The White Spar Mine is a copper and uranium mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,799 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: 7,799 Feet (2,377 Meters)
Commodity: Copper, Uranium
Lat, Long: 38.01861, -108.04556
Map: View on Google Maps
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White Spar Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: White Spar Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: White Spar, MS 4819
Secondary: New Discovery, MS 4819
Commodity
Primary: Copper
Primary: Uranium
Secondary: Vanadium
Location
State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Lower San Miguel 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
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1887
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, Uncompahgre Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field, San Miguel Mtns
Type: L
Description: Black King Fault
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Cu Sulfide To Carbonate; Wallrock Bleaching Due To Hydrothermal Alteration
Rocks
Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: SAMPLE 12068, 0.06% U308 (RADIOMETRIC), 0.06% U308 (CHEMICAL), 0.15% V205.
Analytical Data: SAMPLE 12051, 0.13% U308 (RADIOMETRIC), 0.15% U308 (CHEMICAL)
Analytical Data: MOREHOUSE (1951) REPORTED ANALYSES OF CHANNEL SAMPLES OF VEIN MATERIAL: SAMPLE 12052, 0.05% U308 (RADIOMETRIC), 0.04% U308 (CHEMICAL)
Materials
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Chalcocite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite
Comments
Comment (Development): CLAIM ORIGINALLY STAKED AS CU PROSPECT IN 1880S; PRODUCTION OF CU ORE FROM 1890 TO ABOUT 1910 IS UNCERTAIN. ALTHOUGH LATER PROSPECTED LATER FOR U AND/OR V, NO APPARENT PRODUCTION WAS MADE.
Comment (Location): CLAIMS LIE ALONG SLOPE IMMEDIATELY NE OF PLACERVILLE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PRINCIPAL WORKINGS AT END OF ROAD FROM PLACERVILLE (SW NE SW SEC. 35). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY SURFACE CUT (TRENCH), AND FOUR SHAFTS, 12, 20, 10, AND 150 FT DEEP.
Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON SE EXTENSION OF BLACK KING FAULT, ONE OF PRINCIPAL FAULTS IN NW-TRENDING SYSTEM CHARACTERISTIC OF DISTRICT. THREE SEGMENTS OF FAULT TREND ABOUT N 20 W AND N 50 W, JOINING TO FORM CONTINUATION OF MAIN FAULT AT ABOUT N 80 W. MAIN FAULT AND SEGMENTS ALL DOWNTHROWN ON NE AND CUT CUTLER AND DOLORES FM RED BEDS. ON RIDGE NORTH OF MINE, CLASTIC DIKE TRENDS GENERALLY N 80 TO 90 W. WHITE SPAR SHOWS FEWER SULFIDES AND LESS WALLROCK ALTERATION THAN BLACK KING, BUT BOTH ARE PROBABLY GENETICALLY RELATED. URANIUM OCCURS AS SCATTERED GRAINS OF URANINITE AND COFFINITE AND POSSIBLY AS ORGANIC COMPLEX DISSEMINATED THROUGH HARDENED PETROLIFEROUS HYDROCARBON OR ASPHALTIC MATERIAL (TERMED THUCHOLITE). ASPHALT OCCURS IN FAULT ZONE, AS FRACTURE FILLINGS, AND DISSEMINATION IN SEDIMENTARY ROCK. RADIOACTIVITY SEEMS MORE CONCENTRATED IN SHINY LUSTROUS HYDROCARBON THAN IN SOOTY VARIETY. GENERAL PARAGENESIS: CALCITE, BARITE, PYRITE, HYDROCARBONS, SULFIDES (PYRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, BORNITE,
Comment (Deposit): ARGENTIFEROUS TETRAHEDRITE, GALENA, SPHALERITE) (GENERAL SEQUENCE FORAREA AS DETERMINED BY WILMARTH, 1953).
References
Reference (Deposit): FISCHER, R.P., AND OTHERS, 1947, VANADIUM DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 15, NO. 3, P. 117-146.
Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND OTHERS, 1959, AREAL GEOLOGY OF THE PLACERVILLE QUADRANGLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS BULL 1072-E.
Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 447.
Reference (Deposit): MOREHOUSE, G.E., 1951, INVESTIGATION OF THUCHOLITE DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, COLORADO: AEC RMO-910, P. 9, 13.
Reference (Deposit): WILMARTH, V.R., 1953, PLACERVILLE HYDROCARBONS, COLORADO, IN SEARCH FOR AND GEOLOGY OF RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS: AEC TEI-330, P. 107-108.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 4819
Colorado Mining Photos
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