Chloride Flat Mines
Silver City, New Mexico
The Chloride Flat Mines, located near Silver City, New Mexico, are part of the Chloride Flat Mining District, which is now encompassed by the Gila National Forest. These mines were initially discovered in 1872 and had operations from 1875 to 1944. Although the mines are currently closed with no known plans for reopening, they were once considered to be small-scale in terms of production size. The mining operations at Chloride Flat comprised both surface and underground workings, with one known shaft being utilized. The subsurface depth reached a maximum of 44 meters (145 feet). The mined ore primarily consisted of cerargyrite, silver, and hematite, while the waste material predominantly comprised barite and quartz. The ore body itself was described as irregularly shaped, extending over a length of 75 meters (246 feet) and a width of 18 meters (59 feet). Geologically, the associated rock in this area is diorite, which formed during the Pliocene epoch approximately 5.33 to 2.58 million years ago. Moreover, the geomorphology of the surrounding region is characterized by the Mexican Highland of the Intermontane Plateaus. Overall, the Chloride Flat Mines have played a significant historical role in the mining industry, contributing to the extraction of valuable minerals and offering insight into the geological and geographic characteristics of the region.
Chloride Flat Mines MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Chloride Flat Mines
Secondary: Includes: Baltic
Secondary: Bell
Secondary: Providencia
Secondary: Seventy-Six
Secondary: Silver Cross
Secondary: And Bremen Mines.
Commodity
Primary: Manganese
Primary: Iron
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Lead
Location
State: New Mexico
County: Grant
District: Chloride Flat District
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Surface/Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Byron, B. H.
Home Office: New York City, N.Y.
Years: 1937 -
Owner Name: Mc Ewen, W. E.
Home Office: Silver City, N.M.
Years: 1937 -
Production
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1875
Year Last Production: 1944
Discovery Year: 1872
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Polymetallic replacement
Orebody
Form: IRREGULAR
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Silurian
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Silurian
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Chlorargyrite
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Pyrolusite
Ore: Embolite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Comments
Comment (Development): DISCOVERED IN 1871 WITH MAJOR PRODUCTION BETWEEN 1873-1893 AND SOME PRODUCTION UNTIL 1937. MANGANIFEROUS IRON ORE MINED IN 1916 AND IN THE EARLY 1940'S.
Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR THE MAIN SHAFT OF THE 76 MINE.
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1870'S
Comment (Workings): NUMEROUS SHAFTS AND OPEN CUTS. WORKINGS ON BREMEN AND SEVENTY-SIX MINES WERE REPORTED IN 1938 TO CONSIST OF THREE SHAFTS WITH AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF FIVE MILES OF DRIFTS, CROSSCUTS, WINZES, AND STOPES.
Comment (Commodity): PRIMARY ORE PROBABLY CONSISTED OF ARGENTIFEROUS GALENA AND MESITITE (FERROAN-MANGANOAN MAGNESITE).
Comment (Deposit): SUPERGENE ENRICHED REPLACEMENT BODIES 15-75 M. LONG AND 9-18 M. WIDE IN FUSSELMAN DOLOMITE ALONG A N-TRENDING FRACTURE ZONE 600 M. LONG. THE BREMEN AND SEVENTY-SIX CLAIMS WERE PATENTED IN 1884, MINERAL SURVEY NUMBERS 61 AND 62 COVERING 40.88 ACRES.
References
Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, W., GRATON, L.C., AND GORDON, C.H., 1910 USGS PP 68, P. 301-304
Reference (Deposit): KELLEY, V. C., 1949, NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS IN GEOLOGY SERIES, NO. 2, P. 134.
Reference (Deposit): HERNON, R. M., COMPILER, 1949, WEST TEXAS GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO SECTION, AIME GUIDEBOOK, FIELD TRIP 3, P. 36-37.
Reference (Deposit): JONES, F. A., 1904, NEW MEXICO MINES AND MINERALS: SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO PRINTING COMPANY, P. 53-54.
Reference (Deposit): LASKY, S. G., AND WOOTTON, T. P., 1933. NMBMMR BULL. 7, P. 52.
Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, E.C., 1957 NMBMMR BULL 39, P. 73-76
Reference (Deposit): CUNNINGHAM, J.E., 1974 NMBMMR GEOLOGIC MAP, GM-30
Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA
Reference (Deposit): FARNHAM, L. L., 1961, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 8030, P. 25-26.
Reference (Deposit): ENTWISTLE, L. P., 1944, NMBMMR BULL. 19, P. 66.