UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR J. A. Krug, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director Bulletin 954-F MANGANESE DEPOSITS OF MEXICO BY PARKER D. TRASK AND JOSE RODRIGUEZ CABO, JR. Prepared in cooperation with the UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE MEXICO, INSTITUTO DE GEOLOGIA SECRETARIA DE LA ECONOMIA NACIONAL DIRECCI6N GENERAL DE MINAS Y PETR6LEO and COM1TE DIRECTIVO PARA LA INVESTIGATION DE LOS RECURSOS MINERALES DE MEXICO under the auspices of INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL COOPERATION, DEPARTMENT OF STATE Geologic Investigations in the American Republics, 1946 (Pages 209-316) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1948 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price 35 ;cents CONTENTS Page Abstract____-_---_-_----------_----------______________________ 209 Introduction._____________________________________________________ 210 Acknowledgments- ____________________________________________ 210 Field work and scope of report._________________________________ 210 Past production of manganese ore.-.------__--__-___________.____._. 212 Reserves of manganese ore_ --_-__-_--_-----_______-___-___.-_____ 215 Economic factors influencing production of manganese ore in Mexico___ 217 Types of manganese deposits--__---_----_-_--__-__-__-_--________.._ 218 Fissure deposits_______________________________________________ 218 Silicified replacement deposits.._________________________________ 222 Limestone-replacement deposits._--__-_.-________________._ ____ 223 Tuff-replacement deposits._-__-.-----_---._.__._..._____._____. 224 Miscellaneous deposits _________________________________________ 226 Descriptions of individual deposits.._------------_____---_______.____ 228 Baja California (by Ivan F. Wilson and Mario Veytia)_____________ 228 Lucifer mine (4)___--.___--_-_---._________._____________ 228 Navidad group (4a)___-_------____-__________________ 231 Palmas deposits (4b)_----_-_-_____--____-______._..__ 231 Eureka claim, Isla San Marcos (5)_________________________ 232 Azteca deposits (6)___---_-----._-.------__________________ 233 Gavildn ore deposits (7)____________________________________ 234 Guadalupe deposits (7a) _----___-_-_____-____________ 236 Santa Isabel (San Nicolds) deposit (9)________----_---______ 237 San Juanico deposit (9a)____._--- _-__----_-__-_______ 238 Chihuahua ---------..-----------------------------.-------.- 238 Borregos area (1)__-__-___-------_--__-_--_---_-___________ 238 Consolidada deposit (la)_______________________________ 239 Santa Maria deposit (lg)---_--"--_______-----___________ 239 Refugio deposit (8)----------------------------..----------. 240 Casas Grandes area (9)____--____---_________-____-_______ 240 Don Cuco deposit (9a)----------------------_-------._- 240 Orizabena deposit (9c)____---_--______-..-______________ 241 Azatl&n veins (9d)._____---_--.___. ____________________ 241 Tapatia deposit (9e).__--...--_.--.---_--_--.-.-.-.__._ 241 Magistral mine area (26)___--___---______-__---___---_-____ 241 Zacate mine (27)_.________....-.---._-..._...-....-.-.._._ 242 Chino deposits (27a)____.-__-__._.__.___-.-..___..___._ 242 Organos deposits (29)______________________________________ 243 Socorro deposit (29c)_________________________________ 244 Escondida deposit (29d) -------..-----.-.--..----._.-. 244 Talamantes manganese district (31) (by Ivan F. Wilson and Victor S. Rocha)..-----'-----------------.--------------- 244 Matamoros deposits (32).___-___--_-_.__-_____---_____---__ 247 Nuevo Vesuvio deposit (32g)____-_.__.___---_._____._.__ 247 in IV CONTENTS Descriptions of individual deposits Continued rage Coahuila._____-__----_-_--__-___-_____.____________.._________ 248 Lucero deposit (2)________________________ ________________ 248 Baluarte deposit (3)_____---_----___-_.-_-_-_--_____.-._____ 248 Candela deposits (6)_______________________________________ 249 Eureka deposits (7)_.-----_-----_________-__-__..__________ 250 Durango-_____---__-------_-----_--____-_-___-__-_____________ 251 Dinamita deposits (2)______________________________________ 251 Sarnosa deposit (2b)___________________:_______________ 251 Nena deposit (2e)._..__-----__________.__________.__._ 252 Luz deposit (2g)___-_--_-__________________..'_________ 253 Negra deposit (2m)_---___---__--___-__________________ 253 Picacho de La Candela deposits (3)__________________________ 254 Esperanza deposit (3b)_________________________________ 255 Cfa. Minera Central deposit (3c)_____'___________________ 255 Guadalupe deposit (3e)_______________________________ 255 Guanajuato.__________________________________________________ 256 Victoria mine (2):_:__________--____-___-____________.._____ 256 Protectora deposit (3)___-__--___________-_.^___._________ 257 Guanajuato deposit (3a)___----_-_-__-_-_--________-____ 257 Guerrero __________ -__-_____-____-_______-_-_____________.____ 258 Buenavista region (4)______________________________________ 258 India deposit (4g)____:___--__---_-_---_-__..___________ 258 Carmen deposit (4h)____-_---__-_--_----______-____---- 259 Uni6n deposit (4n)_____-_-_-_------_---------_-_-_-_-__ 259 Marfa deposits (4p)_________________'_________________ 269 Consuelo deposits (5)___-:--_----_---_-_-_ -__-____-._______ 260 Lucky Nina deposit (5a)_______-__-----_--____-_____-__ 260 Hidalgo._____________________^_______________________________ 261 Jacala deposits (1)__._......__::._..-- ---..-.._.---...-._ 261 Jalisco ______________________-------_--------------__---__--__ 262 Mezcala deposits (2) _______________________________________ 262 Progreso deposit (3)______-___--._-----.-------..--.-..--._ 262 M^xico.___.__-_-_ _. 263 Guadalupana deposits (2).__-_.-.__------..----.._-__.____- 263 'JDulco N"omtore deposit C2t>) _____________________________ 2O4 Maria del Consuelo deposit (2e)_..----------------------- 264 Tiempos Futures deposits (2g)__________________________ 265 Nayarit.----------------------------------------------------- 265 os-------------------.--------------------------- deposit (1) ______________________________________ 265 Poderosa deposit (1) _____________ _______-_-________________ 265 Cuajilote deposit (8)_____----------...---------------------- 266 San Lviis Potosf- _____________-_-_---__--_-_-------_-__---_--__ 267 Montana de Manganeso mine (l) (By Ivan r. Wilson and Victor S.-Rocha)_-_.---..._--.------.----------------------- 267 Cruz deposit (lb)._...... .. -. ------------------- 271 " VictoriaSan Antonio deposit deposit (4)__...----------------------------------- (3) _______---___---_--------__-_--_---- 272 CONTENTS V Descriptions of individual deposits Continued Page Sonora_--___-_---_---__ _-_-_---_-_____-----..-_____-_-_____-__ 273 Independencia deposit (2)___________________________________ 273 Carr deposits (3).__._____--__._________-_____-_____._._._. 273 Gamer deposits (5)_________________________________________ 274 Shangrild, claim (5a)___________________________________ 274 San Antonio (5c), Victoria (5d), Spirit 1, and Spirit 2 (5e) claims..--.-________________________________________ 275 Antillas deposit (6)___-_----..--___-_-__-_______________.___ 275 Guadalupana deposits (8)__________________________________ 276 Ojo Negro deposit (8d). -__.__..._--____._.._.__.__... 276 Zacatecas __.__--_-.____________'___________________________._. 277 Hercules deposit (1)_____-----__-_-____--__--_-___-_____-._ 277 Tinaja deposit (5)________-----_---____------_-______--_-__ 277 Manganita deposit (6)_____-----_-----_--__-_----__---__- __ 278 Abundancia mine (7) (By Ivan F. Wilson and Victor S. Rocha).. 279 San Felipe de Jesus deposit (8)_-__-____---_---_______----_-._ 282 Tenango deposit (8c)___-__----------_-_-..__--------_-_ 283 Negra deposit (9)__...___._..______._.__...__.._____._._.__ 284 Tinaja deposit (11).______:_______________-_______._-_-___. 284 Annotated bibliography of Mexican manganese deposits-_______________ 285 Sources of unpublished information._-_--_-_-_-_-___-_-___--.__---___ 289 Chart of metric equivalents.._______________________________________ 313 Index____________________________________________________________ 315 ILLUSTRATIONS Plate 39. Index map of Mexico, showing distribution of manganese deposits._-__--__-__-_-_--__---___-_-___-________ Face 214 TABLES Table 1. Manganese production in Mexico through 1945. (By Ivan F. Wilson)__---_-----_-__--_____-_-___-_-_-_-_____-_-____ 213 2. Manganese production in Mexico by States, up to April 1, 1943_ 214 3. Reserves of manganese ore in Mexico by States._____________ 216 4. Partial chemical analyses of manganese ore from the Talamantes distri ct ___-----__-____---__-____-_-_---_____-_-___-____ 220 5. Detailed chemical analyses of manganese ore from four areas in Mexico__ _------_-__-._-__-____________________-_-__ 220 6. Chemical analysis of a sample of psilomelane from the Tala­ mantes district.________----___-_____-_-___________-_-__ 220 7. Chemical analyses of minor constituents/and impurities in the Lucifer ore.____-___-__--_..--_______-_-______-_________ 225 8. Spectrographic analysis of a composite sample of Lucifer ore__ 225 VI CONTENTS Page Table 9. Chemical analyses of two samples of Milagro ore. ____________ 250 10. Production of manganese ore from the Montana de Manganese mine, for the period 1923-33_-.__--_______-___-_.______ 268 11. Descriptions of eight workings in the Montana de Manganese mine_______--___-___--___-----_--_--__---_-_________ 269 12. Minerals found in the Montana de Manganese ore___________