Mineral Butte Prospect

The Mineral Butte Prospect is a copper mine located in Pinal county, Arizona at an elevation of 1,499 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

Name: Mineral Butte Prospect  

State:  Arizona

County:  Pinal

Elevation: 1,499 Feet (457 Meters)

Commodity: Copper

Lat, Long: 33.11389, -111.57917

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.


Satelite image of the Mineral Butte Prospect

Mineral Butte Prospect MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Mineral Butte Prospect


Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Molybdenum


Location

State: Arizona
County: Pinal


Land Status

Not available


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Not available


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Prospect
Deposit Type: Porphyry Cu
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

Not available


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: L
Structure: NW striking faults and fractures


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: oxidation


Rocks

Name: Schist
Role: Host
Description: sequence of coarse grained quartz-muscovite schist, fine grained quartz-sericite-chlorite schist and some fine grained amphibole schist.
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mesoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Description: stock of variable composition, mostly biotite quartz monzonite
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Description: Mostly porphyritic biotite granite with large microcline phenocrysts, with local fine-grained border phases and aplite
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mesoproterozoic


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite


Comments

Comment (Development): LAND LEASED FROM GILA RIVER INDIANS

Comment (Deposit): The Mineral Butte deposit is hosted in Precambrian granite at the contact with a small Upper Cretaceous biotite quartz monzonite stock.

Comment (Geology): Units in the Mineral Butte area consist of Mesoproterozoic Pinal Schist which is a sequence of coarse grained quartz-muscovite schist, fine grained quartz-sericite-chlorite schist and some fine grained amphibole schist. The Pinal Schist was intruded by Mesoproterozoic granite equivalent to the Oracle Granite which is mostly porphyritic biotite granite with large microcline phenocrysts, with local fine-grained border phases and aplite. A few dikes of diabase cut the the granite in places. The Oracle Granite was intruded during the late Cretaceous by a stock of variable composition which is predominately biotite quartz monzonite. Copper mineralization is concentrated in the Precambrian granite near the granite-quartz monznite contact. The majority of copper mineralization is secondary. (Chaffee, 1976)


References

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, E., 1969, Mineral deposits of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, Arizona Bur. Mines Bull. 179, 34p.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILE DATA.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Reserve-Resource): Long, K.R., 1995, Production and reserves of Cordilleran (Alaska to Chile) 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. 35-68.

Reference (Deposit): Chaffee, M.A., 1976, Geochemical exploration techniques based on distribution of selected elements in rocks, soils, and plants, Mineral Butte copper deposit, Pinal County, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1278-D, 55 p.

Reference (Deposit): BALLA, 1972, PHD THESIS, UNIV OF AZ.


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