Latitude: 31°55'29"N
Longitude: 110°41'50"W
‡Ref.: Guild, F.N. (1907), The composition of molybdite from Arizona, American Journal of Science: 23: 455-456.
Schrader, F.C. & J.M. Hill (1909), Some occurrences of molybdenite in the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, USGS Bull. 430.
Schrader, F.C. & J.M. Hill (1915), Mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, USGS Bull. 582: 92, 138.
Galbraith, F.W. (1947), Minerals of Arizona, Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 153: 24.
Creasey, S.C. & G.L. Quick (1955), Copper deposits of part of Helvetia mining district, Pima County, Arizona, USGS Bull. 1027-F: 301-323.
Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of Arizona: 110.
Keith, Stanton B. (1974), Arizona Bureau of Geology & Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch Bull. 189, Index of Mining Properties in Pima County, Arizona: 128 (Table 4).
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 302, 314.
USGS Empire Mountains Quadrangle topo map.
Arizona Bureau of Mines file data, circa 1973.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10103754, MRDS ID #M050492; and, Dep. ID #10186317, MAS ID #0040190897; and, Dep. ID #10234482, MAS ID #0040190355.
A former small surface and underground Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn-Au-Mo-Sb mine located on 12 claims in the center of sec. 27, T.17S., R.16E., 1 mile SE of the Cuprite Mine, 2 miles NE of Mount Fagan and 7 miles NE of Helvetia. Located in 1902. G.F. Andrade; and, R. Andrade (1947), had unknown involvement here.
Mineralization is banded, partly oxidized lead-zinc-copper minerals, with spotty molybdenum, in irregular, pyrometasomatic replacement deposits in a dark, garnetized, Cretaceous limestone bed along faulting and in contact with quartz latite porphyry intrusive. The limestone is freely intruded by dikes and stocks of an aplitic rock and in the vicinity of the mine, especially to the south, is well mineralized. The ore zone is 2.13 meters wide and dips 45N. In the region around the mine the limestone is overlain by dark greenish Mesozoic rocks which are principally shale. The host rock unit is the Apache Canyon Formation, garnetized limestone. Alteration includes quartz-sericite-pyrite. The ore contains about 4 oz/t Ag and "appreciable" Au. Sulfides occur at 60 feet.
The vein or principal part of the ledge has a width of 7 feet (2 meters), and dips 45ºN. Alteration & mineralization are in both limestone and quartz porphyry. The limestone is silicated & seems to carry most of the sulfides. The quartz porphyry is cut by pyrite veinlets. Pyritic alteration is disseminated erratically in the general area. Not much sericite and it only occurs in quartz porphyry. Chalcopyrite appears interoginous with hematite. It is uncertain if the hematite is after magnetite. Material from the surface openings contains Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn-Mo-Sb.
Workings include a 150 foot (45.72 meters) deep shaft, a short crosscut, and surface operations. Worked from 1882 to 1952, sporadically producing some 150 tons of ore averaging about 2% Pb, 2% Cu, 1 oz. Ag/T, and 0.3 oz. Au/T.
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