Mt. Chalchihuitl Mine

The Mt. Chalchihuitl Mine is a copper mine located in Santa Fe county, New Mexico at an elevation of 6,240 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: Mt. Chalchihuitl Mine
Secondary: There Are Seventeen Different Spellings of Chalchihuitl Northrup
Secondary: 1959
Secondary: P. 532.

Commodity

Primary: Copper

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Santa Fe
District: Cerrillos 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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Tri-State Syndicate
Home Office: E. Moline, Il.
Years: 1951 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 950
Year Last Production: 1951
Discovery Year: 950
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: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Faults And Shear Zones

Type: L
Description: Faults And Shear Zones

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Turquoise

Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATION IS ACCURATE FOR THE OPEN-PIT. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1979

Comment (Commodity): THE TURQUOISE WAS MINED FOR USE AS GEMSTONES

Comment (Development): THE MINE WAS FIRST WORKED BY THE FORERUNNERS OF THE PUEBLO INDIANS. TURQUOISE FROM MT. CHALCHIHUITL HAS BEEN FOUND AT CHACO CANYON, NM AND IN PLACES DOWN IN MEXICO.

Comment (Deposit): THE TURQUOISE OCCURS IN IRREGULAR NARROW VEINLETS AND STRINGERS CUTTING ALTERED MONZONITE PORPHYRY.

Comment (Workings): GUSTAFSON (1965, P. 17) REPORTS THAT RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL SURFACE AT THE QUARRY SUGGESTS THAT NOT LESS THAN 500,000 CUBIC FEET OR 30,000 TO 50,000 TONS OF ROCK WERE QUARRIED FROM THE PIT. SILLIMAN (1881, P. 169) SHOWS TWO SHAFTS WITH DRIFTS AND TWO CAVES, ONE WITH A DRIFT. THE ANCIENT INDIANS MINED THE ORE WITH STONE HAMMERS AND BLASTED THE TURQUOISE ROCK BY BUILDING A HOT FIRE OVER THE ROCKS AND THEN DOUSING IT WITH WATER, CAUSING THE STONE TO BREAK. THEN, USING THE STONE HAMMERS, THE ORE WAS CRUSHED INTO BEADS TO USE FOR JEWELRY AND ORNAMENTS. (ANON., CERRILLOS NEWSPAPER, 3/12/1897).

References

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, W., L.C. GRATON AND C.H. GORDON, 1910, USGS PP 68, P. 163-167

Reference (Deposit): DISBROWN, A.E., AND W.C. STOLL, 1957, NMBMMR BULL 48, P. 44-46

Reference (Deposit): JOHNSON, D.W., 1904, "THE GEOLOGY OF THE CERRILLOS HILLS, NM", COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES QUARTERLY, P. 86-92.

Reference (Deposit): SILLIMAN, B., 1881, "TURQUOIS OF NEW MEXICO", ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, VOL. 32, SEPT. 1, 1881, P. 169

Reference (Deposit): GUSTAFSON, W.G., 1965, UNPUBLISHED M.S. THESIS, UNIV. OF NM, P. 17-19

Reference (Deposit): ELSTON, W.E., 1967, NMBMMR BULL 81, P. 53-54

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

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