Carmen Mine, La Bufa, Batopilas Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexicoi

Regional Level Types
Carmen Mine	Mine
La Bufa	- not defined -
Batopilas Municipality	Municipality
Chihuahua	State
Mexico	Country

The Carmen Mine (Mina el Carmen NOT Mina La Bufa or Bufa Mine, these are incorrect names for El Carmen)is a vein mine about 12km uproad from Batopilas town in Batopilas Municipality. It was found in the late 1930 and put into production in 1947-8 after WWII. It operated for 20 years. The owners were the Potosi Mining Company, who also owned the Potosi Mine at Santa Eulalia. In those days the Hearst Family of California had a large stake in the company.

The vein ranges from 2 to over 5m wide and was mined at least 600m into the mountain. The principal adit is right on the road to Batopilas and there are several other adits along it up the mountain. An internal shaft goes down about 200m.

The vein is copper dominant with variable gold. Gold content increases above the principal adit and also occurs in a silicified halo that increases upwards to over 20m wide around the vein.

Mineralization was mostly sulfides with chalcopyrite and pyrite dominant with a quartz gangue. The most abundant specimens are sharp to rounded chalcopyrite dispehnoids on quartz crystals. Native copper occurred locally in the upper parts of the vein and is well known as specimens. These tend to be 3 dimensional lattices of fine, elongate copper crystals partially to completely enclosed in calcite. The calcites are distinctive stubby 2-stage scalenohedrons locally capped by a flat rhombohedron. The copper is generally oxidized or tarnished-- brilliant Michigan-like crystals in calcite are rare. In many instances the copper is oxidized to malachite.

In recent years the locals have taken to damming up the main adit at the road level to create a pond where they toss in scrap iron to precipitate
cement copper from the copper sulfate laden waters. Some rocks coated with pale green copper oxides have been collected and sold to tourists en route to Batopilas

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References