Big Ben Deposits

The Big Ben Deposits is a molybdenum mine located in Cascade county, Montana at an elevation of 6,293 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: Big Ben Deposits
Secondary: Big Ben Deposit

Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum

Location

State: Montana
County: Cascade
District: Neihart Mining District

Land Status

Land ownership: Mixed
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

Type: Located Claim
Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Amax Inc.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1982

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Unknown
Milling Method: Flotation
Discovery Year: 1922
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Fluorite
Unknown: Sphalerite
Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Pyrite
Unknown: Molybdenite
Unknown: Galena
Unknown: Chalcopyrite

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): M2C1 IS USED AS THE MINE PLANT RESOURCE BECAUSE I FEEL THE EIGHTEEN PERCENT REDUCTION IN GRADE FROM THE M2C2+M2C3 RESOURCE WOULD BE OFFSET BY THE ECONOMY OF SCALE REDUCTION IN OPERATING COSTS THROUGH INCREASING THE RESOURCE 156 PERCENT. MINEABLE RESERVES HAVE NOT BEEN CLACULATED BY AMAX. IN THIS EVALUATION MINEABLE RESERVES ARE THE SAME AS GEOLOGY RESERVES. M1C1=M2C1+M3C1, M2C1=M2C2+M2C3+M2C4

Comment (Geology): ORE MAY REQUIRE EXCESSIVE GRINDING TO LIBERATE MOLYBDENITE FROM LEAD WHEN LEAD WOULD EXCEED 0.1 PERCENT

Comment (Workings): MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WOULD BE FINDING SITES FOR TAILINGS AND WASTE ROCK SUITABLE TO ENSURE STABILITY AND PRESERVE WATER QUALITY. THE IMPACT THAT SEVERAL HUNDRED CONSTRUCTION AND MINE WORKERS WOULD HAVE ON THE SMALL TOWNS OF NEIHART AND MONARCH WOULD ALSO BE A MAJOR CONCERN.

Comment (Deposit): AMAX HAS OUTLINED LARGE MOLYBDENUM DEPOSIT BUT AWAITS IMPROVED MOLYBDENUM PRICES TO PROCEED WITH PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY AND ENGINEERING STUDIES. THE GEOMETRY OF THE DEPOSIT IS ONLY AN APPROXIMATION BASED ON LIMITED INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM AMAX.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): BIBLIOGRAPHY INCL. U.S. BUREAU OF MINES IC7589, RI4460; USGS BULL.1182-E.

References

Reference (Deposit): JAYNE, D. E., 1980, MOUNT TOLMAN (MO-CU) DEPOSIT, FERRY

Reference (Deposit): UNPUBLISHED.

Reference (Deposit): MINES, MINERALS AVAILABILITY DEPOSIT EVALUATION REPORT,

Reference (Deposit): JAYNE, D. I., 1980, GLACIER PEAK DEPOSIT: U.S. BUREAU OF

Reference (Deposit): 4406.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS

Reference (Deposit): MOLYBDENUM DEPOSIT, NEIHART DISTRICT, CASCADE COUNTY,

Reference (Deposit): HERDLICK, J. A., 1949, INVESTIGATION OF THE BIG BEN

Reference (Deposit): PRELIMINARY REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, STRATEGIC MINERALS INVESTIGATIONS

Reference (Deposit): DEPOSIT, NEIHART MINING DISTRICT, CASCADE COUNTY, MONTANA:

Reference (Deposit): CREASEY, S. C., AND SCHOLZ, E. A., 1944, BIG BEN MOLYBDENUM

Reference (Deposit): REPORT, UNPUBLISHED.

Reference (Deposit): BUREAU OF MINES, MINERALS AVAILABILITY DEPOSIT

Reference (Deposit): BENJAMIN, D., 1982, THOMPSON CREEK MOLYBDENUM MINE: U.S.

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS MAP I-726.

Reference (Deposit): NEIHART 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL MONTANA: U.S.

Reference (Deposit): KEEFER, W. R., 1972, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE WEST HALF OF THE

Reference (Deposit): OLMORE, S. D., 1979, GEOLOGY OF THE BIG BEN MOLYBDENUM

Reference (Deposit): MINERALS AVAILABILITY DEPOSIT EVALUATION REPORT,

Reference (Deposit): 1182-E.

Reference (Deposit): LINDSEY, D., HALL MOLYBDENUM DEPOSIT: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES,

Reference (Deposit): UNITED STATES 1942-1960: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, BULLETIN

Reference (Deposit): PERSONAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS.

Reference (Deposit): RANTA, D., 1981, MANAGER OF GEOLOGIC PROJECTS AMAX INC.,

Reference (Deposit): PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS.

Reference (Deposit): LEARY, PAT, 1982, ENGINEER FOR MONTANA POWER COMPANY,

Reference (Deposit): DEPOSIT EVALUATION REPORT, UNPUBLISHED.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, MINERALS AVAILABILITY

Reference (Deposit): 3 PP. 257-461.

Reference (Deposit): WETZEL, N., 1979, MANGANESE RESOURCES OF THE BUTTE DISTRICT,

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 20TH ANNUAL REPORT, PT.

Reference (Deposit): WEED, W. H., 1900, GEOLOGY OF THE LITTLE BELT MOUNTAINS,

Reference (Deposit): J0255026, P. 374.

Reference (Deposit): SYSTEM HANDBOOK: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, CONTRACT NO.

Reference (Deposit): STRAAM ENGINEERS, INC., 1979, CAPITAL AND COST ESTIMATING

Reference (Deposit): NORTHWEST MINING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION.

Reference (Deposit): DEPOSIT NEAR NEIHART, MONTANA: PRESENTATION TO THE

Reference (Deposit): INVESTIGATIONS OF MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS IN THE CONTERMINOUS

Reference (Deposit): KIRKEMO, H. H., ANDERSON, C. A., AND CREASEY, E. A., 1965,

Reference (Deposit): AVAILABILITY DEPOSIT EVALUATION REPORT, UNPUBLISHED.

Reference (Deposit): COUNTY, WASHINGTON, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES MINERALS

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.