Abstractproject title: geochemical reconnaissance of southwest U.S. MO-w deposits in southwest texas, new mexico, arizona, and californiaproject period: start date: august 1, 2024 end date: july 31,…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) under the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (CFDA 15.073) provides $659,891 to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to conduct a geochemical reconnaissance of potential Mo-W deposits in the southwestern United States. The key deliverables include:

1. A geochemical database and datasets from sampling prospective deposits in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to assess critical mineral potential, including elements such as Sn, Bi, Mn, Sc, Re, and Be.
2. A geochronological database and datasets to determine the age of the deposits.
3. A comprehensive final report and supporting GIS maps published by the state geological surveys.

The project also involves sub-awards to the California Department of Conservation to sample the Mojave Desert, and to the University of Texas at Austin and University of Arizona to further characterize the geochemistry and mineralogy of the identified deposits. This effort aims to expand the USGS's National Critical Minerals Database and support federal, state, and industry decision-making related to critical mineral resources.

Abstractproject title: geochemical reconnaissance of southwest U.S. MO-w deposits in southwest texas, new mexico, arizona, and californiaproject period: start date: august 1, 2024 end date: july 31, 2027CRITICAL minerals are nonfuel mineral commodities that are essential to the economic and national security of the U.S., and are from a supply chain that is vulnerable to global and national disruption. Many critical minerals are produced in other countries and are 100% imported into the U.S. Tungsten (w) is a critical mineral because IT is hard and possesses the highest melting point of all pure metals, making IT useful for many commercial and industrial applications. Although molybdenum (MO) is not a critical mineral, IT is found in many w deposits and locally is the primary metal of economic importance in some deposits. The recipient hypothesizes that a belt of mid-tertiary MO-w deposits occurs in southwest U.S., from cave creek in southwest texas, into the new mexico-texas alkaline belt, westward to the victorio mining district (part of the mid-tertiary w skarns of southwest new mexico and southeast arizona), and into southern arizona and california. This proposed belt is younger than the southwestern U.S. Laramide CU-MO porphyry belt already under study by new mexico and arizona. Furthermore, some of these areas in southern california and possibly texas could be classified as iocg (iron oxide, copper, gold) or porphyry tin deposits. Other critical minerals that could be found in these deposits include SN, BI, MN, SC, RE, and be. The recipient proposes for each of the four states to examine and sample prospective MO-w deposits, mines, and occurrences in their state to determine the critical minerals potential (geochemistry and mineralogy) and age of deposits. The deliverables for this project include a 1) geochemical database and accompanying geochemical data sets for the samples analyzed, 2) geochronological database and accompanying datasets, and 3) a comprehensive final report and supporting GIS maps published by new mexico and other state surveys. The databases will include at a minimum the sample location information, geologic formation name, short sample description, outcrop or drill core sample numbers, and if applicable drill core name and depth interval sampled, and the geochemical and geochronological analyses associated with the sample. The geochemical data set would be a final compilation of all the geochemistry for samples used in the report. This sampling effort is needed to complete the USGS usmin national critical minerals database in the united states, including new mexico, texas, california, and arizona. Several mining companies working in these states are interested in understanding the potential for critical minerals on their properties (i.e., donegan resources, INC., victorio district). Residents of several small communities in rural southwestern U.S. Are especially concerned about the mineral resources in their communities and this project will aid in their understanding of those resources in these areas. These data will increase the understanding of ORE formation, mineral-resource potential, production, consumption, disposal, and how minerals and mineral extraction interacts with the environment. State and federal government decision makers, mining companies, and the general public require this information for land use decisions, remediation prioritization and to determine if some of these deposits can be mined. Mining of these deposits will enhance the local economy and provide critical minerals to the nation. This project will train future geologists and engineers. Undergraduate and graduate students will assist in data collection and entry. Several of the PIS have a history of mentoring minority (bipoc) students, thereby contributing to diversity in the geoscience and mining engineering workforce.