Lyda K Mine

The Lyda K Mine is a fluorine-fluorite mine located in Sierra county, New Mexico at an elevation of 4,551 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: Lyda K Mine
Secondary: Lyda K Group 1920's: Lyda K Nos. 1 To 47
Secondary: Happy Days

Commodity

Primary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: Lead

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Sierra
District: Sierra Caballos 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: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Allied Chemical Corp.
Years: 1978 -

Owner Name: E. I. Dupont De Nemours
Years: 1943 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1928
Year Last Production: 1943
Discovery Year: 1926
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: L
Description: Lyka K Fault Strikes Ne, Dips Nw And Downthrown On Nw Side Is One Of Numerous Nw To Ne Trending Normal Faults In This Area Associated With Basin And Range Deformation.

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 15.0 % TO 37.2 % SIO2
Analytical Data: U.S.G.S. SAMPLES TAKEN FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE MINE ASSAYED 46.2 % TO 82.7 % CAF2
Analytical Data: 0.3 % TO 2.1 % CACO3. VEIN MATERIAL WAS REPORTED TO CONTAIN UP TO 5 % PB AND IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT 20 % OF THE RESERVES ALONG THE LYDA K FAULT AVERAGE 1.0 % PB.

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Fluorite

Comments

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR MAIN SHAFT IN SECTION 29. THE CLAIMS ARE LOCATED IN SECS. 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 AND 33.

Comment (Commodity): U.S.G.S. ASSAYS FROM ROTHROCK AND OTHERS, 1946.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION WAS REPORTED AS 1000 TONS OF FLUORSPAR IN 1928, 457 TONS OF CONCENTRATE IN 1938 AND 1200 TONS OF ORE IN 1943. NO OTHER PRODUCTION HAS BEEN REPORTED.

Comment (Development): ALLIED BEGAN AN EXTENSIVE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN 1972. THEY LOCATED 34 NEW CLAIMS, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CLAIMS TO 47. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDE CONSTRUTION OF A NEW HEADFRAME ON THE NO. 3 SHAFT, 15000 FT OF DIAMOND CORING, AND BULK SAMPLING.

Comment (Deposit): ORE OCCURS IN JASPERIZED FISSURE VEIN ALONG THE LYDA K FAULT ZONE. THE VEIN RANGES FROM 6 FT TO 100 FT WIDE AT THE SURFACE AND IS 15 FT WIDE AT THE 220 FT LEVEL OF SHAFT NO 2. 5 PATENTED CLAIMS AND 42 UNPATENTED CLAIMS COVERING ABOUT 920 ACRES.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS CONSIST OF; NO 1 SHAFT 126 FT DEEP DRIFTED AT THE 106 FT LEVEL FOR 185 FT TO THE NE AND 325 FT TO THE SW; NO 2 SHAFT 220 FT DEEP DRIFTED NE AND SW AT THE 71 FT AND 220 FT LEVELS; NO 3 SHAFT 260 FT DEEP WITH LEVELS AT 60 FT, 120 FT AND 220 FT; A 60 FT LONG ADIT DRIVEN TO THE VEIN AND STOPED NEARLY TO THE SURFACE: DRIFT LENGTHS OF NO 2 AND NO 3 SHAFTS WERE NOT REPORTED.

Comment (Geology): FOR GENERAL GEOLOGY SEE SIERRA CABALLOS DISTRICT.

References

Reference (Deposit): MCANULTY, W.N., 1978 NMBMMR MEMOIR 34, P43

Reference (Deposit): WILLIAMS, F.E., 1966 USBM IC8307, P109

Reference (Deposit): ROC ROCK AND OTHERS, 1946 NMBMMR BULL 21, P163

Reference (Deposit): JOHNSTON, W.D. JR., 1928 NMBMMR BULL 4, P44

Reference (Production): MCANULTY, W.N., 1978

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