Aetna Mine

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

Satelite View

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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

Colorado Mining Photos

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