Sphalerite with Chalcopyrite, Quartz

specimen number:
2212262

location:
Pelican Mine, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma, USA

description:

Iridescent crystals of sphalerite across the top of matrix with quartz and chalcopyrite. Very slight damage present, this still in good condition.

The Pelican Mine, located in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, was an active producer of zinc and lead within the world-renowned Tri-State Mining District. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within the Mississippian-aged Boone Formation, a geological unit composed of limestones and cherts that underwent extensive fracturing and brecciation. This structural preparation allowed metal-bearing, hydrothermal fluids to deposit sulfide minerals, primarily sphalerite (zinc sulfide) and galena (lead sulfide), in major ore bodies. Historically, the mine operated as an underground room-and-pillar system for over two decades. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Pelican Mine was a key operation in the Picher field, employing dozens of miners and utilizing a dedicated shaft to access newly developed, deep ore bodies to support the significant industrial and wartime demand for metals.

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