Services and Help from the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources

Circular 10, July 1985, revised 2001
by Ken A. Phillips, Chief Engineer

The Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources is many different things to different people. We are a service agency and neither regulate, tax, nor require any registration.

The objective of the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources is to promote the development of Arizona's mineral resources and mineral related industries.

The clientele of the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources is indeed varied. Thus the agency provides many different services tailored to meet the different needs of the public.

For the PUBLIC we:

1. Publish a number of Special Reports, Directories, Circulars, Mineral Reports and Open File Reports. Examples include: Laws and Regulations Governing Mineral Rights in Arizona, Directory of Active Mines, Molybdenum Occurrences in Arizona, The Primary Copper Industry of Arizona, Prospecting for Barite and many more. See our publication list.
2. Hold conferences and seminars on many subjects including mining claim staking, processing gold ore, prospecting methods, mineral identification, beryl, placer deposits and much more. Conferences and seminars are held throughout the state.
3. Are a mining and mineral information bureau.
4. Are a source of technical expertise to answer questions, identify samples, provide public speakers and publish data.
5. Maintain the Arizona Mineral Museum which:
   • Displays and preserves one of the largest and finest mineral collections in the West.
   • Identifies minerals for the public.
   • Publishes collecting trip maps and directories of clubs and shows.
   • Provides loan displays for public institutions.
   • Includes technical displays for prospectors and geologists.
   • Provides information, demonstrations, and displays on the lapidary arts.

To the PROSPECTOR we are:

1. Able and willing to be their field expert, providing mineral and rock identification, guidance in prospecting, developing, selling or leasing their property provide information on legal matters.
2. Available to suggest possible areas and commodities for prospecting.
3. Available to suggest buyers and sources of financing.
4. Available to make field visits to properties to gather data for our permanent files and to provide on-site suggestions for further work.
5. Able to provide historic file data on mines and prospects.

To the SMALL MINE OPERATOR we:

1. Recommend improved operating methods.
2. Suggest other operations that may provide helpful examples.
3. Make available lists of appropriate consultants.
4. Are a supportive friend in a world of negative public attitudes and government regulations.
5. Recommend custom mills and ore buyers.

To the POTENTIAL INVESTOR we:

1. Suggest consultants to analyze the investment for them.
2. Provide sufficient basic information so that they can make more intelligent decisions.

To EXPLORATION COMPANIES we:

1. Provide file data on past mining activity, prospects and projects.
2. Suggest target areas for exploration projects.
3. Suggest prospects and individual properties for study and acquisition.

To SCHOOLS we provide:

1. Mineral museum tours and programs.
2. Mining and mineral resource information for school and student projects.

To the MINERAL COMMODITY CONSUMERS we:

1. Suggest sources of supply in Arizona.
2. Suggest mines, prospects and occurrences that might be purchased, investigated, or developed as a source of supply.
3. Provide status of mines that might supply mineral commodities.

To MINING EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS we offer:

1. Directories of operations and activities (possible customers).
2. Current status of operations and developments.

To LIBRARIES we supply:

1. Extra copies of mining references and key publications.
2. Answers to mineral and mining related questions.
3. Data and copies to the interlibrary loan program.

To GOVERNMENT PLANNERS we provide:

1. Testimony at public hearings in support of multiple land use and mineral resource development.
2. Data on the past, present and future status of mineral resource occurrences and mineral related developments.

To the INDUSTRY and MINE DEVELOPERS we provide:

1. Information on the development environment in Arizona.
   
2. Information on deposits with potential for development.
   
3. Directories of county, state and federal agencies related to mining.

To ECONOMISTS we provide:

1. Statistics on past and present mineral production.
2. Data on the economic impact of the mineral resources industry including prospecting, development, mining and mineral related hobbies.