Omega Mine

The Omega Mine is a uranium and vanadium mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,399 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: Omega Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Omega
Secondary: Ms 19100

Commodity

Primary: Uranium
Primary: Vanadium

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Lower San Miguel 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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Vanadium Corp. Of America
Home Office: Durango, Co.
Years: 1947 -

Owner Name: R. C. Bishop
Home Office: Naturita, Co.
Years: 1947 -

Production

Year: 1943
Time Period: 1942-1943
Material type: ORE V ACC
Description: Cp_Grade: ^1.68% V205, 0.09% U308

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1943
Discovery Year: 1910
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, Uncompahgre Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field, San Miguel Mtns

Type: L
Description: Unnamed Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Location): MINE LIES ON SLOPES BELOW SW RIM OF HASTINGS MESA ABOVE LEOPARD CREEK AND SAN MIGUEL RIVER 0.8 MILE NE OF PLACERVILLE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PORTAL OF MAIN ADIT IN C S2 SW NE SEC. 35. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. ANNUAL TOTALS UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1920: CUMULATIVE ESTIMATE OF ORE THROUGH 1920 FROM FISCHER AND OTHERS. ANNUAL TOTALS FOR 1942 AND 1943 FROM CDM RECORDS. NO PRODUCTION IN 1940 OR APPARENTLY AFTER 1943. NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS' LOW CUMULATIVE TOTAL COULD REPRESENT ONLY PRODUCTION OF ORE FOR URANIUM DURING 1940S AND 1950S.

Comment (Development): MINE OPERATED BY PRIMOS CHEMICAL COMPANY PRIOR TO 1920, BY VANADIUM CORP. OF AMERICA IN 1920, WHO RESUMED WORK IN 1941.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LIES BETWEEN BLACK KING-WHITE SPAR FAULT SYSTEM TO SW AND BRANCH FAULT POSSIBLY FROM SE EXTENSION OF SHEEP DRAW GRABEN BUT INTERRUPTED BY MORE NW-TRENDING FAULTS PARALLEL TO BLACK KING SYSTEM. VANADIUM DEPOSIT LIES NEAR CENTER OF PRINCIPAL MINERALIZED BELT TOWARD NORTH END.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY SURFACE EXCAVATIONS, SEVERAL SHORT TUNNELS, AND BY MAIN HAULAGE TUNNEL 800 FT LONG WITH CROSSCUTS, DRIFTS, RAISES, AND INCLINES; 2600-FT-LONG GRAVITY-OPERATED, JIG-BACK AERIAL TRAM CARRIED ORE FROM MINE TO RECEIVING BIN ON HIGHWAY NEXT TO LEOPARD CREEK.

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 19100

Reference (Production): FISCHER AND OTHERS, 1947, P. 132; COLORADO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.; NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS, 1978, P. 434-A

Reference (Deposit): FISCHER, R.P., AND OTHERS, 1947, VANADIUM DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 15, NO. 3, P. 117-146.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND OTHERS, 1959, AREAL GEOLOGY OF THE PLACERVILLE QUADRANGLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1072-E.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 434-A.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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