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Chance Mine, Cochise County, Arizona, USAi
Regional Level Types
Chance MineMine
Cochise CountyCounty
ArizonaState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 42' 6'' North , 109° 32' 35'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
31.70167,-109.54333
GRN:
N22W66
Type:
Mine
Köppen climate type:
BSk : Cold semi-arid (steppe) climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Elfrida459 (2011)13.7km
McNeal238 (2011)16.4km
Sunizona281 (2011)22.6km
Pirtleville1,744 (2015)38.3km
Douglas16,592 (2017)39.7km
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
ClubLocationDistance
Sunsites Gem and Mineral ClubPearce, Arizona35km
Mindat Locality ID:
32824
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:32824:6
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Colford Copper Mine; Taylor claims; Scheerer Mine; Scherer property


A former small underground Pb-Ag-Au-Cu-Zn-V mine located in the South-central sec. 12, T.20S., R.27E., in the northeastern part of the Swishelm Mountains, a few hundred feet NE of the Mountain Queen Mine(Swisshelm Mountain 7.5 minute topo map). Discovered in 1885 by Jacob Scherer. Produced 1924-1956. The claims were located in 1885. Owned by the Chance Mining Co. (Dan Huckins and J. Rydbom)(1974- ); and, the Colford Copper Co.

Mineralization is a replacement deposit with base metal sulfides and carbonates in several small, tabular replacement orebodies along or adjacent to fracture zones in a folded and faulted overthrust block of Pennsylvanian-Permian Naco Group limestone, underlain by diorite porphyry. The beds strike northwesterly and dip approximately 55º southwestward. The overthrust block is underlain by the tabular body of diorite porphyry and is broken by a series of northeasterly-trending fractures with steep dips.

Four ore bodies had been discovered to the end of 1947.

Local structures include NNW-trending thrust faults in the Swisshelm overthrust with Pennsylvanian Naco Group over rhyolite porphyry. The Pennsylvanian Naco Group strikes NW and dips 55SW.

Workings include a shaft to the 250 level, a manway, drifts, and crosscuts aggregating about 1,300 feet of work. A shallow inclined shaft was sunk near the northern end of the group of claims in 1915 (no ore). Some 7,000 tons of ore were produced sporadically from the 1880's to 1956, mainly during the period 1945 to 1951.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


5 valid minerals.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘSphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
ⓘGalena2.CD.10PbS
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘVanadinite8.BN.05Pb5(VO4)3Cl

List of minerals for each chemical element

CCarbon
Cⓘ CerussitePbCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Oⓘ VanadinitePb5(VO4)3Cl
SSulfur
Sⓘ GalenaPbS
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
Sⓘ SphaleriteZnS
ClChlorine
Clⓘ VanadinitePb5(VO4)3Cl
VVanadium
Vⓘ VanadinitePb5(VO4)3Cl
FeIron
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
ZnZinc
Znⓘ SphaleriteZnS
PbLead
Pbⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Pbⓘ GalenaPbS
Pbⓘ VanadinitePb5(VO4)3Cl

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:10027130

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Mexico
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Arizona Department of Mineral Resources file data.
Arizona Bureau of Mines files.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10027130, MRDS ID #M002185; and, Dep. ID #10112568, MAS ID #0040030112; and, Dep ID #10209990, MAS ID #0040030118.
Loring, W.B. (1947) Geology and ore deposits of the Mountain Queen area, northern Swisshelm Mountains, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 65 p.
(1951, July) Arizona Zinc and Lead Deposits - Part II. University of Arizona Bulletin 158. Arizona Bureau of Minespp.34-35
Cooper, J.R. (1959) Reconnaissance geologic map of southeastern Cochise County, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Field Studies Map MF-213, 1 sheet, scale 1:125,000.
(1973) Index of Mining Properties in Cochise County, Arizona. University of Arizona Bulletin 187. Arizona Bureau of Mines p.71 - Table 4
Niemuth, Nyal J., Phillips, Ken A. (1992, July) Copper Oxide Resources. Open-file Report 92-10. Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resourcesp.4 - Table 1
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