Metcalf Mines

The Metcalf Mines is a copper mine located in Greenlee county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,030 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: Metcalf Mines
Secondary: Metcalf Open Pit
Secondary: Arizona Copper Co Group

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Zinc

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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch Present)
Years: 1975 -

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch Present)
Years: 1922 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1882
Year Last Production: 1979
Discovery Year: 1870
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

Model Name: Porphyry Cu

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Form: IRREGULAR

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: General Nw-Striking Step Faults With Normal Displacements To The South

Type: L
Description: Irregular Bodies Of Chalcocite Ore Contained In Soft And Sericitic Granite Porphyry Near Contact With Sedimentary Rocks; Porphyry Contains Inclusions Of Shale And Metamorphosed Limestone

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Surface Oxidation To Depths Of 30 Ft; Sericitization Of Granite Porphyry

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 55.200000+-1.700000
Age Young: Tertiary
Age Old: Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Brochantite
Ore: Chalcanthite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Covellite
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Kaolin
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Development): OWNERS AND OPERATORS INCLUDED METCALF BROTHERS, LESZYNSKY BROTHERS, ARIZONA COPPER CO LTD (1882-1922); METCALF PROPERTY WAS MINED BY UNDERGROUND AND SURFACE CUT OPERATIONS UNTIL 1920; PROPERTY REMAINED IDLE UNTIL THE PHELPS DODGE CORPORATION DEVELOPED OPEN PIT AND UNDERGROUND OPRATIONS ON THE OLD WORKINGS IN 1969; OPEN PIT MINE HAS PRODUCED FROM 1975 TO THE PRESENT; PRINCIPAL CLAIM IS THE LITTLE ANNIE

Comment (Commodity): CHALCOTRICHITE OCCURS AS A PRODUCT OF SURFACE OXIDATION; CHALCANTHITE OCCURS AS EFFLORESCENCE

Comment (Location): LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CONFLUENCE OF CHASE CREEK AND KING GULCH; ABOVE LOCATION COORDINATES DESCRIBE THE ORIGINAL METCALF MINES SITE IN KING GULCH (SEE: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 43 (1905), PAGE 306) INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1973)

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION DATA FOR YEARS 1975 THROUGH 1979 LISTED UNDER METCALF OPEN PIT; PRODUCTION DATA PRIOR TO 1921 IS INCLUDED IN LONGFELLOW METCALF MINE DATA; LONGFELLOW METCALF ALSO INCLUDES THE OTHER ARIZONA COPPER CO MINES OF DETROIT, LONGFELLOW, HUMBOLDT, CORONADO, JOY, MAMMOTH AND YAVAPAI MINES

Comment (Deposit): METCALF MINES COMPRISE 3 SEPARATE ORE BODIES: (ORE BODY ON METCALF RIDGE CONSISTS OF SUPERGENE ORE IN GRANITE PORPHYRY; ON KING RIDGE, PORPHYRY AND PRECAMBRIAN GRANITE ARE CUT BY NE-STRIKING VEINS AND BRECCIAS; UNDERGROUND MINE ON KING RIDGE OPENS A BRECCIA PIPE LOCATED ALONG THE CONTACT OF GRANITE PORPHYRY AND QUARTZ MONZONITE PORPHYRY); MINING OPERATIONS HAVE CAUSED BLENDING OF ORES FROM THESE SEPARATE ORE BODIES; HIGH GRADE ORE ZONES ARE ALIGNED ALONG A N-S STRIKE BUT MOST VEINS AND DIKES GENERALLY STRIKE N40E

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED SMALL OPEN PIT ON METCALF RIDGE. LARGE OPEN PIT ON KING RIDGE; UNDERGROUND MINE ON THE SE FLANK OF KING RIDGE (REFERRED TO AS KING BRECCIA PIPE); SURFACE WORKINGS AND SEVERAL SHAFTS ON METCALF RIDGE AND KING RIDGE, OVERLOOKING CONFLUENCE OF KING GULCH AND CHASE CREEK; PRIMARILY OPEN CAST MINING AND TUNNELLING ON 4 LEVELS; INCLINE CONNECTING SURFACE CUTS WITH THE CORONADO TRAIL; THE SECOND LEVEL AT ABOUT 70 FT BELOW THE SURFACE OPENS THE MAIN BODY OF PORPHYRY

Comment (Geology): ABOVE DESCRIBES ORIGINAL METCALF MINES IN KING GULCH; NW STRIKING SHANNON FAULT MARKS THE NE EDGE OF THE ORE BODY WHICH WAS DOWNTHROWN ABOUT 500 FT TO THE SW; LEACHED CAPPING DIPS TO SW AND VAGUELY PARALLELS TOPOGRAPHY; NATIVE COPPER IS FOUND IN OPEN CUTS AS LARGE IRREGULAR MASSES INTERGROWN WITH CUPRITE; CUPRITE ALSO OCCURS AS IRREGULAR VEINLETS IN SERICITIZED PORPHYRY; THE KING BRECCIA PIPE HAS A N-S ELLIPTICAL SHAPE AND IS CUT NY STEEPLY DIPPING, N-S TRENDING FISSURE VEINS

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS PP 43, P. 320-323.

Reference (Deposit): LANGTON, J.M., 1973, ORE GENESIS IN THE MORENCI-METCALF DISTRICT: AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS TRANSACTIONS, V. 254, P. 256.

Reference (Deposit): PAY DIRT, 1969, PHELPS DODGE TO DEVELOP BIG MINE AD METCALF: NO. 360, P. 3-5.

Reference (Deposit): TENNEY, JAMES B., 1927, HISTORY OF MINING IN ARIZONA, V. 1, P. 97-98.

Reference (Deposit): WEED, W. H., 1918, THE MINES HANDBOOK, VOL. XIII, PAGES 470-472, ARIZONA COPPER CO LTD

Reference (Deposit): STEVENS, J. H., 1904, THE COPPER HANDBOOK, VOL IV, PAGES 193-195, ARIZONA COPPER CO LTD

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM FILE DATA.

Reference (Deposit): BLM DISTRICT SHEET 840.

Reference (Deposit): USBM FILES, METCALF MINES.

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

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.