The Aetna Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,031 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
Elevation: 12,031 Feet (3,667 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.59583, -107.61056
Map: View on Google Maps
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Aetna Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Aetna Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Aetna
Secondary: Ms 2354
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Bismuth
Tertiary: Manganese
Location
State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) 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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Year: 1905
Time Period: -1905?
Description: Cp_Grade: ^188.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 4% Cu
Year: 1905
Time Period: -1905?
Description: Cp_Grade: ^139.82 Oz/Ton Ag, 2.9% Cu
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
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: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field
Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift, Chicago Basin Stock, Eolus Batholith, Trimble Stock
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSES CONTAINED LT 0.02 AND 0.02 PPM AU, 30 AND 1400 PPM CU, 50 AND 5000 PPM PB, 85 AND 9000 PPM ZN.
Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) ASSAY FROM 7-FT CHIP SAMPLE FROM INTERSECTION OF CROSSCUT AND MAIN TUNNEL CONTAINED 0.02 OZ/TON AU, 8.58 OZ/TON AG, 0.11% CU, 0.96% PB, 2.54% ZN
Analytical Data: SELECTED DUMP SAMPLE CONTAINED 0.01 OZ/TON AU, 5.13 OZ/TON AG, 0.56% CU, 1.84% PB, 5.96% ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF SULFIDE-BEARING QUARTZ VEIN MATERIAL FROM PRINCIPAL RADIAL VEIN IN MINE VICINITY CONTAINED LT 10 AND 1000 PPM TI, 150 AND GT 5000 PPM MN, 1.5 AND 100 PPM AG, LT 200 PPM AS, 100 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 AND 70 PPM CD, LT 5 AND 5 PPM CR, 30 AND 1000 PPM CU, 10 AND 70 PPM MO, 50 AND GT 2000 PPM PB, LT 100 AND 100 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 10 AND 15 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, LT 200 AND GT 10000 PPM ZN
Analytical Data: SIX SAMPLES AT 10-FT INTERVALS IN CROSSCUT CONTAINED TRACE TO 0.03 OZ/TON AU, TRACE TO 7.37 OZ/TON AG, TRACE TO 0.18% CU, TRACE TO 0.76% PB, TRACE TO 1.04% ZN
Materials
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Fluorite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON PRINCIPAL NNW-SSE-TRENDING RADIAL FRACTURE (AETNA-AZTEC VEIN) FROM CHICAGO BASIN STOCK. AT PORTAL, MINERALIZED ZONE TRENDS S 2 W, 80 SE, WITH ADIT FOLLOWING WALL OF ZONE AT HEADING OF S 20 E. TRIPPE (1905) REPORTED ORE M INERALS IN 3- TO 6-FT WIDE BAND NEAR HANGING WALL. HIGHER-GRADE MATERIAL SELECTIVELY MINED FROM GOSSANS EXPOSED IN SURFACE WORKINGS
Comment (Workings): MAIN DRIFT DRIVEN SSE INTO VEIN FOR 800 FT, THENCE HEADING MORE SOUTHERLY FOR UNKNOWN DISTANCE; 70-FT EAST CROSSCUT AT 360FT FROM PORTAL; MAJOR STOPE AT 750 FT FROM PORTAL; OPEN CUTS AND STUB DRIFTS UPHILL FROM MAIN ADIT.
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NORTH OF SIDE OF AZTEC MTN 0.5 MILE SW OF COLUMBINE PASS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974
Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES INDICATE INDIVIDUAL SHIPMENTS FROM MAIN STOPE, TOGETHER REPRESENTING POSSIBLE CUMULATIVE TOTAL THRU 1905 OF 24 ST ORE.
References
Reference (Deposit): TRIPPE, T.M., 1905, REPORT ON THE AETNA MINE ACCOMPAINED BY A STATEMENT CONCERINGIN THE ADJOINING AZTEC AND REPUBLIC CLAIMS, LA PLATA COUNTY: COLORADO DIV. MINES FILES, UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 3 P.
Reference (Production): TRIPPE (1905)
Reference (Deposit): SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.
Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 30-32, 55-67, 102, 162-163.
Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 2354
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