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Tyrone Mine

Producer in Grant county in New Mexico, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Silver, Zinc, Lead, Fluorine-Fluorite, Gemstone, Molybdenum, Uranium, Vanadium
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10012285
MRDS ID D007835
Record type Site
Current site name Tyrone Mine
Alternate or previous names Tyrone, Includes A Number of Older Underground Mines: Gettysburg, Copper Gulf, Rocket, Niagra, Mowhawk, Sampson, McKinley, St. Louis, Boston, Virginia, Klondike, Valencia, Emerald
Related records 10174772

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -108.37284, 32.6404 (WGS84)
Elevation 1920
Relative position ABOUT 11 MILES S 31 W OF SILVER CITY.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Grant(county)

New Mexico(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Tyrone(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silver City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Silver City(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Mimbres(hydrologic unit)

Mimbres(hydrologic accounting unit)

Rio Grande-Mimbres(hydrologic subregion)

Rio Grande(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States New Mexico Grant

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 019S 015W 15,22,23,24,25,26,27, New Mexico

Comments on the location information

  • GEODETIC LOCATION IS FOR THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF THE OPEN PIT AREA.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Secondary
Gemstone Secondary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary
Vanadium Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • PRESENCE OF TORBERNITE SUSPECTED DUE TO RADIOACTIVITY RECORDED IN SOME DRILL HOLES.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Brochantite Ore
Chalcanthite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Copper Ore
Cuprite Ore
Fluorite Ore
Libethenite Ore
Malachite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tenorite Ore
Torbernite Ore
Turquoise Ore
Hematite Gangue
Jarosite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Alteration Products: Sericite, Quartz, Chlorite, Epidote, Kaolinite. Erratic Argillic Alteration. Pervasive Quartz-Sericite Alteration. Peripheral Propylitic Alteration With Chloritized Biotite, Feldspar Altered To Montmorillonite, And Addition Of Pyrite. Silicification Along Contact Between Eeo Porphyry And Prec Granite.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 79
USGS model code 21a
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu-Mo
Mark3 model number 2

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Tonalite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Eocene
    Chronological age 56.6
    Dating method K-Ar
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Eocene
    Chronological age 54.9
    Dating method K-Ar
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Eocene
    Chronological age 56.6
    Dating method K-Ar
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock unit name Tyrone Stock;Stage I Porphyry;Stage Ii Porphyry;Stage Iii Breccia;Stage Iv Porphyry
    Rock description Tyrone Stock;Stage I Porphyry;Stage Ii Porphyry;Stage Iii Breccia;Stage Iv Porphyry

Nearby scientific data

(1) -108.37284, 32.6404
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Five Northeast Trending Zones Of Closely Spaced Fractures Are Also Zones Of Higher Grade Ore. Deposit Bounded To Nw By Nne Burro Chief Fault And To S By Ew Racket Virginia Fault.

Ore body information

  • Length 4827.9M
    Width 3218.6M

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1869
Year of first production 1879
Year of last production 1981
Production years 1879, 1881-1882, 1902-1912, 1916-1949, 1967-

Mining district

District name Burro Mountains District: Tyrone Subdistrict

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Phelps Dodge Corp.
    Home office P.O. Drawer B, Tyrone, N.M. 88065
    First year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1930
    Period 1906-1930
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 2wt-pct
    Major Ore Copper Copper 2wt-pct
  • Year 1992
    Period 1969-1992
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1993
    Period 1972-1993
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Copper Copper 0wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • (1) ORE MILLED DURING UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS. EXCLUDES ABOUT 54,000 ST DIRECT SHIPPING ORES MINED FROM 1904 TO 1949. (2) ORE MILLED DURING OPEN PIT OPERATIONS. (3) ORE DELIVERED TO LEACH STOCKPILES. STOCKPILED ORE IS PART OF 1.3 BILLION ST "WASTE" MINED FROM 1967 - 1991.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1966
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.78 wt-pct Copper Major 1966
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1969
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1969
    Vanadium V2O5 3 wt-pct Vanadium Trace 1969
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.77 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
    Uranium U3O8 0.25 wt-pct Uranium Trace 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.33 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
    Vanadium V2O5 2 wt-pct Vanadium Trace 1992

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • (1) INITIAL OPEN PIT RESERVE, MILL ORE; (2) ANOTHER ESTIMATE OF INITIAL OPEN PIT RESERVE, MILL ORE; (3) FINAL ESTIMATE OPEN PIT RESERVE, MILL ORE, SINCE EXHAUSTED; (4) LEACH ORE. RESERVES OF LEACH ORE NOT YET (1994) FULLY DELINEATED.

Comments on the workings information

  • MINE NOW CONSISTS OF ONE LARGE OPEN PIT WHICH IS A CONSOLIDATION OF THE WEST RACKET, GETTYSBURG, MAIN, AND COPPER MOUNTAIN PITS. BY 1978 MOST OF THE OLD UNDERGROUND WORKINGS HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPEN PIT.

Comments on development

  • WORK, LATER MERGING TO FORM THE SAVANNAH COPPER CO. (2577 AC) WHICH WAS ACQUIRED BY PHELPS DODGE IN 1916. IN 1906 BRIGGS OLIVER DEVELOPMENT CO OPTIONED THE BURRO CHIEF GROUP FROM THOMAS PARKER, WAS SUCEEDED BY THE TYRONE COPPER CO. AND THEN THE CHEMUNG COPPER CO. (953 AC) WHICH WAS ACQUIRED BY PHELPS DODGE IN 1912. HAVING CONSOLIDATED CONTROL OF THE MAJOR CHALCOCITE VEIN PROPERTIES, PHELPS DODGE DEVELOPED A 1400 TPD MINE AND MILL FROM 1913 TO 1916 AND OPERATED THE MINE FROM 1916 TO 1921. LEACH OPERATIONS, PRODUCING CEMENT COPPER CONTINUED TO 1928 WHEN LEACH PLANT WAS DISMANTLED. INTERMITTENT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION BY COMPANY AND LEASERS CEASED IN 1949. FROM 1949 TO 1958. PHELPS DODGE DELINEATED THE SUPERGENE ENRICHMENT BLANKET OREBODY BY DRILLING 720 CHURN DRILL HOLES ON 200 FT CENTERS OVER AN AREA 8400 FT EAST-WEST BY 9400 FT NORTH-SOUTH FOR A TOTAL FOOTAGE OF 434,000 FT TO A MAXIMUM OF 1000 FT DEPTH. DURING THAT TIME PHELPS DODGE ACQUIRED PROPERTY OF THE AZURE MINING CO.
  • TURQUOISE MINED BY NATIVE AMERICANS. JOHN E. COLEMAN LOCATED FIRST COPPER AND TURQUOISE CLAIMS IN 1869. ST. LOUIS CLAIM LOCATED 1879 BY JAMES BULLARD, JOHN SWISSHELM, AND J.W. FLEMING THEN SOLD TO VAL VERDE COPPER CO. OXIDE SURFACE ORES, SMELTED IN A 5O TPD REVERBATORY FURNACE LOCATED IN DEAD MAN GULCH, WERE QUICKLY EXHAUSTED. A 500 FT SHAFT CUT THE TABULAR ST. LOUIS CHALCOCITE OREBODY. ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE ALESSANDRO COPPER CO. ATTEMPTED TO LEACH OXIDE ORES FROM CLAIMS 3 MILES EAST OF THE ST. LOUIS AND ANOTHER SMELTER AT OAK GROVE RAN FOR A SHORT TIME. THE VAL VERDE COPPER CO. WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ABSORBED INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN COPPER CO. WHICH LATER ACQUIRED THE SAMPSON AND OTHER PROPERTIES. IN 1901 THE BURRO MOUNTAIN COPPER CO. TOOK OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN COPPER CO. AND BUILT THE LEOPOLD MILL. THE BURRO MOUNTAIN PROPERTY (1000 AC) WAS OPTIONED BY PHELPS DODGE IN 1904 AND ACQUIRED IN 1906. AROUND 1905 THE COMANCHE MINING AND SMELTING CO. AND COPPER GULF DEVELOPMENT CO. BEGAN
  • AND THE AMERICAN GEM AND TURQUOISE CO. STRIPPING BEGAN MAY 1, 1967, MILL OPERATIONS BEGAN IN 1969, AND LEACH OPERATIONS BEGAN IN 1972. MILL OPERATED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL FEBRUARY, 1992 WHEN RESERVES OF MILL ORE WERE EXHAUSTED. MILL SUBSEQUENTLY DISMANTLED EXCEPT FOR ONE 15,000 TPD SECTION RETAINED FOR TREATMENT OF MILL ORE WHICH MAY BECOME AVAILABLE DURING MINING OF RECENTLY DELINEATED LEACH ORES. A SX/EW PLANT OF 14,000 TPD CAPACITY WAS INSTALLED IN 1984. A FOURTH EXPANSION IN 1992 BROUGHT CAPACITY TO 70,000 TPD. ADDITIONAL DRILLING FROM 1991 CONTINUES TO DELINEATE MORE LEACH ORE RESERVES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    JONES, F.A., 1904 NEW MEXICO MINES AND MINERALS, THE NEW MEXICAN PRINTING CO., P. 55-57

  • Deposit

    LINDGREN, W., GRATON, L.C., AND GORDON, C.H., 1910 USGS PP 68, P. 321-324

  • Deposit

    PAIGE, S., 1922 USGS PP 122, 53 PAGES

  • Deposit

    GILLERMAN, E., 1952 USGS BULL 973-F, P. 261-289

  • Deposit

    KOLESSAR, J., 1982, THE TYRONE COPPER DEPOSITS, GRANT COUNTY, NEW MEXICO, IN TITLEY, S.R., ED., ADVANCES IN GEOLOGY OF THE PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS: TUCSON, UNIV. ARIZONA PRESS, P. 327-333.

  • Deposit

    LONG, K.R., 1994, PRODUCTION AND RESERVES OF CORDILLERAN PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS, IN BOLM, J.G., AND PIERCE, F.W., EDS., BOOTPRINTS ALONG THE CORDILLERA: ARIZ. GEOL. SOC. DIGEST 21.

  • Deposit

    WILLIAMS, F.E., 1966 USBM IC-8307, P. 64

  • Deposit

    HEDLUND, D.C., 1978 USGS MAPS MF-1031, MF-1037, MF-1040, MF-1041

  • Deposit

    SIEMERS, W.T., AND AUSTIN, G.S., 1979 NMBMMR RESOURCE MAP 9

  • Deposit

    NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

  • Deposit

    STEGEN, R.J., 1994, GEOLOGIC TOUR OF THE TYRONE MINE: PHELPS DIDGE MINING CO., UNPUBLISHED REPORT, 6 P.

  • Deposit

    FIELD VISIT BY KEITH R. LONG, USGS, 10/1994

  • Production

    (1,2) LONG, 1994; (3) STEGEN, 1994.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPOSITS OCCUR IN A HIGHLY FRACTURED DISSEMINATED COPPER PORPHYRY STOCK. NUMEROUS FRACTURE FILLINGS AND VEINLETS WERE MINED UNDERGROUND PRIOR TO OPEN PIT OPERATIONS. PROTORE CONSISTS OF QUARTZ-SERICITE-PYRITE-CHALCOPYRITE STOCKWORK VEINLETS WITH VERY LITTLE BORNITE AND GRADES OF 0.05 TO 0.15% CU. MULTIPLE STAGES OF PRIMARY COPPER VEINLETS ARE HOSTED BY PREC GRANITE, CRET ANDESITE, AND FOUR STAGES OF EEO QUARTZ MONZONITE PORPHYRY. THE CHALCOCITE ENRICHMENT BLANKET, UP TO 500 FT THICK, HAD GRADES OF 0.8 TO 1.0% CU. CHALCOCITE REPLACES PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE. ENRICHMENT BLANKET IS OVERLAIN BY A HEMETITIC LEACHED CAPPING UP TO 500 FT THICK. OXIDE ORE IN LEACHED BLANKET IN COPPER MOUNTAIN PIT CONSISTS OF CHRYSOCOLLA-MALACHITE-AZURITE VEINLETS, COATINGS, AND RARE DISSEMINATIONS GRADING 0.06 TO 0.60% CU. SECONDARY ENRICHMENT OCCURED AT 45 MA (EEO). ABOUT 350 MILLION ST OF 0.2 TO 0.4% CU PROTORE WAS ENRICHED TO ABOUT 0.8% CU. ENRICHED BLANKET WAS SUBSEQUENTLY OFFSET BY NNE TRENDING
Deposit FAULTS. ADDITIONAL CONCENTRATION OF CHALCOCITE OCCURED ALONG THESE NNE TRENDINGS FAULTS AND FRACTURES AT 19.5 MA (EMIO). THESE FORMED TABULAR BODIES OF CHALCOCITE ORE AVERAGING 2 TO 3% CU OF WHICH AT LEAST 20 WERE PARTLY MINED OUT BY OLD UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. ALL MINERALIZATION CUT BY UNRELATED MIO? FLUORITE VEINS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1981 Menzie, David New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources
Updater 01-DEC-1994 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusActive since 05/03/2016
MSHA mine ID2900159
Mine name (MSHA)TYRONE MINE
Current operatorFreeport-McMoRan Tyrone Inc
Current controller (parent)Freeport-McMoRan Inc
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

Inferred by coordinate + name similarity (1658 m, 1.00 match). Confirm against MSHA if precision matters — non-USGS-curated cross-references may occasionally point at a neighbouring mine.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

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