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Show AnRACTSINTEREST Exploration of Oxidized Contact Zone May Open Up Smelting Ore. Development work of considerable in-; in-; terest to mining' men is being carried on by one of the companies in the Ely, Nev., district, according to C: B. Lakeman, general manager of the Nevada Consolidated Consoli-dated Copper company. Mr. Lakeman spent the week in the city on business. I Concerning conditions in the Ely district, he made the following statement: "While some improvement has recently been noted in the copper metal market, conditions have not been favorable to any extensive development plans or the opening of new tonnages in the Ely, Nev., district. "Important work, however, is being done hy one company in the exploration of the deep oxidized jasperoid contact aone areas immediately adjoining the monzonite porphyry por-phyry ore bodies, which latter have been the principal producers to date. These ! oxidized zones extend several hundred feet vertically below the sulphides of the porphyries, and it is not impossible that direct smelting copper ores will be uncovered un-covered which will add to the life of the district." Mining operators familiar with, this district dis-trict have watched ' with interest this work, which has as its objective the development de-velopment of direct smelting copper ores ! in the deep grounds adjacent to the ores , being now mined. This oxidized contact zone, which lies adjacent to the porphyry deposit, is said to be from 200 to 300 feet wide. The copper sulphides in the porphyries por-phyries have been oxidized to copper sulphate. sul-phate. These values have, it is believed, migrated to Jower levels in the oxidized zone and have been precipitated in the deep-seated pyrite of the contact area. Diamond drilling done recently has proved the existence of an ore body twenty feet i in depth which carried S per cent copper. ! A shaft" is being sunk, it is said, below the 1400-foot level, and on this level a drift is being driven to the oxidized zone. |
