Copper Mountain Mine

The Copper Mountain Mine is a copper mine located in Greenlee county, Arizona at an elevation of 4,875 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: Copper Mountain Mine
Secondary: Manganese Blue Ore Body
Secondary: Detroit Copper Co Group

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Arizona
County: Greenlee
District: Copper Mountain 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: Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch
Years: 1917 -

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1882
Year Last Production: 1920
Discovery Year: 1872
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: Copper Mountain Fault Separates Rich Disseminated Chalcocite Ore From Barren Porphyry

Type: L
Description: Cuprite And Copper Carbonates Occur, Associated With A Small Mass Of Limestone Embedded In Porphyry, On The Boundary Between The Copper Mountain And Humboldt Mines; South Of The Main Adit Is A Rich Well-Defined Chalcocite Seam About 14 Inches Wide

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation To Greatly Varying Depths; Chalcocite Coats Large Bodies Of Sericitized Porphyry Containing Disseminated Pyrite

Rocks

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcanthite
Ore: Brochantite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Garnet
Unknown: Malachite

Comments

Comment (Location): SW OF HUMBOLDT SHAFT; SE OF ARIZONA CENTRAL SHAFT. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1973)

Comment (Development): OWNERS INCLUDED DETROIT COPPER MINING CO OF ARIZONA; MANGANESE BLUE ORE BODY AND SHAFT ARE ALSO LOCATED ON COPPER MOUNTAIN CLAIM; COPPER MOUNTAIN MINE TUNNEL EXTENDS ONTO ARIZONA CENTRAL CLAIM

Comment (Deposit): COPPER MOUNTAIN MINE OPENS ONTO ARIZONA CENTRAL VEIN AND ONTO SEVERAL IRREGULAR CARBONATE DEPOSITS IN LIMESTONE.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION DATA INCLUDED IN DETROIT COPPER CO MINES; OTHER DETROIT COPPER CO MINES ARE THE ARIZONA CENTRAL, MANGANESE BLUE, RYERSON, YANKIE, AND MONTEZUMA MINES.

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED A 1000 FT TUNNEL THAT RUNS TO THE NW, 500 FT BELOW THE WESTERN CREST OF COPPER MOUNTAIN, IN THE ARIZONA CENTRAL CLAIM. SEVERAL STOPES IN THE COPPER MOUNTAIN AND BLUE MANGANESE LODES, REACHING 100 FT IN WIDTH; EXTENSIVE DRIFTING ALONG VEINS.

Comment (Geology): INTERGROWTHS OF MAGNETITE, PYRITE, ZINC BLENDE, AND CHALCOPYRITE ARE IRREGULARLY DISTRIBUTED IN THE CARBONATES. CHALCOCITE ORE BODY IS USUALLY CONSIDERED TO BE A PART OF THE HUMBOLDT LODE OR AN EXTENSION OF THE WELLINGTON VEIN. ABOVE DESCRIBES THE SECTION OF THE COPPER MOUNTAIN TUNNEL THAT RUNS THROUGH THE NW PART OF THE ARIZONA CENTRAL CLAIM. COPPER MOUNTAIN CLAIM HAS ONLY A FEW CENTRAL VEINS OR SEAMS, UNLIKE THE OTHER GREAT ORE BODIES OF COPPER MOUNTAIN.

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: ARIZONA CENTRAL MINE, MANGANESE BLUE MINE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

References

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): BENNETT, K. C., 1975, GEOLOGY AND ORIGIN OF THE BRECCIAS IN THE MORENCI-METCALF DISTRICT, GREENLEE COUNTY, ARIZONA: M.S. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, 153 P.

Reference (Deposit): ARIZ BUR MINES BULL 149, NO. 15.

Reference (Deposit): STEVENS, H. J., 1911, THE COPPER HANDBOOK, V. X, P. 734-735, DETROIT COPPER MINING CO OF ARIZONA

Reference (Deposit): USGS PP 43, P. 276-278.

Reference (Deposit): BLM DISTRICT SHEET 840.

Reference (Deposit): WATT, ROBERTA, 1956, HISTORY OF MORENCI ARIZONA, M.A. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM 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.