Empire Zinc Mine

The Empire Zinc Mine is a zinc mine located in Grant county, New Mexico at an elevation of 6,424 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: Empire Zinc Mine
Secondary: Zinc Valley Group, Hanover: Claims Patented In 1907
Secondary: Zinc Valley
Secondary: Annie Fox
Secondary: Robert E. Lee
Secondary: Black Wolf
Secondary: Santa Fe No. 1
Secondary: Metal King
Secondary: Uncle Sam
Secondary: Southwestern
Secondary: Includes U.S. Adit, U.S. Tunnel, Mason Tunnel, Strike Tunnel,
Secondary: And Republic After 1920

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Grant
District: Fierro-Hanover District, Central 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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: The New Jersey Zinc Co., 160 Front Street, New York, N. Y. ; U.S. Smelting, Refining And
Years: 1911 - 1970

Owner Name: Empire Zinc Co.
Home Office: New York, N.Y.
Years: 1911 - 1970

Production

Year: 1970
Time Period: ?-1970
Description: Cp_Grade: ^8.67% Zn, 0.21% Pb

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1970
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

Model Name: Skarn Zn-Pb

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR, BLANKET, OTHER UPRIGHT TUBULAR MASSES

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Hedenbergite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Ilvaite
Gangue: Epidote

Comments

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR THE EMPIRE NO. 7 SHAFT AS SHOWN ON THE SANTA RITA TOPOGRAPHIC QUADRANGLE.

Comment (Production): MINES WERE IDLE FROM 1932 TO 1936, 1953 TO 1955 AND 1962 TO 1968. CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION INCLUDES ORE FROM THE THUNDERBOLT, THUNDER CLOUD, BLUE BELL, EMMA AND COPPER QUEEN MINES. NOT ALL PRODUCTION ACCOUNTED FOR. NO RECORDS PRIOR TO 1902 AND SOME HIGH GRADE CARBONATE ORE PRIOR TO 1918 IS NOT RECORDED. VALUE ORE (2) = $2,424,216. MINES HAD A LARGE TONNAGE 50-60% FE ORE NEVER EXTRACTED.

Comment (Development): ZINC CARBONATE DIRECT SHIPPING ORES MINED FROM METAL KING, SOUTHWESTERN, AND LONE STAR CLAIMS UP TO 1920. IN 1916 EMPIRE ZINC CO. BUILT 250 TPD MAGNETIC SEPARATION MILL FOR TREATING ZN SULFIDE ORES. IN 1920 EMPIRE ZINC ACQUIRED ADJACENT REPUBLIC MINE FROM REPUBLIC MINING AND MILLING CO., INCLUDING THE WELCH GROUP (90 ACRES). IN 1927 EMPIRE ZINC BUILT A 300 TPD FLOTATION MILL AND TREATED TAILINGS THROUGH 1929 WHEN MILLING SWITCHED TO MINE ORES. IN 1940 BEGAN MILLING CUSTOM ORES TO KEEP MILL OPERATING AS FULL CAPACITY.

Comment (Deposit): BLANKET-LIKE MASSES AS THICK AS 40 M AND UPRIGHT TUBULAR BODIES AS MUCH AS 300 M LONG, 36 M HIGH, AND 9 M IN WIDTH, ALONG GRANODIORITE DIKES, REPLACING LAKE VALLEY LIMESTONE AROUND SOUTHWEST MARGIN OF FIERRO-HANOVER STOCK. EIGHT PATENTED CLAIMS MINERAL SURVEY NUMBER 1185 COVERING 148.678 ACRES.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS CONSIST OF NUMEROUS SHAFTS, ADITS AND OPEN PITS.

Comment (Deposit): THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM RECORD D011681 BY RON WORL WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

References

Reference (Deposit): SPENCER, A. C., AND PAIGE, S., 1935 USGS BULL 859, P. 66-69

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, E. C., 1957 NMBMMR BULL 39, P. 54-55

Reference (Deposit): HERNON, R. M., JONES, W. R., AND MOORE, S. L., 1964 USGS GEOLOGIC MAP, GQ-306

Reference (Deposit): JONES, W. R., HERNON, R. M., AND MOORE, S. L., 1967 USGS PP 555, 144 PAGES

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

Reference (Deposit): JONES, W.R., AND HERNON, R.M., 1973, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE PB 214, P. 14-29.

Reference (Deposit): HILLESLAND, L.L., ET. AL., 1994, GENERAL GEOLOGY OF THE CONTINENTAL MINE, GRANT COUNTY, NEW MEXICO: COBRE MINING CORP., UNPUBLISHED REPORT, 22 P.

Reference (Deposit): FINLAY, J.R., 1922, REPORT OF APPRAISAL OF MINING PROPERTIES OF NEW MEXICO: SANTA FE, CATHOLOC PUBLISHING CO., 154 P.

Reference (Production): (1) HILLESLAND ET. AL. (1994) P. 2; (2) FINLAY (1922); (6) AND (7) JONES, W.R., AND HERNON, R.M., 1973, P. 14-29.

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