Merrimac Mine

The Merrimac Mine is a zinc mine located in Dona Ana county, New Mexico at an elevation of 5,499 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: Merrimac Mine

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Tungsten

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Dona Ana
District: Organ District: San Augustin Mountains

Land Status

Land ownership: Military Reservation
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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: White Sands Missile Range

Owner Name: Ira Wright And Wade White
Home Office: Silver City, N.M.
Years: 1951 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1895
Year Last Production: 1951
Discovery Year: 1885
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 AND SHOOTS

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Smithsonite
Ore: Hydrozincite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Scheelite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1880'S

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR THE MAIN WORKINGS LOCATED ABOUT 1500 FEET NORTHWEST OF MERRIMAC SPRING.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): ALBRITTON AND NELSON, 1943, ESTIMATED THAT 4000 TONS OF 10 TO 15 % ZN ORE REMAIN ON THE PROPERTY.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSITS OCCUR IN THREE ORE SHOOTS WHICH RANGE FROM 2 FT. TO 4 FT. THICK AND FROM 20 FT. TO 40 FT. WIDE. TWO OF THE SHOOTS WERE MINED DOWN DIP FOR A LENGTH OF 200 FT.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS REPORTED IN THE 1950'S CONSISTED OF TWO ADITS, TWO SHAFTS, MANY SHALLOW PITS AND SEVERAL OPEN STOPES.

Comment (Deposit): WORKED MAINLY FOR ZINC ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Geology): THE SUGARLOAF PEAK QUARTZ MONZONITE PORPHYRY IS THE MOST VOLATILE-RICH AND ONE OF THE LATEST PHASES OF THE ORGAN BATHOLITH.

References

Reference (Deposit): LEMMON, D.M., UNPUBLISHED DATA.

Reference (Deposit): LEMMON, D.M., AND TWETO, O.L., 1962, TUNGSTEN IN THE U.S., USGS MAP, MR-25.

Reference (Deposit): DALE, V.B. AND MCKINNEY, W.A., 1959, TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF NEW MEXICO, USBM REPT. OF INVEST. 5517, 72P.

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, W., GRATON, L.C., AND GORDON, C.H., 1910 USGS PP 68, P. 205-213

Reference (Deposit): DUNHAM, K.C., 1935 NMBMMR BULL 11, P. 234

Reference (Deposit): ALBRITTON, C.C., JR., AND NELSON, V.E., 1943 USGS OFR-43, P. 28-30

Reference (Deposit): SEAGER, W.R., 1981 NMBMMR MEM 36, P. 83-90

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

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