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Mineral Production from New Mexico

Mining and production records are generally poor, particularly for the earliest times, and many early records are conflicting. These production figures are the best data available and were obtained from published and unpublished sources (NMBGMR file data, cited references). However, production figures are subject to change as new data are obtained. Any resource or reserve data presented here are historical and are provided for information purposes only, and do not conform to Canadian National Instrument NI 43-101 requirements. Sources of metals production from New Mexico include: 1900-1986 from USGS and USBM Mineral Yearbooks, 1987-present from New Mexico Energy and Minerals Dept., USGS (1965), Lindgren et al. (1910), Anderson (1957), Howard (1967), North and McLemore (1986), McLemore (2001, 2017) and other cited references.

Historic and recent production and reserve/resource data are reported in metric or English units, according to the original publication, in order to avoid conversion errors.

NOTE: This page is an ongoing project and additional districts will be added as the tables are completed.

Some of this material is based upon work partially supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Earth MRI contracts G19AP00098 and G20AS00008. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or polices of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Definitions

A mining district, as used by McLemore (2017), is a group of mines and/or mineral deposits that occur in a geographically defined area (such as a mining district or coal field) that locally are determined by geologic criteria (distribution of mines and deposits, mineralogy, faults, lithology, stratigraphic horizons, common mineralization processes, age, etc.) and has had some mineral production.

A prospect area is an area defined by geologic criteria (distribution of mines and deposits, mineralogy, faults, lithology, stratigraphic horizons, age, etc.) that has had no mineral production.

Mineral production by state by year

New Mexico (Cu, Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, U) (2/21/2021)

Mineral production by commodity (date revised)

Uranium

See McLemore et al. (2013, appendix 1)

Potash

Potash mines, reserves, and production, Carlsbad potash district (2/16/2021)

Molybdenum

Total Mo for NM and for Questa (5/19) Note that most of the Mo production in NM has been from the Questa mine (closed in 2014), Santa Rita Copper mine, and sandstone uranium deposits in the Ambrosia Lake subdistrict.

Barite and fluorite

Total excel 12/27/2020

Manganese

Total by district excel pdf (10/30/2020)

Tin

Total in Taylor Creek mining district excel (5/29/2021)

Tungsten

Total by district excel pdf (10/30/2020)

Mineral production by county (date revised)

Bernalillo County

Hell Canyon district reported metals production (4/11/19)

Catron County

Catron County was created in 1921 (production before 1921 was included in Socorro County)

Mogollon district reported metals production (4/11/19)

Cibola and Valencia Counties

Cibola County was formed in 1981 from the eastern portion of Valencia County (production before 1981 was included in Valencia County)

Cibola and Valencia Counties reported metals production (1/10/19)

Romero Ranch district reported metals production (1/10/19)

Zuni Mountains district reported metals production (4/11/19)

Colfax County

Colfax County reported metals production (4/11/19)

Elizabethtown-Baldy district reported metals production (4/11/19)

Doña Ana County

Doña Ana County reported metals production (1/14/19)

Eddy County

Eddy County reported metals production (4/11/19)

Grant County

Grant County reported metals production

Hidalgo County

Lordsburg district (3/30/2021)

Lincoln County

Lincoln County reported metals production

Sandoval County

Sandoval County reported metals production

Nacimiento district (4/11/19)

Socorro County

Socorro County reported metals production (included production from Catron County until Catron County was created in 1921)

References

  1. Anderson, E.G., 1955, The metal resources of New Mexico and their economic features through 1954: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Bulletin 39, 183 p.
  2. Elston, W.E., 1967, Summary of the mineral resources of Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Santa Fe Counties, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Bulletin 81, 81 p.
  3. Howard, E.V., 1967, Metalliferous occurrences in New Mexico: Phase 1, state resources development plan: State Planning Office, Santa Fe, 270 p.
  4. Lindgren, W., Graton, L.C., and Gordon, C.H., 1910, The ore deposits of New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 68, 361 p.
  5. McLemore, V.T., 2001, Silver and gold resources in New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Resource Map 21, 60 p.
  6. McLemore, V.T., 2017, Mining districts and prospect areas of New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Resource Map 24, 65 p., scale 1:1,000,000.
  7. New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, 1986–2015, Annual Resources Report: New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Santa Fe, various paginated, http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/ADMIN/publications.html.
  8. North, R.M., and McLemore, V.T., 1986, Silver and gold occurrences in New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Resource Map 15, 32 p., scale 1:1,000,000.
  9. U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1927–1990, Minerals Yearbook: Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, variously paginated.
  10. U.S. Geological Survey, 1902–1927, Mineral resources of the United States (1901–1923): Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, variously paginated.
  11. U.S. Geological Survey, 1965, Mineral and water resources of New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Bulletin 87, 437 p.