Ord Group

The Ord Group is a mercury mine located in Gila county, Arizona.

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: Ord Group
Secondary: Ord Mine

Commodity

Primary: Mercury
Tertiary: Copper

Location

State: Arizona
County: Gila
District: Mazatzal Mountains District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: Tonto National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Arizona Quicksilver Corp.
Home Office: Phoenix, Az.

Owner Name: Uranium Enterprises, Inc.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1925
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

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Prec Thrust Faulting, Minor Tert Normal Faulting.

Type: L
Description: Thrust Faults Ne Trending Fault Traces, Ne Trending Schistosity And Bedding Orientations.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Strong Sericite Alteration

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYS SHOW 1.04 PCT HG, 17.12 PCT. HG, 5.0 PCT HG, 0.93 PCT. HG., 0.37 PCT HG, 0.38 PCT. HG.

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Production): BAILEY SAYS CONFUSION OF PRODUCTION FIGURES BETWEEN ORD & SUNFLOWER GROUPS

Comment (Deposit): ORD GROUP CONSISTS OF 20 CLAIMS ON SLATE CREEK. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Commodity): POSSIBLY SOME VERY SMALL AMOUNTS OF COPPER. UNDER URANIUM ENTERPRISES INC, ORD MINE PRODUCED 6.8 LB HG PER TON.

Comment (Development): LAST OPERATIONS IN 1954

Comment (Deposit): TWO OR THREE PARALLEL LODES OCCUR ON THE CLAIMS. CINNABAR OCCURS IN QUARTZ VEINS AS WELL AS DISSEMINATED IN PHYLLITE. TINY VEINLETS OF PURE CINNABAR OCCUR.

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: SCHISTOSITY IS WELL-DEVELOPED AND ROCK CONTAINS WELL-DEFINED CLEAVAGE PLANES. CINNABAR OCCURS IN SEAMS AND BLADES PARALLEL TO SCHISTOSITY. AREA FAULTED BY THRUSTS AND BY TERTIARY NORMAL FAULTS.

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUTS, 730 FT ADIT, 150 FT CROSSCUT, 130 FT. TUNNEL, (1927 WORKINGS) IN 1958, MAIN MINE HAD 7 LEVELS DOWN TO 300 FT, ELONGATED IN A N80E DIRECTION. SECOND WORKING AREA, CALLED WORKINGS 1, IS 100 FT DEEP ON 3 LEVELS. DETAILED MINE MAPS ARE IN USGS BULL 1042-R.

References

Reference (Deposit): ARIZ. BUREAU MINES, 1927, BULL. 122.

Reference (Deposit): ENG. AND MINING JOUR., 1965, VOL. 166. NO. 7.

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E.H., USGS, PERSONAL FILES.

Reference (Deposit): BECKMAN, R.T. AND KERNS, W.H., 1965, MERCURY IN ARIZONA: USBM IC 8252.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 1042-R, 1958, P. 685-698.

Reference (Production): USBM UNPUB 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.