Ray
Pinal County, Mineral Creek district (Arizona), United States
PorphyriesCu (Mo)
- Type
- Porphyry copper with supergene enrichment
Numerous Laramide porphyry intrusions below 10 km², protore at 0.4 to 0.6 % Cu. Laramide porphyry copper with minor potassic and extensive quartz-sericite alteration, controlled by stockwork fracturing; supergene enrichment active since about 10 Ma, oxidation still under way at surface. Table 3 of Mathur et al. (2010): chalcocite 1.2 ‰, hematite and goethite -1.9 ‰, chalcopyrite 1.0 ‰. Indicative coordinates: general position of the mine, not published by Mathur et al. (2010), to within 5 km.
δ65Cu in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 976
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −1.4 ± 1.7 ‰ | −4.2 / 1.7 ‰ | 15 | leach-cap minerals (iron oxides and sulfates) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 15 analyses, -4.2 to +1.7 (hole 1129, 645 ft (hm) +0.4; hole 97-11, 1013 ft (hm) -4.1; hole 97-11, 1022 ft (hm) -3.5; hole 97-11, 1023.5 ft (hm-goe-jr) -4.2; hole 97-11, 1082 ft (hm) -1.0; hole 97-11, 1102 ft (hm) +1.0; hole 97-11, 1305 ft (jr-goe) +1.7; hole 99-18, 485 ft (hm) -2.0; hole 99-18, 501 ft (hm) -2.3; hole 99-18, 522 ft (hm-goe) -0.4; hole 99-18, 592 ft (hm) -1.7; hole 99-18, 601 ft (hm-goe) -1.9; hole 99-18, 788 ft (hm-goe) -0.6; hole 99-18, 808 ft (goe) -0.9; hole 99-18, 808.5 ft (hm) -0.9). Drill hole and depth in feet, XRD-identified minerals in brackets. Rock Cu grade (%): hole 1129, 645 ft 0.07; hole 97-11, 1013 ft 0.17; hole 97-11, 1022 ft 0.17; hole 97-11, 1023.5 ft 0.17; hole 97-11, 1082 ft 0.42; hole 97-11, 1102 ft 0.65; hole 97-11, 1305 ft 1.06; hole 99-18, 485 ft 0.04; hole 99-18, 501 ft 0.04; hole 99-18, 522 ft 0.03; hole 99-18, 592 ft 0.03; hole 99-18, 601 ft 0.12; hole 99-18, 788 ft 0.16; hole 99-18, 808 ft 2.32; hole 99-18, 808.5 ft 2.32. XRD abbreviations: an antlerite, bor bornite, cc chalcocite, chr chrysocolla, cpy chalcopyrite, cu native copper, cup cuprite, cv covellite, goe goethite, hm (or hem) hematite, jr jarosite, mal malachite, mgn magnetite, py pyrite, qtz quartz, tc tenorite; amorphous: amorphous phase. | Mathur et al. (2010), Patterns in the copper isotope composition of minerals in porphyry … |
| 1 ± 1.2 ‰ | −0.3 / 2.9 ‰ | 13 | supergene enrichment zone minerals Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 13 analyses, -0.3 to +2.9 (hole 1129, 555 ft (chr-tc-cc) +0.1; hole 1129, 1211 ft (cup-cu-an) -0.3; hole 1129, 1545 ft (tc-cpy) -0.1; hole 97-11, 1111 ft (cc) +2.3; hole 97-11, 1288 ft (cu-cc) +1.4; hole 97-11, 1295 ft (hm-cc) +2.9; hole 99-18, 807 ft (cu-mal) +0.3; hole 99-18, 808 ft (cu) +1.0; hole 99-18, 808.5 ft (cu) +0.2; hole 99-18, 830 ft (goe-jr-cu) +2.5; hole 99-18, 850 ft (cc) 0.0; hole 99-18, 1005 ft (py-cpy-cup) +0.3; hole 99-18, 1072 ft (cpy-bor-py) +2.7). Drill hole and depth in feet, XRD-identified minerals in brackets. Rock Cu grade (%): hole 1129, 555 ft 6.35; hole 1129, 1211 ft 0.93; hole 1129, 1545 ft 1.71; hole 97-11, 1111 ft 0.87; hole 97-11, 1288 ft 1.20; hole 97-11, 1295 ft 0.00; hole 99-18, 807 ft 2.32; hole 99-18, 808 ft 2.32; hole 99-18, 808.5 ft 2.32; hole 99-18, 830 ft 3.65; hole 99-18, 850 ft 2.15; hole 99-18, 1005 ft 1.12; hole 99-18, 1072 ft 0.55. XRD abbreviations: an antlerite, bor bornite, cc chalcocite, chr chrysocolla, cpy chalcopyrite, cu native copper, cup cuprite, cv covellite, goe goethite, hm (or hem) hematite, jr jarosite, mal malachite, mgn magnetite, py pyrite, qtz quartz, tc tenorite; amorphous: amorphous phase. | Mathur et al. (2010), Patterns in the copper isotope composition of minerals in porphyry … |
| 0.7 ‰ | 1 | hypogene ore (chalcopyrite and pyrite) Single analysis (hole 99-18, 995 ft (py-cpy)). Drill hole and depth in feet, XRD-identified minerals in brackets. Rock Cu grade (%): hole 99-18, 995 ft 0.73. XRD abbreviations: an antlerite, bor bornite, cc chalcocite, chr chrysocolla, cpy chalcopyrite, cu native copper, cup cuprite, cv covellite, goe goethite, hm (or hem) hematite, jr jarosite, mal malachite, mgn magnetite, py pyrite, qtz quartz, tc tenorite; amorphous: amorphous phase. | Mathur et al. (2010), Patterns in the copper isotope composition of minerals in porphyry … |
Deposits of the same type
- Silver Bell United States
- Morenci United States
- Bingham Canyon United States
- Bingham Canyon United States
- Climax United States
- Henderson United States
- Battle Mountain district (Copper Basin, Elder Creek) United States
- Granisle Canada
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Ray, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/ray/ (accessed 2026-10-22).
@misc{isofind2026rayisotopesignatures,
title = {Ray, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/ray/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22}
}Updated : 2026-10-22