Columbine Mine

The Columbine Mine is a copper mine located in Albany county, Wyoming at an elevation of 8,901 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Name: Columbine Mine  

State:  Wyoming

County:  Albany

Elevation: 8,901 Feet (2,713 Meters)

Commodity: Copper

Lat, Long: 41.26444, -106.18806

Map: View on Google Maps

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.


Satelite image of the Columbine Mine

Mine Description

In the late 1920's a drift was driven parallel to schistosity and cataclastic foliation into biotite-hornblende schist and submylonite about 200 feet above Middle Fork. Iron stained shear planes and finely disseminated sulphides in submylonite were observed but only copper and iron were reported in assays from dump material (NRRI, Table 1). Questionable quantities of platinum metals and gold have been reported from shattered vein material a few hundred feet below the portal (E. K. Burhans, 1961, personal files).

Source: The Centennial Ridge Gold-Platinum District, Albany County, Wyoming, 1968. The Geological Survey of Wyoming.

Columbine Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Columbine Mine
Secondary: Centennial Ridge District


Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Gold
Tertiary: Platinum


Location

State: Wyoming
County: Albany
District: Centennial Ridge District


Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Type: Underground


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Year: 1927
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Form: VEIN, SHEAR ZONE


Structure

Type: R
Description: Mullen Creek-Nash Fork Shear Zone


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Schist
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Schist
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Gold


Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: LATE 1920'S

Comment (Commodity): UNVERIFIED REPORT OF PT

Comment (Workings): 50 FT TUNNEL

Comment (Deposit): IRON-STAINED SHEAR PLANES; UNPUBLISHED MODEL NAME: NEW RAMBLER CU-AU-PGE.

Comment (Production): NO PRODUCTION FIGURES AVAILABLE; PRESUMED SMALL

Comment (Commodity): PRESENCE OF PLATINUM AND GOLD NOT VERIFIED

Comment (Location): IN MEDICINE BOW NATIONAL FOREST

Comment (Workings): DREDGED

Comment (Production): TOTAL PRODUCTION TO 1914 ESTIMATED AT $1,033,000. PRODUCTION YEARS 1938-42, 1946-51.

Comment (Identification): SEE ALSO: MRDS M045456.

Comment (Geology): BEDROCK IS DECOMPOSED GRANITE AND SOME CLAY. GRAVEL USUALLY <1 FT IN DIAMETER; CLASSIFIED AS FINE AND MEDIUM. GOLD IS FINE, LYING MOSTLY ON BEDROCK OR WITHIN 1-2 FT OF IT.

Comment (Workings): DRIFT DRIVEN PARALLEL TO SCHISTOSITY IN MYLONITE AND SCHIST. [FROM DELETED RECORD 10302346 = 0560010119]

Comment (Commodity): IRON AND COPPER SUFIDES FOUND IN DUMP [FROM DELETED RECORD 10302346 = 0560010119].

Comment (Deposit): "In the late 1920's a drift was driven parallel to schistosity and cataclastic foliation into biotite-hornblende schist and submylonite about 200 feet above Middle Fork. Iron stained shear planes and finely disseminated sulphides in submylonite were observed but only copper and iron were reported in assays from dump material (NRRI, Table 1). Questionable quantities of platinum metals and gold have been reported from shattered vein material a few hundrd feet below the portal (E.K., Burhans, 1961, personal files)." (McCallum, 1968, p. 11)


References

Reference (Deposit): HAUSEL, W.D., 1989, THE GEOLOGY OF WYOMING'S PRECIOUS METAL LODE AND PLACER DEPOSITS: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING BULLETIN 68, P. 94-95.
Pages: p. 94-95.

Reference (Deposit): HAUSEL, W.D., 1980, GOLD DISTRICTS OF WYOMING: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 23, P. 38.
Pages: p. 38

Reference (Deposit): MCCALLUM, M.E., 1968, THE CENTENNIAL RIDGE GOLD-PLATINUM DISTRICT, ALBANY COUNTY, WYOMING: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING PRELIMINARY REPORT 7, P. 11.
Pages: p. 11, pl. 1.


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