Copper Basin Mine (Copper Basin project; Copper Basin No. 4 claim; Copper Basin No. 6 claim; Monumental Mine), Monument Peak, Whipple District (Monumental District), Whipple Mountains, San Bernardino County, California, USAi

Regional Level Types
Copper Basin Mine (Copper Basin project; Copper Basin No. 4 claim; Copper Basin No. 6 claim; Monumental Mine)	Mine
Monument Peak	Peak
Whipple District (Monumental District)	Mining District
Whipple Mountains	Mountain Range
San Bernardino County	County
California	State
USA	Country

A former Cu-Ag occurrence/mine located in sec. 4, T2N, R26E, SBM, 1.4 km (0.9 mile) N of Monument Peak (coordinates of record) (13 miles N of Parker, Arizona), on Bureau of Land Management administered land (located claim-fee ownership). Discovered in 1896. First produced in 1911. Owned by the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company, Mineral Division, Colorado. Owned by J. P. and Ruth M. Hinds, Arizona (1981). Owned & operated by the Western Copper Holdings (100%), Canada (1992-1996). MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 10 meters.

Mineralization is a vein deposit hosted in porphyry. The ore body strikes N and dips vertical to 45E and has a depth-to-top of 30.48 meters and is tabular, disseminated. The primary mode of origin was hydrothermal activity. Primary ore control was faulting. Wallrock alteration is moderate (propylitic, sericitic). Two zones of mineralization occur. The easterly zone has a thickness of 5 to 40 feet and the westerly zone has a thickness of 5 to 20 feet. There is a well-defined 50 to 100 foot wide zone of mineralization where the fault intersects the veins. Local rocks include Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock complex.

This region was at one time covered by a basalt flow that has since eroded away. Underlying the basalt are rhyolite, quartz porphyry and diorite. The latter 2 occur in wide dikes that cover the entire surface of the claims. The dikes strike N and dip vertically to 45E.

Local structures include a fault 400 feet S of the inclined shaft. This fault intersects veins, displacing them 50 - 100 feet to the E. The fault strikes N70E, and dips 70N.

Workings include underground openings with an overall depth of 91.44 meters and are comprised of a 100 foot vertical shaft, inclined shaft on Copper Basin No. 4; an inclined shaft to 300 feet and a drift at the 90 foot level driven S for 95 feet. A verticasl shaft 100 feet deep was sunk on the Copper Basin No. 6.

Production data are found in: Tucker, W.B. (1943): 431-432.

Production statistics: Year: 1930: 10,104 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): Cu: 4,583 metric tons.

Year: 1943: 4,808 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 2,181 metric tons.

Year: 1944: 3,510 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 1,592 metric tons.

Year: 1947: 3,399 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 1,542 metric tons.

Year: 1949: 1,641 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 744 metric tons.

Year: 1951: 2,095 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 950 metric tons.

Year: 1953: 9,787 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 4,439 mewtric tons.

Year: 1966: 7,163 pounds Cu. Recovery percentage (ore): 3,249 metric tons.

Reserves and resources: In-situ (estimate year = 1996): Demonstrated: 11,000,000 metric tons of ore; total resources: 11,000,000 metric tons of ore. Cu at 0.55 weight percent (1996).

Analytical data results: 3 to 12% Cu. Ore shipped from No. 6 assayed 12% Cu & from No. 4 it assayed at 5.2% Cu.

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:	10034030

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References