| Basis for focus area |
North-south belt of permissive rocks for redbed copper in central New Mexico from National Assessment tracts CP02 and CP03, includes the Scholle district and Chupadera Mesa area. Includes mining districts from McLemore (2017) with sedimentary-copper deposits, Carizzo district in southeastern Colorado, and along the Cimarron River in west Texas. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of copper, silver, and uranium. |
| Production |
Historical workings, small-scale Cu production. Stauber mine production: 0.24 Mt @ 2.57% Cu, 5.5 g/t Ag. See McLemore (2017). |
| Status |
Past mining. Current exploration in the San Jon district, New Mexico. |
| Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
| Geologic maps |
Barnes, Eifler and others (1983), scale 1:250,000; New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (2003), scale 1:500,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate Rank 4 aeromagnetic coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Abo and Chinle Formation redbeds. |
| Deposits |
Stauber mine (MRDS dep_id: 10014847), Warnock mine (MRDS dep_id: 10087887), Scholle district (MRDS dep_id: 10014849), Carrizo Creek (Soule, 1956), Sabinoso district. |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS; McLemore (2017). |
| Geochemical evidence |
Small orebodies with high-grade copper zones (0.58 to 5.72% Cu). |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
McLemore (2017). |
| Comments |
Copper is the primary mineral, associated with U, V, Ag, Pb, and trace Au in several stratabound horizons in bleached sandstones and siltstones. Deposits are associated with carbonaceous debris in sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerates; small pods of uneconomic U associated with Cu. This focus area contains districts from central-eastern New Mexico, west Texas, and southeastern Colorado, as discussed by geologist from the three states. A detailed geochemical sampling survey along with geologic mapping would determine if any of these deposits have potential for Co, Ga, Ge, PGE, Re, U, V, and Zn, as inferred from the mineral system/deposit type table (Hofstra and Kreiner, 2020). |
| Cover thickness and description |
Exposed-surface workings as pits and trenches, shallow shafts. |
| Authors |
Jane M. Hammarstrom, Virginia T. McLemore. |
| New data needs |
Geochemical analyses for critical minerals. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Mapping needed in New Mexico districts. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution geophysical coverage needed. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar complete. |
