GypsumBuena Vista Mine, Providencia Canyon, Patagonia District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA
Photo: 2001 John H. Betts Latitude: 31°22'50"N
Longitude: 110°46'5"W
‡Ref.: Schrader, F.C., and Hill, J.M. (1910) Some occurrences of molybdenite in the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, in Contributions to economic geology (short papers and preliminary reports) 1909 - Part I--Metals and nonmetals except fuels: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 430.
Schrader, F.C. & J.M. Hill (1915), Mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, USGS Bull. 582: 314-315.
Young, P.C. (1969) Surface geology and soil geochemistry of the Buena Vista mine area, Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona: Golden, Colorado School of Mines, M.S. thesis.
Simons, F.S. (1972) Mesozoic stratigraphy of the Patagonia Mountains and adjoining areas, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, in Mesozoic stratigraphy in southeastern Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 658-E.
Keith, Stanton B. (1975), Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 191, Index of Mining Properties in Santa Cruz County Arizona: 75 (Table 4).
U.S. Bureau of Mines - Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology file data.
U.S. Bureau of Mines Coronado National Forest Study Report.
U.S. Bureau of Mines field notes.
Arizona Bureau of Mines card file Santa Cruz County.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10098206, MRDS ID #M001429; and, Dep. ID #10283459, MAS ID #0040230136.
A former small underground Cu-Pb-Ag-Au-Zn-Mo mine located on 4 claims in the E½SW¼ sec. 36, T.23S., R.15E. (protracted), 3.5 miles N of the Mexican border; S of Providencia Canyon proper, 10 miles NE of Nogales, 1/8 mile SW of the King Mine, ½ mile ESE of the Bennett Mine in a south branch of Providencia Canyon, at an elevation of about 4,800 feet, on National Forest land. Located in 1895 by Michael Maloney. Produced 1915-1958. Owned/operated at times, or in part, by Maloney (1895-1900); Black Mountain Mining Co., Prieto, Mexico (1900- ); Banco del Oro Mining Co. (1910), Magdelena, Sonora, Mexico; Goodview Mining & Milling Co.; Kino Copper Co.; Coronado Mines, Inc.; Graybill & Jarnagin; Dunham & Nañez. Operated by Jarnagin & Bopp (1958).
Mineralization is a series (½ dozen or more) of narrow, irregular quartz-calcite veins, associated with bands of crushed mineralized rock containing pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite and minor molybdenite. Structure is a fault or shear zone cutting Laramide granodiorite (quartz monzonite). The ore zone is 1.83 meters wide, strikes N30-40E and dips 60SSE. Minor oxidation with some covellite and galena showing at the surface. Ore concentration was primary enrichment, deposited during early stages of fissure filling.
The veins and shear zone dip about 60ºSE. The 140 foot long crosscut drift crosses numerous small fissures and mineralized slips, and shows a 4 foot iron-stained zone of crushed granite and quartz carrying pyrite, chalcopyrite and a little molybdenite.
The vein in the upper tunnel varies from 2 to 6 feet in width and is separated from the granitic country rock by gouge. It is filled mainly with quartz and calcite, containing pyrite, chalcopyrite, and bornite, and a small amount of azurite and malachite in the gouge material.
The metallic minerals are found next to the walls and favored the hanging wall, and accordingly they were deposited during the early stages of fissure filling. The pyrite and chalcopyrite are coated with black sulphide of copper and in places shown the iridescent colors of covellite. Copper and iron sulphates are being deposited in the workings.
Some surface work in the saddle above the drift shows a strong quartz vein with galena and a little chalcopyrite.
Workings include about 4,000 feet (1219.2 meters) of work contained in 3 tunnels and their winzes. Two of the tunnels, between the 4700 and 5000 feet of elevation, of which the lower is 415 feet in length and the other 670 feet, are drifts on the main vein. The other is a crosscut which opens a parallel vein. There are 3 winzes between 40 to 100 feet deep from the upper tunnel. Located in the late 1800's and mined intermittently through 1958. Produced some 850 tons of ore averaging about 3% Cu, 1 oz. Ag/T, and minor Au & Pb.
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