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Mount Isa Mine

Producer in Queensland, Australia with commodities Copper, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Cobalt
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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. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Reserves and resources
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10073055
MRDS ID W018862
Record type Site
Current site name Mount Isa Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 139.29889, -20.69674 (WGS84)
Relative position JUST WEST OF TOWN OF MT ISA.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Queensland(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia Queensland

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Lead Primary
Silver Primary
Cobalt Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Covellite Ore
Galena Ore
Pyromorphite Ore
Silver Ore
Smithsonite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation Of Upper 52 - 61 M.

Analytical data

Result PRIMARY ORE - 6.9% PB, 6.4% ZN, 150 G/MT AG. SECONDARY ORE - 5.5% PB, 62 G/MT AG. COPPER ORE - (SECONDARY) 3.8% CU. PRIMARY ORE - 3% CU.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 208
USGS model code 31a
Deposit model name Sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb
Mark3 model number 13

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Urquhart Shale;Silica-Dolomite Rocks (Brecciated And Recrystallized Shale And Siliceous Carbonate Masses
    Rock description Urquhart Shale;Silica-Dolomite Rocks (Brecciated And Recrystallized Shale And Siliceous Carbonate Masses
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff

Nearby scientific data

(1) 139.29889, -20.69674
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Mt. Isa Fault, Major North Plunging Anticline, Smaller North Plunging Anticline, Many Very Small Folds

Ore body information

  • General form STEEPLY DIPPING EN ECHELON BEDS
    Strike N
    Dip 60 - 65 DEG

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Sedimentary Features

Comments on the geologic information

  • SOUTHERN AND UPPER LEVELS HIGHER IN PYRITE AND SPHALERITE; SOUTHERN AND DOWN DIP EXTREMITIES HIGHER IN PB - AG.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1923
Discoverer John Campbell
Year of first production 1931

Mining district

District name Cloncurry Dist.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mt. Isa Mines Ltd

Production statistics

  • Year 1969
    Period 1931-1969
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^7.8 % Pb, 6 % Zn, 200 G Ag/Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Silver Silver 200g/mt
    Major Zinc Zinc 6wt-pct
    Major Lead Lead 8wt-pct
  • Year 1969
    Period 1931-1969
    Material ZN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^3.7 % Cu Est By P.S.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 4wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material ZN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^52. % Zn (Conc), (Assuming 71% Recovery)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Zinc Zinc 52wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material CON ZN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^52 % Zn ( Grade Est. From 1973 )
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Zinc Zinc 52wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^3.4 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 3wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^7. % Pb, 6.7 % Zn, 153 G/Mt Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 153g/mt
    Major Ore Zinc Zinc 7wt-pct
    Major Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • ITEM 12 - CUM. PROD. ORE GRADE TAKEN FROM 1973 PROD. GRADE

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 55000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 6.5 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 6.8 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Silver Ag 150 g/mt Silver Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 500000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 5.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Silver Ag 62 g/mt Silver Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 135000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.2 wt-pct Copper Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 1500000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 89000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.6 wt-pct Copper Major 1985
    Zinc Zn 6.1 wt-pct Zinc Major 1985
    Lead Pb 7.1 wt-pct Lead Major 1985
    Silver Ag 160 g/mt Silver Major 1985
    Cobalt Co 7e-05 wt-pct Cobalt Trace 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 55000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 6.5 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 6.8 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Silver Ag 150 g/mt Silver Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 5000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 5.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Silver Ag 62 g/mt Silver Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 135000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.2 wt-pct Copper Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 15000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1976

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • DEPOSIT SIZE ESTIMATE FROM MENZIE AND MOSIER.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 8030 MET TONS ; ECON.YEAR: 1973 ; ECON.COM: 22,000 MTPD MILL

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORE OCCURS THROUGH A STRATIGRAPHIC THICKNESS OF 1067 M. INDIVIDUAL OREBODIES UP TO 975 M STRIKE LENGTH, 610 M LONG DOWN DIP. 14 MAJOR OREBODIES, DEFINED BY HIGHER THAN AVERAGE DENSITY OF ORE BANDS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1976 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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