| Basis for focus area |
Alkaline/peralkaline igneous rocks in the Big Bend area. Fluorite associated with carbonate-replacement mineralization near intrusions. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of fluorite. |
| Production |
Paisano mine produced < 30,000 tons of fluorite (1971-1986). |
| Status |
Past mining. |
| Estimated resources |
Resources at Paisano mine are 9,000,000 t of ore @ 79.6% CaF2. |
| Geologic maps |
Cameron, Cameron and Carman (1986), scale 1:487,000. Henry and others (1989), scale 1:24,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Partly adequate (50%) aeromagnetic coverage over focus area and adequate aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Contacts between carbonate and peralkaline intrusions. |
| Deposits |
Paisano mine (MRDS dep_ids: 10085608, 10300188), Burney mine (MRDS dep_id: 10085729). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS. |
| Geochemical evidence |
Multi-colored fluorite (purple, black, gray, green, white) occurs as fine-grained masses in limestone with calcite, pyrite, and quartz. Fluorite mineralization can be accompanied by molybdenite and cinnabar. Fluorite also associated with enrichment of U, Th, Mo, Be, Ba, As and Pb. |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
Unknown. |
| Cover thickness and description |
Fluorite replacement deposit potential at depth depending on relationship to unexposed intrusions and permeable structures. |
| Authors |
Brent A. Elliott, Joshua M. Rosera. |
| New data needs |
Geologic mapping, geophysics. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Detailed geologic mapping. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution, Rank 1 aeromagnetics and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar complete. |
