Oxide Mine, Silver Bell Mine, Mineral Mountain, Silver Bell Mining District, Silver Bell Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
32° 23' 48'' North , 111° 30' 6'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Avra Valley | 6,050 (2011) | 18.1km |
| Nelson | 259 (2011) | 22.1km |
| Picture Rocks | 9,563 (2011) | 24.6km |
| Red Rock | 169 (2011) | 25.9km |
| Marana | 41,315 (2017) | 26.3km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Oxide open pit mine; Young America Mine; Young American Mine
‡Ref.: Stevens, J.H. (1906) The Copper Handbook.
Stevens, P. (1908) The Copper Handbook, Vol. VIII.
Stewart, C.A. (1912)The geology and ore deposits of the Silverbell mining district, Arizona, AIME Bull. 65: 455-505 (AIME Transactions, Vol. 43: 240-290).
The History of Arizona, Chap. X: 122-123.
Weed, W.H. (1918) The Mines Handbook, Vol. XIII.
Kerr, P.F. (1951), Alteration features at Silverbell, Arizona, Geological Society of America Bull.: 62: 451-480.
Richard, K.E. & Courtright, J.H. (1954), Structure & Mineralization at Silver Bell, Arizona, Mining Engineering, Vol. 6(11): 1095-1099 (A.I.M.E. Transactions, 1954 - Vol. 199 (1955)).
Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of Arizona: 64.
Hardwick, W.R. (1963) Open-pit copper mining and concentrating methods and costs, Silver Bell unit, American Smelting and Refining Co., Pima County, Arizona: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular I.C. 8153, 72 p.
Richard, K.E. & Courtright, J.H. (1966), Structure & Mineralization at Silver Bell, Arizona, in Titley, S.R. and Hicks, C.L., eds., Geology of the porphyry copper deposits, southwestern North America: 157-163 (University of Arizona Press).
Keith, Stanton B. (1974), Arizona Bureau of Geology & Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch Bull. 189, Index of Mining Properties in Pima County, Arizona: 143 (Table 4).
Galey (1979) Society of Economic Geologists, Porphyry Copper Field Conference, 18p.
Mining World, Vol. 36: 1104-1107, 1147-1150.
Niemuth, N.J. & K.A. Phillips (1992), Copper Oxide Resources, Arizona Department of Mines & Mineral Resources Open File Report 92-10: 13 (Table 1).
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 150, 163, 166, 337, 399, 405.
Arizona Bureau of Mines file data.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10039685, MRDS ID #M050651; and, Dep. ID #10259081, MAS ID #0040190349.
A former large production surface and underground Cu-Ag-Au-Mo-Pb mine located in the NE ¼ sec. 10 & the NW ¼ sec. 11, T.12S., R.8E. (Vaca Hills 15 minute topo map). The continuance of the former Oxide underground mine. First produced 1885. Owned at times, or in part, by Messrs. Brown, Pearce & Co.; the Oxide Copper Co.; and the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO).
Mineralization is supergene enriched deposits of chalcocite with veins and disseminations of copper carbonates and silicates in pyrometasomatic deposits in closely spaced parallel veinlets and seams of quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite. and minor molybdenite in sheared and garnetized Paleozoic limestone blocks engulfed in Laramide dacite porphyry and monzonite along a major fault zone. Ore concentration was supergene enrichment. Alteration was argillic and garnetization.
Local structures include parallel faults cutting across a major WNW fault zone.
Prospected and worked by shaft, tunnel, and some open pits since the 1880's. produced some 5,000 tons of ore up through 1918. This ore averaged about 11% Cu and 1 oz. Ag/T. From 1954, production is included under the Silver Bell Mine.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Alunite Formula: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 Description: Occurs in veins. |
| ⓘ Cacoxenite Formula: Fe3+24AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O Habit: Acicular to 1 mm long clustered in sheaths Colour: Golden- to brownish-yellow Description: Forms undulatory masses. |
| ⓘ Chalcocite Formula: Cu2S Description: Secondarily enriched ore mineral. |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 References: |
| ⓘ Cuprite Formula: Cu2O |
| ⓘ 'Garnet Group' Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| ⓘ Jarosite Formula: KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 Description: Occurs in veins. |
| ⓘ Pseudomalachite Formula: Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 Habit: Micro-crystals |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Torbernite Formula: Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O Habit: Euhedral, tabular to 1 cm. Colour: Emerald-green Description: Transparent crystals. |
| ⓘ Turquoise Formula: CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O Habit: Tabular crystals to 1 mm in sub-parallel aggregates Colour: Green Description: Occurs at the contact of andesite dike. |
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 |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Cuprite | 4.AA.10 | Cu2O |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Alunite | 7.BC.10 | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Jarosite | 7.BC.10 | KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| ⓘ | Pseudomalachite | 8.BD.05 | Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 |
| ⓘ | Cacoxenite | 8.DC.40 | Fe3+24AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O |
| ⓘ | Turquoise | 8.DD.15 | CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O |
| ⓘ | Torbernite | 8.EB.05 | Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Garnet Group' | - | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Alunite | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Cacoxenite | Fe243+AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O |
| H | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Pseudomalachite | Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 |
| H | ⓘ Torbernite | Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
| H | ⓘ Turquoise | CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Alunite | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Cacoxenite | Fe243+AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O |
| O | ⓘ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| O | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Pseudomalachite | Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 |
| O | ⓘ Torbernite | Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
| O | ⓘ Turquoise | CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O |
| O | ⓘ Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Alunite | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Al | ⓘ Cacoxenite | Fe243+AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Turquoise | CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Cacoxenite | Fe243+AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O |
| P | ⓘ Pseudomalachite | Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 |
| P | ⓘ Torbernite | Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
| P | ⓘ Turquoise | CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Alunite | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Alunite | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| K | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Cacoxenite | Fe243+AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12 · 75H2O |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Pseudomalachite | Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 |
| Cu | ⓘ Torbernite | Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Turquoise | CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 · 4H2O |
| U | Uranium | |
| U | ⓘ Torbernite | Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10039685 |
|---|
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
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