Crystal Graphite Mine

Past Producer in Beaverhead county in Montana, United States with commodity Graphite
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. Production statistics
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10070489
MRDS ID W013440
Record type Site
Current site name Crystal Graphite Mine
Related records 10147611

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -112.50587, 45.10268 (WGS84)
Elevation 2362
Relative position ABOUT 15 MILES, BY ROAD, SE OF DILLON, MONTANA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Beaverhead(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ashbough Canyon(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Dillon(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Dillon(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Beaverhead(hydrologic unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Beaverhead

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 008S 007W 29,30,31 Montana

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Graphite Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Graphite Ore

Analytical data

Result GRADE OF MILL FEED IS 8-12% CARBON. CONCENTRATES ARE 85-90 % CARBON

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Pegmatite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Pre Belt
    Rock description Pre Belt

Nearby scientific data

(1) -112.50587, 45.10268

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Foliation Trends Generally Ne And Dips Nw. Tight Isoclinal Folds

Ore body information

  • General form PINCH AND SWELL, BUNCHES, POCKETS
    Width 1.83M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Veins Appear To Be Associated With Pegmatite Dike

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1899
Discoverer Mr. Robbins
Year of first production 1902

Mining district

District name Ruby Range

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Crystal Graphite Co.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Ralph I. Smith, Dillon, Montana

Production statistics

  • Year 1920
    Period 1902 - 1920
    Material GRF
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Approx. 10 % C
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Graphite Graphite 10wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • TWO-THIRDS OF MINE'S PRODUCTION WAS DURING THE WAR YEARS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 1066.8M
    Overall depth 106.68M

Comments on the workings information

  • MOST OF GRAPHITE WAS PRODUCED FROM STOPES ON THE SMITH, DUBIE AND HOY LEVELS, (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM). THE LOWEST LEVEL IS THE ANTELOPE, CONSISTING OF A 1050 FT. ADIT.

Comments on development

  • ELEVEN CLAIMS, INCLUDING THE PATENTED, PRODUCTIVE GROUNDHOG CLAIM. DEVELOPMENT WORK WAS DONE IN FORTIES, BUT PROVED UNPROFITABLE. MINE HAS SINCE BEEN INACTIVE ; ECON.COM: GRAPHITE IS SOFTER THAN CEYLON GRAPHITE, AND CONTAINS THIN IRON OXIDE FILMS BETWEEN SOME PLATES

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MBMG BULL 85.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 574, P. 105-110.

  • Deposit

    1914 COMPILE WINCHELL, A.N., U.S.G.S. BULL. 574

  • Deposit

    1972 COMPILE M.B.M.G. BULL. 85

  • Production

    GEACH, 1972, MBMG BULL 85.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit GRAPHITE OCCURS IN VEINS IN GNEISS AND DISSEMINATIONS IN PEGMATITE. MINERALIZED ZONES 100 TO 150 FT. ACROSS ARE BELIVED TO BE CONTINUOUS FROM UPPER TO LOWER LEVELS

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1976 Mlynarczyk, Meg S.; Krohn, D. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-AUG-1980 Loen, Jeffrey S. (Pearson, Robert C.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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