Mercury Mine

The Mercury Mine is a uranium mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,311 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: Mercury Mine
Secondary: Smith Mercury Mine

Commodity

Primary: Uranium
Tertiary: Mercury

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache
District: Cochetopa (Cochetopa Creek) District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Coltex Mining Co.
Years: 1962 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
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; Gunnison Uplift

Type: L
Description: Cochetopa Dome; Los Ochos Fault; Razor Creek Dome; Unnamed Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

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

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Location): ON HILLSIDE WEST OF COCHETOPA CREEK ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Development): DISTRICT MINED PREVIOUSLY FOR AU AND BASE METALS. GUNNISON MINING CO. DISCOVERED URANIUM IN 1954 ALONG LOS OCHOS FAULT. MERCURY WAS PROSPECTED FOR IN 1937

Comment (Deposit): PRINCIPAL FAULT ZONE TRENDS N 75 TO 80 W. CINNABAR REPORTEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH PYRITE AND VEIN QUARTZ IN BRECCIA IN QUARTZITE OR SILICIFIED PORPHYRY

Comment (Workings): TRENCHES 90 TO 110 FT LONG AND 8 TO 12 FT DEEP. 100-FT SHAFT WITH 45-FT DRIFT FROM BOTTOM.

References

Reference (Deposit): MALAN, R.C., AND RANSPOT, H.W., 1959, GEOLOGY OF THE URANIUM DEPOSITS IN THE COCHETOPA MINING DISTRICT, SAGUACHE AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 54, NO. 1, P. 1-19.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., COLLINS, D.B., AND HORNBAKER, A.L., 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 40, P. 392

Reference (Deposit): OLSON, J.C., AND STEVEN, T.A., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN QUADRANGLE, SAGUACHE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-733

Reference (Deposit): USBM MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1962, V. 3, P. 264

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.