‡Ref.: Galbraith, F.W. (1947), Minerals of Arizona, Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 153: 20.
Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of Arizona: 94.
Paydirt (1970), May 27, 1970.
World Mining (1971 & 1972).
Paydirt (1972), Aug 28, 1972.
Keith, Stanton B. (1974), Arizona Bureau of Geology & Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch Bull. 189, Index of Mining Properties in Pima County, Arizona: 138 (Table 4).
Sutulov, Alexander (1974) Copper Porphyries, University of Utah Printing Services (mill).
Kelly, J.L. (1976) Geology of the Twin Buttes copper deposit, Pima County, Arizona [abs.]: Economic Geology: 71(3): 701.
Lorraine (1976) U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8702.
World Mining (1976): 11/76: 77.
Brooke, James N. (1977) Uranium Recovery from Copper Leaching Operations. Mining Congress Journal: 8/77: 38-41.
Hopkins, W.R. and A.J. Lynch (1977) ANAMAX Oxide Plant: A New U.S. Dimension. Engineering & Mining Journal: 2/77: 56.
Kelly, J.L. (1977) Geology of the Twin Buttes copper deposit, Pima County, Arizona: American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Society of Mining Engineers, Transactions: 262: 110-116.
Pay Dirt (1977), (Drying concentrate, exploration): 4/25/77: 57.
Skillings Mining Review (1977) ANAMAX Mining Co.’s Copper Operations at Twin Buttes Mine (Oxide Plant, Mining Equipment, Exploration): 6/4/77: 12-16.
World Mining (1977) (Reserves, Mining Rate, Recovery, Production Stats): 5/77: 96-99.
Barter, C.F. (1978) Stratigraphy, alteration, and ore controls in the main ore zone, Twin Buttes mine, Pima County, Arizona [abs.], in Jenney, J.P., and Hauck, H.R., eds., Proceedings of the Porphyry Copper Symposium, Tucson, Ariz., March 18-20, 1976: Arizona Geological Society Digest: 11: 115-116.
Skillings Mining Review (1980): 5/24/1980: 7.
Barter, C.F., and Kelly, J.L. (1982) Geology of the Twin Buttes mineral deposit, Pima mining district, Pima County, Arizona, in Titley, S.R., ed., Advances in geology of the porphyry copper deposits, southwestern North America: Tucson, University of Arizona Press, p. 407-432.
Mining Annual Review (1985): 55.
Peirce, H. Wesley (1990), Arizona Geological Survey Industrial Minerals card file.
Mining Magazine (1991) Moly and More from Sierrita: July, 1991.
Niemuth, N.J. & K.A. Phillips (1992), Copper Oxide Resources, Arizona Department of Mines & Mineral Resources Open File Report 92-10: 13 (Table 1).
Skillings Mining Review, Vol. 59(36).
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 101, 111, 113, 117, 142, 146, 152, 153, 158, 163, 166, 174, 176, 196, 201, 204, 205, 207, 208, 215, 225-226, 233, 240, 246, 262, 266, 268, 272, 286, 298, 302, 305, 307, 314, 319, 324, 326, 332, 334, 341, 343, 346, 353, 354, 359, 363, 368, 377, 382, 385, 388, 391, 393, 397, 399, 400, 402, 405, 409, 411, 414, 424, 426.
Arizona Bureau of Mines file data.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10103756, MRDS ID #M050530; and, Dep. ID #10234825, MAS ID #0040190005.
A former large surface Cu-Ag-Mo-Zn-Pb-Au-U-Wollastonite mine located in the SW ¼ sec. 5, and the SE¼ sec. 6, T.18S., R.13E. (Twin Buttes 15 minute topo map), 25 miles S of Tucson at Twin Buttes. Owned by The Anaconda Co. & Anamax Mining Co. (1975-1985).
Mineralization is dissemination, fracture filling, and bunchy replacements of copper and molybdenum minerals, with minor lead and zinc, oxidized with erratic enrichment in the upper part, in a folded and faulted complex of Paleozoic limestone, silicated limestone, and impure argillaceous limestone; Cretaceous siltstone, arkose, tuffs, and quartzites, and Laramide intrusive quartz monzonite. Ore control was along contacts of dike-like quartz monzonite porphyry with sedimentary rocks. Ore concentration was the secondary enrichment of sulfides. Alteration includes a 200 foot thick ozide zone, skarn, recrystallization, biotitization, and sericitization. Host rock units include the Angelica Arkose and the Concha Limestone. The ore zone depth to top was 121.92 meters and depth to bottom was 243.84 meters.
Total sulfide content generally corresponds to total copper content. The strongest mineralization is found in silicated, garnetized, chloritized limestone & siltstone. The quartzite is only weakly mineralized. Clastics are mineralized on the S, and better Cu values occur in contact with porphyry to the SE. The porphyry shows only scattered and weak mineralization. The sulfide zone is 600-800 feet below the surface. Wollastonite occurs in skarn.
Local structures include sediments folded and contorted, dipping steeply; several fault systems, stratigraphic unconformities.
Workings are an open pit operation at 1,524 meters long, 1,219.2 meters wide and 243.84 meters deep. Planned size was 9,000 X 6,500 feet and 1,000 feet deep. Production from 1965 through 1972 amounted to some 29 million tons of ore averaging about 0.8% Cu, 0.1 oz. Ag/T, and minor Mo, Pb & Au.
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Map Reference: 31°53'35"N , 111°2'6"W
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