Chimney Hill Mine

The Chimney Hill Mine is a fluorine-fluorite mine located in Chaffee county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,598 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Chimney Hill Mine
Secondary: Morgan Ranch Deposits
Secondary: U.S. Fluorspar Co. Mine
Secondary: Chaffee County Fluorspar Mine

Commodity

Primary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: Manganese

Location

State: Colorado
County: Chaffee
District: Browns Canyon District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: U.S. Fluorspar And Manganese, Inc.
Years: 1969 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1936
Year Last Production: 1949
Discovery Year: 1923
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Fluorspar deposits (fluorite veins)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Southern Mosquito Range, Arkansas Valley Graben

Type: L
Description: Folds, Faults; N-Trending Fault Bounding Arkansas Valley

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification, Fluoritization, Chloritization

Rocks

Name: Welded Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Welded Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Welded Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: MOST OF BALANCE IS SILICA WITH L.T. 3% CALCITE
Analytical Data: LARGER BODIES AVERAGE 30% CAF2

Materials

Ore: Fluorite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Montmorillonite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Opal
Gangue: Psilomelane
Gangue: Manganite
Gangue: Pyrolusite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Goethite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): AT LEAST 4 BODIES OF FLUORSPAR

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: VEIN STRIKES N65W, DIPS 50-70 NE, 50 FT. LONG, 6 TO 8 FT. WIDE, IN RHYOLITE AND TUFF (ARGALL)

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: SOURCE: MESOTHERMAL SPRINGS. 3 TYPES FLUORSPAR OCCURANCES ARE COMMON: 1) LENSES OF BOTRYOIDAL & MASSIVE FLUORSPAR WITH LARGE VUGS, 2) WAVY RIBBON-LIKE LAYERED STRUCTURES OF FLUORSPAR ALONG OPEN FISSURES, 3) SMALL VEINLETS. TWO MAIN STRUCTURES: CHIMNEY HILL VEIN (N50W) AND BANCROFT #1 VEIN (N70E-NEARLY VERTICAL).

Comment (Location): NE OF HECLA JUNCTION, EAST OF US HWY 285, WEST OF ARKANSAS RIVER ABOUT 650 FT SOUTH OF MANGANESE HILL MINE; NE/4 SEC. 28, T 51 N, R 8 E. INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Production): SEVERAL THOUSAND TONS OF FLUORSPAR PRODUCED FROM MANGANESE HILL AND CHIMNEY HILL MINES.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Diamond drilling at the Chimney Hill and Manganese Hill area indicated more than 1 million tons of fluorspar material that contains about 20% CaF2. (Van Alstine)

Comment (Reserve-Resource): THESE RESERVES/RESOURCES ARE IN COMBINATION WITH THE MANGANESE HILL MINE

Comment (Workings): SHAFTS, WINZES, INCLINES, ADITS, PITS, TRENCHES; MAIN WORKINGS CONSIST OF ADIT, 2 COMPARTMENT SHAFT, LOWER DRIFTS.

References

Reference (Reserve-Resource): VAN ALSTINE, R.E. (1969)

Reference (Deposit): Sunshine Mining Co. Colorado exploration files, unpublished data, Colorado Geological Survey.

Reference (Deposit): VAN ALSTINE, R.E. AND COX, D.C., 1969, FLUORSPAR MINES AND PROSPECTS, IN, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE PONCHA SPRINGS NE QUADRANGLE, CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 626, P. 38-43

Reference (Deposit): BRADY, B.T., 1975, MAP SHOWING FLUORSPAR DEPOSITS IN COLORADO: USGS MAP MR-70, 1:500,000, TEXT

Reference (Deposit): USBM MINERAL EXAM. FILE

Reference (Deposit): CONSV. DIV. COMP. DATE, 1,64

Reference (Deposit): ARGALL, 1949, COLO. SCH. MINES QUART., V. 44, NO. 2

Reference (Deposit): DMEA RECORDS

Reference (Deposit): COLO BOM AN RPT 1941, 1956

Reference (Deposit): MINE MAP REPO # 404949

Reference (Deposit): VAN ASTINE, R.E., 1969, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE PONCHA SPRINGS NE QUADRANGLE, CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 626, 52 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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