Ascension Mine

The Ascension Mine is a uranium mine located in Jefferson county, Colorado at an elevation of 6,955 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

Name: Ascension Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Jefferson

Elevation: 6,955 Feet (2,120 Meters)

Commodity: Uranium

Lat, Long: 39.77972, -105.29028

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Ascension Mine

Ascension Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Ascension Mine
Secondary: Nair Prospect
Secondary: Nare Lease


Commodity

Primary: Uranium
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Lead


Location

State: Colorado
County: Jefferson
District: Ralston Buttes 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: Unknown


Ownership

Owner Name: Cotter Corp.
Home Office: Golden, Co.
Years: 1972 -


Production

Year: 1956
Material type: ORE U
Description: Ap_Grade: ^0.23% U3o8
Year: 1972
Time Period: 1956-1972
Material type: ORE U
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.23% U3o8


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1956
Year Last Production: 1972
Discovery Year: 1955
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

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift, Denver Basin

Type: L
Description: Hurricane Hill Fault System, Ascension Fault


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

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

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

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

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


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AVERAGE ORE GRADES OF 0.23 TO 0.26% U3O8


Materials

Ore: Uraninite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Calcite


Comments

Comment (Deposit): BELT OF LAYERED CALC-SILICATE GNEISS TRENDS N 70 TO 90 E. DEPOSIT LIES ON BRANCH OF HURRICANE HILL FAULT SYSTEM KNOWN AS ASCENSION FAULT, WHICH TRENDS N 62 W, 66 TO 85 NE AND IS ACTUALLY COMPOSED OF SEVERAL SUBPARALLEL ANASTAMOSING FAULT SURFACES. ASCENSION FAULT FORMS V-SHAPED BLOCK WITH SECOND FAULT TO NE TRENDING LESS NW, BOTH SHOWING RIGHT-LATERAL DISPLACEMENT. PITCHBLENDE OCCURS AS COLLOFORM COATINGS ON QUARTZ- AND CARBONATE-CEMENTED BRECCIA FRAGMENTS IN HANGING WALL OF ASCENSION FAULT AND AS THIN STRINGERS ON SUBSIDIARY FAULTS AND FRACTURES.

Comment (Location): 130 FT. WEST OF TUCKER GULCH; 0.2 MILE NW OF POINT WHERE TUCKER GULCH AND CRAWFORD GULCH MERGE TO FORM GOLDEN GATE CANYON ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Comment (Production): NO PRODUCTION IN INTERVENING YEARS OR AFTER 1972. SHERIDAN AND OTHERS REPORT LOWER PRODUCTION THAN CITED ABOVE FOR 1960. CUMULATIVE ORE TOTAL INCLUDES ESTIMATED 853 ST FOR 1961 BASED ON AVERAGE ORE GRADE OF 0.23% U3O8.

Comment (Workings): SURFACE EXPLORATORY CUTS; 16-FT-LONG UPPER ADIT; 425 FT OF WORKINGS ON MAIN LEVEL FROM ADIT DRIVEN GENERALLY WESTWARD

Comment (Deposit): DUPLICATE D002241 DELETED ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT


References

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., COLLINS, D.B., AND HORNBAKER A.L., 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 40, P. 190

Reference (Deposit): SHERIDAN, DOUGLAS M. AND OTHERS, 1967, GEOLOGY AND URANIUM DEPOSITS OF THE RALSTON BUTTES DISTRICT, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 520.

Reference (Deposit): SIMS, P.K., AND SHERIDAN, D.M., 1964, GEOLOGY OF URANIUM DEPOSITS IN THE FRONT RANGE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1159, P. 92-93

Reference (Production): SHERIDAN AND OTHERS, 1967, P. 75; COLORADO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATORS REPTS. 1957-1972


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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