Florence Conoco

The Florence Conoco is a copper sulfide, copper oxide, and copper mine located in Pinal county, Arizona at an elevation of 1,558 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: Florence Conoco
Secondary: Continental Oil Company Florence
Secondary: Poston Butte
Secondary: Florence
Secondary: Florence Copper Mine
Secondary: Conoco Copper Deposit
Secondary: Aztec Exp. and Devel Co Property
Secondary: Poston Butte Prospect
Secondary: Dollar Pit

Commodity

Primary: Copper Sulfide
Primary: Copper Oxide
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Molybdenum

Location

State: Arizona
County: Pinal
District: Blackwater District

Land Status

Land ownership: State
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

Type: Other
Type: Located Claim
Type: State Lease

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Florence Copper
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Arizona
Info Year: 2001
Years: 2001 -

Owner Name: BHP Billiton
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: London, UK
Info Year: 1998
Years: 1998 -

Owner Name: Continental Oil Co-Conoco
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd.
Home Office: Australia
Info Year: 1996
Years: 1996 -

Owner Name: Magma Copper Co.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: 7400 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, Az 85704
Info Year: 1993
Years: 1992 - 1996

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Flotation
Discovery Year: 1969
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu, skarn-related

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: sericitization, kaolinization, propylitic

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Hydrothermal, oxidation, potassic

Rocks

Name: Granodiorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 62.000000+-
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Shattuckite
Ore: Azurite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Copper
Ore: Brochantite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chrysocolla

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): DEMONSTRATED RESOURCE IS COMPOSED OF SULFIDE AND OXIDE AS FOLLOWS: SULFIDE- 450,000,000 MT @ 0.39% CU OXIDE- 270,000,000 MT @ 0.37% CU OTHER NAME:POSTON BUTTE. DEMO RESOURCE AS OF 12/31/94: SULFIDE- 299,000,000 MT @ .34% CU OXIDE - 334,000,000 MT @ .39% CU TOTAL 633,000,000 MT @ .36% CU

Comment (Production): DEPOSIT HAS BEEN A MINOR PRODUCER

Comment (Geology): SHATTUCKITE IS ALSO PRESENT.

Comment (Development): PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY CONOCO. AZTEC EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT WAS THE OPERATOR IN 1970.

Comment (Geology): ANDESITE INTRUDES THE GRANITE. THE QUARTZ MONZONITE WAS EMPLACED INTO PREC HOST ROCKS.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): ORE (.5% CU, 90% RECOVERY)

Comment (Deposit): ADDITIONAL COMMODITIES ARE MO, AU AND AG. ENVIRONMENTAL - SEVERE WATER PROBLEMS DUE TO THE MINE LOCATION BEING DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE GILA RIVER HAVE RESTRICTED DEVELOPMENT. LOCAL AGRICULTURE INTERESTS FEAR A REDUCTION IN THE WATER TABLE DUE TO LARGE SCALE MINE DEWATERING OPERATIONS. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR MINE DE- WATERING MUST BE MADE WITH THE SAN CARLOS PROJECT WHICH ADMINISTERS LOCAL IRRIGATION. FIVE WATER WELLS HAVE BEEN DRILLED FOR HYDROLOGICAL TESTING. GEOLOGY - DEPOSIT IS A PORPHYRY WHICH CONTAINS COPPER OXIDE ORE ON TOP OF COPPER SULFIDE ORE. SULFIDE MINERALIZATION EXTENDS TO 2000 FEET. RESERVES-MATRIX 1 AND 2 REPRESENT OXIDE ORE AND MATRIX 3 REPRESENTS SULFIDE ORE. SURFACE - FUTURE PLANS CALL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 30,000 TPD (27,216MT/D) OPEN PIT AS A STEP TOWARD THE ULTIMATE PRODUCTION OF 50,000 TPD (45,370 MT/D). ONLY OXIDE ORE WILL BE MINED THE FIRST FEW YEARS. PRODUCT - PILOT PLANT OPERATIONS HAVE SHOWN THE PROCESSES TESTED TO TREAT SULPHIDE AND OXIDE ORES TO BE VIABLE. ONLY OXIDE ORE WOULD BE TREATED THE FIRST YEARS TRANSPORTATION - MINE AND PLANT ARE WITHIN TWO MILES OF A MAJOR RAILROAD LINE OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC. COST RELATED INFORMATION: PILOT PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT STARTED IN MID-1974. IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE A 30 MONTH PROGRAM COSTING AN ESTIMATED $25 MILLION. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED THE SINKING OF TWO 72 IN 700 FOOT SHAFTS; MINING OF LARGE BULK SAMPLES OF OXIDE AND SULFIDE ORE; CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A PILOT PLANT, ADDITIONAL DRILLING AND GEOLOGICAL STUDIES; MINE PLANNING AND PIT DESIGN; HYDROLOGICAL TESTS; AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES. THE PILOT PLANT WAS DESIGNED TO BE A PERMANENT METAL- LURGICAL DEVELOPMENT FACILITY. THE PROJECT WAS SHELVED IN LATE 1976 FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, MORE THAN $30 MILLION HAD BEEN INVESTED IN LAND ACQUISITION, EXPLORATION DRILLING, ENGINEERING DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND MARKETING STUDIES DEVELOPMENT WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE THE COSTS OF THE FLORENCE DEPOSIT WERE JUDGED TO BE HIGHER THAN MANY OTHER EXPLORED DEPOSITS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY. THE PROJECT NOW AWAITS REEVALUATION AT AN APPROPRIATE FUTURE TIME.

References

Reference (Deposit): CONOCO ANNUAL REPORT. 1972 . PP. 29.

Reference (Deposit): PAY DIRT, CONOCO PUTS FLORENCE COPPER PROJECT ON BACK BURNER NO.449. NOVEMBER 22, 1976. PP. 7. (ASSAY,RESRV,ENVIR,UNDER,BENEF-PRO,COMMOD)

Reference (Deposit): MINING JOURNAL, 8-7-92, V319 N8185, P.88.

Reference (Deposit): NASON, PHILIP W., UNIV OF AZ PRESS, 1982, P.375.

Reference (Deposit): DILLARD, GARY, SW PAY DIRT, 8-92, P.3A.

Reference (Deposit): ULLMER, 1978, JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION, V. 9, NO. 2-3, P. 235-236.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): ADMR CONTINENTAL OIL CO(FLORENCE PROJECT)ACTIVE FILE SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW CONOCO OIL DISCOVERS CU MIN. IN AZ VOL 59 NO 44,VOL 65 NO 3,VOL 66 NO 1

Reference (Deposit): MAGMA COPPER COMPANY 1993 10-K, P.18.

Reference (Deposit): ARUNDALE, J.C. MONTHLY LIAISON REPORT FOR THE STATE OF ARIZ.

Reference (Deposit): WORLD MINING, VOL. 27, NO. 13. NOVEMBER 1974. PP. 74.

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW,CONOCO EVALUATION OF FLORENCE COPPER

Reference (Deposit): AMERICAN METAL MARKET. DUPONT MOVING PLANS TO SELL CONOCO

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, CONTINENTAL OIL DISCOVERS COPPER MINERALIZATION IN ARIZONA, VOL. 59, NO. 44. OCTOBER 31, 1970 PP. 11. (MILS,UNDER,EXPLO,ASSAY,RESRV)

Reference (Reserve-Resource): MAGMA COPPER CO., 1994 10-K, P.20.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): MAGMA COPPER CO. 1993 ANNUAL REPORT. P. 9.

Reference (Deposit): INTERMOUNTAIN PAY DIRT. CONOCO GETTING OUT OF MINERALS

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILE DATA.

Reference (Deposit): WILSON, 1969, ABM BULL 179.

Reference (Deposit): SAWYER, M.B., GURMENDI, A.C., DALEY, M.R., AND HOWELL, S.B., 1992, PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS OF STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS IN ARIZONA: UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES SPECIAL PUBLICATION, 334 P.

Reference (Deposit): YEEND, 1976, USGS MAP MF-778.

Reference (Deposit): MINING RECORD, 1974, ARIZONA COPPER PROJECT NEAR COMPLETION: PROJECT MANAGER NAMED.

Reference (Geology): Pinal County, Arizona; in Titley, S. R., ed., Advances in Geology of the Porphyry Copper Deposits, Southwest North America, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, p. 375-385.

Reference (Geology): Mining Engineering, May issue, p. 72. Nason, P.W., Shaw, A.V. and Aveson, K.D., 1982, Geology of the Poston Butte porphyry copper deposit

Reference (Production): Niemuth, N.J., 1998, Arizona

Reference (Development): Brown and Caldwell Environmental Engineering and Consulting, Mine Characterizing and Permitting, BHP-Copper, Florence Site, Arizona: press release discussing the permitting process for the proposed Florence in-situ leach mine. Accessed 9/28/2010 http://www.brownandcaldwell.com/PAGs%5CP_522_0800a_BHPMine.pdf
URL: http://www.brownandcaldwell.com/PAGs%5CP_522_0800a_BHPMine.pdf

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS, D. N. JR. ARIZONA CONFERENCE OF A.I.M.E. ANNUAL

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.