Oregon Chrome Mine

The Oregon Chrome Mine is a chromium mine located in Josephine county, Oregon at an elevation of 1,499 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: Oregon Chrome Mine
Secondary: Robertson

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Tertiary: Iridium
Tertiary: Platinum
Tertiary: Palladium
Tertiary: Ruthenium
Tertiary: Rhodium

Location

State: Oregon
County: Josephine
District: Illinois River Area

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.
Administrative Organization: Siskiyou National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Robertson, William

Owner Name: Gallaher, J. G.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1917
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Podiform chromite (minor)

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Near Axis Of A Southwest-Plunging Syncline

Type: L
Description: Shearing And Stretching Of Original Layer

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Serpentinization

Rocks

Name: Dunite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Dunite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AVERAGE CHROMITE IS 46% CR2O3 WITH CR:FE=2.7:1. 4 PGE ANALYSES: PT=N(10)-10 PPB.
Analytical Data: RH=N(5)-15 PPB.
Analytical Data: RU=200 PPB (3 NOT ANALYZED)
Analytical Data: IR=40 PPB (3 NOT ANALYZED)
Analytical Data: PD=<4-3 PPB

Materials

Ore: Chromite
Gangue: Serpentine
Gangue: Olivine

Comments

Comment (Geology): QUARTZ DOIRITE AND GRANODIORITE DIKES 1-3 FT THICK. QUARTZ DIORITE ALTERED TO RODINGITE, ANTIGORITE, TALC. RAMP (1961) HAS STRUCTURAL DATA FOR SHEARS AND JOINTS.

Comment (Location): IN ILLINOIS NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER. ON CANYON OF ILLINOIS RIVER. UTM GIVEN IS FOR PGE SAMPLE SITE LOCATION. LAT/LONG GIVEN ARE FOR MINE SYMBOL LABELED ROBERTSON MINE ON TOPO MAP; UTM FOR THIS IS 4688130N, 436460E. ODGMI'S MILOC FILE INDICATES LOCATION IN N/2 N/2 SEC. 21

Comment (Development): FIRST MINED BY CALIFORNIA CHROME CO. INACTIVE 1918-1940, CLOSED 1958. 7 UNPATENTED CLAIMS ; ECON.COM: AT THE END OF U.S. STOCKPILING PROGRAM ALL PROVEN ORE RESERVES, MINING EQUIPMENT, AND TRACK WERE REMOVED

Comment (Deposit): MASSIVE, CRYSTALLINE CHROMITE COMMON. ODGMI'S MILOC FILE INDICATES DISSEMINATED ORE IS ALSO PRESENT

Comment (Reserve-Resource): CHROMITE PLANE HAS AN UNEXPLORED DISTANCE OF ABOUT 500 FT IN LENGTH + 100-300 FT IN WIDTH ABOVE MAIN DRIFT

Comment (Production): LARGEST PRODUCER OF CHROMITE IN OREGON

References

Reference (Deposit): THAYER, T.P., 1974, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, UNPUB. DATA.

Reference (Deposit): PAGE, N.J, JOHNSON, M.G., HAFFTY, JOSEPH, AND RAMP, LEN, 1975, OCCURRENCE OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS IN ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS OF THE MEDFORD-COOS BAY 2 DEGREE QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISCELLANEOUS FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-694, SCALE 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, AND PETERSON, N.V., 1979, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 100, TABLE 7.

Reference (Deposit): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES, 1952, OREGON METAL MINES HANDBOOK, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON--JOSEPHINE COUNTY (2D ED.): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 14-C, V. 2, SEC. 1, P. 139-140.

Reference (Production): STATISTICS PREPARED BY MRS. WM. ROBERTSON; THAYER RECORDS AGREE

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, 1961, CHROMITE IN SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 52, P. 50-53.

Reference (Deposit): CARLSON, C.A., AND OTHERS, 1985, ANALYSES FOR PLATINUM-GROUP ELEMENTS IN SAMPLES FROM PODIFORM CHROMITE DEPOSITS, CALIFORNIA AND OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 85-442, 14 P.

Oregon Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Oregon" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Oregon. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Oregon.