Rainbow Project

The Rainbow Project is a zinc and silver mine located in Silver Bow county, Montana at an elevation of 6,010 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: Rainbow Project
Secondary: Alice Mine

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Gold
Tertiary: Lead

Location

State: Montana
County: Silver Bow
District: Butte 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

Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: New Butte Mining
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Montana
Info Year: 1989

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Plant Type: Beneficiation (Mill)
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Combined Methods - Other Combined Methods
Milling Method: Flotation
Discovery Year: 1874
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Rhodochrosite
Unknown: Silver
Unknown: Sphalerite
Unknown: Chalcedony
Unknown: Chalcopyrite
Unknown: Galena
Unknown: Pyrite
Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Argentite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THE ANACONDA COMPANY HAS NO PRESENT PLANS TO RESUME ZINC MINING BUT THE SYNDICATE VEIN RESOURCES AND THE NEAR SURFACE RESOURCES AROUND THE ALICE PIT ARE BEING REEVALUATED BECAUSE OF RECENT SILVER AND ZINC PRICE INCREASES. THIS EVALUATION INCLUDES FIVE BUTTE ZINC MINES WHICH HAVE THE LARGEST POTENTIALLY MINEABLE REMAINING RESOURCES. THE EVALUATION INCLUDES THE ALICE, ANSELMO, BADGER, LEXINGTON, AND MOUNTAIN CONS. MINES. THE ALICE IS ONE OF 39 BUTTE MN DEPOSITS.A COMPLETE EVALUATION OF THE BUTTE MN DISTRICT IS AVAILABLE UNDER SEQ. NO. 0300930224. THE TONNAGE PRESENT IN THE ALICE IS NOT USED IN THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT ASSAY DATA ON PRIMARY COPRODUCT (ZN,AG,PB). FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS ADVISED. THE THREE PRINCIPAL VEINS IN THE MINE ARE THE ALLIE BROWN, WAPPELLO, AND LA PLATA. THE VEINS CONSIST OF QUARTZ, PYRITE, SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, ARGENTITE, AND SOME FORM OF GOLD, PRESUMABLY A SULFIDE. 1985 UPDATE. NO ACTIVITY AT MINE SINCE 1981.

Comment (Production): ALL PRODUCTS LISTED ARE FOR THE OVERALL INTEGRATED OPERATION AND NOT JUST THE ALICE.

Comment (Production): DEPOSIT HAS BEEN A MINOR PRODUCER

Comment (Reserve-Resource): DATA FROM CLIPPINGS-1988 DATA IS OLD AND IN NEED OF UPDATE.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): NOT IN BUTTE CU & MN REPORTS.- KNOWN BY NAME OF RAINBOW BLOCK. NEW BUTTE MINING IS A 100% SUBSIDIARY OF THE ROBERTSON GROUP OF THE U.K. IT IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME WHETHER OR NOT THE MINE IS SHUT DOWN. 1993 RESERVES FROM RANDOL 1993/94. MINE CLOSED IN 1991 (MBMG, BULL 130, 1992)

Comment (Reserve-Resource): RESOURCE DATA PROVIDED BY THE ANACONDA COPPER COMPANY M1C2=NARROW VEIN RESOURCES ELIMINATED FROM THE MINE PLAN RESOURCE BECAUSE OF LIMITED SIZE AND THE EXCESSIVE DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED. M1C1=M1C2+M1C3 M2C1=SUB LEVEL CAVE LOAD HAUL DUMP RESOURCE INCLUDED IN THE MINE PLAN RESOURCE

References

Reference (Deposit): WORLD MINING, ANACONDA'S EMMA - MODERN METHODS AND MACHINERY

Reference (Deposit): DOUBLED HER OUTPUT; NO. 4, PP. 9-13.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES RI 7148, P. 145.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY IC 20, P. 46.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUR MINES BULL. 129, 1991.

Reference (Deposit): OF ECON. GEOL., AUGUST 18-21, 1973, PP. G-2.

Reference (Deposit): SALES, R. H., 1914, ORE DEPOSITS AT BUTTE, MONTANA: TRANS.

Reference (Deposit): AIME, V. 46, PP. 1-94.

Reference (Deposit): SALES, R. H., AND MEYER, C., 1944, PRELIMINARY STUDY OF VEIN

Reference (Deposit): FORMATION, BUTTE, MONTANA: ECON. GEOL., V. 44, NO. 6,

Reference (Deposit): PP. 465-484.

Reference (Deposit): STOUT, K., 1980, MINING METHODS AND EQUIPMENT: MCGRAW-HILL,

Reference (Deposit): INC., NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 218 PP.

Reference (Deposit): STRAAM ENGINEERS, INC., 1979, CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST

Reference (Deposit): ESTIMATING SYSTEM HANDBOOK: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES,

Reference (Deposit): CONTRACT NO. J0255026, P. 374.

Reference (Deposit): THOMPSON, B., 1981, SENIOR GEOLOGIST FOR THE ANACONDA

Reference (Deposit): COMPANY, PERSONAL COMMUNICATION.

Reference (Deposit): WEED, W. H., 1914, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BUTTE

Reference (Deposit): DISTRICT, MONTANA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, PROF. PAPER 74,

Reference (Deposit): 262 PP.

Reference (Deposit): LEONARDSON, B., AND MC ALEER, J., 1981, EXPLORATION

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGIST FOR MOLYCORP, INC., PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS.

Reference (Deposit): LINFORTH, F. A., 1952, ZINC RESOURCES BUTTE AND MONTANA:

Reference (Deposit): MINING AND CONTRACTING REVIEW, V. 59, NO. 4, P. 8.

Reference (Deposit): MEYER, C., SHEA, E. P., GODDARD, C. C. JR., AND STAFF, THE

Reference (Deposit): ANACONDA COMPANY, 1968, ORE DEPOSITS AT BUTTE, MONTANA:

Reference (Deposit): IN ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1933-1967, V. II,

Reference (Deposit): CHAP. 65, PP. 1373-1416.

Reference (Deposit): MILLER, R. N., 1973, PRODUCTION HISTORY OF THE BUTTE

Reference (Deposit): BRIMHALL, G., 1975, PRIVATE ANACONDA COPPER COMPANY REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): CORBETT, R. P., AND RALPH, F. E., 1968, DEWATERING WITH A

Reference (Deposit): 4,100 FT HEAD PUMPING PLANT: MINING CONGRESS JOURNAL,

Reference (Deposit): V. 54, NO. 9, PP. 33-37.

Reference (Deposit): ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1955, ANACONDA CHANGES

Reference (Deposit): MINING TECHNIQUES AS BUTTE OUTPUT AND RESERVES CLIMB:

Reference (Deposit): V. 156, NO. 8, PP. 86-89.

Reference (Deposit): -----1981, RAISE DRILLING: V. 182, NO. 2, PP. 96-103.

Reference (Deposit): GAGE, H. L., THE BUTTE DISTRICT: BONNEVILLE POWER

Reference (Deposit): ADMINISTRATION, PRIVATE REPORT, PP. 406-429.

Reference (Deposit): GALE, G., 1981, METALLURGIST, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, WESTERN

Reference (Deposit): FIELD OPERATIONS CENTER.

Reference (Deposit): HANNIFAN, M. K., 1972, MERITS OF OPEN PIT VS. UNDERGROUND

Reference (Deposit): MINING IN BUTTE: MINING CONGRESS JOURNAL, V. 48,

Reference (Deposit): PP. 119-123.

Reference (Deposit): INGERSOLL, R., 1981, FORMER CHIEF GEOLOGIST, THE ANACONDA

Reference (Deposit): BUTTE OPERATIONS: WRITTEN AND VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS.

Reference (Deposit): DISTRICT AND GEOLOGICAL FUNCTION, PAST AND PRESENT: IN

Reference (Deposit): GUIDEBOOK FOR THE BUTTE FIELD MEETING OF SOC. OF ECON.

Reference (Deposit): GEOL., AUGUST 18-21, 1973, PP. F4-F10.

Reference (Deposit): NORMAN, N. E., AND DYE, J. H., 1981, THE ECONOMICS OF

Reference (Deposit): MECHANICAL RAISE BORING: V. 33, NO. 3, PP. 273-276.

Reference (Deposit): PROFFETT, J. M. JR., 1973, STRUCTURE OF THE BUTTE DISTRICT,

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA: IN GUIDEBOOK FOR THE BUTTE FIELD MEETING OF SOC.

Reference (Deposit): WETZEL, N., 1979, MANGANESE RESOURCES OF THE BUTTE DISTRICT,

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES MINERALS AVAILABILITY

Reference (Deposit): DEPOSIT EVALUATION REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGIST OF ANACONDA BUTTE OPERATIONS: WRITTEN AND

Reference (Deposit): KAISER ENGINEERS, 1967, GLACIER PEAK PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY

Reference (Deposit): STUDY: PRIVATE REPORT PREPARED FOR KENNECOTT COPPER

Reference (Deposit): CORPORATION.

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.