White Spar Mine

The White Spar Mine is a copper and uranium mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,799 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

Name: White Spar Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  San Miguel

Elevation: 7,799 Feet (2,377 Meters)

Commodity: Copper, Uranium

Lat, Long: 38.01861, -108.04556

Map: View on Google Maps

Satelite View

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Satelite image of the White Spar Mine

White Spar Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: White Spar Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: White Spar, MS 4819
Secondary: New Discovery, MS 4819


Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Uranium
Secondary: Vanadium


Location

State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Lower San Miguel 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: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1887
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, Uncompahgre Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field, San Miguel Mtns

Type: L
Description: Black King Fault


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Cu Sulfide To Carbonate; Wallrock Bleaching Due To Hydrothermal Alteration


Rocks

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLE 12068, 0.06% U308 (RADIOMETRIC), 0.06% U308 (CHEMICAL), 0.15% V205.
Analytical Data: SAMPLE 12051, 0.13% U308 (RADIOMETRIC), 0.15% U308 (CHEMICAL)
Analytical Data: MOREHOUSE (1951) REPORTED ANALYSES OF CHANNEL SAMPLES OF VEIN MATERIAL: SAMPLE 12052, 0.05% U308 (RADIOMETRIC), 0.04% U308 (CHEMICAL)


Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Chalcocite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite


Comments

Comment (Development): CLAIM ORIGINALLY STAKED AS CU PROSPECT IN 1880S; PRODUCTION OF CU ORE FROM 1890 TO ABOUT 1910 IS UNCERTAIN. ALTHOUGH LATER PROSPECTED LATER FOR U AND/OR V, NO APPARENT PRODUCTION WAS MADE.

Comment (Location): CLAIMS LIE ALONG SLOPE IMMEDIATELY NE OF PLACERVILLE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PRINCIPAL WORKINGS AT END OF ROAD FROM PLACERVILLE (SW NE SW SEC. 35). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY SURFACE CUT (TRENCH), AND FOUR SHAFTS, 12, 20, 10, AND 150 FT DEEP.

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON SE EXTENSION OF BLACK KING FAULT, ONE OF PRINCIPAL FAULTS IN NW-TRENDING SYSTEM CHARACTERISTIC OF DISTRICT. THREE SEGMENTS OF FAULT TREND ABOUT N 20 W AND N 50 W, JOINING TO FORM CONTINUATION OF MAIN FAULT AT ABOUT N 80 W. MAIN FAULT AND SEGMENTS ALL DOWNTHROWN ON NE AND CUT CUTLER AND DOLORES FM RED BEDS. ON RIDGE NORTH OF MINE, CLASTIC DIKE TRENDS GENERALLY N 80 TO 90 W. WHITE SPAR SHOWS FEWER SULFIDES AND LESS WALLROCK ALTERATION THAN BLACK KING, BUT BOTH ARE PROBABLY GENETICALLY RELATED. URANIUM OCCURS AS SCATTERED GRAINS OF URANINITE AND COFFINITE AND POSSIBLY AS ORGANIC COMPLEX DISSEMINATED THROUGH HARDENED PETROLIFEROUS HYDROCARBON OR ASPHALTIC MATERIAL (TERMED THUCHOLITE). ASPHALT OCCURS IN FAULT ZONE, AS FRACTURE FILLINGS, AND DISSEMINATION IN SEDIMENTARY ROCK. RADIOACTIVITY SEEMS MORE CONCENTRATED IN SHINY LUSTROUS HYDROCARBON THAN IN SOOTY VARIETY. GENERAL PARAGENESIS: CALCITE, BARITE, PYRITE, HYDROCARBONS, SULFIDES (PYRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, BORNITE,

Comment (Deposit): ARGENTIFEROUS TETRAHEDRITE, GALENA, SPHALERITE) (GENERAL SEQUENCE FORAREA AS DETERMINED BY WILMARTH, 1953).


References

Reference (Deposit): FISCHER, R.P., AND OTHERS, 1947, VANADIUM DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 15, NO. 3, P. 117-146.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND OTHERS, 1959, AREAL GEOLOGY OF THE PLACERVILLE QUADRANGLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS BULL 1072-E.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 447.

Reference (Deposit): MOREHOUSE, G.E., 1951, INVESTIGATION OF THUCHOLITE DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, COLORADO: AEC RMO-910, P. 9, 13.

Reference (Deposit): WILMARTH, V.R., 1953, PLACERVILLE HYDROCARBONS, COLORADO, IN SEARCH FOR AND GEOLOGY OF RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS: AEC TEI-330, P. 107-108.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 4819


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