Luke Mine

The Luke Mine is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Powell county, Montana at an elevation of 5,801 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: Luke Mine
Secondary: Mineral Hill

Commodity

Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Uranium
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite

Location

State: Montana
County: Powell
District: Garrison

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

Type: Federal Lease

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Montana Phosphate Products Co. (Cominco)
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 1965

Owner Name: U.S. Gov. Federal Lease 076890 883 Acres
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 1965

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Year First Production: 1936
Discovery Year: 1932
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

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: Montmorillonite
Unknown: Mica
Unknown: Collophane
Unknown: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): MINE ALSO IN SECS 14,22 AND 23. MINE IS 6 MILES SE OF THE ANDERSON MINE, ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE GARRISON ANTICLINE, 32 MILES BY ROAD. SAMPLE LOT 1285 FROM USGS PROF PAPER 313-F IS LOCATED HERE. 3 MINE MAPS (PLAN VIEWS OF WORKINGS, 4 INCH=100 FEET SCALE) ARE ON MICROFILM IN SPOKANE MINE IS NOW CLOSED (1979).

Comment (Geology): MAJOR MINERAL OF BOTH OOLITES AND MATRIX OF PHOSPHORITE IS COLLOPHANE.

Comment (Production): NGLESIT WAS EXPLORED BY RUSSELL LUKE OF BUTTE WHO ORGANIZED THE MINERAL HILL MINING CO IN 1932. FROM 1936-42 THIS COMPANY PRODUCED 25000 T OF 32% P205 ROCK. MONTANA PHOSPHATE PRODUCTS TOOK OVER IN 1943. 1943-61 THEY PRODUCED 900000 LT OF 32.1-34.4% P205 ROCK. MINE WORKED THROUGH 4 ADIT LEVELS: THE 5300 CROSSCUT ADIT IS 2700 FT LONG WITH N AND S DRIFTS 1500 AND 5000 FT LONG; THE 5700 HAULAGE DRIFT ADIT IS 3500 FT LONG; 5900 LEVEL ADIT; AND 6050 LEVEL ADIT. ORE WAS STOPED UP TO 6200 FT ELEVATION. 1965 PRODUCTION POTENTIAL WAS 350 T/DAY.

Comment (Geology): PRODUCTION IS FROM RETORT MEMTER, BED IS 3.2 FT THICK AT 34.9% P205. THIS 3.2 FT THICK MINEABLE BED IS MASSIVE OOLITIC PHOSPHORITE WITH A FEW SHALE PARTINGS. HANGING AND FOOT- WALLS ARE HARD QUARTZITE. BED IS BADLY BROKEN BY CROSS FAULTS, OFFSETS RANGING FROM 3-20 FT. FAULTS ARE GENERALLY NORMAL AND AT FAIRLY REGULAR INTERVALS OF FROM 50-100 FT. GROUND BETWEEN ADJACENT FAULTS MAKE A SINGLE STOPE. LITTLE OR NO SUPPORT IS NEEDED, ROCK FLOWS BY GRAVITY DOWN THE STOPE. ORE IS BLOCKY AND BREAKS WITH A MINIMUM OF FINES AND IS HARDER THAN AT THE ANDERSON OR GRAVELY MINES.

References

Reference (Deposit): MINING WORLD, FEB, 1956, P. 52-56.

Reference (Deposit): MBM AND G BULL 49, 1965, P. 47.

Reference (Deposit): 313-F, P. 810.

Reference (Deposit): PERMIAN ROCKS IN CENTRAL WESTERN MONTANA: USGS PROF. PAPER

Reference (Deposit): SWANSON, R.W., 1973, GEOLOGY AND PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF THE

Reference (Deposit): REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): PROPERTIES AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, PHOSPHATE

Reference (Deposit): LUFT, STANLEY, 1958, NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY,

Reference (Deposit): INDUSTRY AND ITS RESOURCES, PART 2, MONTANA, USBM RI 6611.

Reference (Deposit): POPOFF, C.C., 1965, AN EVALUATION OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE

Reference (Deposit): PHOSPHATE PRODUCTS CO, TRANS. AIME, VOL. 184, P. 287-291.

Reference (Deposit): ARMSTRONG, R.J., 1949, MINING OPERATIONS OF THE MONTANA

Reference (Deposit): CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL, MAY 1954, P. 195-201.

Reference (Deposit): PHOSPHATE PRODUCTS CO., TRANS. AIME 173, P. 240-244.

Reference (Deposit): GILBERT, GEOFFREY, 1947, MINING OPERATIONS OF THE MONTANA

Reference (Deposit): MINING WOFLD, NOV. 1955, P. 44-46.

Reference (Deposit): MBM AND G BULL 20,1960 P 41

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.