Canon Mine, Middle Peak (Middle Sisters Peak), Tres Hermanas Mining District, Tres Hermanas Mountains, Luna County, New Mexico, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 52' 27'' North , 107° 43' 29'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 1,625 (2017) | 9.5km |
| Puerto Palomas | 5,659 (2015) | 13.8km |
| Sunshine | 420 (2011) | 29.5km |
| La Hacienda | 725 (2017) | 36.9km |
| Guadalupe Victoria | 1,369 (2018) | 37.8km |
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 | 44km |
A Cu occurrence/prospect located in the NE¼ sec. 14, T28S, R9W, NMM, 4.4 km (2.7 miles) SSW of Middle Peak (coordinates of record), S of Mary Lee Draw and N of Rascon Canyon, on Bureau of Land Management administered land (located claim). Owned by Boyce Cook, New Mexico (1961). Operated by the Western Minerals Company (1961).
Local rocks include volcanic and some volcaniclastic rocks.
Workings include underground openings comprised of at least 2 shafts.
Location and Access: A copper prospect is located in the NE1/4 sec. 14, T. 28 S., R. 9 W. The deposit can be reached by traveling 5 miles west-northwest of Columbus on a road leading to the old Rascon ranch and thence one-half mile to the northwest.
History: The early history of the deposit is not known. The Western Minerals Co. now leases a group of 19 claims covering the deposit from Mr. Boyce Cook, of Columbus. This company, of which Mr. W. A. White is general manager, was developing the deposit in the hope of installing a copper leaching plant at the time of the writer's visit to the area in July 1959.
Geology of the deposit: The deposit is located in the northwest-trending belt of Tertiary extrusive andesite that surrounds the southwestern side of the Tres Hermanas quartz monzonite stock (fig. 5). The volcanic rocks consist of andesite breccias, tuffs, and minor flows. Two sets of latite porphyry dikes, one trending northeast and the other northwest, cut the andesite series. These dikes are believed to be later than, though closely related to, the intrusion of the Tres Hermanas stock. Two parallel dikes, only about 200 feet apart and belonging to the northeast-trending set, are located about one-eighth mile north of the prospect.
The most important showing of copper is in a vein striking N. 20° W. and dipping about 75 degrees to the northeast. This vein has been developed by two bulldozer cuts, one inclined shaft on the vein, and one vertical shaft on the northeast (hanging wall) side of the vein. The inclined shaft is about 70 feet deep along the plane of the vein. The vertical shaft is 65 feet deep and has a crosscut to the vein on that level.
The vein is exposed over a strike length of more than 300 feet, but the structure could not be traced farther to the northwest or southeast because of poor exposures. Where observed, the vein consists of a fractured and brecciated zone from 1 to 10 feet wide containing malachite and azurite as a coating on the fractures. Little calcite or quartz accompanies the copper minerals, nor is there more than a minor amount of limonite present. Assays of vein samples taken by Mr. Jim Patterson, engineer with the Western Minerals Co., are reported to range from 12 to less than 1 percent copper, the average being slightly less than 2 percent.
At the time of the writer's visit to the mine, a crosscut had been driven to the vein from the bottom (65-foot level) of the vertical shaft. The copper-stained zone was about 10 feet wide at this level. A slight seepage of water was coming into the crosscut, but the vein was still thoroughly oxidized.
Another copper vein occurs about one-quarter mile east of the vein described above. A shallow shaft was sunk on this vein, which trends northeast and dips 80 degrees to the east. This vein lies within the same andesite sequence as the Canon mine but is much narrower and weaker.
History: The early history of the deposit is not known. The Western Minerals Co. now leases a group of 19 claims covering the deposit from Mr. Boyce Cook, of Columbus. This company, of which Mr. W. A. White is general manager, was developing the deposit in the hope of installing a copper leaching plant at the time of the writer's visit to the area in July 1959.
Geology of the deposit: The deposit is located in the northwest-trending belt of Tertiary extrusive andesite that surrounds the southwestern side of the Tres Hermanas quartz monzonite stock (fig. 5). The volcanic rocks consist of andesite breccias, tuffs, and minor flows. Two sets of latite porphyry dikes, one trending northeast and the other northwest, cut the andesite series. These dikes are believed to be later than, though closely related to, the intrusion of the Tres Hermanas stock. Two parallel dikes, only about 200 feet apart and belonging to the northeast-trending set, are located about one-eighth mile north of the prospect.
The most important showing of copper is in a vein striking N. 20° W. and dipping about 75 degrees to the northeast. This vein has been developed by two bulldozer cuts, one inclined shaft on the vein, and one vertical shaft on the northeast (hanging wall) side of the vein. The inclined shaft is about 70 feet deep along the plane of the vein. The vertical shaft is 65 feet deep and has a crosscut to the vein on that level.
The vein is exposed over a strike length of more than 300 feet, but the structure could not be traced farther to the northwest or southeast because of poor exposures. Where observed, the vein consists of a fractured and brecciated zone from 1 to 10 feet wide containing malachite and azurite as a coating on the fractures. Little calcite or quartz accompanies the copper minerals, nor is there more than a minor amount of limonite present. Assays of vein samples taken by Mr. Jim Patterson, engineer with the Western Minerals Co., are reported to range from 12 to less than 1 percent copper, the average being slightly less than 2 percent.
At the time of the writer's visit to the mine, a crosscut had been driven to the vein from the bottom (65-foot level) of the vertical shaft. The copper-stained zone was about 10 feet wide at this level. A slight seepage of water was coming into the crosscut, but the vein was still thoroughly oxidized.
Another copper vein occurs about one-quarter mile east of the vein described above. A shallow shaft was sunk on this vein, which trends northeast and dips 80 degrees to the east. This vein lies within the same andesite sequence as the Canon mine but is much narrower and weaker.
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
4 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:
| ⓘ Azurite Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 |
| ⓘ 'Limonite' |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Azurite | 5.BA.05 | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Limonite' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10248501 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
- Sierra Madre OrientalWide Rift
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