The Utopia Mine is a gold mine located in Albany county, Wyoming at an elevation of 8,399 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: 8,399 Feet (2,560 Meters)
Commodity: Gold
Lat, Long: 41.28389, -106.15667
Map: View on Google Maps
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Mine Description
Three westerly trending drifts were opened in schists and gneisses of the Mafic Series in the early 1900's near the base of Centennial Ridge about one-quarter mile south of the Centennial Mine workings. Small amounts of gold were associated with shear zones, quartz streaks, and garnets in hornblende schists (Dart, 1929). Cross faults were supposedly responsible for cutting off the mineralized zone as was the case in the nearby Centennial tunnels. Minor amount of gold associated with decomposed hornblende in felsic veins paralleling schistosity were reported from the Utopia workings upslope from the main drifts (Hess, 1926, p. 129). Assays of samples collected from the Utopia tunnels by Dart in 1929 (p. 8) range from 0-1. 64 ounces of silver and a trace to 3.46 ounces of gold per ton.
Source: The Centennial Ridge Gold-Platinum District, Albany County, Wyoming, 1968. The Geological Survey of Wyoming.
Utopia Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Utopia Mine
Secondary: Utopia Tunnels
Secondary: Centennial Ridge District
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Platinum
Tertiary: Copper
Location
State: Wyoming
County: Albany
District: Centennial Ridge 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: Medicine Bow National Forest
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: vein
Operation Type: Underground
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: DISSEMINATED IN SHEAR ZONES AND VEINS
Structure
Type: R
Description: Mullen Creek-Nash Fork Shear Zone
Type: L
Description: Flat Fault
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Hornblendite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Hornblendite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: TR-56 PPM AG, TR-119 PPM AU (CONVERTED TO PPM FROM OZ/TON)
Materials
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Siderite
Comments
Comment (Geology): SMALL GOLD BODIES IN QUARTZ VEINS IN SCHISTS ARE PROBABLY RELATED TO GRANITE PEGMATITES
Comment (Workings): 3 DRIFTS
Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ VEINS AND SHEAR ZONES. VEIN WAS LOST BY A FAULT OFFSET; UNPUBLISHED MODEL NAME: NEW RAMBLER CU-AU-PGE.
Comment (Development): DRIFTS WERE OPENED IN EARLY 1900'S.
Comment (Production): NO PRODUCTION FIGURES AVAILABLE; SMALL PRODUCTION PRESUMED
Comment (Commodity): UNVERIFIED REPORT OF PT
Comment (Location): ON SECTION LINE. IN MEDICINE BOW NATIONAL FOREST
Comment (Deposit): RECORD W032146 HAS BEEN MERGED AND DELETED.
Comment (Deposit): "Three westerly trending drifts were opened in schists and gneisses of the Mafic Series in the early 1900's near the base of Centennial Ridge aobut one-quarter mile south of the Centennial Mine workings. Small amounts of gold were associated with shear zones, quartz streaks, and garnets in hornblende schists (Dart, 1929). Cross faults were supposedly responsible for cutting off the mineralized zone as was the case in the nearby Centennial tunnels. Minor amount [sic] of gold associated with decomposed hornblende in felsic veins paralleling schistosity were reported from the Utopia workings upslope from the main drifts (Hess, 1926, p. 129). Assays of samples collected from the Utopia tunnels by Dart in 1929 (p.8) range from 0-1.64 ounces of silver and a trace to 3.46 ounces of gold per ton." (McCallum, 1968, p. 10)
References
Reference (Deposit): HESS, F.L., 1926, PLATINUM NEAR CENTENNIAL, WYOMING: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 780-C, P. 129.
Pages: p. 129.
Reference (Deposit): MCCALLUM, M.E., 1968, THE CENTENNIAL RIDGE GOLD-PLATINUM DISTRICT, ALBANY COUNTY, WYOMING: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING PRELIMINARY REPORT 7, P. 10.
Pages: p. 10, pl. 1.
Reference (Deposit): HAUSEL, W.D., 1989, THE GEOLOGY OF WYOMING'S PRECIOUS METAL LODE AND PLACER DEPOSITS: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING BULLETIN 68, P. 100.
Pages: p. 100.
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