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El Mochito

Producer in Santa Barbara, Honduras with commodities Silver, Zinc, Lead, Gold, Cadmium, Copper
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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. Ownership information
  16. Production statistics
  17. Reserves and resources
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10073072
MRDS ID W018882
Record type Site
Current site name El Mochito
Alternate or previous names San Juan Area and Main Area, Plomo, Provenir, 8700 Pipe, San Jorge, Nueva East, West Nispero, Yojoa, Nina Blanca, Yojoa Manto

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -88.07585, 14.85668 (WGS84)
Elevation 975
Relative position 13 KM SW OF JARAL, A VILLAGE ON LAGO DE YOJOA IN WEST CENTRAL HONDURAS

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Santa Barbara(province)

Honduras(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Honduras Santa Barbara

Comments on the location information

  • MINE SITE ELEVATION 3045 FEET

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Acanthite Ore
Pyrargyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Rhodochrosite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Some Oxidation Near The Surface

Analytical data

Result RESERVES GRADE 404 G/MT AG, 10.37% ZN, 9.89% PB, 0.21 G/MT AU (MAIN ORE AREA). SAN JOSE AREA - 7.23% ZN, 2.9% PB, 0.37% CU, 95.3 G/MT AG, 0.34 G/MT AU

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 60
USGS model code 18c
Deposit model name Skarn Zn-Pb
Mark3 model number 22

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
    Rock unit name Yojoa Volcanics
    Rock description Yojoa Volcanics
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Atima Formation;Cantarranas Formation (Mochito Shale)
    Rock description Atima Formation;Cantarranas Formation (Mochito Shale)

Nearby scientific data

(1) -88.07585, 14.85668
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Reg.Struct: Left Lateral Wrench Faulting Of Southern Guatemala And Northern Honduras
Type of structure Local
Structure description Nne Roughly = To The Honduras Depression

Ore body information

  • General form PIPE-LIKE OR CHIMNEY-LIKE (TEN SO FAR)
    Strike N 20 E
    Dip STEEPLY NW
    Length 4827.9M
    Width 1609.3M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 807.72M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fracture Zone

Comments on the geologic information

  • UNITS HAVE BEEN RENAMED MULTIPLE TIMES

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1938
Discoverer Local Campasino - 1938 - Formal Exploration Early 1940'S
Year of first production 1948
Production years 1948-1985 & 1987 TO PRESENT

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Breakwater
  • Type Owner
    Owner Breakwater
    First year 1990

Production statistics

  • Year 1975
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^8.69 % Zn, 7.82 % Pb, .26 G/Mt Au, 376 G/Mt Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Silver Silver 376g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
    Major Ore Lead Lead 8wt-pct
    Major Ore Zinc Zinc 9wt-pct
  • Year 1985
    Period 1948-1985
    Material ZN
    Description Cp_Grade: ^7.8%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Zinc Zinc 8wt-pct
  • Year 1985
    Period 1948-1985
    Material PB
    Description Cp_Grade: ^7.8%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Lead Lead 8wt-pct
  • Year 1985
    Period 1948-1985
    Material AG
    Description Cp_Grade: ^6.2%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Silver Silver 6wt-pct

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 1540000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 404 g/mt Silver Major 1976
    Zinc Zn 10.37 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 9.89 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Gold Au 0.21 g/mt Gold Minor 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 4200000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 95.3 g/mt Silver Major 1976
    Zinc Zn 7.23 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 2.9 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Gold Au 0.34 g/mt Gold Minor 1976
    Copper Cu 0.37 wt-pct Copper Trace 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 6600000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 130.634 g/mt Silver Major 1985
    Zinc Zn 8.5 wt-pct Zinc Major 1985
    Lead Pb 4.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1985
    Copper Cu 0.5 wt-pct Copper Trace 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 154000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 404 g/mt Silver Major 1976
    Zinc Zn 10.37 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 9.89 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Gold Au 0.21 g/mt Gold Minor 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 42000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 95.3 g/mt Silver Major 1976
    Zinc Zn 7.23 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 2.9 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
    Gold Au 0.34 g/mt Gold Minor 1976
    Copper Cu 0.37 wt-pct Copper Trace 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 70.589 g/mt Silver Major 1987
    Zinc Zn 8 wt-pct Zinc Major 1987
    Lead Pb 4 wt-pct Lead Major 1987
    Copper Cu 0.67 wt-pct Copper Trace 1987
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 96 g/mt Silver Major 1990
    Zinc Zn 8.6 wt-pct Zinc Major 1990
    Lead Pb 2.7 wt-pct Lead Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Total resources 37000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 67 g/mt Silver Major 1995
    Zinc Zn 7.8 wt-pct Zinc Major 1995
    Lead Pb 1.4 wt-pct Lead Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Total resources 485000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 67 g/mt Silver Major 1995
    Zinc Zn 7.6 wt-pct Zinc Major 1995
    Lead Pb 1.3 wt-pct Lead Major 1995

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ITEM ONE - MAIN MINE AREA, ITEM TWO - SAN JUAN AREA, ITEM FOUR - GEOLOGICAL RESERVES; ORE (1) CONTAINS 780866 MT OF 7.8% ZN, 1.4% PB, 83 G/MT AG AND TO MINEABLE RESERVES IN 1994, ORE (1) IS MINEABLE RESERVES. ORE (2) ADDITIONAL IN SITU RESERVE ESTIMATE.
  • ITEM ONE - MAIN MINE AREA. ITEM 2 - SAN JUAN AREA. BOTH AS OF 1-1-76

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Area 1295HA
    Length 4827.9M
    Overall depth 259.08M
    Overall length 8046.5M
    Overall width 1609.3M

Comments on the workings information

  • MAIN ORE ZONE BEING WORKED TO 1650 FT DEPTH. SAN JUAN ORE BODY TO 2650 FT.

Comments on development

  • EXPL.COM: MINE & EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS LOOKING AS FAR AWAY AS 20 MILES (RADIAL) FROM MINE FOR RESOURCES. ; MILL.CAP: 331 MET TONS ; ECON.YEAR: 1973 ; ECON.COM: 907 MTPD MILL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ROBERTS, R. J., IRVING, E. M., 1957, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF CENTRAL AMERICA; U.S. GEOL. SURV. BULL. 1034 P. 182

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING & MINING JOURNAL, 1988, V. 189, NO. 10, P. 69.

  • Deposit

    SHULZ, J., HAMANN, R.J., TEMPLE, D.C., 1985, GEOLOGY OF AND EXPLORATION FOR THE EL MOCHITO OREBODY, EL MOCHITO, HONDURAS: 114TH ANNUAL AIME MEETING, NY, NY, FEB. 26, 1985, SEG SYMPOSIUM: MASSIVE SULFIDE CARBONATE REPLACEMENT REPORTS IN CORDILLERAN ENVIRONMENTS.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1990, EL MOCHITO REVIEW: MINING JOURNAL, V. 315, NO. 8090, P. 235.

  • Deposit

    ANON., 1995, BREAKWATER BOOSTS EL MOCHITO RESERVES: THE NORTHERN MINER, MARCH 27, 1995, V. 81, NO. 4, P. C-10.

  • Deposit

    1943 DIREXPL ROSARIO MINING CO. - DEVELOPMENT STARTE

  • Production

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, 1976 P. 355; ENGINEERING & MINING JOURNAL, 1988, P. 69; SCHULTZ, HAMANN, TEMPLE, 1985.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW 1976, P. 355 - 356; SCHULTZ, HAMANN, TEMPLE, 1985.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OREBODIES IN A FRACTURE ZONE OUTCROP FOR 300 M (STRIKE LENGTH MAIN ZONE.)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1976 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-OCT-1990 Pierce, Herbert A.; Bolm, Karen S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-1995 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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