Cribbenville Mine

The Cribbenville Mine is a mica mine located in Rio Arriba county, New Mexico at an elevation of 7,900 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: Cribbenville Mine
Secondary: New Cribbenville
Secondary: Navidad
Secondary: El Capitan

Commodity

Primary: Mica
Tertiary: Uranium
Tertiary: Thorium
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Feldspar

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Rio Arriba
District: Petaca District: Cribbenville Group

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Minerals Engineering Co. (Meco)
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1675
Year Last Production: 1955
Discovery Year: 1675
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

Not available

Orebody

Form: OTHER DIKE

Structure

Type: L
Description: Shearing Is Common Along The Pegmatite Borders. There Are Two Well-Defined Joint Sets And Several Minor Sets. The First Joint Set Trends Parallel With The Elongation Of The Main Dike And Dips Very Steeply. The Second Set With Similar Trend Dips Gently To Moderately South.

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Microcline
Ore: Mica
Ore: Monazite
Ore: Columbite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Beryl
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Cleavelandite
Gangue: Spessartite
Gangue: Albite
Gangue: Garnet

Comments

Comment (Production): JAHNS REPORTS PRODUCTION HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, BUT MAJOR PRODUCTION DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL 1900. THE BREAKDOWN OF PRODUCTION FIGURES IS 5,000 LBS CLEAR PLATE, 20,000 LBS STAINED PLATE, AND 400 TONS OF SCRAP MICA.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: LATE 1600'S

Comment (Location): LOCATION IS ACCURATE FOR THE PORTAL OF THE I EXCELL TUNNEL. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1979

Comment (Development): THE MINE WAS FIRST WORKED IN THE 1600'S BY THE EARLY SPANISH SETTLERS BUT NO MAJOR PRODUCTION OCCURRED UNTIL 1886 WHEN THE I EXCELL TUNNEL WAS DRIVEN.

Comment (Deposit): THERE ARE TWO MAJOR DIKES AT THE CRIBBENVILLE. THE SECOND DIKE IS 490 FT LONG, 40 FT WIDE, TRENDS WNW AND HAS STEEP NORTH TO NORTHEAST DIPS. THE TWO DIKES ARE JOINED IN THE I EXCELL TUNNEL.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS INCLUDE SEVERAL SURFACE OPEN CUTS, PITS, AND TRENCHES, AND SEVERAL STOPES, DRIFTS, CROSSCUTS AND THE I EXCELL TUNNEL UNDERGROUND.

Comment (Geology): THE DEPOSIT OCCURS IN THE PETACA SCHIST MEMBER OF THE ORTEGA QUARTZITE.

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: CRIBBENVILLE GROUP ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

References

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

Reference (Deposit): JUST, E., 1937, NMBMMR BULL. NO. 13, P. 63-70

Reference (Deposit): JAHNS, R.H., 1946, NMBMMR BULL NO. 25, P. 195-205

Reference (Deposit): REDMON, D.E., 1961, USBM IC 8013, P. 33

Reference (Deposit): LESURE, F.G., 1965, NMBMMR BULL. NO. 87, P. 278

Reference (Deposit): BINGLER, E.C., 1968, NMBMMR, BULL. NO. 91, P. 122

Reference (Deposit): MCLEMORE, V.T., 1983, NMBMMR OFR OF-183, APPENDIX 1

Reference (Production): JAHNS, R.H., 1946, NMBMMR BULL 25, P. 197

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