Section 35 prospect, Cincinnati vein system, Mahoney Mines area, Tres Hermanas Mining District, Tres Hermanas Mountains, Luna County, New Mexico, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Section 35 prospect | Prospect |
| Cincinnati vein system | - not defined - |
| Mahoney Mines area | Area |
| Tres Hermanas Mining District | Mining District |
| Tres Hermanas Mountains | Mountain Range |
| Luna County | Shaft (Reclaimed) |
| New Mexico | State |
| USA | Country |
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 54' 39'' North , 107° 43' 40'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 1,625 (2017) | 12.4km |
| Puerto Palomas | 5,659 (2015) | 17.3km |
| Sunshine | 420 (2011) | 25.4km |
| La Hacienda | 725 (2017) | 32.8km |
| Pulpotio Bareas | 120 (2017) | 34.4km |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Deming Gem & Mineral Society | Deming, New Mexico | 40km |
A lead-zinc prospect is located about 2 miles east of the Marie mine and near the center of the Tres Hermanas stock (at the head of Manning Canyon). The exact location of the mine is the SW¼SE¼ sec. 35, T. 27 S., R. 9 W. Attempts to find the original name of the prospect or of the claims covering the deposit were not successful. The writer, therefore, tentatively has named the deposit the "Section 35" prospect because it is located in that particular section of the township. The location can be reached now only on foot, as the old road leading to the mine has been washed out.
Two shafts of unknown depth and several pits constitute the principal development work done at the prospect. Rotten timber in the shafts prevented an examination of the underground openings; the description here is thus limited to the surface exposures.
One of the shafts is in an arroyo, and the other is about 300 feet to the east on the side of a hill. The shaft in the arroyo is vertical and must be in excess of 50 feet deep, to judge from the falling time of a rock dropped down the shaft. Alluvium covers the outcrops in the immediate vicinity of this shaft, but the dump contains abundant pyrite and arsenopyrite in a highly altered quartz monzonite. The feldspars of the original rock have been completely destroyed by the formation of sericite and kaolin. Sparse blebs and crystals of sphalerite and galena also accompany the pyrites.
The shaft located on the hillside is inclined steeply to the south, and it too is probably in excess of 50 feet deep. The shaft dump contains highly pyritized and altered quartz monzonite similar to that on the dump of the shaft in the arroyo. At the time the prospect was examined, several hundred pounds of excellent lead-zinc ore was piled near the shaft collar. This ore was probably hand sorted; therefore, it is not expected to be representative of the average tenor of that in place. Immediately east of the shaft, what appears to be an east-striking vein is exposed. Dump material and alluvium prevented tracing the vein back to the west. It may be that the vein continues to the shaft in the arroyo, some 300 feet to the west, but this cannot be stated conclusively without examining the underground workings.
The quartz monzonite exposed on the hill immediately east of the easternmost shaft is fresh; that is, not hydrothermally altered. On the other hand, the few outcrops of this rock exposed near the west shaft show moderate alteration at least 200 feet north and probably south of that shaft. Therefore, it appears that the deposit is restricted to a triangular zone of alteration, the apex of the triangle being located at the east shaft and the base extending in a north-south direction through the west shaft.
The Eagle-Picher Co. drilled a churn drill hole 465 feet deep in the vicinity of this mine in 1937 as part of the exploration undertaken by that company in the Tres Hermanas district (see p. 66). The exact location of the hole relative to the two shafts is not known. The log of the cuttings from this hole indicated oxidation to a depth of 130 feet, then a heavily pyritized zone from 130 to 290 feet, and finally barren quartz monzonite from 290 feet to the bottom of the hole. The pyritized zone contained small, but far from economic, amounts of galena and sphalerite. The cuttings were also assayed for copper, but only traces of this metal were present.
Alteration: Sericitization, Kaolinization, Pyritization Two shafts of unknown depth and several pits constitute the principal development work done at the prospect. Rotten timber in the shafts prevented an examination of the underground openings; the description here is thus limited to the surface exposures.
One of the shafts is in an arroyo, and the other is about 300 feet to the east on the side of a hill. The shaft in the arroyo is vertical and must be in excess of 50 feet deep, to judge from the falling time of a rock dropped down the shaft. Alluvium covers the outcrops in the immediate vicinity of this shaft, but the dump contains abundant pyrite and arsenopyrite in a highly altered quartz monzonite. The feldspars of the original rock have been completely destroyed by the formation of sericite and kaolin. Sparse blebs and crystals of sphalerite and galena also accompany the pyrites.
The shaft located on the hillside is inclined steeply to the south, and it too is probably in excess of 50 feet deep. The shaft dump contains highly pyritized and altered quartz monzonite similar to that on the dump of the shaft in the arroyo. At the time the prospect was examined, several hundred pounds of excellent lead-zinc ore was piled near the shaft collar. This ore was probably hand sorted; therefore, it is not expected to be representative of the average tenor of that in place. Immediately east of the shaft, what appears to be an east-striking vein is exposed. Dump material and alluvium prevented tracing the vein back to the west. It may be that the vein continues to the shaft in the arroyo, some 300 feet to the west, but this cannot be stated conclusively without examining the underground workings.
The quartz monzonite exposed on the hill immediately east of the easternmost shaft is fresh; that is, not hydrothermally altered. On the other hand, the few outcrops of this rock exposed near the west shaft show moderate alteration at least 200 feet north and probably south of that shaft. Therefore, it appears that the deposit is restricted to a triangular zone of alteration, the apex of the triangle being located at the east shaft and the base extending in a north-south direction through the west shaft.
The Eagle-Picher Co. drilled a churn drill hole 465 feet deep in the vicinity of this mine in 1937 as part of the exploration undertaken by that company in the Tres Hermanas district (see p. 66). The exact location of the hole relative to the two shafts is not known. The log of the cuttings from this hole indicated oxidation to a depth of 130 feet, then a heavily pyritized zone from 130 to 290 feet, and finally barren quartz monzonite from 290 feet to the bottom of the hole. The pyritized zone contained small, but far from economic, amounts of galena and sphalerite. The cuttings were also assayed for copper, but only traces of this metal were present.
Deposit: 465 ft drill hole located on uneconomic pyritized zone between 130 and 240 ft.
Rock formation(s): Tres Hermanas Stock
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
6 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:
| ⓘ Arsenopyrite Formula: FeAsS |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS |
| ⓘ Kaolinite Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| ⓘ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| ⓘ | Arsenopyrite | 2.EB.20 | FeAsS |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | var. Sericite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Kaolinite | 9.ED.05 | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| As | Arsenic | |
| As | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10062736 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
- Sierra Madre OrientalWide Rift
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.
Section 35 prospect, Cincinnati vein system, Mahoney Mines area, Tres Hermanas Mining District, Tres Hermanas Mountains, Luna County, New Mexico, USA