RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON RESOURCES IN ARIZONA By C. M. Harrer information circular 8236 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Stewart L. Udall, Secretary BUREAU OF MINES Marling J. Ankeny, Director This publication has been cataloged as follows: Harrer, Clarence M Reconnaissance of iron resources in Arizona. [Washington] U. S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines [1964] 204 p. illus., tables. (U. S. Bureau of Mines. Information circular 8236) I. IronArizona. I. Title. (Series TN23.U71 no. 8236 622.06173 U. S. Dept. of the Int. Library Scanned to disk by Jim Christensen, July 2004 CONTENTS Page Abstract ..................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................. 1 Acknowledgments .............................................................. 3 Historical production and use ................................................ 3 Geography .................................................................... 4 Iron resources ............................................................... 7 General ................................................................ 7 Quality ................................................................ 11 Reserves ............................................................... 11 Favorable areas and their potential .................................... 16 General geology ............................................................. 18 Iron minerals, rocks, and slags .............................................19 Magnetite .............................................................. 19 Hematite ............................................................... 19 Martite ................................................................ 19 Limonite-goethite ......................................................19 Jarosite ............................................................... 20 Pyrite .................................................................20 Chamosite ..............................................................20 Taconite ............................................................... 20 Jaspilite .............................................................. 20 Impurities .............................................................21 Metallurgical slags .................................................... 21 Iron occurrences by counties ................................................21 Apache County .......................................................... 21 Lyman Reservoir (Red Cap) hematite ................................21 Quartzite Creek hematite .......................................... 22 Cochise County ........................................................ 22 Dos Cabezas Mountains magnetite .................................. 22 Dragoon Mountains (Black Diamond) magnetite-hematite...............22 Gleeson Ridge (Courtland) magnetite-hematite ......................24 Spike Hills (Iron Door) hematite ..................................24 Coconino County ........................................................25 Deadman-Lonesome Pockets (Sycamore Canyon) hematite............... 25 Long Valley-Iron Mine draw hematite-limonite ......................25 Gila County ............................................................26 Introduction ...................................................... 26 Baker and Carr Mountains magnetite-hematite .......................26 Bear Creek-Rock Creek hematite ....................................26 Big Pig magnetite ................................................. 27 Black Mountain hematite............................................28 Bottle Spring (Hope-Lucky) hematite ...............................28 Christmas Mine cupreous magnetite ................................ 29 Christopher Mountain hematite......................................30 Circle Ranch magnetite-hematite .................................. 31 Coon Creek (Willyerd-Baker) hematite ............................. 31 Delshay Basin magnetite-hematite ..................................32 ii CONTENTS (Con.) Dry Creek (Last Chance-Lucky Strike) hematite .................... 32 Fern magnetite ................................................... 34 Fourth of July magnetite ..........................................34 Gentry Creek (Frog Pond) hematite ................................ 35 Gentry Mesa hematite ..............................................37 Globe district hematite-limonite ..................................38 Great View magnetite ..............................................38 Griffin Wash (Walnut Spring) magnetite ........................... 39 Haigler and Gordon Creeks magnetite-hematite ..................... 40 Horse Camp Creek-Rock House hematite ............................. 41 Howard magnetite ..................................................41 Iron group hematite ...............................................42 Iron King group titaniferous hematite ............................ 42 Kennedy ranch magnetite .......................................... 44 Last Chance (Last Time, Kennedy) magnetite ....................... 45 Limestone Ridge (V. O. Ranch) hematite ........................... 45 Nail Ranch (Iron Spike, Iron Prince) hematite .................... 46 Pig Iron titaniferous hematite ....................................47 Pine Ridge magnetite ..............................................51 Pittsburg-Tonto magnetite-hematite ............................... 52 Alder Creek magnetite-hematite ....................................52 Pueblo-Lucky Strike magnetite .....................................52 Seneca (Cienega) magnetite ........................................54 Shell Mountain (hematite 1 to 8 group) hematite .................. 54 Twin Peaks hematite ...............................................56 White Tail (Horseshoe) magnetite ..................................56 Zimmerman-Asbestos Points magnetite .............................. 56 Graham County ......................................................... 57 Bitter Spring magnetite .......................................... 57 Mt. Turnbull-Stanley Butte District magnetite-hematite ........... 59 Captain Jack magnetite-hematite ............................. 59 Brewer magnetite ............................................ 60 Greenlee County ....................................................... 60 Morenci-Metcalf District magnetite-hematite ...................... 60 East Yankee magnetite ....................................... 60 Copper Mountain magnetite-limonite .......................... 60 Gold Gulch magnetite ........................................ 61 Shannon Mountain magnetite, hematite, limonite...............61 Miscellaneous .....................................................62 Maricopa County ........................................................ 62 Precambrian taconite-like iron formations, Maricopa and Yavapai Counties ................................................ 62 Introduction ................................................ 62 Big Boulder and Iron Ridge hematite-magnetite taconite....... 64 Hieroglyphic Mountains (Pikes Peak) hematite-magnetite taconite-semitaconite ...................................... 67 Big Horn District (Fred Brown) magnetitic alluvium ............... 71 iii CONTENTS (Con.) Page Bilge pump, New Year, Toro hematite, goethite turgite.............. 71 Phoenix Mountains magnetite ....................................... 71 White Tank Mountains (Luck Lode) titaniferous magnetite............ 71 Mohave County .......................................................... 72 Alamo Crossing hematite ........................................... 72 Grand Wash Cliffs hematite ........................................ 72 Hualapai and Yucca magnetitic alluvium ............................ 72 Navajo County, Fort Apache Indian Reservation hematite .................72 Introduction ...................................................... 72 Apache (Alsace Lorraine) hematite .................................74 Chediski hematite ................................................. 77 Cow Creek hematite ................................................ 80 Marley-Grasshopper hematite ....................................... 80 Oak Creek (Grasshopper Ranch) hematite ............................ 80 Split Rock (Gentry-Rock Creek) hematite ........................... 81 Pima County ............................................................ 81 Ajo magnetite-hematite ............................................ 81 Quijotoa Mountains magnetite-hematite.............................. 82 Horseshoe Basin (Ballam) magnetite-hematite ................. 82 Stepp-Laive magnetite-hematite ...............................84 Knight group magnetite-hematite ............................. 85 Iron Dike, Iron Duke, and others, magnetite-hematite......... 85 Iron Hill-Days Camp specularite and Morgan Peak hematite-specularite ....................................... 86 Santa Rita and Sierrita Mountains magnetite ....................... 86 Sierrita Mountains magnetite ......................................86 Mineral Hill and Daisy, cupreous magnetite ........................ 87 Miscellaneous ..................................................... 87 Pinal County ........................................................... 87 Mammoth-Collins mine hematite ..................................... 87 Florence-Oracle Junction-Red Rock magnetitic alluvium.............. 87 Slate Mountains-Lake Shore mine magnetite .......................