Whetstone District, Whetstone Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA

Ref.: Tyrrell, W.W., Jr. (1957) Geology of the Whetstone Mountain area, Cochise and Pima Counties, Arizona: New Haven, Conn., Yale University, Ph.D. dissertation, [236 p.], 8 sheets, scale 1:62,500, 31,680, 1:125,000, and 1:528,000. Ullmer (1978) Journal of Geochemical Exploration: 9(2-3): 235-236.

Burnette, C.R. (1957) Geology of the Middle Canyon, Whetstone Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 55 p.

Burnette (1958).

Creasey, S.C. (1967) Geologic map of the Benson quadrangle, Cochise and Pima Counties, Arizona [McGrew Spring, Apache Peak, Benson, and Mescal 7.5 min]: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map I-470, 11 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:48,000.

Keith, Stanton B. (1973), Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 187, Index of Mining Properties in Cochise County, Arizona: 90 (Table 4).

Arizona Bureau of Mines files.

A Cu-W-F-U, silica mining district located in T.18,19S., R.19E.

Mineralization is of several types: (1) Copper oxides, carbonates, and sulfides with pyrite as veinlets and disseminations in fractured porphyry dikes and Laramide granodiorite, and in pyrometasomatic lenses in folded and faulted Pennsylvanian and Permian limestone; (2) Tungsten mineralization with sparse sulfides in quartz veins cutting Precambrian granitic rocks, pegmatite dikes, or Pinal Schist; (3) Fluorspar along a quartz vein in Precambrian Pinal Schist; (4) Relatively weak oxidized uranium mineralization along an andesite dike cutting Precambrian granitic rock; and, (5) A large Precambrian quartz body.

Workings include several, scattered, relatively small mines and prospects. About 2,100 tons of copper ore, a few tons of tungsten concentrates, some 20,000 tons of fluorspar, minor shipments of uranium ore, and 50,000 or more tons of silica flux were produced in this district.