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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Tayoltita

Producer in Durango, Mexico with commodities Gold, Silver
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Ore body information
  8. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  9. Ownership information
  10. Production statistics
  11. Workings at the site
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10279568
MAS/MILS ID 2010150108
Record type Site
Current site name Tayoltita
Alternate or previous names Tayoltita Unit

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -105.91971, 24.10601 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pima(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Mexico Durango

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary

Nearby scientific data

(1) -105.91971, 24.10601
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 5
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 SHEAR ZONE
    Type of Orebody #3 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Date of Last Modification 790606

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE HOST ROCKS FOR THE COMPLEX VEIN SYSTEM OF WHICH ARANA IS THE MAJOR NORTH-SOUTH STRIKING, STEEPLY DIPPING, FAULT VEIN STRUCTURE ARE VOLCANICS. THESE EXTRUSIVE ANDESITES AND RHYOLITES, AND THE INTRUSIVE ANDESITES HAVE BEEN TILTED AT ABOUT 35 DEGREES TO THE EAST BY ROTATIONAL FAULTING. THE TILT CAUSES THE ORE SHOOTS, WHICH CAN VARY FROM 15M TO OVER 200M IN LENGTH TO HAVE A GENERAL RAKE TO THE NORTHEAST.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1757
Mining method Filled Stopes - Inclined Cut and Fill
Year of first production 1757

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Minas De San Luis, S. A.
    Interest 100
    Home office Mexico
    Year 1978

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Description Bullion Output 55000 Kg Ag, 1000 Kg Au.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1000000g
    Major Silver Silver 55000000g

Comments on the production information

  • HISTORICAL PRODUCTION OF TAYOLTITA: 9,776,100 KG. SILVER AND 193,170 KG. GOLD SINCE 1757.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 100000M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SHRINKAGE W/CUT AND FILL
    Number of Adits 4
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 525
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1978

Comments on other economic factors

  • ORE IS EXTRACTED BY MINING EPITHERMAL FISSURE VEINS BY SELECTIVE METHODS. THE MINE IS OPERATED ON A 6 DAY WORK WEEK, WHILE THE MILL IS ON A 7 DAY BASIS. MINING IS PRESENTLY DONE ON 20 LEVELS IN A BLOCK 2000M LONG X 500M WIDE X1050M HIGH, AND THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 KM OF ACCESSIBLE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL OPENINGS WITHIN THE BLOCK. LEVEL INTERVALS VARY FROM 25M IN THE OLD PARTS OF THE MINE TO 65M IN THE NEWER SECTIONS. ENTRY FOR MEN AND MATERIALS INTO THE MINE IS THROUGH FOUR MAIN ADITS, WHILE ACCESS BETWEEN LEVELS IN THE 4 DIFFERENT MINE SECTIONS IS VIA A VERTICAL SERVICE WINZE IN EACH SECTION. SINCE STOPING MUST BE HIGHLY SELECTIVE IN THE PRECIOUS METAL VEINS, SHRINKAGE AND HORIZONTAL CUT-AND-FILL STOPING ARE THE METHODS USED.
  • THE ORE IS MILLED AND TREATED IN AN EFFICIENT COUNTER CURRENT CYANIDE PLANT, WHERE 95% OF THE SILVER AND 96% OF THE GOLD IS RECOVERED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    HAPTONSTALL, JACK C., MODERNIZATION OF THE TAYOLTITA MINE,

  • Deposit

    ONE OF MEXICO'S MAJOR SILVER AND GOLD OPERATIONS, MINING

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING, FEBRUARY 1978, P. 171-176.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit TAYOLTITA IS LOCATED 125 KM FROM MAZATLAN. THE TOWN, SITUATED ON THE EAST BANK OF THE PIAXTLA RIVER IS SURROUNDED BY STEEP CLIFFS AND RUGGED MOUNTAINS. BECAUSE OF ITS ISOLATED SITUATION, NO ALL WEATHER ROAD HAS EVER BEEN CONSTRUCTED INTO TAYOLTITA, AND YEAR ROUND ACCESS IS BY LIGHT AIRCRAFT OR ON MULE BACK. THE HISTORICAL PRODUCTION FROM THE TAYOLTITA MINE AREA SINCE SPANISH TIMES HAS BEEN ESTIMATED AT 12 MILLION M.T. FROM WHICH 9,776,100 KG OF SILVER AND 193,170 KG OF GOLD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED. PRODUCTION HAS BEEN RECORDED ON OVER 150 DIFFERENT EPITHERMAL FISSURE VEINS, AND ORE IS BLOCKED ON 70 OF THEM. THE VEINS VARY IN WIDTH FROM A FEW CM TO MORE THAN 10 M. THE ORE MINERALS ARE CHIEFLY ARGENTITE, AND ELECTRUM, WHILE GANGUE IS MAINLY QUARTZ, CALCITE, RHODONITE, AND HOST ROCK FRAGMENTS. THE FINANCING OF THE $3.4 MILLION TAYOLTITA TUNNEL, CRUSHING PLANT CONSTRUCTION, AND ANCILLARY MINE DEVELOPMENTS WAS UNDERTAKEN INTERNALLY. A FISCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT PROVIDED THAT 50% OF THE COSTS WOULD BE APPLIED AGAINST GOLD AND SILVER PRODUCTION TAXES, WHICH ARE 19.7% AND 12.5% OF THE SALE OF GOLD AND SILVER RESPECTIVELY. THE AGREEMENT ALSO PERMITTED THE EXPENSING OF THE REMAINING 50% OF THE COSTS AGAINST OVERALL TAYOLTITA COSTS, RESULTING IN RAPID AMORTIZATION OF THE PROJECT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-AUG-1992 Peterson, Gary R. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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