Moonlight

The Moonlight is a silver and gold mine located in Granite county, Montana.

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: Moonlight
Secondary: Sunlight Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Phosphorus-Phosphates

Location

State: Montana
County: Granite
District: Princeton (South Boulder Creek) 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Robinson, William J.
Home Office: 2920 Floral Blvd., Butte, Mt.

Production

Year: 1945
Time Period: Post-1945
Description: Cp_Grade: ^32.1% P205 4.3% Moisture

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
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: Flint Creek Range

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Philipsburg Batholith

Type: L
Description: Douglas Mountain Anticline

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Phosphorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 32.67 % P OXIDE IN 5.2 FT BED. 23.88 % P OXIDE IN 11.2 FT BED.

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): AVERAGE GRADE OF THE PHOSPHATE MEMBER IS ABOUT 23% 0VER A THICKNESS OF 11 FT. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR MINING THE ENTIRE MEMBER AND FOR BENEFICIATING THE MINE-RUN ORE TO A MARKETABLE PRODUCT.

Comment (Location): S SIDE OF PRINCETON GULCH. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1971)

Comment (Production): AU-AG-CU-PB-ZN ORE WAS MINED EITHER IN EARLY 1900'S OR PRE-1900'S.

Comment (Deposit): WEAKLY MINERALIZED FAULT BREECIA WAS MINED FOR CU, PB, AG, AU. THE RETORT MEMBER IS ABOUT 12 FT THICK AND CONSISTS OF INTERBEDDED LAYERS OF PHOSPHORITE, PHOSPHATIC MUDSTONE, AND CALCAREOUS MUDSTONE. IT IS EXPOSED FOR A STRIKE LENGTH OF 150 FT UNDERGROUND, AND CAN BE TRACED ON THE SURFACE FOR A DISTANCE OF 5 MI N. THE MINING SECTION LIES BETWEEN A CHERTY HANGING WALL AND A MUDSTONE FOOTWALL.

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL ADITS DRIVEN IN A WEAKLY MINERALIZED ZONE. DRIFTS, CROSSCUTS AND RAISES WERE DRIVEN ON THE LOWER ADIT. TRENCHING WAS DONE IN 1962.

References

Reference (Deposit): MBMG SP 25, P. 7.

Reference (Deposit): MBMG BULL 58, P. 16.

Reference (Deposit): USFS MAP, DEER LODGE NATL. FOREST, 1953.

Reference (Deposit): MBMG BULL 100, P. 9.

Reference (Deposit): USBM RI 6611, P. 59, 63-4.

Reference (Production): USBM RI 6611, P. 65

Reference (Reserve-Resource): USBM R1 6611; P. 65.

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.