United Verde Mine

The United Verde Mine is a copper and gold mine located in Yavapai county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,098 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: United Verde Mine
Secondary: Hull
Secondary: Big Hole
Secondary: Hopewell Tunnel

Commodity

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

Location

State: Arizona
County: Yavapai
District: Verde 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.
Home Office: Phoenix, Az.
Years: 1986 -

Owner Name: Phelps Dodge Corp.
Home Office: Phoenix, Az.
Years: 1986 -

Production

Year: 1940
Time Period: 1918 - 1940
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^3.4% Cu, 2.07 Toz Ag/St, 0.071 Toz Au/St

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1884
Year Last Production: 1975
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: PIPELIKE/CRESCENT, ARCUATE

Structure

Type: R
Description: Foliation In Metavolcanic Rocks Trends N10w To N40w

Type: L
Description: Massive Sulfide Lenses Elongate Parallel To Bedding In Metavolcanic Rocks

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Chloritization, Sericitization, Chloritization, Pyritization

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Cuprite
Ore: Copper
Ore: Silver
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Jasper
Unknown: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): AN UNDERGROUND FIRE BEGAN IN 1894 WHEN PART OF THE SULFIDE ORE BODY SLIPPED TO CAUSE FIRE-STARTING FRICTION; MANY RARE FIRE MIENRALS WERE FORMED DURING THE MORE THAN 30 YEARS THAT THE FIRE BURNED. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Development): BIG HOLE MINING CO WAS OPERATOR IN 1975. DURING 1984-1986, PHELPS DODGE EVALUATED UNMINED ZINC PORTION OF THE DEPOSIT, DID A GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AND A GEOLOGIC REVIEW.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT IS MASSIVE SULFIDE LENS IN METARHYOLITE OR NEAR CONTACT OF METARHYOLITE AND GABBRO. THE SHAPE OF THE PIPE IS DUE TO: (1) THE OVERHANG OF THE GABBRO ABOVE THE 3000 - FOOT LEVEL, (2) THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE GABBRO AND TUFFACEOUS SEDIMENTS OR QUARTZ PORPHYRY, AND (3) THE ZONE OF PRONOUNCED FOLIATION. THREE LARGE ORE SHOOTS AND 2 SULFIDE PIPES ALSO ARE PRESENT. QUARTZ PORPHYRY IS REPLACED BY SULFIDES.

Comment (Workings): MINING METHODS: HORIZONTAL CUT AND FILL STOPING; SQUARE-SET METHOD; SCRAPERS FOR INCLINED CUT AND FILL; MITCHELL SLICE SYSTEM; OPEN PIT MINING. OPEN PIT IS 630 FEET DEEP.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): 1986 FIGURE IS GEOLOGIC ESTIMATE.

Comment (Location): MAIN SHAFT IN SECTION 22 WITH TUNNEL GOING NE THROUGH SE SECTIONS 15 AND 14 ENDING AT HOPEWELL TUNNEL IN SECTION 14.

Comment (Production): ITEMS 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ARE PRODUCTION FROM OPEN PIT MINING.

References

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, C.A., AND NASH, J.T., 1972, GEOLOGY OF THE MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSITS AT JEROME, ARIZONA - A REINTERPRETATION: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, VOL. 67 , NO. 7, NOVEMBER 1972, P. 845.

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, C.A., AND CREASEY, S.C., 1958, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE JEROME AREA, YAVAPAI COUNTY, ARIZONA: U.S.G.S. PROF PAPER 308, P. 101-135.

Reference (Deposit): BLAIR, GERRY, 1992, THE ROCKHOUND'S GUIDE TO ARIZONA: HELENA, MONTANA, FALCON PRESS, 165 P.

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: UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES SPECIAL PUBLICATION, 334 P.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Production): USGS PP308, P. 101; A.B.M. BULLETIN 178, P. 33; SAWYER AND OTHERS, 1992.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): USGS PP 308, P. 118; NIEMUTH, 1986.

Reference (Deposit): ALENIUS, E.M.J., 1968 , A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNITED VERDE OPEN PIT, JEROME, ARIZONA: ARIZONA BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 178, P. 33.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM FILE DATA.

Reference (Deposit): NIEMUTH, N.J., 1987, ARIZONA MINERAL DEVELOPMENT 1984-1986: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES DIRECTORY 29, 46 P.

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.