Mcelmo Creek Area

The Mcelmo Creek Area is a carbon dioxide, natural gas, and petroleum (oil) mine located in Montezuma county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,977 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: Mcelmo Creek Area
Secondary: Ute Mountains Area
Secondary: Mcelmo Field

Commodity

Primary: Carbon Dioxide
Primary: Natural Gas
Primary: Petroleum (Oil)
Secondary: Uranium
Secondary: Vanadium
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Gold
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: Colorado
County: Montezuma
District: Mcelmo Creek (Ute Mountains) Area

Land Status

Land ownership: Federal
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: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, Blanding Basin, Four Corners Platform, San Juan Basin

Type: L
Description: Domes: Ute, Mcelmo, Sentinel Peak, Towaoc; Stocks: Ute Peak, Black Mountain, The Knees; Bysmaliths: Mable Mountain, Sentinel Peak, West Toe; Laccolith Clusters: Yucca, Sun Dance, West Toe; Sill Cluster: Pine Creek; Laccoliths: Banded, East Horse, Flat, Horse Mountain, Irwin, Last Spring, Mushroom, North Black Mountain, North Ute Peak, Pack Trail, Razorback, Sundance, The Buttes, Three Forks, Tongue, Trapdoor

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: See Comments

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Carnotite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Tenorite
Gangue: Marcasite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Natrolite
Gangue: Analcime
Gangue: Chabazite
Gangue: Pyrolusite
Gangue: Stilbite
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Chrysocolla
Gangue: Malachite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Heulandite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): (PENNSYLVANIAN), 5408-5511, NAT. GAS; (E) THOMAS L. NABERS, 2 RAWLEY, SW SW 6/36N/18W, 2/10/61, 5726, PARADOX (PENNSYLVANIAN), 5666-5669, OIL; (F) DELHI-TAYLOR OIL, 2 DEAN DUDLEY, NW SW 13/36N/18W, 3/16/64, 6940, LEADVILLE LS (MISSISSIPPIAN), 6726-6746, CO2; (G) GIL V. DYE EXPLORATION, 2 DYE-FEDERAL, SW NW 25/36/18W, 1/23/76, 2180, SHINARUMP (TRIASSIC), 1482-1494, NAT. GAS; (H) BIGLER & WRIGHT, B-1 B&W FEDERAL, SE SW 20/36N/17W, 2/4/76, 3443, CUTLER (PERMIAN), 1940-1995, NAT. GAS; (I) SHELL OIL, 1 FEDERAL 9-36-18, SE NE 9/36N/18W, 10/17/76, 8080, LEADVILE LS (MISSISSIPPIAN), 7827-7984, CO2; (J) MOBIL OIL, 1 GRYNBERG-FEDERAL, NE SE 2/36N/19W, 3/19/78, 7426, LEADVILLE LS (MISSISSIPPIAN), 7056-7208, CO2; (K) DYE CARBONIC, 4 DEAN DUDLEY, NW SW 13/36N/18W, 9/5/78, 2175, SHINARUMP (TRIASSIC), 1486-1503, NAT. GAS; (L) DYE CARBONICS, 2 SCHMIDT, SW NW 24/36N/18W, 5/4/79, 7000, LEADVILLE LS (MISSISSIPPIAN), 6812-6917, CO2; (M) SHELL OIL, 1 FEDERAL, NE NE 20/36N/18W, 6/3/79, 7808, LEADVILLE LS

Comment (Deposit): UTE MTNS FORMED THROUGH DOMING OF MESOZOIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS OVER LATE CRETACEOUS TO TERTIARY, HYPABYSSAL, DIFFERENTIATED, CALC-ALKALINE IGNEOUS SEQUENCE CHARACTERIZED BY EARLY MICROGABBRO THROUGH DIORITE AND GRANODIORITE PORPHYRIES TO LATE QUARTZ MONZONITE PORPHYRY AND LAMPROPHYRE. FORCIBLE INTRUSION AND DOMING SHOWN BY SEVERAL MAIN STOCKS AND BYSMALITHS, AND ATTENDANT NUMEROUS LACCOLITHS, SILLS, AND MINOR DIKES. AT SURFACE, LACCOLITHS INTRUDE MOSTLY MANCOS SHALE AND DAKOTA SANDSTONE. MAIN UPLIFT IS UTE DOME, CIRCULAR DOME WHOSE WEST SIDE MERGES INTO WEST- AND SW-PLUNGING FOLDS. SMALLER SENTINEL PEAK AND TOWAOC DOMES LIE ON SE FLANK. TWO NE-TRENDING FAULT ZONES RADIATE FROM SW FLANK OF DOME, AND PRINCIPAL ZONE OF NE-TRENDING FAULTS IS CONCENTRIC OR TANGENTIAL TO NW SIDE, MERGING INTO SW FLANK OF MCELMO DOME. NORTH OF UTE DOME, MCELMO IS ASYMMETRICAL (STEEPEST ON SOUTH) STRUCTURAL DOME, STAR-SHAPED PASSING INTO FIVE ANTICLINES. ALTHOUGH ONLY JURASSIC AND CRETACEOUS ROCKS EXPOSED AT

Comment (Development): UTE MOUNTAINS LACCOLITHS STUDIED IN HAYDEN SURVEY IN 1870S AND LATER BY CROSS (1894) ALONG WITH OTHER LACCOLITHIC MOUNTAINS OF SW COLORADO AND SE UTAH. COFFIN STUDIED RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS OF SW COLORADO IN 1914-18 AND DESCRIBED "COFFIN" PROSPECT AND BATTLE ROCK CU PROSPECT. ALSO IN 1918, COFFIN DESCRIBED MCELMO ANTICLINE AS PART OF STUDY EXAMINING POSSIBLE OIL-PRODUCING AREAS IN STATE AND CITED DRILLING OF OIL PROSPECT WELL IN 1911 IN RESPONSE TO EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES IN REGION. WELL HAD SHOWS OF OIL AND GAS BUT WAS ABANDONED DUE TO TOOLS BECOMING OBSTRUCTED IN HOLE. PRINCIPAL U/V PROSPECTS (CLIFF HOUSE AND KARLA KAY) PROBABLY LOCATED DURING U BOOM OF 1950S. MCELMO FIELD GAS DISCOVERIES MADE IN 1944 AND WELLS COMPLETED IN 1948 (WESTERN NATURAL GAS' 1 MACINTOSH AND 1 SCHMIDT). OTHER WELLS COMPLETED IN 1954, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1976, 1978, 1979. AT LEAST AS LATE AS EARLY 1960S, CO2 WAS PROCESSED AT DRY ICE PPLANT ON MCELMO CREEK SOUTH OF MACINTOSH WELL.

Comment (Deposit): (MISSISSIPPIAN), 7558-7720, CO2; (N) AMERIGAS, 3 SCHMIDT, SW NW 24/36N/18W, 12/20/79, 1543, SHINARUMP (TRIASSIC), 1467-1501, CO2. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: (11) HOUSER, F.N., AND EKREN, E.B., 1959, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MOQUI SW QUADRANGLE, MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-216; (12) KRIVANEX, C.C., 1978, MCELMO (CO2, OIL, AND GAS), IN FASSETT, J.E., AND OTHERS, EDS., OIL AND GAS FIELDS OF THE FOUR CORNERS AREA: FOUR CORNERS GEOL. SOC., P. 148-151; (13) KUHN, P.J., ED., MCELMO DOME, IN OIL AND GAS IN THE FOUR CORNERS: AMARILLO, TX, NATIONAL PETROLEUM BIBLIOGRAPHY, P. 120-121; (14) MERCURIO, R.N., 1962,MCELMO FIELD, IN PARKER, J.M., AND OTHERS, EDS., COLORADO-NEBRASKA OIL AND GAS FIELDS COLUME: RMAG, P. 194-195; (15) ZABEL, V.H., 1955, GEOLOGY OF MCELMO DOME, MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO, IN GEOLOGY OF PARTS OF PARADOX, BLACK MESA, AND SAN JUAN BASINS: FOUR CORNERS GEOL. GUIDEBOOK, P. 132-136; (16) COLORADO OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMM. ANN. PRODUCTION RECORDS; (17) PI

Comment (Deposit): COMPLETION CARDS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Commodity): CU PITCH ORE DEFINED AS MIXTURE OF TENORITE, CHRYSOCOLLA, LIMONITE, MALACHITE, AND PYROLUSITE

Comment (Production): ALL U AND V PRODUCTION ATTRIBUTED TO KARLA KAY MINE. PRODUCTION OF NATURAL GAS, CO2, AND OIL FROM AS MANY AS 14 WELLS DEVELOPED SINCE 1944 FIELD DISCOVERY THROUGH 1979.

Comment (Workings): METAL MINES AND PROSPECTS DEVELOPED BY OPEN CUTS AND SHORT DRIFTS; GAS DEVELOPED BY WELLS 1500 TO 8080 FT DEEP.

Comment (Deposit): NO FORMAL DISTRICT NAME KNOWN FOR AREA OTHER THAN FIELD NAME WITH RESPECT TO GAS AND CO2 PRODUCTION. INDIVIDUAL RECORDS PREPARED FOR PRINCIPAL U/V PROSPECTS (CLIFF HOUSE, COFFIN, KARLA KAY, THREE STATES NATURAL GAS) AND PRINCIPAL CU PROSPECTS (BATTLE ROCK, LITTLE MAUDE, UTE CREEK DIKE). NO RECORDS PREPARED FOR GAS AND CO2 WELLS, BUT FOLLOWING IS CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF KNOWN PRODUCING SITES; EACH ENTRY LISTS OPERATOR, WELL NAME, LOCATION, COMPLETION DATE, TOTAL DEPTH (FT), NAME AND AGE OF PRODUCING HORIZON, DEPTH (FT) OF GROSS PRODUCING INTERVAL, PRODUCT: (A) WESTERN NATURAL GAS, 1 SCHMIDT, C SW NW 24/36N/18W, 7/7/48, 7099, LEADVILLE LS (MISSISSIPPIAN), 6915-6935, CO2; (B) BYRD-FROST/WESTERN NATURAL GAS, 1 MACINTOSH, C NW NW 25/36N/18W, 7/25/48, 4965, SHINARUMP (TRIASSIC), 1515-1540, NAT. GAS; (C) THREE STATES NATURAL GAS, 1 DUDLEY, SE NW SW 13/36/36N/18W, 12/29/54, 7500,LEADVILLE LS (MISSISSIPPIAN), (NOT GIVEN), CO2; (D) D.M. FERREBEE, 3 RAWLEY, SE SW ??36N/18W, 11/12/60, 5707, PARADOX

Comment (Deposit): SURFACE, DOME IS PROBABLY UNDERLAIN BY INTRUSIVE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN UTE MTNS. NATURAL GAS, CO2, AND OIL DEVELOPED IN MISSISSIPPIAN TO TRIASSIC SUBSURFACE FORMATIONS IN MCELMO DOME AT DEPTHS FROM 1500 TO 8000 FT. OIL PRODUCED FROM LIMESTONE IN PARADOX FM (PENNSYLVANIAN) AND CUTLER FM (PERMIAN); NATURAL GAS PRODUCED PRIMARILY FROM SHINARUMP (TRIASSIC) AND MOSSBACK MBR OF CHINLE FM (TRIASSIC) AND SECONDARILY FROM CUTLER AND PARADOX FMS; CO2 PRODUCED FROM LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE OF LEADVILLE LIMESTONE (MISSISSIPPIAN). URANIUM AND VANADIUM DEPOSITS FOUND IN JURASSIC SANDSTONES (ENTRADA, SUMMERVILLE) ASSOCIATED WITH FAULTING IN GRABEN ON SW FLANK OF MCELMO DOME; ALSO IN CHANNEL-FILL MUDSTONE CONGLOMERATE IN BURRO CANYON FM ASSOCIATED WITH CARBONIZED PLANT DETRITUS. CU MINERALIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH SHEAR ZONES IN JURASSIC SANDSTONE AND IN BAKED SHALE AT CONTACTS WITH DIORITE PORPHYRY.

References

Reference (Deposit): EKREN, E.B., AND HOUSER, F.M., 1965, GEOLOGY AND PETROLOGY OF THE UTE MOUNTAINS AREA, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 481, 74 P.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-,OORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 281-282.

Reference (Deposit): EKREN, E.B., AND HOUSER, F.N, 1957, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SENTINEL PEAK NW QUADRANGLE, MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-132.

Reference (Deposit): COFFIN, R.C., 1920, RADIUM, URANIUM, AND VANADIUM DEPOSITS OF SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: CGS BULL. 16, P. 144, 215-216, 221,225.

Reference (Deposit): SHOEMAKER, E.M., AND NEWMAN, W.L., 1953, UTE MOUNTAINS, A LACCOLITHIC FEATURE IN SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO (ABS.): GSA BULL., V. 64, NO. 12, PT. 2, P. 1555.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, 1894, THE LACCOLITHIC MOUNTAIN GROUPS OF COLORADO, UTAH, AND ARIZONA: USGS 14TH ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 211-214

Reference (Deposit): HAYNES, D.D., AND OTHERS, 1972, GEOLOGY, STRUCTURE, AND URANIUM DEPOSITS OF THE CORTEZ QUADRAMGLE, COLORADO AND UTAH: USGS MAP I-629.

Reference (Deposit): EKREN, E.B., AND HOUSER, F.N., 1959, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SENTINEL PEAK NE QUADRANGLE, MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-224.

Reference (Deposit): EKREN, E.B., AND HOUSER, F.N., 1959, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MOQUI SE QUADRANGLE, MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-221.

Reference (Deposit): ELREN, E.B., AND HOUSER, F.N., 1959, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CORTEZ SW QUADRANGLE, MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-217.

Reference (Production): NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS, 1978 (U3O8 AND V2O5); COLORADO OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMM. ANN. PRODUCTION RECORDS (GAS, CO2, OIL)

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