Maria

Producer in Sonora, Mexico with commodities Copper, Molybdenum, Silver
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Mining district
  9. Ownership information
  10. Production statistics
  11. Reserves and resources
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10133567
MAS/MILS ID 2010490004
Record type Site
Current site name Maria
Alternate or previous names Mina Maria

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: -110.28396, 31.00016 (WGS84)
Elevation 1860
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pima(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Nogales(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Nogales(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Geographic areas

Country State
Mexico Sonora

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Secondary
Silver Secondary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) -110.28396, 31.00016

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1990
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Cananea District

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Minera Maria Sa De Cv
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Empresas Frisco Sa De Cv
    Interest 51
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Cominco Resources International Ltd.
    Interest 49
    Home office Canada
    Year 1994

Production statistics

  • Year 1990
    Description High Grade Ore 37000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1991
    Description 13% Copper 138000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 138000mt 13wt-pct
  • Year 1993
    Description 7.4% Copper 227000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 227000mt 7wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION STARTED IN 10/90 WITH DIRECT SHIPPING ORE SOLD TO NEARBY PLANTS WHILE THE MARIA PLANT WAS BEING BUILT. THE PLANT FROM THE SHUTDOWN BLACKBIRD MINE IN IDAHO WAS PURCHASED AND MOVED TO THE MARIA SITE. PLANT CAPACITY IS 500 MTPD WITH ROOM FOR EXPANSION.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Measured 465000mt ore
    Demonstrated 465000mt ore
    Total resources 465000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 12.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1990
    Molybdenum Mo 0.25 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1990
    Silver Ag 62 g/mt Silver Minor 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 0
    Indicated 390000mt ore
    Demonstrated 390000mt ore
    Total resources 390000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.8 wt-pct Copper Major 0
    Molybdenum Mo 0.67 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 0
    Silver Ag 10 g/mt Silver Minor 0
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Inferred 370000mt ore
    Total resources 370000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.4 wt-pct Copper Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Demonstrated 41000mt ore
    Total resources 41000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 7 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
    Molybdenum Mo 0.4 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1994
    Silver Ag 42 g/mt Silver Minor 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Demonstrated 250000mt ore
    Total resources 250000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.7 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
    Molybdenum Mo 0.65 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Inferred 140000mt ore
    Total resources 140000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.5 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
    Molybdenum Mo 1.2 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Indicated 855000mt ore
    Demonstrated 855000mt ore
    Total resources 855000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 7.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1990
    Molybdenum Mo 0.44 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1990
    Silver Ag 38 g/mt Silver Minor 1990

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE MINING METHOD USED IS UNDERCUT AND FILL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    REUSS, R.J., AND F.J. OLLIVIER, MINA MARIA: A NEW MINE IN

  • Reserve-Resource

    MEXICO'S OLD CANANEA DISTRICT, MINING ENGINEERING, 11/92,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P.1323.

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMINCO RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL LTD., 1990 ANNUAL RPT., P.1.

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMINCO RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL LTD., 1992 ANNUAL RPT.,

  • Reserve-Resource

    SOUTHWESTERN PAY DIRT, 4/94, P.10B.

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMINCO RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL LTD., 1993 ANN. RPT., P.

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMINCO LTD., 1993 ANNUAL REPORT, P.35.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 10/16/87, P.310

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 10/23/87, P.330

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 10/30/87, P.4

  • Deposit

    PAY DIRT, 12/87, P.12B

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, 12/87, P.523

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 12/87, P.92

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 4/88, P.92

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 2/17/89, P.121

  • Deposit

    LATIN AMERICAN MINING LETTER, 6/16/88, P.6

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 4/89, P.75

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 6/92, P.24.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-MAR-1997 Porter, Kenneth E. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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