THE ORO BLANCO MINE

The Oro Blanco Mine in what is now Santa Cruz County, Arizona, is within the oldest Gold and Silver mining area in the USA. Spaniards reportedly worked rich placers in Old Glory and Warsaw Canyons and California Gulch in the early 1600's and hard rock mining in the region was started before 1700. The Oro Blanco Mine is located between these placer areas. The Oro Blanco Mine contains more than 3,000 feet of mapped workings with more than 37,000 tons of mineralized material and an unknown amount of unmapped workings. The mapped workings are of four principal veins. The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) explored part of the Oro Blanco Mine in 1992 and consolidated available maps, reports and performed limited sampling.

Location

The Oro Blanco Mine consists of two 20 acre unpatented lode mining claims 3 miles south of Ruby, Arizona and 2 miles north of the Arizona-Sonora border Township 23S, Range 11 E, part of sections 17 & 20, Gila and Salt River Meridian, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Forest Service road 217 (Warsaw Canyon/California Gulch Loop) accesses the Oro Blanco Mine via California Gulch Road and is maintained for 4WD SUV traffic by the US Border Patrol. Minefinders USA Oro Blanco Resource claims are in section 20 near the Oro Blanco claims. Their LaBolsa project is about 2.5 miles southwest of the Oro Blanco Mine across the International Border in Sonora.

Geology

Four NW striking, sheared, auriferous breccias occur at the ORO BLANCO MINE. These breccias are referred to as veins and are 4-ft to 5.5 ft wide. Wallrock is the Oro Blanco Conglomerate, except for andesite around segments of the South and Parallel veins. The mineralization is largely continuous in the 350 ft crosscut between the North and Parallel veins and is associatedwith a quartz-porphyry intrusion that occupies this crosscut and the North Vein; the mineralization is generally found in the harder and less altered material alongside the crushed and decomposed material in the breccias . An exception was recently found on the 85 ft level where the decomposed and altered material averaged over 0.40 opt Au across 3 feet. Personal interviews with former workers verbally report drill intersects of 1.0 to over 1.5 opt gold between the 50 and 125 levels. No assays or records have been located to confirm these verbal reports.

Access to WorkingsWater

A crosscut that extends 180 ft northeastwards from the North vein on the 50 ft level to a portal in Old Glory Canyon is currently the only safe entrance to the mine.(2nd photo) A decline/stope (with a skip to the 85 ft level) from the 50 ft to the 125 ft level needs some scaling, ladders and perhaps timbering to allow safe access from the 85 to the 125 level.(3rd photo) The 265 foot (b) main shaft is in the southeast part of the North vein which has been opened on the 50 ft, 125 ft and 250 ft levels. (1st photo) Drifts on the Middle, South and parallel are connected to the main drift by a 350 ft crosscut on the 125 level. On the 250 ft level the North Vein has been drifted on for 50 ft to the southeast and 90 ft to the northwest. An assay map from 1935 reports the North vein has been drifted on 260 ft to the NW at the 235 level. The main shaft is in competent rock but needs a collar and timbering. (1st photo)

Water

There are two water wells on the Oro Blanco claims. One is owned by a local rancher and pumped seasonally for cattle. The second well has not been evaluated by the current owner. A large flow of water from the 265 level was reported in 1907 by Traylor Engineering Company of New York during an evaluation of the Dos Amigos, Oro Blanco and Tres Amigos Mines. The water level in the main shaft was last reported to be at 150 feet.

Potential

High potential for undiscovered/unreported resources in areas of workings not tested since lower gold prices prevailed. Coalescing of veins at depth.Value of water for other mining operations in local area.

Price

$200k with $50,000 down and owner retaining a 2% ORRI.

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ORO BLANCO MINE#L1375

ORO BLANCO MAIN SHAFT

ADIT TO ENTER 50 FT LEVEL

SKIP 50 FT LEVEL TO 85 LEVEL

AURIFEROUS VEIN/BRECCIA BEHIND BOTTOM OF SKIP

HILL SHAFT (CAVED ABOVE 50 FT LEVEL