Griffin Chromite

The Griffin Chromite is a chromium mine located in Josephine county, Oregon at an elevation of 1,549 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: Griffin Chromite
Secondary: Nickel Plate

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Tertiary: Platinum
Tertiary: Palladium
Tertiary: Iridium
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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Boyd, Ed And Doris
Years: 1958 -

Owner Name: Knippel, Ed
Years: 1953 -

Production

Year: 1942
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^44% Cr2o3 (Conc.)

Deposit

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

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: NARROW IRREGULAR BANDS

Structure

Type: L
Description: Possible Landslide Block

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: MOSTLY 20-29% CR2O3
Analytical Data: COBBED ORE ASSAYED 44.52% CR2O3, ANOTHER SAMPLE 53.47% CR2O3
Analytical Data: RH=82 PPB.
Analytical Data: RU=300 PPB
Analytical Data: IR=60 PPB
Analytical Data: PD=<4 PPB
Analytical Data: 1 PGE ANALYSIS: PT=<10

Materials

Ore: Chromite

Comments

Comment (Location): IN ILLINOIS NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER. 350 FT ABOVE AND 1,500 FT WEST OF ILLINOIS RIVER. UTM GIVEN IS FOR PGE SAMPLE SITE LOCATION. LAT/LONG GIVEN IS FOR MINE SYMBOL SHOWN WEST OF ILLINOIS RIVER; UTM FOR THIS IS 4679570N, 443150E. THIS MAY, HOWEVER, BE PART OF THE PLACER OPERATIONS ALONG THE RIVER.

Comment (Deposit): 5 FT WIDE LENS OF BANDED ORE WHERE BANDS ARE USUALLY LESS THAN 1 IN. THICK BUT MAY REACH SEVERAL INCHES THICK. OTHER ATTITUDES WERE N30E AND VERTICAL, N60E AND 64NW

Comment (Workings): 25 FT SHAFT, 45 FT TRENCH, 15 FT TRENCH, ALSO A GLORY HOLE AND TUNNEL.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION RECORD NOT COMPLETE - WORKED WW1-1953; NOT MORE THAN 100 TONS COULD BE DEVELOPED; PROPERTY IS NOT ADEQUATELY OPENED

Comment (Geology): SERPENTINE CONTAINS TERMOLITE/CHRYSOTILE STRINGERS

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 1.

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. 132-133.

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.

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, 1961, CHROMITE IN SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 52, P. 138-140.

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.