Old Copper Mine....Gold Possibly??

[TXKajun]

It seems there is an old, defunct copper mine near where I live. I was wondering of the possibility of finding gold/silver in the tailings. Worth the effort or not??

Thanks, ya'll!

[aussco999]

Tex-Bama:

Never miss an opportunity to get out of the house and look at a mining project, even one that is probably not worth it for gold. You answered your own question when you said that the copper mine is defunct. Copper companies are historically the largest gold producers, as they do high volume tonnage for copper and recover gold and other metals as a by-product during refining. Especially when using a SXEW (Solvent Extraction, Electro-Winning) system were the gold and other metals are recovered in the slimes.

Very often when precious metals are associated with a copper ore, they are in a disseminated (very fine micron) form. But, that doesn't mean that MAYBE there might not be some gold values in the surrounding country rock that needs checking out. A copper mining can operate with a lower percentage, if the gold content is high enough. Maybe you need to look at when the copper mine was shut down. Gold might have been at to low of a price to be profitable, when compared to now.

Again, any excuse to get out of the house. Good luck.

John

[daydreamer]

Check it out - you might find some nice chrysicola a blue gem rock associated with copper. Gold is where you find it.

[TXKajun]

Thanks for the replies so far.

999, I don't know if they used the SXEW process. This mine's been closed for a long long time. daydreamer, even a pretty crystal would be a nice find for me.

I think I'm gonna try my little Ace 250 to the max there. It'll detect a very small (1mm X 1mm) piece of aluminum foil, so maybe it'll find a medium small piece of gold for me. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right??

Anyone else got a comment or 3

Thanks, ya'll and HH!

[AzSports]

Get in there, poke and scrape around, and do a few test pans. You'll only need a few gallons of water and a bigger tub, (I use a mortar mixing tub from Home depot). That will give you a fair idea. Metal detecting is good too, but there can be plenty more to be had the old fashion way.

Nice Coues, I got skunked this year after my first miss in a liftime .

[onfire]

you taking about the mine outside fo cleator arz.? if it is have been there many times it the one with the old tramway great detecting around the old town of middleton its quite a hike to the top but the inside of the mine is great the entire top of the moutain is gone its like standing inside a volcano. the weather has turned the inside almost all a green hue. if you gonads are up to it repell in to the abess down the right shaft or climb down the 2x6s which are attached to the walls found no gold there but there is a great shaft just over the mt nere poland jut.as off last yere someone has stripped the old tram. structure down and the cables are gone. There are some great copper samples in the creek below the mine..good luck

[TXKajun]

onfire, sorry, but the mine I'm talking about is just N of Carlsbad, NM.

I checked it out last weekend and it's filled in (airshafts filled in, also). I did find a neat bottle and some nice specimens of copper ore, all nice and green and everything. That was about it, though. It's really REALLY junky and folks have used the actual pit for a dumping ground. It's almost impossible to get down to the bottom, which maybe ain't a bad thing. As far as the tailings, they're piled pretty high and also pretty junky, but have some nice copper ore specimens also. Anyone wanna buy genuine copper ore specimens?? Just let me know how large....from a gram up to several pounds! LOL

HH, ya'll!

[kelly]

TXKajun.
I would like to see your copper ore, There are some copper and silver mines next to mine. When we finnaly get to go and prospect together bring some ore samples with you, and I'll check them out.

Kelly
Socorro N.M.

[TXKajun]

Kelly, can and will do. Also, I'll try to post a pic or 2 of the copper ore this evening. They're actually rather pretty what being green-tinged with copper oxide.

HH, ya'll!

[kelly]

Thanks,

Kelly
Socorro N.M.

[TXKajun]

Kelly, here's a couple of samples of copper ore I brought back from the mine.? Hopefully the pictures will show the green oxidation half as nicely as it shows up on the rocks.? Any thoughts Anywho, enjoy the pics and I'll be sure to bring them when we get together.? I'll prolly cross post on your site, too.

HH, ya'll!

[DigEmAll]

Check this one out... I found it about forty feet from an abandoned gold mine. I was metal detecting when I found it and after I dug it up and realized it wasn't a rock... Oh, I would have loved to have seen my face. Anyway... it turned out to be copper. It isn't green like yours though.

Check out the Azurite and Malachite too... pretty color.

[TXKajun]

Awright, kelly and digemall, what you 2 trying to do to me?? I already got a full plate what with coin shooting, jewelry finding and now gold prospecting. Ya'll trying to get me into being a rockhound, too?? LOL

That last specimen is really pretty, digemall. I may have to start keeping my eyes open when I go beeping!! LOL

There's a couple of places about 30 - 45 minutes away from me that have "Pecos diamonds" that I've been researching. Supposedly very nice quartz specimens, found only along the Pecos River, lying on the surface just waiting to be gathered!! I'm kinda sorta thinking about heading up that way this Saturday. Probably bring my Eureka Gold with me, too, just kinda sorta in case. KnowwhatImean LOL


HH, ya'll!

[Seamuss]

Most copper mines process gold as a by product of the mine. It's possible to find small amounts of gold in the tailing piles, but they where probably real thorough in getting most of the gold.

[Yellow Hammer]

Shoot I will jump in on this. Yes you can find gold in the tailings. They were not looking for gold the money was in the copper make sure you are using a metal detector and a steel rake to get deep in the tailing pile. You my also come across silver in there. good luck and remember gold is were you find it.