Gold Bullion Mine (Banes 1 & 2 claims; Banes claims; Last Chance claim group; Tellurium claim group), Weaver Canyon, Baboquivari District, Baboquivari Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, USA
Latitude: 31°43'26"N
Longitude: 111°35'51"W
‡Ref.: Joseph, P.E. (1915-1916) Molybdenum - Second edition: Arizona Bureau of Mines Bulletin no. 5, 15 p.
University of Arizona Bull. 41 (1916-17), Mineralogy of Useful Minerals in AZrizona: 46.
Wilson, E.D., Cunningham, J.B., and Butler, G.M. (1934), Arizona Lode Gold Mines and Gold Mining (revised 1967), Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 137: 181.
Galbraith, F.W. (1947), Minerals of Arizona, Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 153: 24.
Donald, P.G. (1958) Geology of the Fresnal Peak area, Baboquivari Mountains, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 45 p.
Kirkemo, H., Anderson, C.A., and Creasey, S.C. (1965) Investigations of molybdenum deposits in the conterminous United States, 1942-60: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1182-E, 90 p., 7 sheets: E10-E11.
Keith, Stanton B. (1974), Arizona Bureau of Geology & Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch Bull. 189, Index of Mining Properties in Pima County, Arizona: 109 (Table 4).
Nowlan, G.A., Haxel, G.B., Hanna, W.F., Pitkin, J.A., Diveley-White, D.V., McDonnell, J.R., Jr., and Lundby, W. (1989) Mineral resources of the Baboquivari Peak and Coyote Mountains Wilderness Study Areas, Pima County, Arizona, Chapter E, in Mineral resources of Wilderness Study Areas: Southwestern and south-central Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1702-E, p. E1-E30.
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 301.
Arizona Bureau of Mines file data.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10039527, MRDS ID #M050222; and, Dep. ID #10113523, MAS ID #0040190232.
A former small underground Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn-Mo-W-V mine located on 2 claims (Banes 1 & Bames 2), in South-central sec. 35, T.19S., R.7E. & the North-central sec. 2, T.20S., R.7E, on the north side of Weaver Canyon, about 7 miles west of the highway and about 3 miles from Baboquivari Peak. Discovered and first produced in 1885. Owned by H.E. Heighton. Owned/operated at times, or in part, by the Gold Bullion Mines Co.; the Gold Bullion Consolidated Mining Co.; and, Moore.
Mineralization is sporadic pockets of auriferous pyrite with minor sulfides that are partly oxidized, along fault-fissures, bedding plane faults, and in strong quartz veins or pegmatites in metamorphosed Cretaceous sedimentary bed, strongly altered and cut by intrusive dikes. The ore body is 441.96 meters long, 2.44 meters wide, 3.66 meters thick with 16.76 meters to the tiop of the ore body from surface and 68.58 meters to its bottom. The body strikes N70W and dips 40-70N.
The country rock is aplitic granite cut by quartz veins that have considerable range in size and trend. The vein on which the 2 shafts were sunk strikes N.70ºW. and dips 70ºN. near the surface but flattens to 40ºN. below the 55 level. The vein pinches and swells; it is 8 feet wide on the 55 level of the western shaft.
Molybdenite was found only in the lower level in workings largely in the hanging wall of the main quartz vein. The molybdenite is assocated with quartz that forms narrow veins as much as 1 inch wide and 15 feet long. Faulting after the deposition of the molybdenite crushed the quartz and smeared the molybdenite. The veins, which grade into narrow gouge zones, strike NW & NE.
Local structures include fault fissures, bedding plane faults, and some post-mineralization faulting; crushed quartz.
Workings include a 270 foot deep shaft and underground workings. The inclined shaft was sunk to about 225 between 1906 and 1910, connecting to two drifts. A second shaft connects with the upper of the two levels. Intermittent gold production occurred in the 1880's, from about 1910 to 1918, and in 1939. Some 3,100 or more tons of ore were produced, averaging about 1.0 oz. Au/T, 12 oz. Ag/T and minor Cu and Pb. Several 100 tons of high-grade molybdenum ore were shipped in 1916, which was mined from a stope 20 feet high, 40 feet long, and 6 to 10 feet wide (the 'molybdenite' stope), which is the largest stope. The Mo ore was mined out and finding additional pockets was considered too hard.
Mineral List
5 entries listed. 4 valid minerals.
The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please
register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to
visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders
for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.
Mineral and Locality Search
