Black Giant Mine

The Black Giant Mine is a copper, gold, silver, and lead mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,402 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: Black Giant Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Black Giant, Jr., MS 1608
Secondary: Black Giant, MS 1609
Secondary: Black Monster, MS 1762
Secondary: Baby Giant, MS 1764

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
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

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift, Chicago Basin Stock, Eolus Batholith, Trimble Stock

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-20.000000
Dating Method: U-Pb (zircon)
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1460.000000+-70.000000
Dating Method: K-Ar
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1466.000000+-27.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) ASSAY OF SELECTED DUMP SAMPLE CONTAINED 1.40 OZ/TON AG, 0.08% CU, 0.56% PB, 0.90% ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF TWO SULFIDE-BEARING QUARTZ VEIN SAMPLES CONTAINED 150 TO 500 PPM TI, 2000 TO GT 5000 PPM MN, 70 TO 100 PPM AG, LT 200 TO 300 PPM AS, 100 PPM BA, LT 10 TO 10 PPM BI, GT 500 PPM CD, LT 5 PPM CR, 500 TO 700 PPM CU, 30 TO 100 PPM MO, GT 20000 PPM PB, 100 TO 300 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR. 10 TO 15 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, GT 10000 PPM ZN: CHEMICAL ANALYSES SHOWED 0.04 TO 0.06 PPM AU, 700 PPM CU, 190 TO 310 PPM PB, GT 10000 PPM ZN.

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). MINE LIES ABOVE CHICAGO BASIN ON SE SIDE OF JUPITER MTN, 0.55 MILE NE OF COLUMBINE PASS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ VEIN TRENDS N 77 W, 48 TO 58 NE, AND LIES IN GENERALLY EAST-WEST-TRENDING REGIONAL RECTANGULAR FRACTURE SYSTEM. APPROX ON TREND AND FARTHER TO SE OF MINE IS PRECAMBRIAN (?) MAFIC DIKE.

Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL OF UNKNOWN EXTENT DRIVEN INTO VEIN AT S 77 E

References

Reference (Deposit): SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 30-32, 55-67, 98-99, 162-163.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 1608, 1609, 1762, 1764

Colorado Mining Photos

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