Pima Open Pit Mine

The Pima Open Pit Mine is a copper mine located in Pima county, Arizona at an elevation of 3,340 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: Pima Open Pit Mine

Commodity

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

Location

State: Arizona
County: Pima
District: Pima District

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Asarco (American Smelting And Refining Co.)
Years: 1988 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1952
Discovery Year: 1950
Discovery Method: Geophysical Anomaly
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu, skarn-related
Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: L
Description: Ew Post Mineralization Faulting, Jointing, San Xavier Thrust

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Propylitic, Quartz-Sericite, Potassic, Skarn

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CU ABOUT 1% IN TACTITE ZONE. 1976--AVERAGE ORE GRADE 0.47% CU AND 0 .015% MO.

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Tenorite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Serpentine

Comments

Comment (Commodity): MAGNETITE LOCALLY QUITE MASSIVE IN TACTITES, COMMONLY ASSOCIATED W ITH BLACK OR GREEN SERPENTINE

Comment (Deposit): THIS REPORT REPRESENTS A MERGER OF ORIGINAL RECORD M050388 WITH RECORD W002678 OF JAN WILT AND RECORD D000332 OF ROBERT KING IN MOLYBDENUM FILE, CONTACT PERSON T.G. THEODORE, USGS. PIMA HAS BECOME PART OF THE MISSION COMPLEX. SEE RECORD MO5O387. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Development): OPEN PIT CAME INTO PRODUCTION IN 1956. PREVIOUS OWNERS INCLUDE UNION OIL, CYPRUS MINES, UTAH MINING AND CONSTRUCTION.

Comment (Deposit): ORE BODY CUT OFF AT DEPTH BY SAN XAVIER THRUST, WHICH CUTS HELMUT FANGLOMERATE (28-30 M.Y.). BRECCIA PIPE PRESENT.

Comment (Geology): MOLYBDENUM MORE IMPORTANT IN PORPHYRY AND ARKOSE.

Comment (Deposit): SEE MISSION COMPLEX.

References

Reference (Deposit): HIMES, 1972, AIME ANN MTG REPORT NO 72-I-57.

Reference (Deposit): COOPER, 1960, USGS BULL 1112.

Reference (Deposit): CREASEY & KISTLER, 1962, USGS PP 450-D.

Reference (Deposit): HUFF, 1970, USGS BULL 1312-C.

Reference (Deposit): LACY & TITLEY, 1959, SO. AZ. GUIDEBOOK II.

Reference (Deposit): SAWYER, M.B., GURMENDI, A.C., DALEY, M.R., AND HOWELL, S.B., 1992, PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS OF STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS IN ARIZONA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES SPECIAL PUBLICATION, 334 P.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Reserve-Resource): MINING ENGINEERING, 1967; SAWYER AND OTHERS, 1992.

Reference (Deposit): THURMOND,R., AND OTHERS, 1954, PIMA - A THREE PART STORY. GOLOGY, OPEN PIT, MILLING: MINING ENGINEERING, V. 10.

Reference (Deposit): USBM FILE DATA

Reference (Deposit): KEITH, 1974, ABM BULL 189, P. 137

Reference (Deposit): MAUGER, 1966, PHD THESIS, UNIV OF AZ

Reference (Deposit): LANGLOIS, 1978, AZ GEOL SOC DIGEST VII, P. 103-113

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.