Kay Copper Mine

The Kay Copper Mine is a lead, copper, and silver mine located in Yavapai county, Arizona at an elevation of 1,982 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: Kay Copper Mine
Secondary: Buckeye
Secondary: Marietta
Secondary: Diorite
Secondary: Harriet

Commodity

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

Location

State: Arizona
County: Yavapai
District: Kay District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Exxon Minerals Co. (1981, Exploration Lease)

Owner Name: Del Harvey, Phoenix, Arizona
Years: 1966 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1910
Year Last Production: 1966
Discovery Year: 1910
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, kuroko

Orebody

Form: LENSE

Structure

Type: R
Description: Foliation And Some Bedding Trend N 20 E

Type: L
Description: Foliation Trends N 20 E

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Chloritization, Sericitization

Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 1720.000000+-
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Proterozoic

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 1720.000000+-
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Proterozoic

Name: Mica Schist
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 1720.000000+-
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Proterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Dolomite

Comments

Comment (Development): PREVIOUS OPERATOR 4 BAR MINING CO. (VANCOUVER, B.C., 1968)

Comment (Location): KAY COPPER MINE GROUP CONSISTS OF 10 PATENTED CLAIMS THAT EXTEND ALONG THE AGUA FRIA RIVER FROM SECTION 4 TO SECTION 9.

Comment (Deposit): KAY MINE IS STRATIFORM MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSIT IN CHLORITIZED METARRHYOLITE. THE COPPER GRADE OF THE KAY IS NOTABLY HIGH, RANGING FROM 5 TO 10 PERCENT. TWO ORE BODIES: MAIN NEAR NO. 1 SHAFT; OTHER TO THE NORTH. MAIN ORE SHOOT IS 5 FEET WIDE ON 200 LEVEL, 18 FEET WIDE ON 350 LEVEL, 30 FEET WIDE ON 500 LEVEL, 35 FEET LONG ON 600 LEVEL, 26 FEET, WIDE ON THE 1500 LEVEL. THE MAIN ORE ZONE IS 70 FEET LONG ON THE 200 LEVEL, 110 FEET LONG ON THE 500 LEVEL, AND 170 FEET LONG ON THE 1500 LEVEL. RESERVE ESTIMATES (AS OF 1930-1940) RANGE FROM APPROXIMATELY 180,000 TONS (JENKS, UNPUBLISHED) TO 320,000 TONS (LUNDQUIST, UNPUBLISHED) TO 1,400,000 TONS (ABGMT CLIPPINGS FILE, 1931)

Comment (Workings): MAIN WORKINGS ON 600 LEVEL. APPARENTLY NO ORE WAS EVER PRODUCED FROM BELOW THE 350 LEVEL BEFORE THE 1940'S MAIN, OR NO. 1 SHAFT, IS ON WEST SIDE OF AGUA FRIA RIVER, IN SECTION 4. THE MAIN SHAFT IS 600 FEET DEEP AND IS INCLINED 65 DEGREES TO THE WEST. THE MAIN SHAFT IS LOCATED ON THE MARIETTA PATENTED CLAIM THE NO. 4 SHAFT IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE AGUA FRIA RIVER, IN SECTION 9. THE NO. 4 SHAFT IS 1500 FEET DEEP AND IS VERTICAL. IT IS LOCATED ON THE S.E. EXT. MARIETTA PATENTED CLAIM, 600 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN SHAFT. THE NO. 2 SHAFT IS 180 FEET DEEP AND IS 600 FEET NORTH OF THE MAIN SHAFT THE NO. 3 SHAFT IS 520 FEET DEEP AND IS 2200 FEET NORTH OF THE MAIN SHAFT.

Comment (Geology): KAY MINE IS STRATIFORM MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSIT IN CHLORITIZED METARRHYOLITE. THE COPPER GRADE OF THE KAY IS NOTABLY HIGH, RANGING FROM 5 TO 10 PERCENT.

References

Reference (Deposit): US GEOL SURVEY BULL 782, P. 155.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT - USBM FILE DATA.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT CLIPPINGS FILE.

Reference (Deposit): AZ BUR. OF MINERAL RESOURCES FILE DATA.

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 (Deposit): NORTHWEST MINING TRUTH, APR 18, 1919, P. 1

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

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.