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Bulldog

Plant in Mineral county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, 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. Mineral occurrence model information
  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. Production statistics
  17. Reserves and resources
  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 10281277
MAS/MILS ID 0080790001
Record type Site
Current site name Bulldog
Alternate or previous names Bulldog Mine Operation, Bulldog Tunnel, Puzzle Vein

Comments on the site names

  • ALTERNATE NAMES: BULLDOG MOUNTAIN OPERATION, PUZZLE VEIN, BULLDOG TUNNEL

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -106.93872, 37.85921 (WGS84)
Elevation 2852

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Mineral(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Creede(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Del Norte(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Rio Grande Headwaters(hydrologic unit)

Rio Grande Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Rio Grande Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Rio Grande(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Rio Grande 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 Colorado Mineral

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 042 N 001 W 25 NWSW Colorado

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Unknown
Barite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Fluorite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Rhodochrosite Unknown
Silver Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown
Tetrahedrite Unknown

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 106
USGS model code 25b
Deposit model name Epithermal vein, Creede
Mark3 model number 58

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) Ash-flow tuff of main volcanic sequence
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N35W
    Dip 65E
    Thickness 1.8M
    Length 1680M
    Width 200M
    Depth to top 150M
    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
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Strike And Dip N35W:65E
    Minimum Depth to Top 100
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 801010
  • Area 4HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 4
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1961
Mining method Filled Stopes - Horiz Cut and Fill W/Tailings
Year of first production 1969
Plant type Leach
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Creede District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Homestake Mining Co.
    ID 500413
    Interest 100
    Home office P. O. Box 98, Creede, Co 81130
    Year 1975

Production statistics

  • Year 1968
    Description Ag (Kg) Pb (Mt) Zn (Mt) Cu (Mt)
  • Year 1968
    Description Metals In Concentrates
  • Year 1969
    Description 28,706 979 572 43 60088 Mt
  • Year 1970
    Description 50,703 1,763 1,587 92 90083 Mt
  • Year 1971
    Description 62,789 1,568 1,264 83 89469 Mt
  • Year 1972
    Description 65,525 1,582 1,189 48 85454 Mt
  • Year 1973
    Description 65,051 1,649 882 54 78647 Mt
  • Year 1974
    Description 38,397 1,252 552 48 79808 Mt
  • Year 1975
    Description 46,096 1,493 646 81 90015 Mt
  • Year 1976
    Description 51,161 1,940 810 83 95937 Mt
  • Year 1977
    Description 54103 Mt Tailings Treated
  • Year 1977
    Description 63,467 1,816 922 96 103122 Mt
  • Year 1978
    Description 68179 Mt Tailings Treated
  • Year 1978
    Description 65,380 1,825 709 89 99543 Mt
  • Year 1979
    Description 55629 Mt Tailings Treated
  • Year 1979
    Description 39,126 1,226 824 65 87222 Mt
  • Year 1980
    Description 46,013 918 598 45 91244 Mt
  • Year 1981
    Description 40,434 1,111 708 79 93993 Mt
  • Year 1982
    Description 39,352 761 160 86 80875 Mt
  • Year 1983
    Description 37,248 774 - 50 71151 Mt
  • Year 1984
    Description 34,110 782 - 58 82048 Mt
  • Year 1985
    Description 2,911 64 - 4 6532 Mt ( Temp Closed 1/29/85)

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCT B CONC OUTPUT YIELD BASED ON REC 01 FD GRD-92G/MT PRODUCT C CONC OUTPUT YIELD BASED ON REC 02 FD GRD-130G/MT
  • PRODUCT B IS SILVER PRODUCED FROM BOTH FLOAT SLIMES AND OLD MILL TAILINGS, OLD TAILINGS ARE COMBINED WITH SLIMES ONLY DURING SUMMER MONTHS (APPROX. 120 DAYS). PRODUCT C IS THE PROCESSED SLIMES FROM FLOTATION. ONLY 136 MTPD ARE PROCESSED FOR 230 DAYS.
  • K2 FEED GRADE REC 01 = COMBINED WEIGHTS AVERAGE BY TONNAGE INPUT TO CIP PLANT (227 MTPD, 69 G/MT OF OLD MILL TAILINGS AND 136 MTPD, 130 G/MT OF FLOAT SLIMES) WHICH GIVE A FEED GRADE OF 92 G/MT. K2 FEED GRADE REC 02 = GRADE OF FLOAT SLIMES FROM FLOAT. CELLS = 130 G/MT. MINE PRODUCTION SUSPENDED AND MINE PLACED ON STANDBY ON JAN 29, 1985. MINE PRODUCTION FROM 1969 - 1985 FROM BU MINES PRODUCTION STATISTICS

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Measured 1094972mt ore
    Demonstrated 1094972mt ore
    Total resources 1094972mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 486.85 g/mt Silver Major 1985
    Lead Pb 1.69 wt-pct Lead Minor 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Measured 1100000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1100000mt ore
    Total resources 1100000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 487 g/mt Silver Major 1987
    Lead Pb 1.9 wt-pct Lead Minor 1987

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MATRIX 1, COL 1, ROWS P75-10% RESERVE IS CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF 10 YR MINE LIFE AT PRESENT PRODUCTION RATE. QUANT MATRIX ADJUSTED FOR 15% MINE RECOVERY AND 30% DILUTION M1C1 = R1 / (0.85 X 1.3) MATRIX 1 COL 1 = RES REC 1 DIVIDED BY 1.3 AND O.85 (DILUTION AND MINE RECOVERY FACTORS) MATRIX 2, COL 1, REPRESENTS OLD MINE TAILING PROCESSED AT CARBON-IN-PULP PLANT. RESERVE ESTIMATE BASED ON 227MTPD BEING FED TO PLANT 120 DAYS/YR FOR 10 YEARS M3C1=R2 MATRIX 3, COL 1 = RESERVE REC 2

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 128M
    Overall depth 110M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method HORIZ CUT & FILL W/TAILINGS 10-60
    Percent Waste Rock 18.2
    Percent Recovery 85
    Hardness of Rock NONCOHERENT WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NONCOHERENT
    Rock Support Chars. COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT
    Mine Support Chars. CAN'T SUPPORT FILL OR CAVE
    Number of Shafts 2
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 3200
    Number of Adits 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 406
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 31.95
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    MEEVES, H. C., & DARNELL. R. P., STUDY OF THE SILVER POTENTIAL, CREEDE DISTRICT, MINERAL COUNTY, COLORADO, BUMINES IC 8370, 1970, 5B PP.

  • Geology

    STEVEN, T. A., & RATTE, J. C., RELATION OF MINERALIZATIION TO CALDERA SUBSIDENCE IN THE CREEDE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MTNS., COLORADO, USGS PROF. PAPER 400-B, 1960, PP. B14-17.

  • Geology

    STEVEN, T. A., & RATTE, J. C., GEOLOGY & STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF ORE DEPOSITION IN THE CREEDE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MTNS, COLORADO, USGS PROF. PAPER 487, 1965, 89 PP.

  • Production

    HOWELL, F.M. HOMESTAKE,S BULLDOG MTN MILL, CREDE, COLO: AIME SME MEETING, ROCKY MTN MINERALS CONF, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, SEP 17-19, 1969. PREPRINT NO 69-B-308.

  • Production

    MITCHELL, S., ET. AL. HOMESTAKE'S BULLDOG MTN CARBON-IN-PULP SILVER PLANT. AIME PREPRINT NO A80-21, 1980, 26 PP.

  • Reserve-Resource

    HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY 1986 ANNUAL REPORT. P. 13.

  • Workings

    JACKSON, DANIEL. HOMESTAKE'S HARD WORK PAYS OFF AT BULLDOG MOUNTAIN MINE, ENG. /6 MIN. J., MAY 1974, PP. 65-70.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE GRADE IS SHOWN AS 100% BECAUSE A COMMODITY, CLEAN COAL, IS PRODUCED. PROPERTY UPDATED SEP 1987.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-MAR-95 Gosling U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 05-JAN-12 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey Cleaned up Bibliography on separate lines.

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusTemporarily Idled since 05/15/2025
MSHA mine ID0500413
Mine name (MSHA)Bulldog Mine
Current operatorRio Grande Silver, Inc.
Current controller (parent)Hecla Mining Company
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:

  • Homestake Mining Co. — acquired by Subsidiary of Barrick Gold (2001)
    Operator of the historic Homestake Mine in South Dakota; acquired by Barrick Gold in 2001.

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.