French Hill Chrome Mine

The French Hill Chrome Mine is a chromium mine located in Del Norte county, California at an elevation of 1,572 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: French Hill Chrome Mine
Secondary: Tyson
Secondary: J. & W.

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Tertiary: Ruthenium
Tertiary: Iridium
Tertiary: Palladium
Tertiary: Platinum
Tertiary: Rhodium

Location

State: California
County: Del Norte
District: French Hill Area

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: James F. Lemon, Monroe, Oreg.

Owner Name: J. And W. Mining Corp.

Production

Year: 1958
Time Period: 1952-1958
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^44% Cr203
Year: 1946
Time Period: 1941-1946
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^44% Cr2o3
Year: 1918
Time Period: 1880-1918
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^40% Cr2o3

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1886
Year Last Production: 1958
Discovery Year: 1886
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: PODS, LENSES OF MASSIVE ORE, SOME DISSEMINATED

Structure

Type: L
Description: Dunite Is Highly Sheared, Main Fault Strikes N20-70e And Dips 25-70se

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Serpentinized Dunite

Rocks

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: IR=40, 52 PPB
Analytical Data: PD=TR, 18 PPB
Analytical Data: 2 PGE ANALYSES: PT=10, 12 PPB
Analytical Data: RH=TR, 18 PPB. CR:FE=2.5:1
Analytical Data: RU=<100, 180 PPB

Materials

Ore: Chromite
Gangue: Aragonite
Gangue: Uvarovite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Talc
Gangue: Magnesite

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): RESERVE ESTIMATE IS FOR WESTERN ORE BODY

Comment (Location): UNSURVEYED. IN SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST. ON STEEP SOUTHERN SLOPE OF FRENCH HILL 300 FT BELOW SUMMIT AND ABOVE CRAIGS CREEK. UTM IS FOR PGE SAMPLE COLLECTION SITE. LAT/LONG GIVEN IS FOR MINE SYMBOL SHOWN ON TOPO MAP; UTM COORDINATE FOR THIS IS 4628580N, 418100E.

Comment (Production): POSSIBLY ANOTHER 2,000 TONS OF ORE WERE REMOVED IN LATE 1946 AND EARLY 1947.

Comment (Development): USBM DRILLED 17 DIAMOND DRILL HOLES IN 1944

Comment (Workings): INCLINED SHAFT ON 70 DEG SLOPE WITH 4 LEVELS OF DRIFTS AND CROSSCUTS. TWO LARGE PITS AND NUMEROUS BULLDOZER CUTS USED IN 1950'S

Comment (Geology): PERIDOTITE CONTAINS INCLUSIONS OF METAVOLCANIC ROCKS

Comment (Deposit): RECORD M007487 AND W017820 HAVE BEEN MERGED AND DELETED.

Comment (Deposit): 2 MAIN ORE BODIES IN SHEARED SERPENTINITE ALONG CREST OF A NARROW ANTICLINE. EXTEND DOWN PLUNGE A MAXIMUM OF 260 FT. CHROMITE PODS VARY FROM 1-15 FT THICK AND 20-70 FT LONG.

References

Reference (Deposit): SANBORN, W.C., AND RICKER, SPANGLER, 1948, INVESTIGATION OF FRENCH HILL CHROMITE MINE, DEL NORTE COUNTY, CALIF.: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 4365, 9 P.

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.

Reference (Production): STINSON, 1975

Reference (Deposit): WELLS, F.G., CATER, F.W., JR., AND RYNEARSON, G.A., 1946, GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF CHROMITE IN CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES BULLETIN 134, PT. 1, CH. 1, P. 47-52.

Reference (Deposit): BRADLEY, W.W., HUGUENIN, EMILE, LOGAN, C.A., TUCKER, W.B., AND WARING, C.A., 1918, MANGANESE AND CHROMIUM IN CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU BULLETIN 76, P. 127-128.

Reference (Deposit): O'BRIEN, J.C., 1952, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF DEL NORTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY V. 48, NO. 4, P. 271-272.

Reference (Deposit): STINSON, M.C., 1975, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MINERAL PROPERTY REPORT, UNPUB.

Reference (Deposit): O'BRIEN, J.C., 1948, CURRENT AND RECENT MINING ACTIVITIES IN THE REDDING DISTRICT: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY V. 44, NO. 4, P. 337.

California Gold

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