Copper Cliff Mine

The Copper Cliff Mine is a copper mine located in Greenlee county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,981 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Copper Cliff Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper

Location

State: Arizona
County: Greenlee
District: Copper Mountain 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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch
Years: 1921 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1915
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: UNKNOWN

Structure

Type: R
Description: Ne Side Of Prominent Quartzitic Ridge North Of Morenci; Ridge Forms The Divide Between Eagle Creek And Chase Creek Watersheds; Block Faulting South Of The Great Coronado Fissure With Downthrow Of 1200 Ft On Southern Side

Type: L
Description: Minor W-E Trending Faults; Locality Is Cut By Occasional Dikes Of Diabase And Porphyry

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Surface Oxidation To Unknown Depths

Rocks

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Development): OPERATORS INCLUDED C. A. LENOX, KELLES COPPER CO, CORONADO MINING CO, ARIZONA COPPER CO LTD.; CLAIM PATENTED BY CORONADO MINING CO IN ADDITION TO ADJACENT CLAIMS OF TOPAZ, RUBY, EMERALD, GARNET BUTTERFLY, AND HUMPTY-DUMPTY; THESE CLAIMS ACQUIRED BY ARIZONA COPPER CO LTD IN 1921

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: GEOLOGICALLY SIMILAR CORONADO MINE; THE EMERALD CLAIM, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE COPPER CLIFF CLAIM, CONTAINS ORE DEPOSITS SITUATED ALONG THE CONTACT BETWEEN GRANITE BASEMENT AND 80 FT WIDE PORPHYRITIC DIKE; ORE CONSISTS OF CHALCOCITE AND CARBONATE; VEIN STRIKES N72E AND DIPS 65S (SEE USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 43, PAGE 345) ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Location): EITHER OF 2 ADITS IN SW CORNER OF SECTION 5; COPPER CLIFF CLAIMS EXTENDS SOUTHWARD INTO SECTION 8. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1973)

Comment (Commodity): VEINS IN REGION CONTAIN CHRYSOCOLLA, MALACHITE, CHALCOCITE, CHALCOPYRITE, PYRITE, RARE AMOUNTS OF AZURITE

Comment (Geology): ON GENTLER SLOPES EAST AND SE OF CORONADO MASSIF, THE COARSE GRANULAR PRECAMBRIAN GRANITE IS GENERALLY DISINTEGRATED TO COARSE SAND OR LOOSELY COHERENT ROCK. THE MAJORITY OF DEPOSITS IN THIS REGION ARE FISSURE VEINS CONTAINING OXIDIZED COPPER ORES IN THEIR UPPER LEVELS.

References

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): BENNETT, K. C. 1975, GEOLOGY AND ORIGIN OF THE BRECCIAS IN THE MORENCI-METCALF DISTRICT, GREENLEE COUNTY, ARIZONA: M. S. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, 153 P.

Reference (Deposit): USGS PP 43, P. 338-346.

Reference (Deposit): BLM DISTRICT SHEET 840.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT CLIPPINGS FILE, CORONADO COPPER CO, ARIZONA COPPER CO LTD.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM FILE DATA.

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.