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Idarado Mine

Past Producer in Ouray county in Colorado, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Lead, Silver, Zinc
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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. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10240224
MRDS ID W700637
MAS/MILS ID 0080910002
Record type Site
Current site name Idarado Mine
Related records 10085107

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -107.70344, 37.9142 (WGS84)
Elevation 3200
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Ouray(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ironton(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Uncompahgre(hydrologic unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic accounting unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Ouray

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 042 N 008 W 12 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • THE MILL IS LOCATED IN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY AT THE WEST ENTRANCE OF THE MINE.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Secondary
Gold Secondary
Lead Primary
Silver Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Fluorite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Gold Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Rhodochrosite Unknown
Rhodonite Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown
Stephanite Unknown
Tennantite Unknown
Tetrahedrite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -107.70344, 37.9142
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N25W
    Dip 80W
    Thickness 5M
    Length 4900M
    Width 700M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 BRECCIA FILL
    Type of Orebody #3 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Strike And Dip N25W:80W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Date of Last Modification 801125
  • Area 120HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 120
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD ONLY DSCRIBES THE MONTANA-ARGENTINE VEIN. MONTANA-ARGENTINE: VEIN LENGTH 4875 M VEIN THICKNESS 1070 M VEIN WIDTH 0.6 - 7.6 M VEIN STK SOUTH HALF -N35W NORTH HALF -N10W DIP -80W BLACK BEAR VEIN : VEIN LENGTH 1650 M VEIN THICKNESS 335 M VEIN WIDTH 0.6 - 7.6 M VEIN STK EAST HALF -N45W WEST HALF -N63W DIP -70S

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1870
Mining method Open Stope - Sublevel
Year of first production 1875
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Red Mountain District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Private Lease
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Newmont Mining Corp.
    ID 500414
    Interest 80
    Home office New York
    Year 1980
  • Type Owner
    Owner Home Stake Mining Corp.
    ID 500414
    Interest 20
    Home office California
    Year 1980

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION IS ONGOING

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Measured 2980000mt ore
    Demonstrated 2980000mt ore
    Total resources 2980000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 2.72 wt-pct Lead Major 1980
    Zinc Zn 3.89 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1980
    Copper Cu 0.42 wt-pct Copper Minor 1980
    Silver Ag 32.6 g/mt Silver Minor 1980
    Gold Au 1.3699 g/mt Gold Minor 1980
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Measured 2975410mt ore
    Demonstrated 2975410mt ore
    Total resources 2975410mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 0.69 wt-pct Lead Major 1980
    Copper Cu 4.41 wt-pct Copper Minor 1980
    Silver Ag 60.69 g/mt Silver Minor 1980
    Gold Au 0.69 g/mt Gold Minor 1980

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVES REFER TO QUANT. MAT.1 - 8 JUNE 93

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 100000M
    Overall depth 300M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OVERHAND SHRINKAGE 10-67
    Percent Recovery 85
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING WHEN DRY
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Number of Shafts 5
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 5000
    Number of Adits 2
    1st Condition of Workings PART ACCESSIBLE
    2nd Condition of Workings PLUGGED
    3rd Condition of Workings PART ACCESSIBLE
    Capacity 1506
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 32.62
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 253
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE MINE HAS 100 YR HISTORY AND HAS WELL OVER 60 MILES 96 KM OF WORKINGS THAT ARE OPENED. THE MINE HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 1978. THERE ARE TWO MAIN HAULAGE ADITS (TUNNELS). PANDORA TUNNEL THAT ENTERS THE SAN MIGUEL RIVER 1 MI (1.6 KM) EAST OF THE TOWN OF TELLURIDE. THIS HAULAGE TUNNEL IS THE UNDERGROUND ACCESS TO MILL. THE TREASURY TUNNEL IS AT THE TOP OF RED MTN PASS AND IS THE SERVICE ENTRANCE FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    BURBANK, W. S. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS IN THE WESTERN SAN

  • Geology

    JUAN MTNS, COLORADO. IN RIDGE, J. D., EDITOR, ORE DEPOSITS

  • Geology

    OF THE U. S., 1933-1967, (GRATON-SALES VOL): CHAP 34, V. 1

  • Geology

    PP. 714-733.

  • Production

    A. A. MATHEWS MINE INTERVIEW REPORT FOR BUMINES CONTRACT

  • Production

    J0255026, CODE 28A, OCT 75, 7 PP.

  • Production

    STEVENS R. C. ET AL. MILLING PRACTICE AT IDARADO MINING CO.

  • Production

    IN RAUSCH, D. O., EDITOR, MINING AND CONCENTRATING OF LEAD

  • Production

    AND ZINC, AIME WORLD SYM, V. 1, 1970, PP. 526-541"

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT ANN. REPT-1970 THRU 1977.

  • Workings

    CUMMINS, A. B. SME MINING ENGINEERING HANDBOOK, SEC 12.11.2

  • Workings

    VOL 1, 1973, PP 12-138,139.

  • Deposit

    E&MJ INT DIRECTORY 1975

  • Deposit

    UPDATED BY MILS TO REFLECT LAST MSHA LIST 8-79.

  • Deposit

    GENTRY, DOW W., LEAD & ZINC DEPOSITS IN COLORADO AND

  • Deposit

    WYOMING. BU. MINES CONTRACT G00264005, SEP 1976, 211 PP.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-JUN-1997 Hite, Alan G. 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)

StatusAbandoned since 02/14/2000
MSHA mine ID0500414
Mine name (MSHA)IDARADO MINE
Current operatorIdarado Mining Company
Current controller (parent)Newmont Corporation
Mine typeUnderground (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.

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Newmont Mining Corp. — renamed to Newmont Corporation (2019)
    Renamed from Newmont Mining Corporation to Newmont Corporation in early 2020 (after the 2019 merger with Goldcorp).

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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