Mardun Mine (White Mesa Cu occurrences; White Mesa Copper deposit), White Mesa, White Mesa Mining District, Coconino County, Arizona, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Mardun Mine (White Mesa Cu occurrences; White Mesa Copper deposit) | Mesa |
| White Mesa | Mesa |
| White Mesa Mining District | Mining District |
| Coconino County | County |
| Arizona | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
36° North , 111° West (est.)
Estimate based on other nearby localities or region boundaries.
Margin of Error:
~5km
Type:
KΓΆppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
41244
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:41244:8
GUID (UUID V4):
779024c1-4faf-4297-894b-24122b082b37
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
White Mesa Mining Co.
A Cu occurrence/mine complex located in the SEΒΌ sec. 5, T37N, R9E, G&SRM. This locality is not listed in the USGS MRDS database.
Cu occurrence(s) located on/near White Mesa. The sandstone copper deposits here described are near the NW margin of the Kaibito Plateau in the Western Navajo Reservation. The area, known as the White Mesa Mining District, is in unsurveyed T37N, R9-10E. It consists of 9 patented and 28 unpatented claims, 2 mining and prospecting leases, an abandoned mil1site lease and a campsite lease. The mine is about halfway between the Gap and Page, 27 miles off Highway 89.
Mineralization is a Cu deposit hosted in the White Mesa Sandstone deposits and includes secondary copper minerals. Copper carbonates and chalcocite impregnations occur in cross-bedded, white, Jurassic sandstones.
The copper deposits occur in the upper portion of the nearly horizontal, highly cross-bedded, gray Navajo sandstone (Jurassic?). Occasional large, tabular bodies and numerous small pods of copper ore occur through an interval of at least 150 feet in the upper part of the formation. The deposits are disseminations of malachite, copper silicates, and minor quantities of copper pitch and sulfides in sandstone, the copper minerals occurring as cementing and grain-coating materials. Grade varies up to 15%, but it is doubtful it any of the deposits will average much higher than 1%.
Copper mineralization is principally chrysocolla and other silicates, some malachite & black oxides. These have replaced in part the clayey matrix of the sandstone. Gangue, in addition to sand grains comprising the sandstone, is mainly chalcedony, which occurs in anastomosing stringers associated with the higher grades of ore. Veinlets of calcite are rare. Limonite is commonly disseminated in the sandstone as variable but rarely extensive halos around the copper bodies.
According to C. Kuzell, the sandstone copper ore carries "pitch copper." It is a hydrated copper oxide which looks like obsidian. It has chemically
bonded H2O. This mineral "has dry look-like flint."
Mesa Mining has drilled approximately 200 holes to define the deposit. It has also done extensive testing to develop the metallurgical process and has completed conceptual engineering for the mine and facilities.
A great amount of stripping will be necessary to recover some of the ore in pit. Walls are too high (75+ feet) and incompetent at the top - northside. South side of pit has less overburden, but pit design is difficult.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
5 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| β Calcite Formula: CaCO3 |
| β Chalcocite Formula: Cu2S |
| β Chrysocolla Formula: Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 Description: Occurs in sandstone. |
| β 'Limonite' |
| β Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| β Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
| β Quartz var. Chalcedony Formula: SiO2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| β | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| β | Quartz var. Chalcedony | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| β | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| β | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| β | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| β | Chrysocolla | 9.ED.20 | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 Β· nH2O, x < 1 |
| Unclassified | |||
| β | 'Limonite' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | β Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| H | β Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | β Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | β Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | β Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | β Quartz var. Chalcedony | SiO2 |
| O | β Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| O | β Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | β Quartz | SiO2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | β Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | β Quartz var. Chalcedony | SiO2 |
| Si | β Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Si | β Quartz | SiO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | β Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | β Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | β Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | β Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Cu | β Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Chugar Group Area BasinBasin
- Great Plains DomainDomain
USA
- Arizona & Utah
- Apache; Navajo and San Juan Cos.
- Colorado Plateau
- Apache; Navajo and San Juan Cos.
- Colorado PlateauPlateau
- ⭔Navajo Nation Indian ReservationReservation
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References
