The Union-Carbonate Mine is a lead, silver, and zinc mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,125 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: 10,125 Feet (3,086 Meters)
Commodity: Lead, Silver, Zinc
Lat, Long: 37.69194, -108.01250
Map: View on Google Maps
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Union-Carbonate Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Union-Carbonate Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Union, MS 5376
Secondary: Carbonate, MS 5376
Secondary: Zach Taylor, MS 5376
Secondary: Fickle Goddess, MS 7330
Secondary: Iron Silver, MS 7330
Secondary: Chauncey, MS 7330
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Incas
Secondary: Toltec
Secondary: G. R.
Secondary: Drummer Boy
Secondary: State
Secondary: Parnell
Secondary: Greenhorn
Secondary: Buckhorn
Secondary: Buckhorn No. 2
Secondary: Diamond Dyes
Secondary: Diamond H.
Secondary: Copper Dollar
Secondary: Buckhorn Tunnel
Commodity
Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Location
State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Pioneer (Rico) 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
Owner Name: George E. Collins And Associates
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1937 -
Owner Name: Robert Baer And Associates
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1937 -
Production
Year: 1925
Description: Ap_Grade: ^6.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 28.9% Pb, 2.3% Zn, 0.035 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Year: 1937
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8.5 Oz/Ton Ag, 20.4% Pb, 1.8% Zn, 0.04 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Year: 1931
Description: Ap_Grade: ^18.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 21.5% Pb, 2.2% Zn, 0.14 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Year: 1929
Description: Ap_Grade: ^2.73 Oz/Ton Ag, 11.2% Pb, 17.7% Zn, 0.34% Cu, 0.005 Oz/Ton Au (Milling)
Year: 1929
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.76 Oz/Ton Ag, 13.8% Pb, 18.4% Zn, 0.49% Cu, 0.01 Oz/Ton Au (Milling)
Year: 1929
Description: Ap_Grade: ^5.83 Oz/Ton Ag, 18.35% Pb, 6.9% Zn, 0.01 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Year: 1928
Description: Ap_Grade: ^4 Oz/Ton Ag, 14.9% Pb, 21.28% Zn, 0.56% Cu, 0.01 Oz/Ton Au (Milling)
Year: 1928
Description: Ap_Grade: ^9.85 Oz/Ton Ag, 21.65% Pb, 3.1% Zn, 0.03 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Year: 1927
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8.17 Oz/Ton Ag, 24.17% Pb, 2.2% Zn, 0.03 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Year: 1926
Description: Ap_Grade: ^10 Oz/Ton Ag, 27.5% Pb, 2.5% Zn, 0.06 Oz/Ton Au (Crude)
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1887
Year Last Production: 1937
Discovery Year: 1877
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 replacement
Orebody
Form: TABULAR
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type: L
Description: Rico Dome
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Pb Sulfide To Carbonate; Alteration Of Pyrite; Silicification
Rocks
Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Prehnite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Sulfur
Comments
Comment (Deposit): SW-DIPPING LOWER HERMOSA SANDSTONE, SHALE, AND LIMESTONE ARE INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES. NE-AND NORTH-SOUTH-TRENDING FISSURES IMPORTANT AS ORE VEINS IN ENTERPRISE MINE AREA ARE NOT PROMINENT IN UNION-CARBONATE. MOST FISSURES HERE TREND N 60 TO 75 W WITH MOST PROMINENT TRENDS NEAR EAST-WEST. SMALL-DISPLACEMENT FISSURES SOMETIMES COMPOSED OF QUARTZ WITH PYRITE AND LOW-GRADE GALENA ORE. VEINS USUALLY CARRY NO WORKABLE ORE. PRINCIPAL DEPOSIT IS BLANKET ORE IN APPARENT BEDDING FAULT AND CONSISTING OF 4 TO 5 FT OF BRECCIA (SHALE AND PORPHYRY FRAGMENTS IN CLAY MATRIX) ABOVE PORPHYRY SILL AND BELOW SHALE BED. NORTH OF SHAFT, BRECCIA LIES ENTIRELY WITHIN PORPHYRY. WHERE ROOF IS SHALE, BRECCIA GRADES INDISTINCTLY INTO LESS DISTURBED SHALE. SHALE FRAGMENTS BLEACHED, ALTERED, AND REPLACED BY PYRITE, OR BY QUARTZ AND PYRITE; QUARTZ ALSO FILLS VUGS. BRECCIA INTENSELY ALTERED ABOVE 190 LEVEL WHERE BLANKET LIES BETWEEN PORPHYRY SHEETS ABOVE PROMINENT NW-TRENDING VEIN.
Comment (Deposit): BLANKET REPLACEMENT CAN BE EITHER SOLID BODY OF QUARTZ AND PYRITE OR GALENA-BEARING PYRITE MASSES, OR POROUS STRUCTURE CONTAINING PYRITE AND SULFUR. VEINS PASS UNDISTURBED UPWARD THROUGH BLANKET, RATHER THAN SPLITTING INTO STRINGERS AS AT ENTERPRISE. BELOW PRINCIPAL BLANKET, OTHER LESS IMPORTANT BLANKETS OCCUR IN THIN ALTERED SHALE BETWEEN SANDSTONE AND PORPHYRY; UNFAULTED BLANKETS CONTAIN OXIDIZED PB ORE (CARBONATE) WITH SOME RESIDUAL SULFIDE EXTENDING INTO SHALE ON BOTH SIDES OF VERTICAL FISSURE.
Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR 1887-1924. NO PRODUCTION IN 1930, 1932-1936, AND AFTER 1937. THIRD FIGURE FOR 1929 IS MILLING ORE CREDITED TO BUCKHORN TUNNEL.
Comment (Development): WORK ON MINE BEGAN IN 1879, BUT LITIGATION KEPT MINE IDLE FROM 1880-1887, AFTER WHICH CONTESTANTS AGREED TO WORK TOGETHER. UNION AND CARBONATE CLAIMS SURVEY 1888 AND PATENTED 1892 BY FENNO WAKEMAN. ORE MINED UNTIL 1894. LATER OPERATION INCLUDED UNION CARBONATE MINES, INC., 1925-1931 AND ROBERT BAER AND ASSOCIATES, 1937.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 356-FT SHAFT WITH TUNNELS INTERSECTING AT 190-FT AND 210-FT LEVELS; SEVERAL INCLINES AND DECLINES. BY 1937, UPPER CARBONATE TUNNEL WAS 600 FT LONG AND LAY 70 FT ABOVE MAIN LEVEL OF FOREST-PAYROLL, INTO WHICH ORE WAS CHUTED AND TRANSPORTED OUT. BUCKHORN TUNNEL AT LEAST 1200 FT LONG, DRIVEN SE, WITH CROSSCUT AT TOP OF 180-FT RAISE. FICKLE GODDESS TUNNEL DRIVEN S 83 E FOR 682 FT, INTENDING TO CONNECT WITH DEEPENED SHAFT AT 800-FT LEVEL.
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: LATE 1870S
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). AT NE END OF NEWMAN HILL ON WEST SIDE OF NORTH PROJECTION OF DOLORES MTN. (UNSURVEYED SECTIONS). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
References
Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 73-75.
Reference (Deposit): PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.
Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 341-346
Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND RANSOME, F.L., 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 130.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 5376, 7330
Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
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