Climax Mine Moly

Site Name

Primary: Climax Mine Moly
Secondary: Climax Mine
Secondary: Climax Moly Mine
Secondary: Climax Molybdenum Deposit
Secondary: Ceresco Ridge portal, orebody
Secondary: Phillipson portal, level
Secondary: Storke portal, level

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Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum
Secondary: REE
Secondary: Tin
Secondary: Sulfur-Pyrite
Secondary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Niobium (Columbium)
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal
Tertiary: Lead

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Location

State: Colorado
County: Lake
District: Robinson

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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.

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Holdings

Type: Patented

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Workings

Type: Underground

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Ownership

Owner Name: Climax Molybdenum Co
Info Year: 2010

Owner Name: Cyprus Amax Minerals Co.
Company ID: 500354
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1994
Years: 1994 -

Owner Name: Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Climax Molybdenum Co (Freeport-McMoRan ) 1626 Cole Blvd Golden CO 80401
Info Year: 2010

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Production

Year: 1995
Description: Increase In Moly Production 78000000 Lb
Year: 1990
Description: 1,657,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 1076000 Mt Ore @ 0.305% Mos2
Year: 1991
Description: 1,387,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 1048000 Mt Ore @ 0.262% Mos2
Year: 1994
Description: Moly Production 57000000 Lb
Year: 1989
Description: 1,828,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 9080000 Mt Ore @ 0.376% Mos2
Year: 1987
Description: 1,015,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 340000 Mt Ore @ 0.476% Mos2
Year: 1985
Description: 7,713,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 5466000 Mt Ore @ 0.273% Mos2
Year: 1986
Description: 4,763,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 3242000 Mt Ore @ 0.268% Mos2
Year: 1984
Description: 7,628,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 5000000 Mt Ore @ 0.292% Mos2
Year: 1980
Description: 26,635,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 15488000 Mt Ore @ 0.2915 Mos2
Year: 1982
Description: 9,383,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 5516000 Mt Ore @ 0.317% Mos2
Year: 1981
Description: 22,600,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 15174000 Mt Ore @ 0.286% Mos2
Year: 1930
Time Period: 1916-1930
Year: 1979
Description: 22,269,000 Kgs Mo In Conc Produced 15128000 Mt Ore @ 0.282% Mos2

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Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Climax Mo
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Flotation
Year First Production: 1918
Discovery Year: 1879
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: L

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Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Climax Mo

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Orebody

Form: ORE ZONES ARE IRREGULARLY CIRCULAR TO OVAL IN PLAN, ARCUATE IN SECTION GIVING OVERALL SHAPES OF INVERTED HEMISPHERES OR CUPS

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Structure

Type: L
Structure: Mosquito Fault, East Fault, South Fault, Precambrian Anticline

Type: R
Structure: Park Range, Colorado Mineral Belt, Tenmile Range

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Oxidation Of Mo And Fe Sulfides

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Sericitization

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Silicification

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Potassic Metasomatism

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Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Description: stocks, dikes, and sheets of medium-grained granite and pegmatite, and fine- to medium-grained equigranular granite, all emplaced in three phases
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mesoproterozoic

Name: Granitoid
Role: Host
Description: Composite Climax Stock was introduced as multiple (5) pulses over the period from 33 and 18 Ma. Mostly granite porphyry.
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Description: biotite schist and gneiss, and banded granite gneiss and granulites
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Wolframite
Ore: Cassiterite
Ore: Huebnerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Molybdite
Ore: Monazite
Ore: Molybdenite
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Chalcocite
Gangue: Brannerite
Gangue: Alabandite
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Orthoclase
Gangue: Quartz
Unknown: Fluorite
Unknown: Chalcopyrite
Unknown: Sericite
Unknown: Galena
Unknown: Rhodochrosite
Unknown: Sphalerite
Unknown: Topaz

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Comments

Comment (Development): DEPOSIT DISCOVERED IN 1879 BUT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS M0 UNTIL 1895. SEVERAL ORE SHIPMENTS WERE MADE IN 1915-17 BUT REAL PRODUCTION DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL 1918-19. LACK OF MARKETS CLOSED THE NINE UNTIL 1924 WHEN PEACETIME USES FOR MO IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY DEVELOPED. ALTHOUGH ORE GRADES HAVE DECREASED THROUGH THE YEARS, IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN MINING AND MILL RECOVERY. BY-PRODUCTS PLANT BUILT IN 1948 RECOVERS W (AS WO3), SN, PYRITE CONC., AND RARE-EARTH CONC. (AS MONAZITE).

Comment (Deposit): LITHOLOGY: THE ROCK TYPES ARE ALTERED QUARTZ MONZONTE PORPHYRY INTRUDED INTO HOST ROCK CONSISTING OF A BIOTITE SCHISTS AND GNEISS (PRE CAMBRIAN IDAHO SPGS FM) AND SILVER PLUME GRANITE (PRECAMBRIAN) GEOLOGY IN PLAN VIEW THE SHAPE OF ORE BODY ELLIPSE IS - LARGE 1800 FT (550 M) RADIUS AND 1100 FT (340 M) SMALL RADIUS, WITH CENTRAL BARREN CORE. WIDTH ACROSS ORE ZONE AVERAGES 800 FT (240 M). IN SECTION VIEW, SHAPE APPEARS ARCUATE AND EXTENDS TO 1200 FT (370 M) DEPTH. FOUR SEPARATE MINERALIZATIONS. SOUTHWEST MASS OF THE CLIMAX STOCK AND AN ASSOCIATED IRREGULAR AND ANASTOMOSING DIKE SWARM, RELATED TO CERESCO ORE BODY. CENTRAL MASS OF THE CLIMAX STOCK AND RELATED ARCUATE DIKES AND SHEETS RELATED TO UPPER ORE BODY. APLITIC PORPHYRY PHASE OF THE CLIMAX STOCK AND INTRAMINERAL PORPHYRY DIKES (RADIAL DIKE SWARMS) RELATED TO THE LOWER ORE BODY. THE PORPHYRITIC GRANITE PHASE OF THE CLIMAX STOCK AND LATE RHYOLITE PORPHYRY DIKES RELATED TO LATE BARREN" STAGE OF MINERALIZATION. TUNGSTEN MINERALIZATION IS OUTSIDE DOMES OF MOLYBDENITE MINERALIZATION. ALL BY-PRODUCT WO3 PRODUCTION IS FROM A 700 FT TO 1000 FT THICK ZONE AROUND THE LOWER ORE BODY . PYRITE-TUNGSTEN ZONE ON UPPER AND OUTER EDGES OF UPPER ORE BODY IS APPROX. 4000 FT WIDE, 300-500 FT THICK, AND AVERAGES 0.06% NO3.. PYRITE-TUNGSTEN ZONE ON UPPER AND OUTER EDGES OF UPPER ORE BODY IS APPROX. 4000 FT WIDE, 300-500 FT THICK, AND AVERAGES 0.06% NO3. THE CLIMAX ORE DEPOSIT IS BOUNDED ON THE WEST BY THE MOSQUITO FAULT. LOWER, UPPER, AND CERESCO ORE BODIES OF MULTIPLE-INTRUSION ORIGIN FORM TILTED STACK OF APPROX. COAXIAL MINERALIZED ZONES, EACH CONNECTED TO NEXT LOWER ZONE ON LOWER EDGE. EACH MO ZONE LIES BETWEEN PYRITE-W MINERALIZED ZONE (ABOVE) AND QUARTZ ZONE (BELOW). MO OCCURS IN 1) 0.25 INCH QUARTZ-FILLED FRACTURES AND VEINLETS; 27 TABULAR STRUCTURES EQUILAVENT TO VEINS; 37 DISSEMINATIONS IN PEGMATITES AND APLITE DIKES; 4) INCLUSIONS AND FRAGMENTS IN YOUNGER INTRUSIVE ROCK AND BRECCIA; 5) CLOTS AND SPARSE CRYSTALS IN HIGH-SILICA ROCK; 6) FRACTURE/JOINT COATINGS. MOST BY-PRODUCT PYRITE AND W COMES FROM 700- TO 1000-FT-THICK ZONE ABOVE AND PARTLY COINCIDENT WITH LOWER ORE BODY.

Comment (Commodity): MO IS THE MAIN PRODUCT; BY-PRODUCTS ARE W AND SN, PYRITE CONCENTRATES AND RARE EARTH CONCENTRATES (AS MONAZITE).

Comment (Location): ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEADVILLE, ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE JUST EAST OF FREMONT PASS, IN SEC. 12, T 8 S, R 79 W; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1980

Comment (Production): Total production from 1918 to 1991 is about 470 million tons of ore at an average grade of 0.22% molybdenum. The mine was placed on a care-and-maintenance status in 1995. In April 2006, the company announced plans to re-open the mine in 2009. CUMULATIVE MONAZITE NOT CALCULATED DUE TO HIGH UNCERTAINTY OF ACTUAL YEARS OF RECOVERY.

Comment (Reference): At the end of 2005, reserves were 156.4 million tons at a grade of 0.19% molybdenum plus 87 milllion tons of mineralized material at a grade of 0.25% molybdenum. (Phelps Dodge 2005 Annual Report)

Comment (Production): NEARLY COMPLETE PRODUCTION RECORD. SMALL BUT UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TONNAGE CITED FOR 1915-1916. NO PRODUCTION CITED IN 1917 OR 1920-1923. SEE SEPARATE PRODUCTION FILE FOR REMAINDER OF RECORD (1918-1977). 1980 IS LAST YEAR FOR WHICH FIGURES ARE AVAILABLE AT COLO. DIV. MINES. BY-PRODUCT RECOVERY OF SN, W, AND PYRITE BEGAN 1948 BUT PRODUCTION FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR 1948-1952. FIGURES FOR BY-PRODUCT MONAZITE RECOVERY (IF ANY) UNAVAILABLE FOR 1948-1952, 1954-1965, AND AFTER 1969. FIGURES FOR ORE AFTER 1957 AND FOR LB MO AFTER 1952 LISTED IN TABLE AS ESTIMATED DUE TO NECESSARY ROUNDING OF QUANTITIES OVER 10,000,000. ESTIMATED CUMULATIVE TOTALS HAVE BEEN ROUNDED AFTER SUMMATION OF ACTUAL ANNUAL FIGURES.,CUMULATIVE ORE AND LB MO CALCULATED FOR YEARS IN WHICH ACTUAL FIGURES WERE REPORTED. CUMULATIVE LB MO FOR 1953-1980 INCLUDES CALCULATED ESTIMATE FOR 1965. CUMULATIVE TOTALS FOR WO3, SN, AND PYRITE EXCLUDES INITIAL YEARS' RECOVERY (1948-1952) AND INCLUDES CALCULATED ESTIMATES FOR 1965.

Comment (Workings): PRINCIPAL PRODUCTION LEVELS ARE/WERE LEAL (EL. 12163), WHITE (EL. 11940), PHILLIPSON (EL. 11463), STORKE (EL. 11168), 500 (EL. 10968), 600 (EL. 10868), 929 (EL. 10539). LEAL OPENED 1918 AND WITH WHITE WAS ABANDONED IN 1930S. PHILLIPSON OPENED 1931 AND ABANDONED 1974. STORKE OPENED EARLY 1950S. CERESCO OPENED 1965 AND ABANDONED 1974. 600 OPENED 1972. OPEN PIT DEVELOPED 1973. NO. 4 SHAFT (754 FT DEEP,19-FT DIAM) SERVES 600 AND LOWER LEVELS FROM STORKE LEVEL. NO.(5 SHAFT ) SERVES 600 AND LOWER LEVELS FROM STORKE LEVEL. NO. 5 SHAFT (670 FT DEEP, 23-FT DIAM) FOR SERVICE. NO. 7 SHAFT (370 FT DEEP, 29-FT DIAM) PROVIDES POWER AND VENTILATION TO STORKE AND LOWER LEVELS. FACILITES INCLUDE SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND CRUSHERS, SURFACE GRINDING MILL, FOUR-STAGE FLOTATION, FILTERING AND PACKAGINE, BYPRODUCTS PLANT, TAILINGS DISPOSAL PONDS. DC00634 AND D000448 WERE MERGED INTO THIS RECORD AND DELETED.

Comment (Production): PRODUCING IN AUGUST, 1979, TUNGSTEN AS BYPRODUCT AT RATE OF 1.9 MILLION POUNDS PER YEAR OF CONTAINED TUNGSTEN. AMAX 1978 10K, P5 REDUCED THROUGHPUT TO 6000 STPD IN 1986. SHUT DOWN NO. 2 MILL IN 1985.OPERATING LIMITED NUMBER OF MILLING SECTIONS IN MILL NO. 3 IN 1986.TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN MARCH 6,1987 OF MINE/MILL.IN FEB 1988 WROTE-DOWN COSTS TO SHUTDOWN UNDERGROUND MINE AND REMOVE CERTAIN RELATED SURFACE FACILITIES.THE OPEN PIT MINE IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS WRITE-DOWN.THE ADVISED MINING-MILLING CAPACITY NOW IS 25MM POUNDS OF CONTAINED MOLYBDENUM ANNUALLY UPON OPEN PIT STARTUP. RESERVES 12/31/87 10K 124,286,000TONS, 0.192 %MO. 1991 UG CLOSED THIS PROPERTY WAS REVIEWED BY RC SMITH, 4-87. AT THIS TIME THE MINE WAS TEMPORARILY SHUTDOWN ON MARCH 6, 1987. THIS PROPERTY WAS UPDATED IN AUG 1992.

Comment (Geology): Hemispherical Zones Of Broken, Altered Rock Above And Flanking Multiple-Intruded Climax Stock In Footwall Of Mosquito Fault.

Comment (Economic Factors): PRODUCING IN AUGUST, 1979, TUNGSTEN AS BYPRODUCT AT RATE OF 1.9 MILLION POUNDS PER YEAR OF CONTAINED TUNGSTEN. AMAX 1978 10K, P5 REDUCED THROUGHPUT TO 6000 STPD IN 1986. SHUT DOWN NO. 2 MILL IN 1985.OPERATING LIMITED NUMBER OF MILLING SECTIONS IN MILL NO. 3 IN 1986.TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN MARCH 6,1987 OF MINE/MILL. IN FEB 1988 WROTE-DOWN COSTS TO SHUTDOWN UNDERGROUND MINE AND REMOVE CERTAIN RELATED SURFACE FACILITIES.THE OPEN PIT MINE IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS WRITE-DOWN. THE ADVISED MINING-MILLING CAPACITY NOW IS 25MM POUNDS OF CONTAINED MOLYBDENUM ANNUALLY UPON OPEN PIT STARTUP. RESERVES 12/31/87 10K 124,286,000 TONS, 0.192 %MO. 1991 UG CLOSED.

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References

Reference (Workings): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPORTS 1924-1980 (EXCEPT 1965) FOR TONS ORE (1924-1939, 1944-1964, 1966-1968, 1977-1978), TONS CONCENTRATE (1924-1926, 1930, 1933-1939), % MOS2 IN CONCENTRATE (1924, 1926, 1928, 1930-1933, 1936-1939), % MOS2 IN ORE (1927-1928, 1930-1933, 1938-1939, 1944-1950), LB MO (1953-1964, 1966-1980), LB WO3 (1953-1964, 1966-1980), % WO3 (1948-1950), LB SN (1953-1964, 1966-1980), % SN (1949-1950), TONS PYRITE CONCENTRATE (1953-1964, 1966-1980), LB MONAZITE CONCENTRATE (1953, 1966-1969). LB MO FOR 1918-1930 FROM BUTLER AND VANDERWILT (1933); LB MO FOR 1931-1945 FROM VANDERWILT (1947). ORE TONNAGE FOR 1940-1943 AND 1965 FROM CLIMAX MOLYBDENUM CO. (TERRY FITZSIMMONS, PERS. COMM., 8/82).

Reference (Geology): White, W.H.,Bookstrom, A.A., Kamilli, R.J., Ganster, M.W., Smith, R.P., Ranta, D.E., and Steininger, R.C., 1981, Character and Orgin of Climax-type Molybdenum Deposits: in Economic geology; Seventy-fifth anniversary volume; 1905-1980, pgs 270-316

Reference (Deposit): MOLYBDENUM - THE FIRM BASE FOR AMAX DIVERSIFICATION, SEP 1972, ENG & MIN J. P 102-110.

Reference (Geology): Wallace, S. R.,and Snow, G. G., 1989, The Porphyry Molybdenite Deposits at Climax, Colorado, in Mineral Deposits of North America;Vol 1. Mineral Deposits and Geology of Central Colorado, B. Bryant and D. Beaty Eds.: Am. Geophys Union, p. T 128 38-44

Reference (Deposit): BUTLER, B.S., AND VANDERWILT, J.W., 1933, THE CLIMAX MOLYBDENUM DEPOSIT, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 846-C.

Reference (Deposit): JULIAN, DOUGLAS E, SEP 20, 1975, FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN BLOCK CAVING, SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW. P 12-15.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): AMAX SEC FORM 10-K REPORT, DEC 31, 1992. P. 18.

Reference (Production): BORN, C. A., ET. AL., 1976, MOLYBENITE FLOTATION REAGENT DEVELOPMENT AT CLIMAX, COLORADO. FLOTATION. AIME A. M.GAUDIN MEMORIAL VOLUME.(M.C. FUERSTENAU, ED.) V.2 PP. 1147-1183.

Reference (Deposit): HENDERSON, ROBERT, JUL 1955, COMMENTS ON CAVING AT CLIMAX,MINING CONGRESS J. P 45-8.

Reference (Deposit): CLIMAX DESIGN, AUG 1955, MINING ENGINEER, V 7, P 726-779.

Reference (Workings): NEW 600 PRODUCTION LEVEL AT CLIMAX MINE. MAR 3, 1973, SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, V 62, N 9. PP 1 & 11

Reference (Deposit): BURK, SNELL G, NOV 1959, NEW PLANT RECOVERS TUNGSTEN, TIN; MINING WORLD MAG., V 21, N 12, P 38-43.

Reference (Deposit): AMAX SEC FORM 10-K REPORTS FOR YEARS 1979-1991.

Reference (Deposit): DILLARD, GARY. MOTIVATION, AUTOMATION MEETING THE CHALLENGE. PAY DIRT MAG. (ROCKY MT ED.), JULY 1992, PP. 4A-6A.

Reference (Deposit): MC CLEAN, STEVE. CLIMAX MOLYBDENUM TO RESUME MINE PRODUCTION AT CLIMAX. PAY DIRT MAG. (ROCKY MT ED.),NOV. 1990, P. 4A.

Reference (Deposit): RYAN'S NOTES, NEWS, FEB., 13, 1995, "CLIMAX MOLY MINE TO OPEN IN APRIL".

Reference (Deposit): TECHNICAL INFORMATION OF THE CLIMAX PROPERTY. AMAX CLIMAX MOLYBDENUM COMPANY. SPRING 1974. 36PP.

Reference (Deposit): VANDERWILT, AND KING, R.U., 1955, HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AT THE CLIMAX MOLYBDENITE DEPOSIT: MINING ENGINEERING, V. 7, NO 1, P.41-53.

Reference (Deposit): OBERT, LEONARD, 1972, CAVING PROPERTIES OF THE CLIMAX ORE BODY, AIME INTERMTN SEC. MIN. CONFERENCE AT VAIL, CO, AUG 22, 1973, 22 PP.

Reference (Deposit): WALLACE, S.R., AND OTHERS, 1968, MULTIPLE INTRUSION AND MINERALIZATION AT CLIMAX, COLORADO, IN RIDGE, J.D., ED., ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1933-1967: AIME GRATON-SALES VOLUME, V. 1, P. 605-640.

Reference (Geology): WALLACE, STEWART R., ET AL, 1968, MULTIPLE INTRUSIONS AND MINERALIZATION AT CLIMAX, COLORADO. ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES 1933-1967, AIME GRATON-SALES VOLUME (JOHN D.RIDGE, ED.) V.1, P 605-40.

Reference (Deposit): MOLY NEWS - NUMEROUS ISSUES USED FOR EVALUATION FROM 1966-MAR 1979

Reference (Workings): CHERRIER, T. E., APR 1972, OPEN PIT PLANNING AT CLIMAX MINE,COLORADO. AIME TRANS. V. 81, PP. A57-A61.

Reference (Workings): EISENACH, E. J. & JAMES J. LUDWIG. FEB 1963. UNDERGROUND MINING PROGRESS. MIN. CONGRESS J. PP. 71-75.

Reference (Development): Climax Molybdenum Co. and Phelps Dodge Corp. information accessed on the internet on May 25, 2006

Reference (Deposit): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1942, TENMILE MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (UNCLASSIFIED MAP), SCALE: 1:12,000.

Reference (Deposit): COLO. STATE METAL MINING FUND, 1960, TUNGSTEN MINES OF COLORADO, P.20.

Reference (Workings): BROWN, CALVIN C, ET AL, OCT 1968, OPEN PIT MINING AND MAINTENANCE AT THE CLIMAX MINE. MIN. CONGRESS J. PP 21-6.

Reference (Deposit): AMAX 1985 ANNUAL REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): AMAX 1983 ANNUAL REPORT.

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