Arizona Central Mine

The Arizona Central Mine is a copper mine located in Greenlee county, Arizona at an elevation of 4,902 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: Arizona Central Mine
Secondary: Copper Mountain Tunnel
Secondary: Detroit Copper Co. Group, Williams Vein, Arizona Central Vein

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Iron
Secondary: 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 )
Years: 1917 -

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1882
Year Last Production: 1920
Discovery Year: 1870
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Ne Trending Fissure Veins; Porphyry Dike Of 500 Ft Maximum Width Connects In 2 Places With The Main Porphyry Mass Of Copper Mountain

Type: L
Description: Ne Trending Fissure Veins Are Partly In Porphyry And Partly In Contact-Metamorphosed Limestones; Veins Occasionally Outcrop On Surface; Apache Fault, N45w, 65 Ne, 15 Associated With Faults That Cut The Deposit

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericitization Of Granite With The Introduction Of Pyrite And Chalcopyrite In Veinlets

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Goslarite
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Cuprite
Gangue: Pyroxene
Gangue: Tremolite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Epidote

Comments

Comment (Geology): THE WILLIAMS VEIN CONTAINS SOLID COPPER UP TO 8 INCHES THICK WITH A FIBROUS STRUCTURE AND PROBABLY PSEUDOMORPHOUS AFTER CHALCOCITE. INTERGROWTHS OF MAGNETITE, PYRITE, ZINC BLENDE, AND CHALCOPYRITE ARE IRREGULARLY DISTRIBUTED IN THE CARBONATES. CUPRITE IS OFTEN DEPOSITED ON MAGNETITE AND ASSOCIATED WITH LIMONITE.

Comment (Commodity): GOSLARITE OCCURS AS EFFLORESCENCE; MAGNETITE MINED AS FLUX ORE.

Comment (Location): POINT IN E2 OF SW QUARTER, SECTION 16, WAS USED FOR UTM AND GEODETIC COORDINATES, BASED ON CLAIM LOCATION INFORAMTION. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1973)

Comment (Deposit): ARIZONA CENTRAL CLAIM IS LOCATED ON 2 PARALLEL VEINS, THE WILLIAMS VEIN AND THE ARIZONA CENTRAL VEIN; MOST DEVELOPMENT OCCURRED ON THE WILLIAMS VEIN.

Comment (Workings): CENTRAL SHAFT IS LOCATED ON AN ENORMOUS DEPOSIT OF LOW GRADE CHALCOCITE ORE. LONG CROSS-CUTS TO NW AND SE EXTEND TO BUTLER AND HUDSON VEINS. MINE CONSISTS OF 3 LEVELS AT 91 FT, 143 FT, AND 242 FT DEPTHS; EXTENSIVE DRIFTING NE ALONG THE VEINS AND STOPING TO WIDTHS OF 100 FT.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION DATA INCLUDED IN DETROIT COPPER CO MINES; OTHER DETROIT COPPER CO MINES ARE THE COPPER MOUNTAIN, MANGANESE BLUE, YANKIE, RYERSON, AND MONTEZUMA MINES

Comment (Development): OWNERS INCLUDED WILLIAM CHURCH (1875), DETROIT COPPER MINING CO; ARIZONA CENTRAL IS ONE OF ORIGINAL MORENCI CLAIMS IN ADDITION TO COPPER MOUNTAIN, MONTEZUMA, YANKIE, LONGFELLOW.

References

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM FILE DATA.

Reference (Deposit): ARIZ BUR MINES BULL 149, NO 15.

Reference (Deposit): CLELAND, ROBERT G., 1952, A HISTORY OF PHELPS DODGE, P. 81.

Reference (Deposit): WATT, ROBERTA, 1956, HISTORY OF MORENCI ARIZONA, M.A. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.

Reference (Deposit): USGS PP 43, P. 281-291.

Reference (Deposit): BLM DISTRICT SHEETS 840 AND 841.

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.