The Bluebird Mine is a lead and copper mine located in Pinal county, Arizona at an elevation of 4,551 feet.
About the MRDS Data:
All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.
Mine Info
Elevation: 4,551 Feet (1,387 Meters)
Commodity: Lead, Copper
Lat, Long: 32.76306, -110.47056
Map: View on Google Maps
Satelite View
MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.
Bluebird Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Bluebird Mine
Secondary: Blue Bird Mine
Commodity
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Vanadium
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Molybdenum
Tertiary: Manganese
Location
State: Arizona
County: Pinal
District: Bunker Hill District
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Surface/Underground
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1863
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: TABULAR, PINCH AND SWELL
Structure
Type: R
Description: Block Faulting Trending Nnw. ; Reg.Trends: Minor Pre-Cretaceous E And Ne Trending Folds And Major Post-Cretaceous Faulting Trending Nnw.
Type: L
Description: N60e Trending Faults
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericitization. Slight Oxidation Of Cu And Fe Minerals. Wall Rock Partially Altered To Kaolin, Sericite, And Chlorite.
Rocks
Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene
Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Stromeyerite
Ore: Wolframite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Anglesite
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Wulfenite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Descloizite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Silver
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Tourmaline
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Psilomelane
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Limonite
Comments
Comment (Development): MINE WORKED INTERMITTANTLY DURING 1914, 1918-1930, 1939-1940, 1947-1948. FROM 1939-1940 MINE MILL CONCENTRATED CAPACITY OF 25 TONS PER DAY. IN 1947-1948, 50 TON CAPACITY CONCENTRATOR WAS IN OPERATION AND 598 TONS WAS TREATED.
Comment (Deposit): BLUE BIRD VEIN, WITH NUMEROUS SUBPARALLEL FISSURES EN ECHELON. ORE PINCHES AND SWELLS, THERE ARE BARREN AREAS. CU CONTENT INCREASES WITH DEPTH. PSILOMELANE CEMENTS BRECCIATED BLOCKS OF GRANODIORITE.
Comment (Geology): LATERAL ZONING OF METALS EXISTS IN THE BLUE BIRD MINE AND REGION. SEE ARIZ. BUR. MINES, BULL. 158, P. 58, FIGURE 13, FOR GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE AREA. ; GEOL.DESC: FISSURES INTRUDED BY SMALL ANDESITE DIKES. TWO DISTINCT MINERALIZED BODIES OCCUR IN THE VEIN. MAIN ORE BODY CONTAINS SULFIDES OF PB, AG, CU, FE AND GOES FROM SURFACE TO 535 LEVEL. SECOND ORE BODY CONTAINING LOW GRADE WULFENITE APEXES NEAR 335 LEVEL.
Comment (Workings): 1 VERTICAL SHAFT, SEVEN LEVELS, NOW MOSTLY INACCESSIBLE. 1 OPEN STOPE, SEE ARIZ. BUR. MINES, BULL. 158, P.64, FIGURE 15 FOR PLAN OF WORKINGS.
Comment (Deposit): THIS RECORD INCLUDES DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD M030468 OF J.A. PETERSON WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MAIN MRDS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Comment (Production): PRODUCTION FIGURES ARE INCOMPLETE. EST. VALUE OF PRODUCTION 1863-1920 IS $150,000. EST. VALUE 1926-1939 IS $350,000. EST. VALUE 1948 IS $6000 SUM OF VALUES GIVEN EQUALS APPROX. TOTAL VALUE OF MINE PRODUCTION
Comment (Commodity): GALENA AND TETRAHEDRITE ARE MAJOR ORE MINERALS.
Comment (Location): INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1964)
References
Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, F.S., 1964, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 461.
Reference (Deposit): KUHN, T.H., 1951, ARIZ.BUR.MINES BULL 158, GEOL. SER. 19, P. 56-65.
Reference (Deposit): GALBRAITH, F.W., AND BRENNAN, D.J., 1959, MINERALS OF ARIZONA, 3 ED. UNIV. ARIZONA PRESS.
Reference (Deposit): GUTHRIE AND MOORE, 1978, AZ GEOL SOC DIGEST, V. 11, P. 25-31.
Reference (Deposit): KUHN, 1941, ECON GEOLOGY, V. 36, NO. 5, P. 529.
Reference (Deposit): KUHN, 1938, ABM BULL 145, P. 127-130.
Reference (Deposit): 1964 GEOLMAP SIMONS, F.S. PROF. PAPER 461
Reference (Other Database): CIMRI
Reference (Production): KUHN, 1951
Arizona Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Arizona.
