Esterley Chrome Mine

The Esterley Chrome Mine is a chromium mine located in Josephine county, Oregon at an elevation of 1,519 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: Esterley Chrome Mine
Secondary: Esterly

Commodity

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

Location

State: Oregon
County: Josephine
District: Waldo Area

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Oliphant, R. F.

Owner Name: Sherman, John
Years: 1956 -

Owner Name: Pepperdine, G. G.

Production

Year: 1956
Time Period: 1952-1956
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^44% Cr2o3 (Conc.)
Year: 1956
Time Period: 1918-1956
Material type: TOTAL
Description: Cp_Grade: ^41.80% Cr2o3 (Weighted Average Grade)

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
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: IRREGULAR BODIES

Structure

Type: L
Description: Vertical Fault Trending N 30 E

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Serpentine-Talc-Magnesite

Rocks

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: RH=5 PPB.
Analytical Data: RU=200 PPB
Analytical Data: IR=40 PPB
Analytical Data: PD=<4 PPB
Analytical Data: 1 PGE ANALYSIS: PT=<10 PPB

Materials

Ore: Chromite
Gangue: Olivine
Gangue: Serpentine
Gangue: Magnesite

Comments

Comment (Location): UTM GIVEN IS FOR PGE SAMPLE SITE LOCATION. LAT/LONG GIVEN IS FOR ESTERLY MINE LABELED ON TOPO MAP; UTM FOR THIS IS 4658450N, 447670E.

Comment (Deposit): RECORD NUMBER M013278 HAS BEEN MERGED WITH THIS RECORD AND DELETED.

Comment (Production): ORE CONCENTRATED FROM 1,300 TONS OF 20% CR2O3. SECOND CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION ESTIMATE IS BY RAMP; DO NOT ADD THE TWO

Comment (Deposit): TWO ORE BODIES MINED. ORE IS SPOTTED AND NODULAR, MEDIUM GRADE TO DENSE MASSIVE HIGH GRADE.

Comment (Workings): DRILLED DURING 1956, 1 HOLE TO 125 FT CONTAINED 78 FT OF CHROMITE. TRENCH AND SEVERAL OPEN PITS - PITS ARE FLOODED.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): CHROMITE FOUND IN DRILL HOLE, 1956

References

Reference (Reserve-Resource): RAMP, 1961, P. 151

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. 196-197.

Reference (Deposit): SHENON, P.J., 1933, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TAKILMA-WALDO DISTRICT, OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 846-B, P. 177-178.

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

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, 1961, CHROMITE IN SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 52, P. 150-151.

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.