Red Bird Gold
Arizona Gold/Silver Project with Disseminated Historical Resource
| Location | Historic Resources | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Cochise County, Arizona |
1 million tons grading 0.1 oz/ton gold |
Under Contract |
Summary and Location
Historical resource of 1 million tons grading 0.1 oz/ton gold (100,000 contained ounces) identified by Homestake Mining in the early 1980s. The sediment-hosted, disseminated gold system can be traced for over a mile with mineralized widths of over 100 feet. Homestake exploration included surface sampling and drilling which defined a large gold anomaly, but the project was dropped by management despite positive recommendations from their project geologists.
The Red Bird Gold project is located in the Cochise Mining District of Cochise County, Arizona, approximately 4 miles northwest of the town of Cochise.
Geology
The project targets a large-scale, disseminated, sediment-hosted gold-silver system. Mineralization is hosted within a major northwest-trending fault zone and associated breccias at the contact between Cretaceous and Permian limestones of the Bisbee Formation. The mineralized zone has been traced for over a mile along strike with widths reported to be over 100 feet.
Gold mineralization is associated with silicification, bleaching, and hematitic/limonitic alteration. Gangue material is primarily silicified breccia and calcite. Historic reports and Homestake’s work suggest potential for multiple stacked, low-angle mineralized horizons.
Exploration and Resources
The property has a history of past production, with 75 tons reportedly mined between 1930-1932. Early development was extensive, including a 165-foot deep main shaft with over 1,200 feet of drifts on multiple levels, a secondary 90-foot shaft, and numerous other workings.
In the early 1980s, Homestake Mining Company optioned the property and initiated a modern exploration program. Homestake conducted geological mapping, extensive surface and underground sampling, and a reverse-circulation drill program. This work successfully identified a large, disseminated gold system.
Homestake’s work outlined a historical resource of 1 million tons grading 0.1 oz/ton gold. Their underground sampling confirmed zones of higher-grade mineralization, with numerous samples assaying over 0.100 oz/ton gold. Despite the discovery and recommendations from their geologists to continue exploration, Homestake management terminated the project and surrendered their option in 1981.