Duchess Mine

The Duchess Mine is a copper mine located in Albany county, Wyoming at an elevation of 9,800 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: Duchess Mine
Secondary: New Rambler District

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Platinum

Location

State: Wyoming
County: Albany
District: New Rambler 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

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: SHEAR ZONES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Mullen Creek-Nash Fork Shear Zone

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Commodity): UNABLE TO FIND SOURCE OF PGE DATA; NO MENTION OF PGE IN REFERENCES CITED, HOWEVER, ITS PRESENCE IS LIKELY BASED ON OTHER PROPERTIES IN DISTRICT

Comment (Production): APPARENTLY NO PRODUCTION

Comment (Deposit): UNPUBLISHED MODEL NAME: NEW RAMBLER CU-AU-PGE.

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL EXPLORATORY SHAFTS IN SHEAR ZONE CATACLASTICS

Comment (Location): IN MEDICINE BOW NATIONAL FOREST

Comment (Location): Wilson and Heran attempted to visit on Aug. 3, 2010. Found a rubble pile on the north side of French Creek Road at 41-13-13.7 -106-17-55.3 that might be the Duchess. And 2 pieces of drill stem stuck in the ground about 100 ft to the NW. But the maps in Bull. 68 shows the main shaft south of French Creek Road where we didn't attempt to look (due to late time of day and threatening thunderstorm).

Comment (Deposit): Hausel, 1989, p. 128: "Several exploratory shafts were sunk in shear-zone cataclastics and strongly sheared metagabbro and metadiorite. Traces of copper, pyrite, hematite, and limonite and gold-bearing tetrahedrite were detected in the cataclastics."

References

Reference (Deposit): MCCALLUM, M.E., AND ORBACk, C.J., 1968, THE NEW RAMBLER COPPER-GOLD-PLATINUM DISTRICT, ALBANY AND CARBON COUNTIES, WYOMING: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING PRELIMINARY REPORT 8, P. 10.
Pages: 10.

Reference (Deposit): HAUSEL, W.D., 1989, THE GEOLOGY OF WYOMING'S PRECIOUS METAL LODE AND PLACER DEPOSITS: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING BULLETIN 68, P. 128.
Pages: p. 128.

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