Ridley Mine

The Ridley Mine is a lead, copper, and silver mine located in Pima county, Arizona at an elevation of 4,081 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: Ridley Mine
Secondary: Graveyard Mine

Commodity

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

Location

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

Land Status

Land ownership: Military Reservation
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

Not available

Production

Year: 1929
Time Period: 1900-1929
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^5% Pb, 2% Cu, 40 Oz/T Ag

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1915
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: TABULAR, BANDED

Structure

Type: R
Description: Homoclinal, Tilting And Broad Open Folds In S, Extensive Faulting I N N

Type: L
Description: Thrust And Normal Faulting/Fracture Zone; Faults Are Slickensided

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Partly Oxidized; Granodiorite Is Crushed, Altered, And Sheared

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 6.5% CU, 3.5% PB, 3.0% ZN, 30 OZ/T AG, $1.50/T AU (1955)

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Unknown: Copper

Comments

Comment (Development): ANACONDA EXPLORED INTRUSIVE QUARTZ LATITE IN 1971 AS A POTENTIAL PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSIT

Comment (Workings): SHAFT WORKINGS, 150 FT INCLINED SHAFT AND SHORT TUNNEL WITH SHORT DRIFTS ON 50 FT AND 150 FT LEVELS

Comment (Geology): BETTER ORE IS IN LOWER PART OF MINE; MOLYBDENITE IN LOWER PART OF MINE

Comment (Deposit): THIS REPORT REPRESENTS A MERGER OF ORIGINAL RECORD M050161 WITH RE CORD M000630 OF JAN WILT IN MOLYBDENUM FILE, CONTACT PERSON T.G. THEOD ORE, USGS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Production): SPORADIC PRODUCTION

References

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

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

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

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, 1910, USGS BULL 430

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

Reference (Production): KEITH, 1974

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.