North San Xavier pit (San Xavier North pit; San Xavier Mine), Mission complex, Pima Mining District (Olive Mining District; Mineral Hill Mining District; Twin Buttes Mining District), Sierrita Mountains, San Xavier (Tohono O'odom) Indian Reservation, Pima County, Arizona, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
32° 1' 39'' North , 111° 4' 50'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Valencia West | 9,355 (2011) | 12.1km |
| Summit | 5,372 (2011) | 12.9km |
| Drexel Heights | 27,749 (2011) | 13.6km |
| Sahuarita | 25,707 (2017) | 14.1km |
| East Sahuarita | 1,622 (2006) | 17.2km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Old Pueblo Lapidary Club | Tucson, Arizona | 26km |
| Tucson Gem and Mineral Society | Tucson, Arizona | 26km |
‡Ref.: Engineering and Mining Journal (1972), March, 1972.
Paydirt (1972), August 28, 1972.
Paydirt (1972), October 23, 1972.
Paydirt (1973), March 26, 1973.
Greeley, M.N. (1978) The primary copper industry of Arizona in 1975-1976: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources Special Report no. 2, SR-2, 87 p, 1 sheet.
King, J.R. (1978) The geology of the San Xavier North porphyry copper deposit, Pima mining district, Arizona [abs.], in Jenney, J.P., and Hauck, H.R., eds., Proceedings of the Porphyry Copper Symposium, Tucson, Ariz., March 18-20, 1976: Arizona Geological Society Digest, v. 11, p. 101-102.
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 262.
http://www.asarcocu.com/ASARCOinArizona/arinaz01.htm
www.asarco.com.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10039668, MRDS ID #M050619; and, Dep. ID #10186260, MAS ID #0040190028.
A medium-output surface Cu-Ag mine located in the NE¼ sec. 23 and the NW¼ sec. 24, T16S, R12E, 15 miles S of Tucson, and 2½ miles N of the Mission Porphyry Copper deposit. The North San Xavier pit is located on the San Xavier Indian Reservation of the Tohono O'odom tribe, foothills of the Sierrita Mountains, South of Tucson. It is within the greater Mission complex of the ASARCO Corporation that is otherwise on private land (except the tailing piles, which are also on the reservation). The North San Xavier pit was developed by ASARCO and started production in 1972.
Mineralization is a porphyry copper deposit covered by a chalcocite enrichment cap under alluvial cover and contained an oxide zone. Principal ore minerals are disseminated sulfides. Ore control was clastic wall rocks, stratigraphy. Mo and Ag also concentrated in the porphyry. Ore concentration was supergene processes operating in the Mid-Tertiary. Alteration was phyllic. Depth to the bottom of the ore is 609.6 meters.
1-3% sulfides by volume. Pyrite:Chalcopyrite ratio 1:1 to 1:3 in ore, 10:1 TO 3:1 in the pyrite zone. The chalcocite blanket averages 0.6 to 1.0% Cu. The oxide copper grade is about 3.8% Cu.
Local structures include the folding of sedimentary rocks. The San Xavier fault is the lower boundary of the mineralizaed rocks.
Workings are a large open pit. Drilling began in 1957 after competitive bidding to the Tohono O'odom (Papago) Indians. Production of Cu-bearing flux began in 1968. Copper oxide ore production began in 1973.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Azurite Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Chalcocite Formula: Cu2S References: |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ Chrysocolla Formula: Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 References: |
| ⓘ Jarosite Formula: KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 Description: Occurs as fracture coatings & botryoidal masses in open spaces. |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Molybdenite Formula: MoS2 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Tenorite Formula: CuO References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Molybdenite | 2.EA.30 | MoS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Tenorite | 4.AB.10 | CuO |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Azurite | 5.BA.05 | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Jarosite | 7.BC.10 | KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Chrysocolla | 9.ED.20 | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| H | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| O | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Tenorite | CuO |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Tenorite | CuO |
| Mo | Molybdenum | |
| Mo | ⓘ Molybdenite | MoS2 |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10039668 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Mexico
- Sierra Madre OccidentalMountain Range
North AmericaContinent
- Sonoran DesertDesert
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
- Southern Basin and RangeWide Rift
USA
- Arizona
- ⭔Tohono O'odham ReservationReservation
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North San Xavier pit, Mission complex, Pima Mining District, Sierrita Mountains, San Xavier (Tohono O'odom) Indian Reservation, Pima County, Arizona, USA