Sales Mine

The Sales Mine is a copper mine located in Sanders county, Montana at an elevation of 4,160 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: Sales Mine
Secondary: Sales Prospect
Secondary: Coming Day Claim
Secondary: Wild Horse Claim
Secondary: White Pigeon Lode Claim
Secondary: Early Day

Commodity

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

Location

State: Montana
County: Sanders
District: Cabinet Mining 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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Ruth Sales

Owner Name: Thomas Watts

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Cabinet Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: BLEBS, STRINGERS, ELONGATED MASSES AND SURFACE COATINGS

Structure

Type: R
Description: A General Structural Grain Of Northward Trending Faults Which Are Parallel To Subparallel To Folds

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Surface Water Circulating Within The Fractured Zone Has Converted Copper Bearing Sulfides To Carbonate And Silicate Minerals.

Rocks

Name: Argillite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Argillite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: BULLDOZER CUT ASSAYED 0.82 % CU, 0.30 OZ/TON AG, 0.001 OZ/TON AU

Materials

Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Location): ON A NORTH TRIBUTARY OF WHITNEY CREEK NEAR THE LINCOLN-SANDERS COUNTY LINE.

Comment (Geology): FRACTURE ZONE DECREASES IN WIDTH AND INTENSITY TO THE SE. HOST BEDS STRIKE N 20 - 40 DEG W AND DIP 80 - 85 DEG SW. ; GEOL.DESC: ASSAY 0.82% CU, 0.001 OZ AU, 0.30 OZ AG PER TON

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS CONSIST OF CAVED ADIT AND 9 BULLDOZER CUTS 1000 FT LONG SPACED ABOUT 100 FT APART. ONLY 5 BULLDOZER CUTS CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF COPPER ORE AND EVEN WITHIN THESE CUTS MINERALIZATION IS RELATIVELY SPARSE.

Comment (Deposit): PAST OPERATORS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO LEACH LOW GRADE MATERIAL; LEACHING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING A PRECIPITATING TANK, REMAIN AT THE SITE ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): VEIN EXPOSED BY BULLDOZER CUTS. CHRYSOCOLLA IS FOUND AS BLEBS AND MASSES IN SHATTERED ARGILLITE WHEREAS AZURITE FORMS A SURFACE COATING ON SHEAR PLANES WITHIN THE ZONE. IN FRESH ARGILLITE, SMALL STRINGERS AND ELONGATED MASSES OF CUPRIFEROUS PYRITE (?), CHALCOPYRITE, PYRITE, GALENA, SPHALERITE AND POSSIBLY SOME CHALCOCITE WERE NOTED WITHIN THE STRUCTURE.

Comment (Development): PROPERTY HAD BEEN DEVELOPED INTERMITTENTLY DEVELOPED THROUGH ABOUT 1970 .

References

Reference (Deposit): LAWSON, D. C., 1972 , DIRECTORY OF MINING ENTERPRISES FOR 1971 : MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 86 , P. 17 .

Reference (Deposit): JOHNS, W. M., 1970 , GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF LINCOLN AND FLATHEAD COUNTIES, MONTANA: MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 79 , P. 125 .

Reference (Deposit): JOHNS, W. M., 1962 , GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS IN THE KOOTENAI-FLATHEAD AREA: MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 29 , P. 32 .

Reference (Deposit): CONSV. DIV. COMP. DATE, 03-28-1961

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.