Palomas Chief Mine

The Palomas Chief Mine is a zinc, silver, and lead mine located in Sierra county, New Mexico at an elevation of 6,099 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: Palomas Chief Mine  

State:  New Mexico

County:  Sierra

Elevation: 6,099 Feet (1,859 Meters)

Commodity: Zinc, Silver, Lead

Lat, Long: 33.16611, -107.70278

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Satelite View

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Satelite image of the Palomas Chief Mine

Palomas Chief Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Palomas Chief Mine


Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold


Location

State: New Mexico
County: Sierra
District: Hermosa (Palomas) District


Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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: Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: Alvin W. Emerick
Home Office: Box 97 Winston, N.M.
Years: 1961 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1885
Year Last Production: 1961
Discovery Year: 1880
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: PODS, SHOOTS AND POCKETS


Structure

Type: L
Description: Extensive Faulting Formed A Wide Zone Trending About N 15 W Which Was Cross Cut By Many Smaller Northeast Trending Faults.


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Argentite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Talc
Gangue: Clay


Comments

Comment (Commodity): FOR COMPLETE ORE MINERALOGY SEE JICHA, 1954 P766

Comment (Location): THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS ABOUT 1000 FT EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE OLD PALOMAS MINING CAMP.

Comment (Production): THE PALOMAS CHIEF MINE WAS CREDITED WITH ABOUT 500000 DOLLARS PRODUCTION VALUE, PRINCIPALLY IN SILVER, PRIOR TO 1904.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS REPORTED TO INCLUDE A TUNNEL 2800 FT IN LENGTH, MORE THAN 10000 FT OF DRIFTS AND RAISES, NUMEROUS ADITS AND SIX VERTICAL SHAFTS.

Comment (Geology): FOR GENERAL GEOLOGY SEE HERMOSA DISTRICT. ADDITIONAL HOST ROCK FORMATIONS INCLUDE PENN. MAGDALENA GROUP, MISS. KELLY FORMATION, MISS. LAKE VALLEY FORMATION, ORD. VALMONT FORMATION AND ORD. MONTOYA FORMATION.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSITS OCCUR IN VEINS AND SHOOTS WITHIN FAULT AND FRACTURE ZONES, OR IN BEDS AND POCKETS ALONG GENTLY FOLDED BEDDING PLANES OF DOLOMITE. ALL VALUABLE ORES OCCUR BELOW AN IMPERMEABLE SHALE OVERLYING THE DOLOMITE AND MANY LARGE ORE BODIES WERE FOUND AT FAULT-FRACTURE INTERSECTIONS. 1 PATENTED CLAIM COVERING 10.329 ACRES.


References

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, W., GRATON, L.C. AND GORDON, C.H., 1910 USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 68, P.267

Reference (Deposit): HARLEY, G.T., 1934 NMBMMR BULL 10, P95

Reference (Deposit): JICHA, H.L. JR., 1954 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY VOL 49, NO 7, P.759-778

Reference (Deposit): JAHNS, R.H., 1955 NMBMMR CIRC 33, 14 PAGES

Reference (Deposit): 5) NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

Reference (Production): LINDGREN, AND OTHERS, 1910 P267


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