEK GABBRO WAS EMPLACED, THE MOUNT SCOTT GRANITE SILLS WERE INTRUDED, FOLLOWED BY QUANAH GRANITE INTRUSIONS AND ASSOCIATED HYDROTHERMAL PEGMATITES, WHICH DISSOLVED CU AND OTHER METALS FROM THE GABBRO. THE ORE WAS THEN WEATHERED AND MIXED WITH THE POST OAK CONGLOMERATE, OF POSSIBLE HENNESSEY GROUP.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1887
Discoverer James Hale And Wife Bessie (A Colorado Miner) (According To Wilson, 1980, P. 13)
Year of first production 1884
Year of last production 1960
Production years 1884-1960?

Mining district

District name Oreana

Land status

Ownership category Private
Area name Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge (Main Vein No. 1; N. Pt. Vein No. 2.

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner James Hale(-; W.T. Hale ; Clifford Ison
    First year 1909
    Last year 1904
  • Type Owner
    Owner John Phelan (E2 And Sw Of 9) (W2 Of 4; All Of 8; And Se Of 5)

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • IF THE VEINS WERE DRILLED AT DEPTH, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A LARGER DEPOSIT MIGHT BE FOUND, WHERE THE HYDROTHERMAL SOLUTIONS RETAINED MORE COPPER.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Name of workings HALE COPPER MINE NO. 1
    Area 0.405HA
    Length 182.88M
    Width 0.61M
    Height 10.67M
    Overall depth 10.67M
  • Type of workings Surface
    Name of workings VEIN NO. 2
    Length 274.32M
    Width 0.61M
    Overall depth 0M

Comments on the workings information

  • TAFF (1904, P. 66) MENTIONS THAT THE VEIN IS 2 FT THICK (VEIN NO. 1).

Comments on development

  • CLIFFORD ISON, JUNE 25, 1960, OF OKALHOMA CITY, FILED A CLAIM ON THE HALE MINE AND NAMED IT THE BONANZA CRATER MINE, ACCORDING TO WILSON (1960, P. 14).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    WOODRUFF, E.G., 1904, OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY, 3RD BIENNIAL REPORT, P. 23-36 (P. 28).

  • Deposit

    AKPOURAGHTAPEH, SAMAD, 1979, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, M.S. THESIS, 116 P.

  • Deposit

    AL-SHALEH, Z.F., THOMAS, R.G., AND STEWERT, G.F., 1980, BENDIX FIELD ENGINEERING CORPORATION, SUBCONTRACT 78-131-E, AND DE-AC13-76G01664.

  • Deposit

    ALLEN, E.T., 1904, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 31, P. 92.

  • Deposit

    BAIN, H.F., 1904A, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 31, P. 82-97 (P. 88).

  • Deposit

    TAFF, J.A., 1904, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 31, 81 P. (P. 66-67).

  • Deposit

    BAIN, H.F., 1904B, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 225, P. 120-122 (P. 122).

  • Deposit

    POWELL, B.N., STOCKTON, M.L., GIDDENS, J.D. III, AND GILBERT, M.C., 1982, OGS GUIDEBOOK 21, P. 102-117.

  • Deposit

    SCOFIELD, NANCY, AND GILBERT, M.C., 1982, OGS GUIDEBOOK 21, P. 60-64.

  • Deposit

    WILSON, C.S., 1963, OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY, 8TH BIENNIAL GEOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM, PROCEEDINGS, P. 149-160 (P. 155).

  • Deposit

    WILSON, C.S. , 1980, OKLAHOMA TODAY, V. 30, NO. 2, P. 11-15 (P. 13).

  • Deposit

    ANDERSON, K.C., 1946, OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY, M.S. THESIS, 66 P. (P. 35-38).

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON, E.L., 1955, OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY, M.S. THESIS, 87 P. (ESPECIALLY P. 8-10).

  • Deposit

    ROCKWELL, FLOYD, OCTOBER 1936, WPA PROJECT 65-65-538, SHEET 835-B, COMANCHE CO., OKLAHOMA, OGS FILE.

  • Deposit

    WILSON, C.S., 1960, OKLAHOMA JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, TRANSACTIONS, V. 3, P. 12-19 (P. 14-15).

  • Deposit

    STOCKTON, M.M., 1984, ARLINGTON, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, M.S. THESIS, 83 P. (P. VII, 59, 64-65, PL. 6D).

  • Deposit

    MANSUR, M.A., MAY 1936, WPA PROJECT 65-65-538, SHEET 459, COMANCHE CO., OKLAHOMA, OGS FILE.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit TWO OF MANY VEINS IN THE AREA. APPROXIMATELY 32 VEINS WERE MAPPED BY POWELL AND OTHERS (1982, P. 104-105) IN SECS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, AND 10, 3N-15W. S COFIELD AND GILBERT (1982, P. 61, FIG. 40) HAVE PHOTOGRAPH OF VEIN NO. 1. THE DEPOSITS ARE WEATHERED AND MIXED INTO THE POST OAK CONGLOMERATE, OF POSSIBLE HENNESSEY GROUP.
Deposit WOODRUFF (1904, P. 28) MENTIONED AN INCLINE OF 20 FT (VEIN NO. 1). MANSUR (1936) SHOWS 3 MINES, 4 TO 35 FT DEEP, BUT MISLOCATED THEM ABOUT 0.25 MI TOO FAR TO THE NW.
Deposit GHOST TOWN OF OREANA WAS IN THE SW QUARTER OF SEC. 8-3N-15W FROM 1901 TO 1905, AND DISTRICT WAS NAMED OREANA DURING THAT TIME. SEVERAL VEINS WITH COPPER OCCUR IN THE HALE SPRING AREA, ONE TRENDING NW NEAR SPRING (#1) AND ONE ABOUT 1,000 FT SE OF THE SPRING (#2). SEE POWELL AND OTHERS (1982, P. 104) FOR EXTREME DETAILS. ALSO JOHNSON, E.L. (1955, P. 78). MANSUR (1936) SHOWS 3 LOCALITIES IN THE N2-SE-NW-9, BUT WITHOUT COPPER, FROM SHAFT 535, 12, AND 4 FT DEEP, TERMED HALE MINE. PROBABLY MISLOCATED.
Deposit Discovery Year: 1884-1889

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-1992 Fay, Robert O. Oklahoma Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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