Arizona · Pinal County
Producer

Ray Mine

Pinal County, Arizona, United States
CopperSilverGoldZincLeadMolybdenum
⌖ Show on mapUSGS source ↗
Description

The Army Of The West

Commodities
PrimaryCopper
SecondarySilver, Gold
TertiaryZinc, Lead, Molybdenum
Commodity typeM
Deposit
Deposit typePorphyry Cu-Mo
Model79: Porphyry Cu-Mo
WorkingsSurface
Orebody formhorse-shoe shaped, concentric and symmetrical\nblanket
Materials
Ore mineralsBornite, Brochantite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Covellite, Cuprite, Galena, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite
GangueAnhydrite, Calcite, Quartz
Other materialsTennantite
Geology
Host rockDiabase,Schist · Apache Group and the over-faulted older Pinal Schists
Associated rockQuartz Monzonite · Granite Mountain Porphyry
Economic & production
Development statusProducer
Production years1911-1966; 1981-1986, 1986-2006
First production1911
Discovery year1846
Identification
Deposit ID10210616
MRDS IDM000327
Alternate namesPearl Handle Pit, El Paso, Hayden
RegionNA
Data scoreA
Coordinates33.18315, -110.99236
References
Kendrick, M.A., Burgess, R., Pattrick, R.A.D. and Turner, G., 2001, Halogen and Ar-Ar age determinations of inclusions within quartz veins from porphyry copper deposits using complementary noble gas extraction techniques; Chemical Geology, v. 177, p. 351-370.Banks, N.G. and Stuckless, J.S., 1973, Chronology of intrusion and ore deposition at Ray, Arizona; Part II, fission-track ages; Economic Geology, v. 68, p. 657-664.Metz, R.A., And Rose, A.W., 1966, Geology Of The Ray Copper Deposit, Ray, Arizona, In Titley, S.R., And Hicks, C.L., Eds., Geology Of The Porphyry Copper Deposits, Southwestern North America: Tucson, Ariz., University Of Arizona Press, P. 177-188.Phillips And Others, 1974, Economic Geology, V. 69, P. 1237-1250.Cornwall And Others, 1971-1972, USGS Map Gq-1021.Abgmt File Data.Dayton, S.H., 1988, Asarco Hits The Mark With Arizona Copper Expansion: Engineering and Mining Journal, V. 189, No. 9, P. 30-50.Walenga, Karen, 1989, Mission, Ray Expansion To Assure Copper Feed: Southwestern Paydirt, March 1989, P. 4a-8a.Phillips, K.A., Beard, R.R., Niemuth, N.J., And Bain, D.R., 1991, Active Mines In Arizona--1992: Arizona Department Of Mines And Mineral Resources Directory 39, 20 P.Sawyer, M.B., Gurmendi, A.C., Daley, M.R., And Howell, S.B., 1992, Principal Deposits Of Strategic And Critical Minerals In Arizona: United States Bureau Of Mines Special Publication, 334 P.Kennezonian, Summer 1977 (Exploration) Arizona Pay Dirt. Kennecott Surprises Industry By Closing Ray, Chino Indefinitely. March 1982, Front Cover And Pp._____. Ray Has Been Consistent Producer From Underground, Openpit. March 1982, Pp. 6-8 And 10-11.EandMj. Kennecott'S New Sx Plant On Stream, In This Month In Mining. June 1980, Pp. 35 And 39.Skillings' Mining Review. M. M. Sundt Constructing Plant For Kennecott'S Ray Mines. Mar. 31, 1979, P. 6.Sohio. 1982 Annual Report. Pp. 27-28.Arizona Pay Dirt. Kennecott Reopening Ray Mine And Mill, Calling Back Workers. August 1983, Pp. 18a-19a.Asarco Incorporated. Personal Communication With Lee Osmon-Son By Company Representatives During Visit To The Ray Unit In March 1989.Epler, B. Copper Firms Get Concessionary Contracts Without Strikes. Southwestern Pay Dirt, August 1986, Pp. 12a-14a.Parsons, A. B. Ray Consolidated. Ch. In The Porphyry Coppers. The American Institute Of Mining And Metallurgical Engineers, New York, 1st Ed., 1933, Pp. 184-203.U.S. Geological Survey. Hayden Quadrangle (Topographic Map), Arizona. 7.5 Minute Series, 1964, Scale 1:24,000._____. Mesa Quadrangle (Topographic Map), Arizona. 1 Deg. X 2 Deg. Series, 1978 Rev., Scale 1:250,000._____. Sonora Quadrangle (Topographic Map), Arizona. 7.5 Minute Series, 1964, Scale 1:24,000._____. Teapot Mountain Quadrangle (Topographic Map), Arizona--Pinal Co. 7.5 Minute Series, 1964, Scale 1:24,000._____. Winkelman Quadrangle (Topographic Map), Arizona. 7.5 Minute Series, 1949, Scale 1:24,000.Walenga, K. Kennecott'S Ray Mines Division Is Having A Tough Time. Arizona Pay Dirt, June 1985, P. 3a._____. Modifying Ray Sx-Ew To Treat Sulphide Leach. South Western Pay Dirt, February 1987, Pp. 4a-6a.O'Neil, Tim, Asarco: Plant Expansions And Modernizations Continue Amidst Company Restructuring, Mining Engineering, 6/89, P.430-434. Continue Amidst Company Restructuring, Mining Engineering, 6/89, P.430-434.Mining Engineering, 5/90, P.414.American Mining Congress Journal, 9/90, P.20.Skillings', 3/7/92, P.7.Mining Record, 3/11/92, P.5.Mining Engineering, 4/92, P.294.Dillard, Gary, Expansion Doubles Production, Lowers Costs, Southwestern Pay Dirt, No. 636, 6/92, P.4a-11a.Metal Bulletin Mounthly, 8/92, P.43.Mining Journal, V 319/ N 8185, 8/7/92, P.104.Dillard, Gary, Ray Greatly Expands Ore Reserves- Without Drilling A Hole, Southwestern Pay Dirt, 9/92, P.3a.Skillings', 8/8/92, P.13.Mining Record, 8/26/92, P.14.Kilburn, John, Ray Expansion Boosts Asarco Copper Output, Northern Miner, 11/23/92, P.1,2.Dillard, Gary, Ray Complex Is Hit Hardest By Rail Link WashOut, Southwestern, Pay Dirt, 2/93, P.4a-10a.Mcghee, S.A., Ray Modernization And Concentrator Expansion Project, Preprint Number 93-36, Sme Annual Meeting February 15-18, 1993, 7pp.Asarco Inc., Asarco Ray Complex- Ray Modernization And Concentrator Expansion Project, Project Description.Coughlin, Patrick J., Commissioning Asarco'S Ray Expansion, Mining Engineering, 7/94, P.637-640.Mining Record, V 105/ N 31, 8/17/94, P.6,7.Southwestern Pay Dirt, 2/95, P.3a.Caney, Derek J., Asarco Overcomes Ray Problems, American Metal Market, V 103/ N 30, 2/14/95, P.2.Caney, Derek J., American Metal Market, 8-9-95, P.2.E/Mj 6/77 (Size Of Ore Body)Force E R, 1998 - Laramide alteration of Proterozoic diabase: a likely contributor of Copper to Porphyry systems in the Dripping Spring Mountains area, southeastern Arizona: in Econ. Geol. v93 pp 171-183\nPorter, T.M., 1998, An overview of the World's porphyry and other hydrothermal copper & gold deposits and their distribution; in Porter, T. M., ed., Porphyry and Hydrothermal Copper and Gold Deposits: a global perspective, PACRIM '98 Conference Proceedings, Australian Mineral Foundation, p. 3-17The Porter GeoConsultancy webpages for Ray contain a very complete description of the geology. Accessed on 9/28/2010.\nhttp://www.portergeo.com.au/\nTitley and Hicks, 1966 Geology Of The Porphyry Copper Deposits (Geology Of Deposit)CimriAsarco Incorporated. 1986 Annual Report. Pp. 5 And 24.Paydirt 5/18/70 (History Of Property, Mine Equip., Crushing Drilling, Trucks, Shovels)World Mining. September 1981, P. 49. (1977-1980 Production)Skillings Mining Review. Asarco Curtails Operations At Ray Complex. Oct. 5, 1996. P.11.Arizona Dept. Of Mineral Resources. Primary Copper Industry Of Arizona Special Reports, Nos. 5 And 6. (1981 And 1982 Production)Arizona Dept. Of Mines And Mineral Resources. Primary Copper Industry Of Arizona Special Reports, Nos. 8-10, 13, And 14. (1983-1987 Production)E/Mj 6/77 (Exploration, Ore Body Dimensions, Mine Equip. Mill, Vat Leach, Dump Leach, Electrowinning, Railroad)Skilling 6/20/70 (Crushing, Vat Leach, Electrowinning)Kennecott Annual Report 1967 (Crusher)Ariz./N.M. Contractor 11173 (Flotation)Skillings 1/5/74 (Milling)Paydirt 6/23/76 (Milling Rate)Skillings 10/73 (Vat Leach Expansion, Cone Precipatators)Skillings 2/74 (Vat Leach Expansion)World Mining 6/76 (Vat Leach)Skillings 9/6/69 (Pilot Plant Cost)Kennezonian, Spring 1977 (Marketing Cathodes)Roman, Sheffer and Stone, 1978, Draft Ic "Copper Leaching Practices In Western U.S." (Dump Leach Description)Paydirt 11/22/76 (Solvent-Extraction Pilot Plant)Skillings 4/27/74 (Underground Leach)Paydirt 1/78 (Tailings Reclamation)Paydirt 4/71 (Water Diversion Project)Asarco, Inc., 1993 Annual Report. P. 5.Asarco, Inc., 1993 Form 10-K, P.A15,A18.Dayton, S. H. Asarco Hits The Mark With Arizona Copper Expansion. EandMj, September 1988, Pp. 30-50.Asarco Inc. 1995 Annual Report, P.7.Kennecott Annual Report 1966 (Surface Plant)World Mining 8/73 (Mine Equipment)Kennezonian, Spring 1978 (Drilling)Paydirt 3/25/74 (Mine Equip., Tailings, Expansion, Railroad)Baer,R.L. 1978, File Report-Ray Mine,Leach Plant, Concentrator and Smelter - Visited 4/18/78 (Information On All Phases Of Operation)