Haputa Ranch

The Haputa Ranch is a thorium, gold, ree, barium-barite, and lead mine located in Custer county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,101 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: Haputa Ranch
Secondary: Haputa Extension

Commodity

Primary: Thorium
Primary: Gold
Primary: REE
Primary: Barium-Barite
Primary: Lead

Location

State: Colorado
County: Custer
District: Wet Mountains 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/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Discovery Year: 1950
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Thorium-rare-earth veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Wet Mountains

Type: L
Description: Nw-Trending Shear Zones; Five Mineralized Zones; Overall Structure Extends G.T. 17000 Ft

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification

Rocks

Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SURFACE SAMPLES: .005 TO 2.94% EQUIV. U, .001 TO .009% U, .02 TO 16.44% EQUIV. TH02, .04 TO 6.29% TH02, .01 TO 1.53% RAE OXIDES
Analytical Data: SURFACE SAMPLE, HAPUTA EXTENSION: .006 TO .16% EQUIV. U, .001 TO .004% U, .02 TO .88% EQUIV. TH02, .13 TO .31% TH02, .15 TO 4.29% RAE OXIDES
Analytical Data: SHEAR ZONES 5 AND 6 HAD LOW TH02 CONTENTS, BUT ZONE 5 SHOWS 0.35% RAE OXIDE
Analytical Data: SHEAR ZONE 7 HAD SAMPLES WITH RAE OXIDE CONTENT OF 4.29%
Analytical Data: DRILL CORE SAMPLES: .001 TO .29% EQUIV. U, .000 TO .005% U, .00 TO 1.60% EQUIV. TH02, .10 TO 1.78% TH02, SR, Y DETECTED SPECTROGRAPHICALLY

Materials

Ore: Thorite
Ore: Barite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THERE ARE SEVERAL ORE BODIES AND NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES IN THE AREA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEVEN SHEAR ZONES. SHEAR ZONE NO. 1 CONTAINS TWO ORE BODIES. THE FIRST IS 200 TO 300 FT LONG, 6 FT WIDE AT THE SURFACE AND 26 FT WIDE AT A DEPTH OF 200 FT, AND AT LEAST 400 FT DEEP. THE SECOND ORE BODY IS 160 FT LONG, 2 TO 7 FT WIDE AT THE SURFACE AND 10 FT WIDE AT DEPTH, EXTENDING AT LEAST 140 FT DEEP. THE SHEAR ZONE IS LARGELY COVERED BY, ALLUVIUM BUT IS PROBABLY MORE THAN 3000 FT LONG. SHEAR ZONE 7 IS UP TO 3 FT WIDE, SHEAR ZONE 5 IS 3 TO 9 FT WIDE, SHEAR ZONE 6 IS 2 FT WIDE. THE DEPOSITS APPEAR TO BE THE BEST WHERE THE FRACTURES ARE NEAR GRANITIC CONTACTS. GOLD ORE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN MINED FROM SHEAR ZONE NO. 5

Comment (Commodity): AVERAGE GRADE OF HIGHER GRADE DEPOSITS PROBABLY 0.5% TH02, 0.3% RAE OXIDES, .002% U; THORITE OCCURS AS BLEBS IN QUARTZ AND DISSEMINATED IN AND/OR MASKED BY IRON OXIDES

Comment (Location): ON SOUTH SLOPE NEAR HEADWATER OF SILVER PARK CREEK ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Development): ELEVEN DIAMOND-DRILL HOLES WERE DRILLED ON THE RANCH. THE HOLES TOTALLED 3291.2 FT

Comment (Workings): PITS, TRENCHES, SHORT ADIT, 20 FT SHAFT; ELEVEN DRILL HOLES TOTALLING 3291.2 FT DRILLED BY USBM UNDER CONTRACT TO U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

Comment (Deposit): THE FIRST RADIOACTIVE MINERALS, DISCOVERED IN THE WET MOUNTAINS WERE FOUND ON THE HAPUTA RANCH. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Geology): SOME SHEAR ZONES ASSOCIATED WITH SILICIFIED BASIC DIKES; FETID ODOR; DEPOSITS SPATIALLY AND GENETICALLY RELATED TO CAMBRIAN ALKALIC COMPLEXES

Comment (Production): GALENA WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED PRIOR TO 1953

References

Reference (Deposit): BROCK, M.R. AND SINGEWALD, Q.D., 1968, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MOUNT TYNDALL QUADRANGLE, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-596, 1:24,000.

Reference (Deposit): CHRISTMAN, R.A., HEYMAN, A.M., DELLWIG, L.F, AND GOTT, G.B., 1953, THORIUM INVESTIGATIONS 1950-52, WET MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS CIRCULAR 290

Reference (Deposit): ARMBRUSTMACHER, T.J., 19768 THORIUM DEPOSITS IN THE WET MOUNTAINS AREA, FREMONT AND CUSTER COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPORT 76-284, P. 14-17

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.