Schafer Ranch Deposit

Occurrence in La Plata county in Colorado, United States with commodities Thorium, Titanium, Metal
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014109
MRDS ID D010747
Record type Site
Current site name Schafer Ranch Deposit
Alternate or previous names Uranium Queen Mine?, Claim: Uranium Queen

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.89286, 37.33334 (WGS84)
Elevation 2195
Relative position 3.7 MILES N 13 W FROM DURANGO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Plata(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Durango West(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Animas(hydrologic unit)

Upper San Juan(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Juan(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado La Plata

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 035N 009W 06 W2 OF NE Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ABOVE UNNAMED TRIBUTARY VALLEY EAST OF JUNCTION CREEK 0.4 MILE NW OF CHAPMAN LAKE AND NW OF ANIMAS CITY MTN. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :41? 01 1974

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Thorium Primary
Titanium, Metal Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Thorite Ore
Anatase Gangue

Analytical data

Result 30-TON CHANNEL(?) SAMPLE CONTAINED 1.52% THO2

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Burro Canyon Formation
    Rock description Burro Canyon Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.89286, 37.33334

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description La Plata Dome, Perrins Peak Syncline, Durango Anticline

Ore body information

  • General form LENTICULAR

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Possible Permeability Control In Sandstone Or Preference For Hydrocarbon Material

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No

Mining district

District name Durango Area

Land status

Ownership category
Area name San Juan N. F. (?)

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Uranium Enterprise, Inc.
    Home office Durango, Co.
    First year 1954
  • Type Owner
    Owner Rosco Schaffer
    Home office Durango, Co.
    First year 1955

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 42.67M

Comments on the workings information

  • 100-FT DRIFT BRANCHING INTO "Y" AT 75 FT. AT END OF LEFT DRIFT IS 10-FT RAISE WITH 30-FT DRIFT AT TOP

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit RADIOACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH ASPHALTITE ZONES NEAR TOP OF 10-FT FINE-GRAINED SANDSTONE. ASPHALTITE CONTAINS MINUTE CRYSTALS OF THORITE AND ANATASE AND IS UNUSUAL IN THAT RADIOACTIVITY CAUSED BY TH RATHER THAN U. DEPOSIT MAY HAVE BEEN DETRITAL HEAVY-MINERAL CONCENTRATION PREFERENTIALLY ATTACKED BY ASPHALTITE OR OTHER SOLUTIONS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1983 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Authoritative Colorado resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.