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Lone Star

Past Producer in Graham county in Arizona, United States with commodity Copper
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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 10209543
MRDS ID D000319
MAS/MILS ID 0040090003
Record type Deposit
Current site name Lone Star
Alternate or previous names Safford Kennecott

Comments on the site identification

  • *****SEE ASSOCIATED DEPOSIT-Dos Pobres Mine- Deposit ID 10096999

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -109.62307, 32.93085 (WGS84)
Elevation 1524

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Graham(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Lone Star Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Safford(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Silver City(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Gila-San Carlos Reservoir(hydrologic unit)

Upper Gila(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Gila(hydrologic subregion)

Lower Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Arizona Graham

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Gila and Salt River 006 S 027 E 05 Arizona

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyrite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Bornite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Brochantite Unknown
Chrysocolla Unknown
Cuprite Unknown
Malachite Unknown

Alteration

  • (Local) Hypogene Alteration and Supergene Enrichment
  • (Local) Pyritization

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 78
USGS model code 20c
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu-Au
Mark3 model number 34

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock type qualifier metamorphosed hornblende and pyroxene andesite flows, breccias, agglomerates, wackes and mud flows with some dacites, dacite tuffs and latites
    Rock unit name Safford Meta-volcanics
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock type qualifier Dike swarms
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
    Rock type qualifier Dike swarms
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
    Rock type qualifier Dike swarms
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Quartz Diorite
    Rock type qualifier Dike swarms
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Eocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Quartz Diorite
    Rock type qualifier Mainly quartz diorite with minor granodiorite and quartz monzonite
    Rock unit name Lone Star Pluton
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) Early Tertiary to Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name Lone Star Shear Zone 6000 Ft Wide And 16,000 Ft Long, Strikes N50- 65e
Type of structure Regional
Structure name NW striking Butte Fault

Ore body information

  • Thickness 600M
    Length 1200M
    Width 900M
    Depth to top 300M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 MASSIVE
    Type of Orebody #2 STOCKWORK
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 ADV ARGILLIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SERICITIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 PROPYLITIC
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830719
  • Area 259HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 259
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Controls for ore emplacement

  • NE Trending Shears Intruded By Dikes

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Leach
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1950
Mining method In Situ Leach
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Precipitation

Mining district

District name Lone Star District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold Inc.
    Home office Phoenix, AZ 85004
    Year 2007
    First year 2007
  • Type Owner
    Owner Phelps Dodge Corp. 2600 N Central Ave, Phoenix, Az 85004
    Interest 100
    Home office Arizona
    Year 1990

Comments on the production information

  • THE PERCENT RECOVERY IN THE YIELD DATA SET IS AN OVERALL RECOVERY OF 90%(SX) X 99%(EW).
  • Production restarted at Safford in late 2007.
    http://www.fcx.com/operations/USA_Safford.htm

Reserves and resources

  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1997
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Remarks Leaching material.\nPhelps Dodge 1996 10K. Also as recently as 2006 10-K.\nhttp://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/78066/000095015307000431/p73493e10vk.htm
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.38 wt-pct Copper Primary 1997
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1995
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.38 wt-pct Copper Primary 1995
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1993
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.38 wt-pct Copper Primary 1993
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1990
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.38 wt-pct Copper Primary 1990
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1991
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.38 wt-pct Copper Primary 1991
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1992
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.38 wt-pct Copper Primary 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Measured 966100000mt ore
    Demonstrated 966100000mt ore
    Total resources 966100000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.58 wt-pct Copper Major 1981
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1994
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.38 wt-pct Copper Major 1994
  • Type Leaching
    Estimate year 1996
    Reserves 1600000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.38 wt-pct Copper Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Name leachable material
    Estimate year 2009
    Remarks Freeport-McMoRan 2009 10-K\nhttp://www.fcx.com/ir/downloads/FCX_2009Form_10-K.pdf
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.44 wt-pct Copper Primary 2009

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • COMPANY NAME CHANGED FROM KENNECOTT MINERALS CO. TO BP MINERALS AMERICA. SOLD TO PHELPS DODGE CORP. IN 1988. ALSO KNOWN AS SAFFORD KENNECOTT. RESERVE FROM PHELPS DODGE SEC FM-10K RPT. 12/31/94. P10. (COPPER GRADE REPORTED AS ACID-SOLUBLE)
  • WORLD MINING, SEPT 1977 P. 110. THE TONNAGE IN MATRIX 1 INCLUDES SULPHIDE AND OXIDE ORE. THE OXIDE ORE IS ASSUMED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE PROPERTY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 780HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method IN SITU LEACH
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 300
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 13142
    Capacity Units LITER SOLN/MIN
    Unit Production Cost 1003
    Units of Production $/MT COMMOD
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1978

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Ownership

    JUST SIMPLY KENNECOTT, SALT LAKE CITY TRIBUNE, MARCH 19,1983.

  • Deposit

    ROBINSON, R.F. AND COOK, A.,1966, THE SAFFORD COPPER DEPOSIT, LONE STAR MINING DISTRICT, GRAHAM COUNTY, ARIZONA, IN: GEOLOGY OF THE PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSITS Southwestern North America, EDITED BY TITLEY, S.R AND HICKS, C.L. THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA PRESS, TUCSON, ARIZ., P. 251-266

  • Geology

    Langton, J.M., and Williams, S.A., 1982, Structural, petrological and mineralogical controls for the Dos Pobres orebody, Lone Star mining district, Graham County, Arizona, in Titley, S.R., ed., Advances in geology of the porphyry copper deposits, southwestern North America University of Arizona Press, Tucson pp 335-352

  • Geology

    Williams, S.A., and Forrester, J.D., 1995, Characteristics of porphyry copper deposits, in Pierce, F.W., and Bolm, J.G., eds., Porphyry copper deposits of the American Cordillera: Tucson, Arizona Geological Society Digest 20, p. 21?34

  • Geology

    The Lone Star and Safford webpages at portergeo.com contain geological descriptions.
    http://www.portergeo.com.au/

  • Reserve-Resource

    WORLD MINING MAGAZINE. MAY 1981, P. 51.

  • Reserve-Resource

    PHELPS DODGE CORP SEC FM 10-K REPT. 12/31/93., P. 10.

  • Reserve-Resource

    PHELPS DODGE CORP., 1994 10-K, P.14.

  • Reserve-Resource

    PHELPS DODGE CORP. 1995 ANNUAL REPORT, P.23.

  • Deposit

    SLOOP, JUNE 1,1967, ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION AVAIL FROM CLEARINGHOUSE FOR FED SCIENT AND TECH INFO, SPRINGFIELD VA

  • Deposit

    KENNECOTT INVESTIGATES SOLUTION MINING POTENTIAL OF DEEP CU DEPOSIT E/MJ SEPT 1975 VOL 176 NO 9 P37

  • Deposit

    KENNECOTT TRYING SOLUTION MINING AT SAFFORD PROSPECT, PAY DIRT 8/25/75 P42

  • Deposit

    HANSEN, S AND RABB, D , SEEK PROFITABILITY ANSWER TO NUCLEAR IN-SITU COPPER LEACHING AT SAFFORD, WORLD MINING, JAN 1978,V 4 NO 1, P 24-27

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS' MINING REVIEW, 11-30-96, P.6.

  • Deposit

    SW PAY DIRT, 2-95, P.10A.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit KENNECOTT SHUT DOWN PILOT PLANT STUDIES IN JUNE, 1978 DUE TO POOR PENETRATION AND RECOVERIES FROM LEACHING SOLUTIONS. THE PROJECT WAS COSTED BASED ON A SULFURIC ACID IN-SITU LEACH SOLVENT EXTRACTION AND ELECTROWINNING COMPLEX. RECOVERY ORE TO SOLUTION=30% PROPERTY UPDATED JULY 1987.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-OCT-96 Br U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

External references

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.