Athena Prospects

The Athena Prospects is a fluorine-fluorite mine located in Hidalgo county, New Mexico.

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: Athena Prospects

Commodity

Primary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Hidalgo
District: Animas Mountains, Winkler Anticline Area

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Fred C. Leach
Years: 1975 -

Owner Name: Rangaire Corp.
Home Office: Cleburne, Tx.
Years: 1975 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1972
Year Last Production: 1975
Discovery Year: 1969
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 MANTOS

Form: IRREGULAR MANTOS

Structure

Type: R
Description: Ne Trending Winkler Anticline.

Type: L
Description: Ne And Nw Trending Faults

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: A COMPOSITE SAMPLE FROM SHAFTS ON ATHENA NO. 1 PROSPECT AVERAGED 33.40% CAF2, 2.71% CAC03, 58.84% 5102

Materials

Ore: Fluorite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Cerargyrite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Malachite

Comments

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS CONSIST OF FOUR SHALLOW (35 OR 50 FT) TEST SHAFTS.

Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZED ZONES IN BRECCIATED ROCK ALONG DISCORDANT FAULTS AND BEDDING-PLANE FAULTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING MINERALS: FLUORITE, CALCITE, QUARTZ (BOTH COARSE AND CRYPTOCRYSTALLING VARIETIES), AZURITE, MALACHITE, CHALCOPYRITE, PYRITE, AND REPORTEDLY CERARGYRITE. FLUORITE OCCURS AS AS EUHEDRAL TO SUBHEDRAL AND MASSIVE COARSE-CRYSTALLINE AGGREGATES, AND TO A MINOR EXTENT, AS FINE-GRAINED REPLACEMENT MATERIAL. COLORS INCLUDE CLEAR, GREEN, WHITE, AND PURPLE. THE ATHENA PROSPECT IS IN TWO AREAS: ATHENA NO. 1 PROSPECT WHERE SOME ORE HAS BEEN MINED, AND ATHENA NO. 2 PROSPECT ABOUT 1200 FT TO THE SOUTH. MOST OF THE FLUORITE IS COARSE-GRAINED, FILLING VOIDS IN SILICA REPLACED LIMESTONE (JASPEROID); LESSER AMOUNTS OCCUR IN VEINS ALONG FAULTS, PRINCIPALLY VIOD-FILLING, BUT ALSO AS MINOR WALLROCK REPLACEMENT. FLUORSPAR-BEARING JASPERIOD BODIES RANGE FROM 0 TO 38 FT THICK AND AVERAGE 20 FT. APPROXIMATELY 150,000 TONS OF JASPERIOD ROCK CONTAINING 25 TO 35% CAF2 WERE FOUND BY DRILLING OUTCROP AREAS ON

Comment (Deposit): THE ATHENA PROSPECTS. CHANGES ARE GOOD FOR DISCOVERY OF A MU CH LARGER TONNAGE OF SIMILAR ROCK BY DRILLING DOWNDIP FROM THE OUTCROPS.

Comment (Development): FROM 1970-1971 WN. MCANULTY AND ASSOCIATES MAPPED THE AREA. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL TRENCHES AND FOUR SHALLOW TEST SHAFTS WERE DUG, 50-100 FT PERCUSSION HOLES WERE DRILLED, AND EXTENSIVE SAMPLING AND GEOCHEMICAL TESTING WAS PERFORMED.

References

Reference (Deposit): MCANULTY, WN, 1978, NMBMMR MEM 34, P. 35-37.

Reference (Deposit): ELLIS, RD, 1971, MS THESIS, UTEP.

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