Oceanic

The Oceanic is a mercury mine located in San Luis Obispo county, California at an elevation of 1,201 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: Oceanic  

State:  California

County:  San Luis Obispo

Elevation: 1,201 Feet (366 Meters)

Commodity: Mercury

Lat, Long: 35.58529, -121.00086

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Oceanic

Oceanic MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Oceanic
Secondary: Oceanic Mine


Commodity

Primary: Mercury


Location

State: California
County: San Luis Obispo
District: Cambria - Oceanic


Land Status

Not available


Holdings

Type: Patented


Workings

Type: Surface/Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: Ernest, Mina, Henry, And Mariana Curti


Production

Year: 1961
Time Period: To 1961
Material type: HG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^2-15 Lb/Ton


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1875
Discovery Year: 1865
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: M


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: California Coast Ranges


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: L
Description: Ocenaic Fault


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silica Carbonate Alteration Of Serpentine


Rocks

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Mercury
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Calcite


Comments

Comment (Exploration): 1955 DIREXPL DME

Comment (Production): USBM DATA

Comment (Location): Adit shown and labeled on topo in NE4 of SE4 of sec. 16. Probably the west-most extent of the deposit.

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: CINNABAR REPLACES FOSSILS

Comment (Production): LARGEST PRODUCER IN COUNTY

Comment (Economic Factors): THE POTENTIALLY POLLUTING MINE OF HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE SANTA ROSA CREEK WATERSHED IS THE OCEANIC MINE. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ACID MINE DRAINAGE PRODUCER. WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED IN 1992 REVEALED ELEVATED SULFATE IN TWO SAMPLES JUST BELOW THE OCEANIC MINE AND ELEVATED TOTAL CHROMIUM, TOTAL NICKEL, TOTAL MERCURY, AND DISSOLVED IRON IN SOME, OR MOST, OCEANIC MINE TRIBUTARY SAMPLES. THESE ELEVATED CONCENTRATIONS APPEAR MINE RELATED. SEDIMENT DATA REVEALED ELEVATED MERCURY, NICKEL, IRON, AND ARSENIC, ALL APPARENTLY MINE RELATED, IN ONE OR MORE SAMPLES IN THE OCEANIC MINE TRIBUTARY. ANTIMONY WAS ELEVATED IN SEDIMENT BELOW THE OCEANIC MINE TRIBUTARY CONFLUENCE WITH THE SANTA ROSA CREEK.

Comment (Workings): OLD WORKINGS LARGELY INACCESSIBLE


References

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. STATE MINING BUR. REPORT 4, 1884, P. 337.

Reference (Deposit): FROLLI, A.W., 1937, MINING AND REDUCTION METHODS AND COSTS AT THE OCEANIC QUICKSILVER MINE, CAMBRIA, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIF.: USBM IC 6950, 13 P.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD, CENTRAL COAST REGION. SURFACE WATER DEGRADATION BY INACTIVE METAL MINES IN NORTHWEST SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CA, DECEMBER 1993 (P. 10-11).

Reference (Deposit): FRANKE, H.A., 1935, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIF.: CJMG, V. 31, P. 434-455.

Reference (Deposit): BRADLEY, W.W., 1918, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA: CJMG BULL. 78, 389 P.

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, A. L. AND KELLOGG, J. L., 1939, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES IN CALIFORNIA: CALIF. JOUR. OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 35, P. 353-486.

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E. B., YATES, R. G., AND GRANGER, A. E., 1940, QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: USGS BULL. 922-R, P. 515-580.

Reference (Deposit): HOLMES, G. W., JR., 1965, MERCURY IN CALIFORNIA: IN USBM IC 8252

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E. H., USGS, PERSONAL FILES


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