Pend Oreille Mine

Producer in Pend Oreille county in Washington, United States with commodities Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Cadmium
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. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Mineral rights holdings
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Reserves and resources
  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 10180448
MRDS ID SP00331
MAS/MILS ID 0530510265
Record type Deposit
Current site name Pend Oreille Mine

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -117.35645, 48.88333 (WGS84)
Elevation 690
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position Location is for named shaft symbol on the USGS topo map, east of the plant grounds.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pend Oreille(county)

Washington(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Boundary Dam(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Colville(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Sandpoint(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Pend Oreille(hydrologic unit)

Pend Oreille(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kootenai-Pend Oreille-Spokane(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Colville National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Washington Pend Oreille

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Willamette 039 N 043 E 15 NESENW Washington

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Zinc Critical Primary
Lead Primary
Silver Secondary
Copper Secondary
Cadmium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Sphalerite Ore
Galena Ore
Smithsonite Ore
Cerussite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Marcasite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Barite Gangue

Analytical data

Result AVERAGE METAL CONTENT ABOUT 0.043 OZ AG/TON, 1.38% PB AND 3.6% ZN.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock type qualifier silicified, brecciated
    Rock unit name Metaline Limestone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Slate
    Rock type qualifier carbonaceous
    Rock unit name Ledbetter slate
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Miocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Argillite
    Rock unit name Ledbetter slate
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Ordovician
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Porphyry > Lamprophyre
    Rock type qualifier dikes
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -117.35645, 48.88333

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 30M
    Length 1500M
    Width 1500M
    Area 32HA
    Depth to top 35M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control CONTACT ZONE
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 DOLOMITIZATION
    Minimum Depth to Top 15
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 6
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 32
    Date of Last Modification 830316

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1896
Year of first production 1917
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Metaline Mining District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights Located Claim
Type of mineral rights State Lease

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Pend Oreille Mines and Metals Co.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Minnova Corp.
    ID 4500366
    Interest 45.8
    Home office Canada
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Resources Finance Corp.
    ID 4500366
    Interest 54.2
    Home office Canada
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Teck Resources Limited (formerly Teck Cominco American)
    Interest 100
    Home office Vancouver, BC Canada
    Year 2010
    First year 1996

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Measured 208000mt ore
    Indicated 117000mt ore
    Demonstrated 325000mt ore
    Inferred 117000mt ore
    Total resources 650000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 4.2 wt-pct Zinc Major 1976
    Lead Pb 0.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 0
    Demonstrated 3540000mt ore
    Total resources 3540000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 10.4 wt-pct Zinc Major 0
    Lead Pb 1.7 wt-pct Lead Major 0
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 3600000mt ore
    Total resources 3600000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 11.04 wt-pct Zinc Major 1995
    Lead Pb 1.2 wt-pct Lead Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 3600000mt ore
    Inferred 2300000mt ore
    Total resources 5900000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 10.44 wt-pct Zinc Major 1995
    Lead Pb 1.57 wt-pct Lead Major 1995

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • DEPOSIT REPORT PLANNED. OPERATOR IS MINNOVA INC 1993 RESERVES FROM PAY DIRT, MARCH 1993, P.22A. 2.2MT @1.2%PB, 11.04% ZN
  • 86 BROOK-HUNT DATA MINE CLOSED MID-77 ILZSG 89 REPORT.
  • Metaline Contact Mines company website as of 7/2010 attributes the following to the Pend-Oreille mine:
    Production: 14.8 million tonnes containing 2.3% zinc and 1.1% lead
    Reserves: 5,727,000 tonnes, grading 7.7% zinc and 1.4% lead

    The Pend-Oreille property is outlined in red on a map at the Metaline Contact Mines company website. The property is about 2 miles long on the east side of the Pend-Oreille river. Teck acquired the property in 1996 and started mining in 2004.
    http://www.metalinecontactmines.com/projects_POMZM.php

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 5000M
    Overall depth 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN STOPE
    Percent Waste Rock 20
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NO PLANES OF WEAKNESS
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. OTHER
    Length of Inclines (m) 2400
    Slope of Inclines 11
    Number of Inclines 1
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 50
    Number of Adits 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 2177
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 10.83
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINE ONLY RD 1.4 KM REC 050 DEPOSIT DISCOVERED BY DRILLING REC.180 EXACT MODE ORIGIN UNCERTAIN-MAY BE MODIFIED SYNGENET REC 620 COLS 28-54 EXTENSIVE WORKINGS-MEANINGFUL DIVISION IN 1985 UPDATE. ACTIVITY AT MINE SINCE 1981 CONSISTED OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE AND MINOR EXPLORATION.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-73 Puffett, Willard P. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-FEB-91 Berger, Mary A. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 31-OCT-97 Difrancesco, Carl A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusActive since 04/16/2026
MSHA mine ID4500366
Mine name (MSHA)Pend Oreille Mine
Current operatorTeck Washington Incorporated
Current controller (parent)Teck Resources Limited
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

External references