Emperius Mine

The Emperius Mine is a silver, lead, zinc, and copper mine located in Mineral county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,000 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

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Site Name

Primary: Emperius Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Cadmium
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Colorado
County: Mineral
District: Creede District

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: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Minerals Engineering Co. (Meco)
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1980 -

Owner Name: Pioneer Nuclear, Inc.
Years: 1982 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1942
Year Last Production: 1976
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field; La Garita, Creede, And Bachelor Calderas

Type: L
Description: Creede Graben; Amethyst Fault Zone

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Chloritization, Silicification, Argillization; Fe-Mn Oxides, Cu Carbonates

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Greenockite
Ore: Smithsonite
Ore: Pyromorphite
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Acanthite
Ore: Anglesite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Goslarite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Wad
Gangue: Amethyst
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV DETERMINED FROM EMMONS AND LARSEN'S (1923) TOPO MAP (1:24,000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES ALONG AMETHYST VEIN FROM BACHELOR TO HAPPY THOUGHT MINES. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Development): INDIVIDUAL MINES LOCATED AND DEVELOPED IN EARLY 1890S, CONSOLIDATED INTO EMPERIUS MINING CO. IN 1942, ACQUIRED BY MINERALS ENGINEERING CO. (MECO) IN 1973, PRODUCED THRU 1976. EXPLORATION SINCE THEN CARRIED OUT BY MECO'S OPERATORS, CHEVRON RESOURCES AND HARRISON-WESTERN.

Comment (Deposit): PRINCIPAL LODES ARE IN AMETHYST FAULT (USUALLY AS FAULT CONTACT BETWEEN CAMPBELL MTN. RHYOLITE IN HANGING WALL AND WILLOW CR. RHYOLITE IN FOOTWALL), ANCESTRAL AMETHYST (DEAN) FAULT, AND IN MAJOR HANGING-WALL FRACTURES AND VEINS (OH AND WINCHESTER) SUBPARALLEL TO AND JOINING AMETHYST FAULT AT DEPTH BUT STRIKING FARTHER WEST AND DIPPING VERTICAL TO STEEPLY NE AND DYING OUT UPWARD INTO STRONGLY ALTERED ROCK. DEEP MINERALIZATION IS UNOXIDIZED BASE-METAL VEIN TYPE IN CHLORITE GANGUE WITH LITTLE WALLROCK ALTERATION. CENTRAL AREA SILICIFIED WITH PARTLY OXIDIZED AG-BEARING ORES IN FE-MN-OXIDE-STAINED QUARTZ-AMETHYST-BARITE GANGUE IN VEINS AND DISSEMINATIONS. UPPER OXIDIZED ORE MOSTLY DISSEMINATED IN FRACTURED, STRONGLY ARGILLIZED ROCK.

Comment (Workings): INCLUDES ALL WORKINGS ON CENTRAL, MOST OF SOUTHERN, AND PART OF NORTHERN AMETHYST VEIN. SEE DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL MINES LISTED BELOW IN GENERAL COMMENTS

Comment (Deposit): EMPERIUS MINE RECORD IS CONSOLIDATION OF DATA FROM HAPPY THOUGHT, LAST CHANCE, NEW YORK, DEL MONTE, AMETHYST, COMMODORE, AND BACHELOR MINES ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION SINCE 1942 IS CONSOLIDATION OF COMMODORE, AMETHYST AND CONNECTED WORKINGS. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1945, 1971, 1973, 1977 THRU 1980. IN ADDITION TO CADMIUM PRODUCED IN 1970, UNSPECIFIED AMOUNTS OF CD REPORTED FOR 1965 AND 1967. AMTS. OF PRINCIPAL METALS FOR 1942-50 CALCULATED FROM REPORTED ORE GRADES.

References

Reference (Deposit): EMMONS, W.H., AND LARSEN, E.S. 1923, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE CREEDE DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 718, 198 P.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND RATTE, J.C., 1965, GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF ORE DEPOSITION IN THE CREEDE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 487, 90 P.

Reference (Deposit): LINDEMANN, J.W., AND OTHERS, EDS., 1981, FIELD TRIP NOTES, CREEDE MINING DISTRICT, SAN JUAN VOLCANIC PROVINCE, COLORADO: DENVER REGIONAL EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS SOC. GUIDEBOOK

Reference (Production): CO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATORS REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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