Butterfield Mine

The Butterfield Mine is a ree, niobium (columbium), and tantalum mine located in Jefferson county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,480 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: Butterfield Mine

Commodity

Primary: REE
Primary: Niobium (Columbium)
Primary: Tantalum

Location

State: Colorado
County: Jefferson
District: South Platte Pegmatite 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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
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

Form: IRREGULAR, OVAL

Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift, Pikes Peak Batholith

Type: L
Description: Kennedy Gulch Fault Zone

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Fergusonite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): NEAR SPHINX PARK AND SCHUYLER GULCH. EXACT LOCATION UNCERTAIN BUT POSSIBLY IN SW/4 ON RIDGE ABOVE SPHINX PARK. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Comment (Deposit): LARGEST OF THREE ZONED PEGMATITES CONSISTS OF WALL ZONE OF QUARTZ-MICROCLINE-BIOTITE AND QUARTZ CORE WITH SMALL RAE REPLACEMENT BODY AT CORE MARGIN. SECOND LARGEST PEGMATITE CONTAINS PROPORTIONATELY LARGER CORE OF MICROCLINE-QUARTZ.

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUTS

References

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1974, RECONNAISSANCE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PINE QUADRANGLE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-598

Reference (Deposit): SIMMONS, W.B., AND HEINRICH, E.W., 1980, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS RESOURCE SER. 11, 131 P.

Reference (Deposit): HAYNES, C.V., JR., 1965, GENESIS OF THE WHITE CLOUD AND RELATED PEGMATITES, SOUTH PLATTE AREA, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: GSA BULL., V. 76, NO. 4, P. 441-462.

Colorado Mining Photos

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