Transcript Document 3096075

GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE
GALLINAS MOUNTAINS REE DEPOSIT, LINCOLN
AND TORRANCE COUNTIES, NEW MEXICO, USA
Virginia T. McLemore, New Mexico
Bureau of Geology and Mineral
Resources, New Mexico Institute of
Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM
87801 [email protected]
OUTLINE
Introduction
 Methods
 Mining and exploration history
 Geology
 Petrochemistry of the igneous rocks
 Description of mineral deposits
 Mineral zoning and paragenesis
 Preliminary conclusions and resource
potential

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funded by the NMBGMR
 Much of the geochemical analyses were by
USBM (Russ Schreiner)
 New geochemical analyses were funded by
Strategic Resources, Inc.

INTRODUCTION
USGS SIR10-5220
METHODS
METHODS
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
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Published and unpublished data were inventoried and
compiled on existing mines and prospects within the Gallinas
Mountains
A geologic map was compiled in ARCMAP@ by modifying
Kelley et al. (1946), Perhac (1961, 1970), Fulp and
Woodward (1991), Korzeb and Kness (1992), Schreiner
(1993), and field reconnaissance by the author (1980,
2009-2010).
Samples were collected and analyzed and compared with
published data (McLemore, 2010).
Igneous rock lithologies were identified on the basis of
mineralogy and chemistry as defined by LeMaitre (1989).
MINING AND EXPLORATION HISTORY
MINERAL PRODUCTION
Mineral
Produced
Copper
Gold
Silver
Lead
Zinc
Iron ore
Mine name
1942-1943
Amount (short
tons)
192.7
6.58 ounces
23,723 ounces
863.4
8.7
3,944
6,410
3,326
11, 540
All American
1951-1954
129
Conqueror ( Tinto)
1951-1954
300
Red Cloud
1951-1954
1,000
1951-1954
1,608
1954-1955
1956
1954-1956
60
11
71
various
various
various
various
various
American
Gallinas
Other mines
Total iron ore
Fluorite
Total fluorite
Bastnaesite
Total
bastnaesite
Conqueror No. 9
Conqueror No. 10
Years of
production
1909-1953
1913-1955
1909-1955
1909-1055
1948-1953
1942-1943
1942
Grade %
55.7
48.7
Mines and
prospects in
the Gallinas
Mountains,
Lincoln County
GEOLOGY
North
American
Cordilleran
Belt of
Alkaline
Igneous Rocks
Geologic Map of the
Gallinas Mountains,
Lincoln and Torrance
Counties, New Mexico
(Modified From Kelley
et al., 1946; Kelley,
1949, 1971; Perhac,
1961, 1970;
Woodward and Fulp,
1991; Schreiner, 1993;
Field Reconnaissance
by the Author)
Aeromagnetic
Map of the
Gallinas
Mountains Area,
from Kucks et al.
(2001)
THE
GALLINAS
MOUNTAINS
TRACHYTE
WAS DATED
BY K/AR
METHODS
AS 29.9 MA
(PERHAC,
1970).
PETROCHEMISTRY
REE-F veins (131 samples)
Cu-REE-F veins (65 samples)
Breccia pipe deposits (58 samples)
Iron skarns (6 samples)
DESCRIPTION OF MINERAL DEPOSITS
MINERAL
ZONING
PARAGENESIS
SCHEMATIC MODEL OF FORMATION OF THE MINERAL DEPOSITS IN
THE GALLINAS MOUNTAINS, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
(MODIFIED IN PART FROM SCHREINER 1993; RICHARDS, 1995;
WILLIAMS-JONES ET AL., 2000).
IN 1991-1992, USBM CALCULATED AN INFERRED
RESOURCE OF 0.487 MILLION METRIC TONS WITH A
GRADE OF 2.95% TOTAL REE.
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
More chemical analyses of the igneous rocks
 Determination of age of igneous rocks
 Continuation of USBM preliminary investigation
of the alteration
 Drilling to delineate deposits in the subsurface
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 Petrography
 Alteration
 Chemistry
 Mineralogy