Leader Mine

The Leader Mine is a molybdenum and copper mine located in Pima county, Arizona at an elevation of 4,764 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: Leader Mine
Secondary: Copper Fend
Secondary: Copper World
Secondary: Owasko Claims

Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Wollastonite
Tertiary: Beryllium

Location

State: Arizona
County: Pima
District: Helvetia-Rosemont 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Mrs. Lon Blankenship
Home Office: Tucson, Az.
Years: 1955 -

Production

Year: 1942
Time Period: 1900-1942
Material type: ORE CU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^6% Cu, 1 Oz/T Ag, Minor Au
Year: 1934
Material type: MO CONC
Description: Ap_Grade: ^50% Mos2 Concentrates

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Unknown
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

Form: BANDED SEAMS, IRREGULAR LENSES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Homoclinal; Tilting And Broad Open Folding In S, Extensive Faulting In N

Type: L
Description: Shattered Thrust Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Intense Silication, Pyrite-Chalcopyrite-Gossan, Skarn, Iron Staini Ng

Rocks

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 2 CHANNEL SAMPLES SHOW 0.0004 AND 0.002% BEO.

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Powellite
Ore: Copper
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Wollastonite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Magnetite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): MINE IS IN FOOTWALL OF THRUST FAULT. ORE IN BRECCIATED-SILICATED LIMESTONE. LARGE MASSES OF LIMESTONE HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY CONVERTED TO WOLLASTONITE.

Comment (Workings): SHAFT AND ADIT; 60 FT VERTICAL SHAFT, ADIT, OVER 2000 FT OF WORKI NGS TO 140 FT LEVEL; MAIN ENTRANCE IS 400 FT LONG TUNNEL

Comment (Geology): ORE GENERALLY IN BRECCIA ZONES

Comment (Deposit): THIS REPORT REPRESENTS A MERGER OF ORIGINAL RECORD M050045 WITH RE CORD M000573 OF JAN WILT IN MOLYBDENUM FILE, CONTACT PERSON T.G. THEOD ORE, USGS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Commodity): MOLYBDENITE AS POCKETS AND SEAMS IN MORE SILICATED AREAS; PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): SEVERAL THOUSAND TONS OF LOW-GRADE PYRITE-CHALCOPYRITE MINERALIZED ROCK IN A ZONE ABOUT 400 FT N OF PORTAL. POSSIBILITY OF MORE MOLYBDENITE IN MINE.

Comment (Development): ANACONDA EXPLORED DISTRICT IN 1971 FOR POSSIBLE PORPHYRY COPPER I N QUARTZ LATITE

References

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

Reference (Deposit): CREASEY & QUICK, 1955, USGS BULL 1027-F

Reference (Deposit): ABM, 1971, FIELDNOTES V 1, NO 2

Reference (Deposit): PEIRCE, H.W., 1990, ARIZONA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY INDUSTRIAL MINERALS CARD FILE.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Production): KEITH, 1974.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): CREASEY AND QUICK, 1955

Reference (Deposit): DREWES, 1971, USGS MAP I-613

Reference (Deposit): KEITH, 1974, ABM BULL 189

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.