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Creta Deposit

Past Producer in Jackson county in Oklahoma, United States with commodities Copper, 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. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. General comments
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10248691
MRDS ID DE01760
MAS/MILS ID 0400650001
Record type Deposit
Mineralized Area Creta Deposit
Current site name Creta Deposit
Alternate or previous names Creta, Eagle Picher Mine, Eagle-Picher Mine

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: -99.49722, 34.48781 (WGS84)
Elevation 411
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position Mine covers many acres. Coordinates are for the plant as shown on the 24k topo. Images from Google Earth and Microsoft maps indicate the buildings no longer exist.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Jackson(county)

Oklahoma(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ayers Island(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Vernon(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Lawton(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Groesbeck-Sandy(hydrologic unit)

Red-Pease(hydrologic accounting unit)

Red-Washita(hydrologic subregion)

Arkansas-White-Red(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Oklahoma Jackson

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Indian 001 S 022 W 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16 Oklahoma

Comments on the location information

  • Description to Sample Site 1: (MRDS DE01760=newMRDS 10021967) at 34-30-40, -99-30-40 (NAD27): 1N, 22W, Sec. 33, SE of SW of NE.
    GO ABOUT 9.3 MI NE OF ELDORADO ON OK HWY 33;44 TO MARTY RAILROAD STATION. TURN S. ABOUT 1.3 MI. WALK W. ABOUT 800 FT TO LOW ESCARPMENT FORMED BY MARTY DOLOMITE. Accurate to 200 ft.


  • Description to Sample Site 2: (MRDS DE01761=newMRDS 10021968) at 34-29-23, -99-29-12 (NAD27): 1S, 22W, Sec. 15, NE of SE of SW of NE.
    GO ABOUT 0.75 MI NE OF ELDORADO ON OK HWY 34, 44. TURN E. 8.75 MI. TURN S. ABOUT 0.4 MI. WALK W. ABOUT 1400 FT TO LOW ESCARPMENT ON S. SIDE OF CREEK.
    Accurate to 200 ft.
  • THE MALACHITE OCCURS IN SEVERAL GREENISH-GRAY SHALES 5-9 FT BELOW THE MARTY DOLOMITE. THE MARTY IS ABOUT 25-30 FT BELOW THE HAYSTACK GYPSUM. JOHNSON (APRIL 1962) GIVES DETAILS, LATER PUBLISHED BY HAM AND JOHNSON (1964, P. 28, SEC. A).
  • JOHNSON (1962), SHEETS 01085-01087, 01110, 01093-01094, GIVES BASIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS AND CHEMICAL ANALYSES. THE AREAL EXTENT OF THE DEPOSITS COVERS PARTS OF SECS. 1-2-3-4-5-6, 2S-22W; 3-4-5-8-9-10-15-16-17-20-21-22-27-28-29-31-32-33-34-35, 1S-22W; AND SECS. 33-34, 1N-22W.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Silver Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • TO THE SOUTH, THESE BEDS WERE COMMERCIALLY MINED BEGINNING IN SEPT. 1965 BY EAGLE-PICHER INDUSTRIES, INC., AT THE RATE OF ABOUT 1000 TONS OF ORE A DAY. THE DEPOSITS EXTEND OVER AN AREA OF 15 SQUARE MILES IN 1S-22W. BY AUG. 1973, ABOUT 1.5 MILLION TONS OF ORE WAS MINED, WITH AVERAGE GRADE OF 1.9% CU. THE ORE WAS DRIED IN A MILL AND FLOATED, TO PRODUCE A CONCENTRATE OF 50% CU, WHICH WAS SHIPPED TO THE ASARCO COPPER SMELTER IN EL PASO, TEXAS. MINING CEASED ON FEB. 23, 1975, AND THE MILL CLOSED ON MARCH 28, 1975, DUE TO LOW COPPER PRICES OF 63 CENTS A POUND. TOTAL PRODUCTION WAS 2,000,000 TONS OF ORE.
  • THE PREWITT COPPER SHALE AVERAGED 1.9% CU AFTER MINING 1.5 MILLION TONS, ACCORDING TO DINGESS (1976, P. 16). ABOUT 2,000,000 TONS WERE MINED. ABOUT 4,000,000 TONS ARE UNMINED, WITH AVERAGE OF 0.5% OF 6 INCH BED OF PREWITT COPPER SHALE, OVER 10 SQUARE MILES LEFT. ABOUT 5 SQUARE MILES WERE MINED.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Malachite Ore
Shale Gangue

Analytical data

Result From sample site Eagle-Picher Mine-1 (MRDS DE01760 = newMRDS 10021967):\n1.27% CU IN 0.4 FT GREENISH-GRAY SHALE, 4.5 FT BELOW MARTY DOL. \n0.22% CU IN 1 FT GREENISH-GRAY SHALE, 4.9 FT BELOW MARTY\n0.41% CU IN 0.5 FT GREENISH-GRAY SHALE, 8.9 FT BELOW MARTY\n0.08% CU IN 1.3 FT GREENISH GRAY SHALE, 9.4 FT BELOW MARTY DOL. \n
Result From sample site Eagle-Picher Mine-1 (MRDS DE01761 = newMRDS 10021968):\n2.65% CU FROM 6 INCH SHALE, 9.7 FT BELOW MARTY DOLOMITE (PREWITT COPPER SHALE). \n0.73% CU FROM 3 INCH SHALE, 5.3 FT BELOW MARTY DOLOMITE (UPPER COPPER SHALE).

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 197
USGS model code 30b
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Cu
Mark3 model number 63

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Prewitt Copper Shale and Upper Copper Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Permian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Permian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Flowerpot Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Permian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Permian

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) -99.49722, 34.48781
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name low westward dip of about 10-20 ft/mi WSW.

Ore body information

  • Thickness 0.2M
    Depth to top 13.5M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Minimum Depth to Top 4.5
    Date of Last Modification 790523
  • Name Prewitt Copper Shale
    General form Tabular
    Strike NNW
    Dip 10-20 FT/MI WSW
    Thickness 0.27M
    Length 11265.1M
    Width 2.5M
    Depth to top 15.24M
  • Name Upper Copper Shale
    General form Tabular
    Strike NNW
    Dip 10-20 FT/MI WSW
    Thickness 0.12M
    Length 11265.1M
    Width 2.5M
    Depth to top 15.24M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Reducing Environment; Spores and Sabkha process

Comments on the geologic information

  • Alteration: malachite is oxidized from chalcocite where less than 10-15 ft of overburden
  • HOST ROCK UNIT NAME - PREWITT COPPER SHALE AND UPPER COPPER SHALE, 5-10 FT BELOW MARTY DOL. THE MARTY DOL. IS ABOUT 25-30 FT BELOW THE HAYSTACK GYPSUM. THE COPPER SHALES ARE 0.25-1 FT THICK IN SEVERAL BEDS, ABOUT 5-10 FT BELOW THE MARTY DOL. THE GRADE OF COPPER IS 0.2-4.5%, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 1.9% FOR THE PREWITT COPPER SHALE. THE UPPER COPPER SHALE WAS LOCALLY MINED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF 1S-22W, WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 0.79% CU, BEING ABOUT 5 INCHES THICK.; HR.AGE.MV: GUADALUPIAN
  • PREWITT COPPER SHALE, 9.7 FT BELOW MARTY DOLOMITE; UPPER COPPER SHALE, 5.3 FT BELOW MARTY DOLOMITE. THE MARTY DOLOMITE IS ABOUT 25-30 FT BELOW THE HAYSTACK GYPSUM. THE FLOWERPOT IS ABOUT 154 FT THICK. THE PREWITT COPPER SHALE IS THE MAIN ORE BODY, ABOUT 0.25-1.5 FT THICK, AVERAGING 1.9% CU. IT OCCURS OVER 15 SQUARE MILES. ABOUT 5 SQUARE MILES WERE MINED. A CAP GYPSUM, ABOUT 1 FT THICK, OCCURS AT THE TOP OF THE PREWITT, ABOUT 8.7 FT BELOW MARTY DOLOMITE.;

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1962
Discoverer Kenneth E. Smith, formerly of Vinson, Harmon County, OK, in 1962.\nCaptain R.B. Marcy noted copper in the region as early as 1852.
Mining method Strip-Area
Year of first production 1966
Year of last production 1975
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Production years 1965-1975

Mining district

District name Red Bed District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Eagle-Picher Industries Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Oklahoma
    Year 1978
    First year 1962
  • Type Operator
    Owner Eagle-Picher Industries Inc.
    Home office EP Minerals, LLC\nReno NV 89521\nwww.eaglepicher.com
  • Type Owner
    Owner Mr. Ira C. Prewitt and others (in T1S, R22W)

Production statistics

  • Year 1971
    Description Tons Milled Per Year 226063 Mt Ore
  • Year 1972
    Description Tons Milled Per Year 255800 Mt Ore
  • Year 1973
    Description Tons Milled Per Year 167578 Mt Ore
  • Year 1974
    Description Tons Milled Per Year 179785 Mt Ore
  • Year 1975
    Period 1965-1975
    Material Original Entry "Ap_Grade: ^1.9% Cu from Prewitt Copper Shale".\n"Cp_Grade: ^1.9% Cu from Prewitt Copper Shale".
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Cu Copper Copper 2wt-pct 1.9

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1965
    Total resources 2721000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.9 wt-pct Copper Primary 1965

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CRETA MINE CLOSED MARCH 31, 1975. ALL PROVEN RESERVES MINED OUT.
  • THE UPPER COPPER BED IS EXCLUDED FROM MOST ESTIMATES. PERHAPS THE ORE OCCURS OVER A WIDER AREA OF LOWER GRADE CU ORE AND COULD BE EXTRACTED.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Name of workings Creta Mine, Prewitt Copper Shale
    Area 3885HA
    Length 8046.5M
    Width 3218.6M
    Height 0.46M
    Overall depth 30.48M
    Overall length 11265.1M
    Overall width 4827.9M

Comments on the workings information

  • A DRAG LINE WAS USED TO SCRAPE 10-100 FT DOWN TO THE CAP GYPSUM. THE GYPSUM WAS REMOVED AND THE COPPER SHALE RIPPED UP AND LOADED AND BROUGHT TO THE CONCENTRATION MILL, IN SW-NW-10-1S-22W. THE COPPER ORE WAS CONCENTRATED from 1.9% TO 50% CU, AND SENT TO THE ASARCO COPPER SMELTER AT EL PASO, TEXAS. APPROXIMATELY 40,000 TONS OF CU WAS RECOVERED, AT 75 CENTS LB, OR $1500/TON, OR $60,000,000. ABOUT $1,600,000 IN SILVER WAS RECOVERED (4 OZ/TON OF CONCENTRATES OR 80,000 X 4 X $5.00 = $1,600,000). ARGALL (1975) HAS ARTICLE ON AREA.

Comments on development

  • MR. SMITH BROUGHT IN SAMPLES FROM NE-NW-15-1S-22W IN EARLY 1962. HAM AND JOHNSON BEGAN STUDIES IN MARCH 1962. EAGLE-PICHER BEGAN STUDIES IN SUMMER 1963, BEGINNING MINING IN SEPT. 1965, AND CLOSED FEB. 23, 1975, DUE TO DEPRESSED ECONOMICS. ABOUT 2,000,000 TONS WAS MINED. ABOUT 2,000,000 TONS OR MORE REMAINS, WITH AVERAGE OF 1.9% CU, AND 30-100 FT OF OVERBURDEN.
  • MR. SMITH BROUGHT SAMPLES TO OGS FROM NE-NW-15-1S-22W, IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY 1962. KEN JOHNSON BEGAN MEASURING SECTIONS ON MARCH 6, 1962, WORKING WITH WILLIAM HAM. EAGLE-PICHER BEGAN STUDIES IN SUMMER 1963. HAM AND JOHNSON PUBLISHED IN 1964. EAGLE-PICHER BEGAN MINING IN SEPTEMBER 1965 AND CLOSED FEBRUARY 23, 1975, DUE TO BAD ECONOMICS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Argall, G.O., Jr., 1975, EAGLE-PICHER STRIPS 45 FEET TO MINE 11 INCHES OF 1.92 PERCENT COPPER, WORLD MINING, MAY, 1975, V.28, NO. 5 (May), P. 40-42.

  • Deposit

    Johnson, K.S., and Croy, R.L., eds., 1976, Stratiform copper deposits of the midcontinent region, A symposium: Oklahoma Geological Survey Circular 77, 99 p.

  • Deposit

    STROUD, R.B., McMahan, A.B., Stroup, R.K., and Hibpshman, M.H., 1970, PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF COPPER DEPOSITS ASSOCIATED WITH PERMIAN RED BED FORMATIONS IN TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, AND KANSAS, US BUREAU of MINES RI 7422, 103 p.

  • Deposit

    Fay, R.O., and Brockie, D.C., 2002, Metallic-mineral resources of Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geological Survey Special Publication 2002-1, 32 p.

  • Deposit

    HAM, W.E. AND JOHNSON, K.S., 1964, COPPER DEPOSITS IN PERMIAN SHALE CRETA AREA, OKLAHOMA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 64.

  • Deposit

    DINGESS, P.R., 1974, GEOLOGY OF THE CRETA COPPER DEPOSIT OF EAGLE-PICHER INDUSTRIES, INC., JACKSON COUNTY, OKLAHOMA(abstract), IN SOUTH-CENTRAL SECTION, 8TH ANNUAL MEETING, GEOL.SOC.AM. ABSTR., VOL. 6, NO. 2, P. 101.

  • Deposit

    Lockwood, R.P., 1976, Geochemistry and petrology of some Oklahoma red-bed copper occurrences, in Johnson, K.S., and Croy, R.L., eds., Stratiform copper deposits of the midcontinent region, A symposium: Oklahoma Geological Survey Circular 77, p. 61-68.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON, K.S., AND BROCKIE, D.C., 1973, Oklahoma Geological Survey SPECIAL PUBLICATION 73-2, P. 29-32.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON, K.S., 1976, Permian copper shales of sowutwestern Oklahoma, in OGS CIRCULAR 77, P. 3-14.

  • Deposit

    DINGESS, P.R., 1976, Geology and mining operations at the Creta copper deposit of Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., in OGS CIRCULAR 77, P. 15-24.

  • Deposit

    HAGNI, R.D., AND GANN, D.E., 1976, Microscopy of copper ore at the Creta Mine, southwestern Oklahoma, in OGS CIRCULAR 77, P. 40-50.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON, K.S., MARCH-APRIL 1962, SHEETS 01085-01087, 01110, 01093-01094, JACKSON CO., OKLAHOMA, OGS FILE.

  • Deposit

    LOCKWOOD, R.P., 1972, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, PH.D. DISSERTATION, 125 P.

  • Deposit

    RICHTER, R.W., 1960, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, M.S. THESIS, 126 P.

  • Deposit

    KIDWELL, A.L., AND BOWER, R.R., 1976, Mineralogy and microtextrures of sulfides in the Flowerpot Shale of Oklahoma and Texas, in OGS CIRCULAR 77, P. 51-60.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
General Deleted 3 vague records from MAS database: 0400650006, 0400650008, 0400650009. Only reference for these 3 records was "AERIAL PHOTO OGS FILES"
Deposit JOHNSON (1962) GIVES DETAILS. HAM AND JOHNSON (1964, P. 28, SEC. A) PUBLISHED DETAILS. RICHTER (1960) MAPPED THE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA. JOHNSON (1976), DINGESS (1976), HAGNI AND GANN (1976), LOCKWOOD (1972; 1976), KIDWELL AND BOWER (1976), JOHNSON AND BROCKIE (1973), AND STROUD AND OTHERS (1970) DISCUSS THE MINERALOGY AND ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE AREA.
Deposit ABOUT 2,000,000 TONS OF ORE WAS MINED FROM THE PREWITT COPPER SHALE, WITH AVERAGE CONTENT OF 1.9% CU. THE CONCENTRATE WAS 50% CU, WITH 3-5 OZ/TON OF AG (SILVER).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-MAY-1985 West, B.J. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-DEC-1992 Fay, Robert O. Oklahoma Geological Survey Fay created 2 sample site records. Data incorporated into the master record (10248691) by Anna Wilson, 4/23/10).
Reporter 18-NOV-1983 Oklahoma Geological Survey Oklahoma Geological Survey OGS created 3 inadequate MILS records for the deposit: 0400650006, 8, 9. All 3 have been merged and deleted by ABW 4/23/10.
Editor 23-APR-2010 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey Merged and deleted 5 duplicate records. Revised on 5/19/2010.

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Maps centered on this site