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Red Mountain Mine

Past Producer in Santa Cruz county in Arizona, United States with commodities Copper, Aluminum, Molybdenum, Lead, Zinc, Kaolin, Potassium, Gold
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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. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Mineral rights holdings
  18. Land status
  19. Ownership information
  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 10048337
MRDS ID M899921
Record type Deposit
Current site name Red Mountain Mine
Alternate or previous names Red Mountain Project, Ten Grand Mine, Gem, Carlton Property

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -110.71928, 31.50375 (WGS84)
Elevation 1782
Relative position 2.5 MILES SE OF PATAGONIA.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Santa Cruz(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mount Hughes(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Fort Huachuca(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Nogales(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Santa Cruz(hydrologic unit)

Santa Cruz(hydrologic accounting unit)

Middle Gila(hydrologic subregion)

Lower Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Coronado National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Arizona Santa Cruz

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Gila and Salt River 022S 016E 21 CENTER OF SW Arizona

Comments on the location information

  • Claims Extend Into Sections 20 And 17, On The Northern And Eastern Slopes Of Red Mountain. USBM Gives Section As 20 And Longitude Of 110-44-14w. ; Info From Land.St :(1979)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Aluminum Critical Primary
Molybdenum Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Kaolin Tertiary
Potassium Tertiary
Gold Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Alunite Ore
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Enargite Ore
Kaolinite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Gold Ore
Anhydrite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Pyrophyllite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) High Pyritic Phyllic Alteration Surrounded By Pyritic-Argillic And Propyllitic Alteration; With Depth, Sulfur Decreases And Changes From Near-Surface Sulfur-Rich Phyllitic Alteration, Through Weak Potassic Alteration, To Low Sulfur Potassic Alteration At Depth. Alunitization, Silicification.

Analytical data

Result X-RAY, CHEMICAL, AND THIN SECTION DATA INDICATE VARIABLE TENOR OF ALUNITE WITH CONSIDERABLE KAOLINITE, PYROPHYLLITE, AND SERICITE LOCALLY
Result LEAD EXCEEDING 100 PPM IN HIGH PYRITE ALTERATION ZONES, DIMISHING WITH DEPTH
Result MOLYBDENUM EXCEEDING 20 PPM THROUGHOUT PHYLLIC ALTERNATION ZONES
Result ZINC AVERAGES 20-100 PPM IN NEAR-SURFACE LEACHED ZONE
Result CHALCOPYRITE INCREASES WITH DEPTH, AVERAGING 0.1-0.7% CU

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 53
USGS model code 17
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu
Mark3 model number 4

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Cretaceous
    Chronological age 60.4
    Dating method K-Ar

Nearby scientific data

(1) -110.71928, 31.50375
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description E-W And N-S Trending Faults In Tertiary Volcanics
Type of structure Local
Structure description In Patagonia Mountains - Dominant Structural Features Are Major Nw-Trending High-Angle Faults. Includes Harshaw Creek Fault. Patagonia Fault Is A Major Ne-Trending Fault.

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Thickness 138.68M
    Depth to top 1039.37M
    Depth to bottom 1583.13M
  • General form IRREGULAR
  • Area 520HA
    Depth to top 1037M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Disseminations Of Chalcopyrite, Bornite, And Molybdenite In Porous Fractured Intrusives, At Great Depths

Comments on the geologic information

  • Red Mountain Volcanics Have Been Correlated With Gringo Gulch Volcanics To Northand West Which Give Above K/Ar Dates; Red Mountain Volcanics Overlie Trachyandesite Of Meadow Valley Dated At 72.1 +/- 2.2 M.Y. (Simons,F.S., 1974); Basal Contact Between Tuffaceous Volcanics And Underlying Trachyandesite Is Roughly Horizontal; Thickness Of Red Mountain Volcanics Estimated At 1500 Ft.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1970

Mining district

District name Harshaw District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Kerr-Mc Gee Oil Industries, Inc., Earth Sciences, Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office PO Box 25861\nKerr-McGee Center\nOklahoma City OK 73125\nUnited States
    Year 1978
    First year 1966
    Last year 1975
  • Type Operator
    Owner COMINCO AMERICAN RESOURCES INC
    Interest 51
    Home office W 601 Riverside Ave\nSpokane WA 99220\nUnited States
    Year 1989

Comments on the production information

  • The Actual Estimated Recovery Is 89.386 Percent.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Measured 25000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.71 wt-pct Copper Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reconnaissance Data Obtained By R.B. Hall, 1975
  • Unpublished Data Obtained By R.B. Hall, 1975
  • M1c1=R1. This Evaluation Is Based On Q1 Matrix Allowing For 15% Dilution And 85% Recovery.
  • Reserve Is Reported As Exceeding 100,000,000 Short Tons.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Area 9.301HA
    Overall depth 304.8M
    Overall length 513.59M
    Overall width 192.02M
  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 111800M
    Overall depth 1532M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1Mining Record # : 1Status of Mining Method : PROPOSEDMining Method : BLOCK CAVING 10-79Swell Factor : .84Percent Waste Rock : 0Percent Recovery : 85Hardness of Rock : HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATERRock Characteristics : UNKNOWNRock Support Chars. : UNKNOWNMine Support Chars. : UNKNOWNNumber of Shafts : 3Capacity : 20000Capacity Units : MT ORE/DAYUnit Production Cost : 6.75Units of Production : $/MT OREOperating Days per Year : 357Operating Shifts per Day : 3Year of Information : 1975

Comments on the workings information

  • Copper Exploration Workings Included Over 10 Drill Holes, A Few Over 1000 Ft. Deep, And A 688 Ft Exploration Tunnel Into The Mountain; Ten Grand Claim Working Included A 1500 Ft. Tunnel; Alunite Exploration Consisted Of Surface Drilling Only (No Mining)

Comments on other economic factors

  • Because Earth Sciences Has Potash Leases For The Alunite Deposit Overlying The Copper Deposit, Legal Problems Would Have To Be Solved Before Any Mining Could Take Place.

Comments on development

  • Kerr-Mcgee Conducted Deep Drilling Exploration For Copper Ore; Earth Science Conducted Shallow Percussion Drilling Exploration For Alunite; Red Mountain Interests Comprise 289 Unpatented Claims (151 Under Option From W.D. Roper, 45 From A. Desaulles, 11 From J. Yanez. 4 From Carlton Spalding 93 Claimed By Kerr-Mcgee); Diamond Drilling Conducted By Sexton Bros. Drilling Contractors, Metler Bros. Drilling Co., Joy Drilling Co

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
General COMINCO IS CONDUCTING MAPPING IN 1989. KERR-MCGEE ESTABLISHED RESERVES IN PREVIOUS DRILLING PROGRAMS OF A LARGE PORPHRY DEPOSIT 4,000 FT BELOW SURFACE. COMINCO IS INVESTIGATING A NEAR-SURFACE OCCURRENCE, BUT HAS NO PLAN TO DRILL THE AREA.
Deposit Significant Copper Mineralization Encountered From 3410 Ft To 5194 Ft Below Surface. Alunite Deposits Found Near Surface In An Area Of 4000-5000 Acres. Average Copper And Associated Molybdenite Ore Zone Thickness Is 455 Ft; Alunite Deposit Dimensions: Max. Length 10,000 Ft., Max. Width 6000 Ft, Max. Thickness 800 Ft. Collapse Caldera With Intrusive Source Of Cu Mineralization. Supergene Enriched Chalcocite Blanket Overlies Primary Chalcopyrite.
Deposit This Record Contains Data From Duplicate Record D002155 Of Robert B. Hall Which Has Been Deleted From Mrds. ; Info.Src : 1 Pub Lit; 2 Unpub Rept
Deposit See Pat Alunite Record, Mrds No. D002154.
Deposit Discovery Year: 1970 (CU)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Editor 24-JUL-92 Beougher, Dee (Spanski, Gregory T.) U.S. Geological Survey ADDED MODEL NAME AND NUMBER
Reporter 01-MAR-82 Calder, Susan R. Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology
Updater 01-MAR-94 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 24-SEP-96 Rcs/Tad U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Arizona resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.