Rio Puerco Mine

The Rio Puerco Mine is a uranium mine located in Sandoval county, New Mexico at an elevation of 6,325 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

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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: Rio Puerco Mine

Commodity

Primary: Uranium

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Sandoval
District: Grants Uranium District: Laguna Subdistrict

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: Kerr-Mcgee Nuclear Corp.
Home Office: P.O. Box 13387, Albuquerque, N.M. 87112
Years: 1980 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Stratiform
Operation Type: Underground
Year First Production: 1979
Year Last Production: 1980
Discovery Year: 1970
Discovery Method: Geophysical Anomaly
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Datil Section

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AVERAGES ABOUT 0.16% U3O8.

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSITS OCCUR IN SEVERAL MINERALIZED ZONES WHICH MORE OR LESS COALESCE OVER AN AREA ABOUT 6000 FT. LONG AND 1000 FT. WIDE.

Comment (Geology): ORE OCCURS IN THE WESTWATER CANYON MEMBER OF THE MORRISON FM.

Comment (Development): REPORTED TO BE A 510 TON PER DAY OPERATION WHEN FULL PRODUCTION IS REACHED BUT WAS CLOSED SHORTLY AFTER GOING INTO PRODUCTION IN LATE 1979.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): AN OVERVIEW OF THE N.M. URANIUM INDUSTRY, 1979 N.M. ENERGY AND MINERALS DEPT., P. 77

Comment (Location): LOCATION OBTAINED FROM SHEET 3 OF GEOLOGIC MAP 31 NMBMMR, 1979.

References

Reference (Deposit): MOENCH, R.H., AND SCHLEE, J.S., AND BRYAN, W.B., 1965 USGS MAP GQ-371

Reference (Deposit): SCHILLING, F.A., JR., 1975 NMBMMR BULL 105, 69 PAGES

Reference (Deposit): SIEMERS, W.T., AND AUSTIN, G.S., 1979 NMBMMR RESOURCE MAP 9

Reference (Deposit): CHAPMAN, WOOD, AND GRISWOLD, INC., 1979 NMBMMR GEOLOGIC MAP 31

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