Whitney Prospect

The Whitney Prospect is a thorium, uranium, ree, and gold mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,619 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: Whitney Prospect

Commodity

Primary: Thorium
Primary: Uranium
Primary: REE
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Colorado
County: Gunnison
District: Goose Creek District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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: George Grover
Home Office: Gunnison, Co.
Years: 1965 -

Owner Name: Michigan Chemical Co.
Home Office: St. Louis, Michigan
Years: 1965 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
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: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Gunnison Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Gunnison Gold Belt, Iron Hill Alkalic Complex, Tolvar Peak Stock

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Trachyte
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Thorite
Gangue: Orthoclase
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): TRACHYTE DIKES IN THIS AREA ARE ONE OF FOUR ENVIRONMENTS OF TH OCCURRENCE KNOWN IN POWDERHORN-IRON HILL AREA AND ARE PROBABLY RELATED TO EMPLACEMENT OF LATE PRECAMBRIAN SYENITES NORTH AND WEST OF IRON HILL AND OF YOUNGER LATE PRECAMBRIAN OR CAMBRIAN CARBONATITES AT IRON HILL. DIKES FOLLOW LOCAL JOINTING IN COUNTRY ROCK AND ARE COMPOSED OF LATH-SHAPED ORTHOCLASE PHENOCRYSTS IN TRACHYTIC, APHANITIC GROUNDMASS OF ORTHOCLASE MICROLITES. RADIOACTIVITY IS CONCENTRATED IN HEMATITE PSEUDOMORPHS AFTER PYRITE. FOLIATION OF TOLVAR PEAK GRANITE COUNTRY ROCK TRENDS GENERALLY ENE-WSW, VERTICAL. TRACHYTE DIKE TRENDS N 85 W, CURVING TO N 62 E. JUNCTION CREEK SANDSTONE CAPS HILL IMMEDIATELY SW OF DIKES. CDM REPORT OF PEGMATITE OCCURRENCE COULD ACTUALLY BE QUARTZ VEIN OR TRACHYTE DIKE.

Comment (Workings): CDM REPORT DESCRIBES WORKINGS AS PROSPECT SHAFT AND DRIFT, 160-FT DRIFT, OPEN CUTS

Comment (Location): ON DIVIDE BETWEEN WOLF CREEK AND WILLOW CREEK. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Development): EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT IN 1962 AND 1964-1965.

References

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., AND OLSON, J.C., 1975, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE POWDERHORN QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1178.

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., AND OLSON, J.C., 1961, FOUR ENVIRONMENTS OF THORIUM-, NIOBIUM-, AND RARE-EARTH-BEARING MINERALS IN THE POWDERHORN DISTRICT OF SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 424-B, P. B283-B286.

Reference (Deposit): OLSON, J.C., AND HEDLUND, D.C., 1981, ALKALIC ROCKS AND RESOURCES OF THORIUM AND ASSOCIATED ELEMENTS IN THE POWDERHORN DISTRICT, GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1049-C.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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