4
Sample Collection
Mine waste features (defined as low grade stock piles,
mine waste rock piles, gob piles, tailings, slag, etc.) vary
in size, shape, composition, nature of source material,
waste management approaches, influence by climate,
and site accessibility. These variables will affect safety and
access considerations. The number of samples, the type of
samples, the sample locations, intervals, and other specific
procedures depend on the safety, study’s objectives, and
equipment availability. Two separate splits of each sample
are generally collected: one split for chemical analyses that
is submitted to the chemical laboratory and a second split
that is archived at NMBGMR.
Water sampling of mine waters occurred during this
phase of the project but is not discussed in this paper.
Future reports will describe the sampling and critical min-
erals potential of mine waters.
The first step is to examine the geology and topography
of the mine feature. If a feature is large and includes topo-
graphical or other distinguishing features (e.g., benches,
separate piles, tailings color, etc.) that point to a change in
composition or site management, then the feature should
be split into separate sample units. A scintillation counter
can be used to identify more radioactive zones in the mine
feature as separate sample units. Several types of samples
can be collected: composite, select, or profile samples
TABLE 1. Summary of samples collected in the New Mexico
mine waste study. Districts are summarized in McLemore
(2017) and references cited there.
Mining
District,
County
Types of
Mineral
Deposits
Sampled
Number
of
Samples
Types of
Samples
Jicarilla,
Lincoln
Gold vein 26 Mine waste
rock piles
Jeter, Lucky
Don, Socorro
Uranium vein 4 Mine waste
rock piles
Rosedale,
Socorro
Gold vein 22 Mine waste
rock piles
North
Magdalena,
Socorro
Gold vein 6 Mine waste
rock piles
Eureka, Grant Copper vein 2 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings
Lone Pine,
Catron
Copper-
tellurium vein
1 Mine waste
rock piles
St. Anthony,
Cibola
Sandstone
uranium
4 Mine waste
rock piles
Silverton,
Colorado
Polymetallic vein 4 Mine waste
rock piles
Lake Valley,
Sierra
Carbonate-
hosted Ag-Mn
Mine waste
rock piles
Gallinas,
Lincoln
F-REE-Ba veins 7 Mine waste
rock piles
Copper Flat,
Hillsboro,
Sierra
Porphyry copper 53 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings, slag
Steeple Rock,
Grant
Au-Ag veins 14 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings, slag
Coal mines,
McKinley,
Colfax
coal 7 Mine waste
rock piles
Black Hawk,
Grant
5-element
arsenide veins
21 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings
Magdalena,
Socorro
Carbonate-
hosted
4 slag
Estey, Zuni
Mountains,
Chupadera,
Naciemeinto
Sandstone-
hosted copper
deposits
6 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings, slag
Figure 3. Location of areas sampled in the New Mexico mine
waste study
Sample Collection
Mine waste features (defined as low grade stock piles,
mine waste rock piles, gob piles, tailings, slag, etc.) vary
in size, shape, composition, nature of source material,
waste management approaches, influence by climate,
and site accessibility. These variables will affect safety and
access considerations. The number of samples, the type of
samples, the sample locations, intervals, and other specific
procedures depend on the safety, study’s objectives, and
equipment availability. Two separate splits of each sample
are generally collected: one split for chemical analyses that
is submitted to the chemical laboratory and a second split
that is archived at NMBGMR.
Water sampling of mine waters occurred during this
phase of the project but is not discussed in this paper.
Future reports will describe the sampling and critical min-
erals potential of mine waters.
The first step is to examine the geology and topography
of the mine feature. If a feature is large and includes topo-
graphical or other distinguishing features (e.g., benches,
separate piles, tailings color, etc.) that point to a change in
composition or site management, then the feature should
be split into separate sample units. A scintillation counter
can be used to identify more radioactive zones in the mine
feature as separate sample units. Several types of samples
can be collected: composite, select, or profile samples
TABLE 1. Summary of samples collected in the New Mexico
mine waste study. Districts are summarized in McLemore
(2017) and references cited there.
Mining
District,
County
Types of
Mineral
Deposits
Sampled
Number
of
Samples
Types of
Samples
Jicarilla,
Lincoln
Gold vein 26 Mine waste
rock piles
Jeter, Lucky
Don, Socorro
Uranium vein 4 Mine waste
rock piles
Rosedale,
Socorro
Gold vein 22 Mine waste
rock piles
North
Magdalena,
Socorro
Gold vein 6 Mine waste
rock piles
Eureka, Grant Copper vein 2 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings
Lone Pine,
Catron
Copper-
tellurium vein
1 Mine waste
rock piles
St. Anthony,
Cibola
Sandstone
uranium
4 Mine waste
rock piles
Silverton,
Colorado
Polymetallic vein 4 Mine waste
rock piles
Lake Valley,
Sierra
Carbonate-
hosted Ag-Mn
Mine waste
rock piles
Gallinas,
Lincoln
F-REE-Ba veins 7 Mine waste
rock piles
Copper Flat,
Hillsboro,
Sierra
Porphyry copper 53 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings, slag
Steeple Rock,
Grant
Au-Ag veins 14 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings, slag
Coal mines,
McKinley,
Colfax
coal 7 Mine waste
rock piles
Black Hawk,
Grant
5-element
arsenide veins
21 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings
Magdalena,
Socorro
Carbonate-
hosted
4 slag
Estey, Zuni
Mountains,
Chupadera,
Naciemeinto
Sandstone-
hosted copper
deposits
6 Mine waste
rock piles,
tailings, slag
Figure 3. Location of areas sampled in the New Mexico mine
waste study