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Oposura

Past Producer in Sonora, Mexico with commodities Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Manganese, Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10049119
MRDS ID MX00351
Record type Site
Current site name Oposura
Alternate or previous names Las Arenillas
Related records 10206142

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -109.75342, 29.73075 (WGS84)
Relative position IN THE SIERRA DE LA HUERTA, A150 KM E OF HERMOSILLO AND 15 KM SW OF MOCTEZUMA.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pima(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Mexico Sonora

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Zinc Critical Primary
Lead Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Manganese Critical Tertiary
Gold Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • CONSIDERABLE SILVER AND CADMIUM VALUES.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Rhodochrosite Ore
Rhodonite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Ubiquitous Chlorite-Epidote.

Analytical data

Result SEE PROD/RESV. LOW-GRADE INTERLAMINAE IN FINE CRYSTAL TUFF: 0.2-1.0% PB, 0.2-3.0% ZN, ANOM. AG, V.LOW CU (2-8 PPM). 1.5 PPM AU DETECTED IN THICK (0.5 M) INTERBEDS OF MAGNETITE ASSOC. WITH SEMI-MASSIVE ORE.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 184
USGS model code 28a
Deposit model name Massive sulfide, kuroko
Mark3 model number 93

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
    Rock unit name Oposura Volcanic Group;Revancha Rhyolite
    Rock description Oposura Volcanic Group;Revancha Rhyolite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
    Rock unit name Arenillas Formation;Candelaria Lithic Tuff
    Rock description Arenillas Formation;Candelaria Lithic Tuff

Nearby scientific data

(1) -109.75342, 29.73075
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Major N 20 W Trending Faults; Minor Cross-Faults: Ne, Wnw.

Ore body information

  • General form STRATIFORM, STRATABOUND LENSES

Comments on the geologic information

  • OPOSURA VOLCANIC GROUP (BOTTOM TO TOP); LOWER LITHIC TUFF UNIT: DACITIC LITHIC LAPILLI TUFF; REVANCHA RHYOLITE: DENSE, SILICEOUS RHYOLITE, LOCALLY EXHIBITING FAINT RELICT EUTAXITIC TEXTURE, ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY UNDERLIES MS DEPOSITS; ARENILLAS FM: HOST ROCK FOR MASSIVE SULFIDES, THIN BEDDED CRYSTAL TUFF AND CRYSTAL LITHIC TUFF INTERBEDDED WITH THINLY LAMINATED LIMESTONE; CANDELARIA LITHIC TUFF: DK.GRAY LITHIC LAPILLI TUFF, BLACK FELDSPATHIC VITRIC TUFF, MINOR THIN-BEDDED GREEN CRYSTAL TUFF (HOSTS LOW-GRADE MINERALIZATION), UNIT LOCALLY CUT BY PURPLE AND GREEN FLUORITE VEINS < 10 CM WIDE; LA HUERTA FM: PORPHYRITIC FLOW-BANDED DACITE, LOCAL FLOW-BANDED RHYOLITE AND ANDESITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No

Mining district

District name Sierra De La Huerta/Moctezuma

Production statistics

  • Year 1940
    Period Late 1940'S
    Material ORE ZN PB AG
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Ave: 29.5% Zn, 9.9% Pb, 150 G Ag/Ton, 1.1% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
    Ore Silver Silver 150g/mt
    Major Ore Lead Lead 10wt-pct
    Major Ore Zinc Zinc 30wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCED DURING EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CONDUCTED BY ANACONDA.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1978
    Total resources 2000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 40 g/mt Silver Major 1978
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 1020000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 40 g/mt Silver Major 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 8000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 6.04 wt-pct Zinc Major 1981
    Lead Pb 3.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1981
    Silver Ag 19 g/mt Silver Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • BLOCKED-OUT (PROVEN) RESERVES.

Comments on the workings information

  • NUMEROUS SHALLOW DRILL HOLES, SURFACE TRENCHES, 20 SHORT ADITS, AND ONE LONG DEVELOPMENT ADIT (TUNNEL D). 51 DD-HOLES COMPLETED BEFORE 1970: TOTAL 1085 M. 22 DD-HOLES DRILLED 1975-1980: TOTAL 2482 M.

Comments on development

  • SMALL-SCALE MINING INTERMITTENTLY SICE THE 1920'S. AQUIRED BY ANACONDA IN LATE 1940'S. JOINT VENTURE FORMED IN 1975 BETWEEN ANACONDA AND SEVICIOS INDUSTRIALES PENOLES, S.A. TO EXPLORE THE DEPOSIT.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PEREZ SEGURA, EFREN, 1985, CARTA METALOGENETICA DE SONORA 1:250000 UNA INTERPRETACION DE LA METALOGENIA DE SONORA: UNIV. OF SONORA, DEPT. OF GEOL., HERMOSILLO, MEXICO, 66 P.

  • Deposit

    MARRS, C.K., AND GUILBERT, J.M., 1981, GEOLOGY AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE OPOSURA MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSIT, SONORA, MEXICO IN ORTLIEB, L. AND ROLDAN Q., J., (EDS.), 1981, GEOLOGY OF NORTHWESTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN ARIZONA; FIELD GUIDES AND PAPERS: HERMOSILLO, MEXICO, U.N.A.M., P. 169-212.

  • Deposit

    GOMEZ, H.D., 1981, PROYECTO OPOSURA IN ORTLIEB, L. AND ROLDAN Q., J., (EDS.), 1981, GEOLOGY OF NORTHWESTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN ARIZONA; FIELD GUIDES AND PAPERS: HERMOSILLO, MEXICO, U.N.A.M., P. 213-219.

  • Deposit

    MARAVILLA S., S., 1978, MINAS EN PRODUCCION, MINAS EN PREPARACION Y DEPOSITOS CON RESERVAS MAS O MENOS CONOCIDAS EN EL ESTADO DE SONORA: PRIMERO SIMPOSIO SOBRE LA GEOLOGIA Y POTENCIAL MINERO DEL ESTADO DE SONORA, RESUMENES 1, 1978, P.87.

  • Deposit

    MARRS, C.D., 1978, MINERALIZATION AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE OPOSURA (VOLCANOGENIC) MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSIT, EAST-CENTRAL SONORA, MEXICO (ABS): GSA ABSTRACTS WITH PROGRAMS, V. 10, NO. 3, P. 115-116.

  • Production

    MARRS AND GUILBERT, 1981.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MARAVILLA, 1978; PEREZ, 1985.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit NUMEROUS NW-TRENDING QUARTZ-PYRITE VEINS, 1-5 MM WIDE WITHIN 5-10 MM QUARTZ-SERICITE ALTERATION ENVELOPES CUT OPOSURA VOLCANICS. FLUORITE VEINLETS ALSO COMMON. ACCORDING TO MARRS (1978), POSSIBLE VOLCANOGENIC MODELS FOR THIS DEPOSIT INCLUDE SYNGENETIC MINERALIZATION IN A COMPLEX PARTIALLY SUB-AERIAL, SUB-AQUEOUS VOLCANIC PILE. PRESENCE OF LIMESTONE REPLACEMENT MINERALIZATION SUGGESTS POSSIBLE PYROMATASOMATIC ORIGIN. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB
Deposit FOUR MAIN TYPES OF MINERALIZATION: 1> SPHALERITE-GALENA-PYRITE-CHALCOPYRITE MASSIVE (90%) SULFIDE HORIZONS, TRACE AG-BEARING TETRAHEDRITE-TENNANTITE, 20% OF ORE; 2> BEDDED SEMI-MASSIVE (20-50%) SPHALERITE-GALENA-PYRITE INTERBEDDED WITH CHLORITE-EPIDOTE LAYERS, BEDS 2-20 MM THICK WITH LOCAL INTERBEDS OF MAGNETITE 1-4 MM THICK (MAX: 0.5 M), 60% OF ORE; 3> GALENA-SPHALERITE-CHALCOPYRITE-PYRITE REPLACING MASSIVE, THINLY LAMINATED, OR BRECCIATED LIMESTONE, ASSOC. WITH RHODONITE, RHODOCHROSITE, AND BUSTAMITE, 10-20% OF ORE; 4> THIN LAYERS OF V. FINE GR. LOW-GRADE GALENA-SPHALERITE-PYRITE INTERLAMINATED WITH FINE CRYSTAL LITHIC TUFF LAYERS OF THE CANDELARIA LITHIC TUFF, ASSOC. WITH WEAKLY CALCAREOUS MN-OXIDE LAYERS. MASSIVE SULFIDE BODIES ARE STRATIFORM, LENTICULAR TO PODIFORM AN OUTLINE, AND GRADE LATERALLY INTO SEMI-MASSIVE AND THINLY BEDDED SULFIDES. LARGEST MASSIVE OREBODY: 100 M X 250 M, 0.5-3.5 M THICK. 1-3 THINNER, LESS EXTENSIVE HORIZONS OCCUR STRATIGRAPHICALLY ABOVE MAIN BODY.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-1987 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Page, Norman J.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUN-1988 Leonard, Kenneth R. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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