The Esterley Chrome Mine is a chromium mine located in Josephine county, Oregon at an elevation of 1,519 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: 1,519 Feet (463 Meters)
Commodity: Chromium
Lat, Long: 42.07833, -123.63250
Map: View on Google Maps
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MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.
Esterley Chrome Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Esterley Chrome Mine
Secondary: Esterly
Commodity
Primary: Chromium
Tertiary: Iridium
Tertiary: Platinum
Tertiary: Palladium
Tertiary: Ruthenium
Tertiary: Rhodium
Location
State: Oregon
County: Josephine
District: Waldo Area
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
Type: Surface
Ownership
Owner Name: Oliphant, R. F.
Owner Name: Sherman, John
Years: 1956 -
Owner Name: Pepperdine, G. G.
Production
Year: 1956
Time Period: 1952-1956
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^44% Cr2o3 (Conc.)
Year: 1956
Time Period: 1918-1956
Material type: TOTAL
Description: Cp_Grade: ^41.80% Cr2o3 (Weighted Average Grade)
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Podiform chromite (minor)
Orebody
Form: IRREGULAR BODIES
Structure
Type: L
Description: Vertical Fault Trending N 30 E
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Serpentine-Talc-Magnesite
Rocks
Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: RH=5 PPB.
Analytical Data: RU=200 PPB
Analytical Data: IR=40 PPB
Analytical Data: PD=<4 PPB
Analytical Data: 1 PGE ANALYSIS: PT=<10 PPB
Materials
Ore: Chromite
Gangue: Olivine
Gangue: Serpentine
Gangue: Magnesite
Comments
Comment (Location): UTM GIVEN IS FOR PGE SAMPLE SITE LOCATION. LAT/LONG GIVEN IS FOR ESTERLY MINE LABELED ON TOPO MAP; UTM FOR THIS IS 4658450N, 447670E.
Comment (Deposit): RECORD NUMBER M013278 HAS BEEN MERGED WITH THIS RECORD AND DELETED.
Comment (Production): ORE CONCENTRATED FROM 1,300 TONS OF 20% CR2O3. SECOND CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION ESTIMATE IS BY RAMP; DO NOT ADD THE TWO
Comment (Deposit): TWO ORE BODIES MINED. ORE IS SPOTTED AND NODULAR, MEDIUM GRADE TO DENSE MASSIVE HIGH GRADE.
Comment (Workings): DRILLED DURING 1956, 1 HOLE TO 125 FT CONTAINED 78 FT OF CHROMITE. TRENCH AND SEVERAL OPEN PITS - PITS ARE FLOODED.
Comment (Reserve-Resource): CHROMITE FOUND IN DRILL HOLE, 1956
References
Reference (Reserve-Resource): RAMP, 1961, P. 151
Reference (Deposit): PAGE, N.J, JOHNSON, M.G., HAFFTY, JOSEPH, AND RAMP, LEN, 1975, OCCURRENCE OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS IN ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS OF THE MEDFORD-COOS BAY 2 DEGREE QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISCELLANEOUS FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-694, SCALE 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, AND PETERSON, N.V., 1979, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 100, TABLE 1.
Reference (Deposit): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES, 1952, OREGON METAL MINES HANDBOOK, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON--JOSEPHINE COUNTY (2D ED.): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 14-C, V. 2, SEC. 1, P. 196-197.
Reference (Deposit): SHENON, P.J., 1933, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TAKILMA-WALDO DISTRICT, OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 846-B, P. 177-178.
Reference (Deposit): THAYER, T.P., 1974, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, UNPUB. DATA
Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, 1961, CHROMITE IN SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 52, P. 150-151.
Reference (Deposit): CARLSON, C.A., AND OTHERS, 1985, ANALYSES FOR PLATINUM-GROUP ELEMENTS IN SAMPLES FROM PODIFORM CHROMITE DEPOSITS, CALIFORNIA AND OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 85-442, 14 P.
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