Big Steve Mine, Pena Blanca Lake, Big Steve - White Oak group, Pajarito District, Pajarito Mts, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA

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A former small surface and underground Ag-Pb-Au-Cu-Zn-U mine located in North-central sec. 2, T.24S., R.12E, 1 mile N of Pajarito Peak (elevation 5236), on National Forest land. The White Oak and Big Steve Mines are part of a group of 4 claims in the area. Produced 1926-1958. Owned by Mr. W.H. Clarke (1966). Operated by W.H. Clarke (1926 to 1950), and Mr. W.V. Rhea (1958).

Mineralization is irregular, narrow, shear zones containing spotty argentiferous, oxidized, lead mineralization, largely cerussite, pyrite, and minor copper, zinc, and gold, cutting Cretaceous quartz latite volcanics. The ore zone is 457.2 meters long, 9.14 meters wide, striking N55E and dipping 70SE to vertical. Mineralization fills fissures and partly replaces gouge and breccia. Spotty kasolite, uranophane, autunite and uranium-bearing pyromorphite have been recognized. Pyrite gossan. Ore is found within bounding fault planes. No trace of the host rock is left in the shear zone except for some quartz phenocrysts. Uranium is found in 2 small intersecting veins (dipping 75 and 41 degrees) about 15 feet long, 6 inches wide and 10 feet thick at the White Oak Mine.

Workings include shaft, adit, pits, and open cut operations. Worked for high-grade silver values prior to 1900 and sporadically from 1925 through 1958. UTM taken to the White Oaks shaft at the head of Walker Canyon; the Big Steve Mine shaft is about 1/4 mile W of the White Oaks shaft.

Production was 300 tons of ore averaging about 60 oz/ton Ag; 33% Pb; 0.3 oz/ton Au; minor Cu. Selected samples assayed up to 0.82% U and a chip sample assayed 0.47% U. Concentrations of high grade material are small, discontinuous and rare.

Mineral List

Anglesite Autunite Calcite Cerussite

Chalcopyrite Chrysocolla Fluorite Galena

Kasolite Malachite Marcasite Pyrite

Pyromorphite Quartz var: Amethyst Uranophane

15 entries listed. 14 valid minerals.

References