Altata Mine, Chloride, Chloride Mining District, Wallapai Mining District, Cerbat Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
35° 24' 4'' North , 114° 10' 58'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Chloride | 271 (2011) | 2.1km |
| So-Hi | 477 (2017) | 16.9km |
| Golden Valley | 8,370 (2011) | 20.1km |
| New Kingman-Butler | 12,134 (2011) | 20.4km |
| Clacks Canyon | 173 (2017) | 22.5km |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mohave County Gemstoners | Kingman, Arizona | 26km |
| Silvery Colorado River Rock Club | Bullhead City, Arizona | 45km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Cinco de Mayo Mine; Little Giant Mine; Antietam Mine
A former Cu-Ag-Au-Pb-As-Mo occurrence/mine located in the NE¼NE¼NE¼ sec. 10 & in the NW¼NW¼NW¼ sec. 11, T23N, R18W, G&SRM, 1 mile SE of Chloride, on Bureau of Land Management administered and/or private land. Owned by J. Lowitz, New York (1957). Operated 1901-1948. The USGS MRDS database stated accuracy for this locality is 500 meters.
Mineralization is a vein deposit hosted in schist. The ore body strikes N40W, and dips 75NE at 0.91 meter wide. Mineralization is associated with a Lower Cretaceous porphyry intrusion. Precambrian schistosity strikes N30ºE. Veins, fissures and dikes strike NW to NNW regionally. Associated rocks include Late Cretaceous-Neoproterozoic granite. Local rocks include Early Proterozoic granitic rocks and/or Quaternary surficial deposits, undivided.
Workings include underground openings with an overall depth of 54.86 meters.
The Altata mine, one of the principal copper mines and one of the first mines worked in the district, is situated at the base of the mountains about 2 miles southeast of Chloride and about 100 feet above it and is easy of access. It is owned by the Altata Mining Company, of Chicago, and is steadily producing at a moderate rate.
The mine is developed principally by a main shaft and drifts to the depth of 180 feet. A large dump shows that considerable work has been done. The production is reported to have been about $200,000. The country rock is pre-Cambrian schist, striking N. 23° E. with vertical dip. The vein strikes- N. 40° W. and dips about 75° NE. Surface exposures indicate that it is not more than 2 or 3 feet thick, but it is reported to widen downward and to have contained a large body of good-grade ore near the surface, and also a similar one extending from the 130-foot level to a point below the 160-foot level.
The ore contains copper and silver in a quartz gangue, the copper occurring chiefly as bornite and being locally enriched by secondary chalcocite. Smelter returns show 32 carloads of the ore shipped some years ago to have averaged about $100 a ton, of which 20 per cent was copper and the rest silver. In the crosscut in the bottom of the mine a new vein, 20 feet thick, has recently been encountered with an 18-inch ore shoot on the hanging wall and a 24-inch shoot on the foot wall. The assay value of the ore varies from $12 to $15 a ton in gold, silver, and copper, and some similar ore is scattered across the intervening width of the vein
The mine is developed principally by a main shaft and drifts to the depth of 180 feet. A large dump shows that considerable work has been done. The production is reported to have been about $200,000. The country rock is pre-Cambrian schist, striking N. 23° E. with vertical dip. The vein strikes- N. 40° W. and dips about 75° NE. Surface exposures indicate that it is not more than 2 or 3 feet thick, but it is reported to widen downward and to have contained a large body of good-grade ore near the surface, and also a similar one extending from the 130-foot level to a point below the 160-foot level.
The ore contains copper and silver in a quartz gangue, the copper occurring chiefly as bornite and being locally enriched by secondary chalcocite. Smelter returns show 32 carloads of the ore shipped some years ago to have averaged about $100 a ton, of which 20 per cent was copper and the rest silver. In the crosscut in the bottom of the mine a new vein, 20 feet thick, has recently been encountered with an 18-inch ore shoot on the hanging wall and a 24-inch shoot on the foot wall. The assay value of the ore varies from $12 to $15 a ton in gold, silver, and copper, and some similar ore is scattered across the intervening width of the vein
Mineralization is a vein deposit hosted in schist. The ore body strikes N40W, and dips 75NE at 0.91 meter wide. Mineralization is associated with a Lower Cretaceous porphyry intrusion. Precambrian schistosity strikes N30ºE. Veins, fissures and dikes strike NW to NNW regionally. Associated rocks include Late Cretaceous-Neoproterozoic granite. Local rocks include Early Proterozoic granitic rocks and/or Quaternary surficial deposits, undivided.
Workings include underground openings with an overall depth of 54.86 meters.
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
8 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Bornite Formula: Cu5FeS4 References: |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Chalcocite Formula: Cu2S References: |
| ⓘ Cuprite Formula: Cu2O Description: As rich & beautifully crystalline material. |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS References: |
| ⓘ Molybdenite Formula: MoS2 References: |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 References: |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| ⓘ | Bornite | 2.BA.15 | Cu5FeS4 |
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Molybdenite | 2.EA.30 | MoS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Cuprite | 4.AA.10 | Cu2O |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| C | Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Mo | Molybdenum | |
| Mo | ⓘ Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10137592 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mojave DomainDomain
- Southern Basin and RangeWide Rift
USA
- Mojave DesertDesert
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