Benton Mine

The Benton Mine is a copper, molybdenum, and gold mine located in Santa Cruz county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,200 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: Benton Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Arizona
County: Santa Cruz
District: Querces District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: Coronado National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Dennis Coughlin And Partners
Years: 1909 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1882
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Small Fissures In Granite Dike Contain Lenses Of Limonite, Azurite, And Malachite

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericitic Zone At Contact Of Quartz Monzonite And Granite Porphyry

Rocks

Name: Hornblendite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 14% CU, $6-8/T AU

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Malachite

Comments

Comment (Production): NO KNOWN PRODUCTION

Comment (Development): FIRST CLAIM LOCATED IN JANUARY 1908; 5 UNPATENTED CLAIMS

Comment (Workings): TUNNEL

Comment (Deposit): THIS REPORT WAS TAKEN FROM RECORD M001447 OF JAN WILT IN MOLYBDENUM FILE, CONTACT PERSON T.G. THEODORE, USGS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Reserve-Resource): LOW GRADE ORE BODY AVERAGES 2% CU ON E SIDE OF DIKE; OXIDIZED AREA OF DIKE SHOWS MALACHITE, AZURITE AVERAGING 14% CU, $6-8/T AU

Comment (Location): SAN ANTONIO CANYON, PATAGONIA MTS. INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1979)

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1880'S

References

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILE DATA.

Reference (Deposit): ADMR, 1962, MOLYBDENUM PROSPECTS IN AZ.

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, USGS MAP I-762.

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, 1915, USGS BULL 582.

Reference (Production): KEITH, 1975; ABM FILE DATA

Arizona Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Arizona.