Commodore Mine

The Commodore Mine is a silver, zinc, and lead mine located in Mineral county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,249 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

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Site Name

Primary: Commodore Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Manganese

Location

State: Colorado
County: Mineral
District: Creede 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

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Minerals Engineering Co. (Meco)
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1981 -

Owner Name: Harrison-Western Corp.
Years: 1980 -

Production

Year: 1937

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1891
Discovery Year: 1891
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
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

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field; La Garita, Creede, And Bachelor Calderas

Type: L
Description: Creede Graben; Amethyst Fault Zone

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Chloritization, Silicification, Argillization; Fe-Mn Oxides

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SEE REPORTED ORE GRADES ON PRODUCTION TABLE

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Anglesite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Acanthite
Ore: Pyromorphite
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Wad
Gangue: Amethyst
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV DETERMINED FROM EMMONS AND LARSEN'S (1923) TOPO MAP (1:24,000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES ALONG W. WILLOW CR. ALONG EAST SIDE OF BACHELOR MTN. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Deposit): PRINCIPAL LODES ARE AMETHYST VEIN, OH VEIN, AND ANCESTRAL AMETHYST (DEAN) FAULT. AVERAGE ATTITUDE ABOVE IS FOR AMETHYST VEIN ON LEVEL 5. PRINCIPAL HANGING-WALL FRACTURE IS OH VEIN, TRENDING N 45 TO 50 W, DIPPING VERTICAL TO STEEPLY NE, CONTAINING DISSEMINATED GALENA, SPHALERITE, AND PYRITE AND VEIN CHALCOPYRITE IN HEMATITIC CHLORITE GANGUE, AND REPRESENTING OPEN FRACTURE WITH MINOR RIGHT-LATERAL MOVEMENT. ON LEVEL 3, DEAN FAULT TRENDS N 0 TO 15W, DIPS 70 TO 80W; AMETHYST TRENDS N 10 TO 30 W, 45 TO 60 SW. SOUTHERN AMETHYST VEIN MINERALIZATION IS VEIN-TYPE AND DISSEMINATED, BOTH CONFINED TO DENSELY FRACTURED AND BRECCIATED CAMPBELL MTN. RHYOLITE IN HANGING WALL AND IN SOME PLACES OCCURRING IN WILLOW CR. RHYOLITE BETWEEN AMETHYST AND ANCESTRAL AMETHYST FAULTS. TWO-STAGE PARAGENESIS INCLUDES 1) STAGE 1, QUARTZ, BARITE, RHODOCHROSITE, NO AG; 2) STAGE 2, SUBSTAGE A, QUARTZ, AMETHYST, BASE-METAL SULFIDES, NO AG; SUBSTAGE B, AMETHYST, BARITE, BASE-METAL SULFIDES, AG-BEARING CU

Comment (Deposit): SULFIDE(ECONOMIC); SUBSTAGE C, QUARTZ, AMETHYST, CU AND BASE-METAL SULFIDES, FE-MN OXIDES, TETRAHEDRITE, ACANTHITE, AND NATIVE AG (ECONOMIC), ALSO PROBABLE DISSEMINATED MINERALIZATION IN CLOSELY SPACED MICROVEINLETS AND INTERGRANULAR PORE FILLING.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 5 TUNNELS DRIVEN ON AMETHYST VEIN OVER 1130-FT VERTICAL INTERVAL. LEVEL 5 (MANHATTAN) IS LOWEST AND LIES 45 FT ABOVE NELSON-WOOSTER-HUMPHREYS TUNNEL. LEVEL 4 IS 399 FT ABOVE LEVEL 5; LEVEL 3 IS 401 FT ABOVE LEVEL 4; LEVEL 1 IS 330 FT ABOVE LEVEL 3. LEVEL 2 (CLOSED) LIES APPROX. 120 FT BELOW LEVEL 1. DISCOVERY SHAFT SUNK FROM SURFACE. DOWN TO LEVEL 5 ON INCLINE ALONG AMETHYST VEIN TO DEPTH OF 1450 FT. 60-DEG INCLINED WINZE SUNK 480 FT (420 VERTICAL FT) ON VEIN BELOW LEVEL 5. TOTAL LENGTH OF ALL WORKINGS UNDETERMINABLE. PARTIAL MEASUREMENT OF WORKINGS ON LEVEL 3 (STEVEN AND RATTE, 1965) INCLUDES 1700 FT DRIFT ON AMETHYST VEIN, 1260 FT DRIFT ON DEAN FAULT, 1540 FT OTHER DRIFTS, 1280 FT CROSSCUTS (TOTAL 5780 FT). PARTIAL MEASUREMENT OF LEVEL 5 (INCL. PORTAL, OH AND AMETHYST VEINS EXTENDING NORTH TO PARK REGENT MINE) INCLUDES 9650 FT DRIFT ON AMETHYST VEIN, 4500 FT DRIFT ON OH, 650 FT WEST DRIFT, 600 FT MCCLURE DRIFT, 600 FT OTHER DRIFT. AT LEAST 900

Comment (Workings): FT POAL, 4450 FT CROSSCUTS (TOTAL 21,350 FT).

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. AMTS. OF METALS FOR 1903-06, 1916, 1921, 1926 (PB ONLY), 1928, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940, AND 1942 CALCULATED FROM REPORTED ORE GRADES. AMT. OF METALS AND ORE FOR 1925 ESTIMATED FROM REPORTED ORE GRADES AND REPORTED DOLLAR VALUES OF AG AND PB, USING CONVERSIONS OF $0.69/OZ AG AND $0.09/LB PB BASED ON TOTAL DISTRICT PRODUCTION AND VALUE IN 1925. AFTER 1942, WORKINGS CONSOLIDATED WITH OTHERS AND REPORTED AS EMPERIUS MINE.

Comment (Development): AS AMETHYST, LAST CHANCE, AND OTHER SHAFTS SUNK DEEPER ON AMETHYST VEIN, MUCH WATER WAS ENCOUNTERED, PROMPTING FORMATION OF NELSON TUNNEL CO. AND DRIVING OF DRAINAGE TUNNEL. COMMODORE WAS TOPOGRAPHICALLY HIGHER AND DID NOT ENTER NELSON TUNNEL CONTRACT BUT DROVE ITS OWN DEEP ADIT, TUNNEL 5 (MANHATTAN), WHICH LIES ABOUT 45 FT ABOVE NELSON TUNNEL.

References

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND RATTE, J.C., 1965, GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF ORE DEPOSITION IN THE CREEDE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 487, 90 P.

Reference (Deposit): EMMONS, W.H., AND LARSEN, E.S. 1923, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE CREEDE DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 718, 198 P.

Reference (Deposit): LINDEMANN, J.W., AND OTHERS, EDS., 1981, FIELD TRIP NOTES, CREEDE MINING DISTRICT, SAN JUAN VOLCANIC PROVINCE, COLORADO: DENVER REGIONAL EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS SOC. GUIDEBOOK

Reference (Production): 1903-06 & 1891-1912 CUMULATIVES FROM EMMONS & LARSEN (1923); 1916-42 FROM CO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATORS REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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