Char Tam

The Char Tam is a lead, copper, zinc, and gold mine located in Broadwater county, Montana at an elevation of 4,800 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: Char Tam
Secondary: Chartam

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: Montana
County: Broadwater

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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Anaconda Co.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Montana
Info Year: 1988

Owner Name: Western Energy Corp.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Montana
Info Year: 1988
Years: 1988 - 1989

Owner Name: Addwest Gold, Inc. (Jv To Phelps Dodge)
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 1998
Years: 1989 -

Owner Name: Canyon Resources Corp. (Jv To Phelps Dodge)
Company ID: 2401604
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 1994

Owner Name: Valdus Operations Inc.
Info Year: 1995

Owner Name: Macquire Metals (Option To Purchase From Canyon Res.)
Info Year: 1994
Years: 1994 -

Owner Name: Ecu Gold Mining Co., Inc. ("Ecudor")
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Canada
Info Year: 1997

Production

Year: 1951
Time Period: 1901-1951
Mined: 49000.000 mt
Material type: ore

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Deposit Type: Polymetallic veins
Plant Type: Leach
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Heap Leach-Carbon Column-Merrill-Crowe
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Structure: EAST- AND NORTHEAST-STRIKING FAULTS

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): TWO TYPES OF VEINS: 1) FLAT VEINS (0 TO 30 DEG) AND GENERALLY STRIKE NORTHEAST, CONTAIN QUARTZ-PYRITE WITH MINOR BASE METALS, ARE FISSURE CONTROLLED, AND 2) STEEPLY DIPPING TO VERTICAL VEINS, STRIKE APPROXIMATELY EAST-WEST, QUARTZ-PYRITE BUT WITH GALENA, SPHALERITE AND SOME CHALCOPYRITE. (EARLL, 1964) MINERALIZATION DERIVED FROM INTRUSIVES BUT OCCUR IN BOTH VOLCANICS AND INTRUSIVES (EARLL, 1964)

Comment (Exploration): 1867 - EAST PACIFIC VEIN DISCOVERED. 1900 - MOST OF THE MAJOR MINES OF THE DISTRICT OPENED. 1918 - ACTIVITY FELL OFF. 1918-1923 - NO RECORD OF PRODUCTION. 1955 - PRODUCTION FELL OFF AGAIN. 1981 - 1984 - DON HOLMES OWNER/OPERATOR. 1984 - WESTERN ENERGY COMPANY BEGINS EXPLORATION PROGRAM

Comment (Production): TOTAL PRODUCTION FROM THE DISTRICT >$4,000,000 FROM 150,000 TONS OF ORE (EARLL, 1964)

Comment (Location): LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTH OF WINSTON, BROADWATER COUNTY, MONTANA.

Comment (Ownership): CONTACTED WESTERN ENERGY ON 2/5/87. THEY ARE OWNED BY ENTEC, A SUBSIDIARY OF MONTANA POWER. MONTANA POWER SOLD COMPANY & PROPERTY TO VALDUS OPERATIONS, SEPTEMBER, 1994. AN ECU GOLD MINING COMPANY INC. ("ECUDOR"), JANUARY 16, 1997 PRESS RELEASE STATES THAT IT OWNS 100% OF THE PROPERTY.

Comment (Deposit): WAS SUPPOSEDLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN MID-1987. NOT LISTED IN SURVEY AS PRODUCING IN 1989. NO DATA AVAILABLE AS OF JUNE 1997, NOT LISTED IN RANDOL 1996/97 NO OWNERSHIP RECORDS LISTED IN AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOKS, 93, 96 OR 1997.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): PUBLISHED DEMONSTRATED RESOURCE (PAY DIRT; APRIL, 1987).

Comment (Production): NO REPORTED PRODUCTION/CAPACITY.

References

Reference (Deposit): PRESS RELEASE, "CHARTAM - MONTANA, ECUDOR OBTAINS GRADES OF 12 & 21 G/T GOLD", 1/16/97, P1.

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL GOLD DIRECTORY, 1988.

Reference (Deposit): ECU GOLD MINING COMPANY INC. ("ECUDOR"), JANUARY, 1997

Reference (Reserve-Resource): APRIL PAYDIRT, 1987.

Reference (Deposit): MSHA REPORT, MAY 1983

Reference (Geology): EARLL, F.N., 1964, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMICAL STUDY OF WINSTON MINING DISTRICT, BROADWATER COUNTY, MONTANA: MBMG BULLETIN 41, 56 P.

Reference (Geology): PARDEE, J.T., AND SCHRADER, F.C., 1933, METALLIFEROUS DEPOSITS OF THE GREATER HELENA MINING REGION, MONTANA: USGS BULLETIN 842, P. 211-227

Reference (Geology): LEPPER, M.R., WEEKS, R., AND RUPPEL, E.T., 1957, GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTHERN ELKHORN MOUNTAINS, JEFFERSON AND BROADWATER COUNTIES, MONTANA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 292, 82 P.

Reference (Geology): CORRY, A., 1933, SOME GOLD DEPOSITS OF BROADWATER, BEAVERHEAD, PHILLIPS, AND FERGUS COUNTIES: MBMG MEMOIR 10, 41

Reference (Geology): REED, G.C., 1951, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS (EXCEPT FUELS), BROADWATER COUNTY, MONTANA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 7592, 58 P

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.