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Summitville Mine

Plant in Rio Grande county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Mineral occurrence model information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10288821
MRDS ID D010660
MAS/MILS ID 0081050033
Record type Site
Current site name Summitville Mine
Related records 10014044

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -106.5978, 37.43612 (WGS84)
Elevation 3587
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Rio Grande(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Summitville(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Antonito(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alamosa-Trinchera(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 Rio Grande

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 154
USGS model code 25e
Deposit model name Epithermal quartz-alunite Au
Mark3 model number 38

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -106.5978, 37.43612
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 340M
    Length 610M
    Width 150M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 PIPELIKE
    Shape of Orebody #2 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 BLEACHING
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SILICIFICATION
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 891229
  • Area 260HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 260
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1873
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1986
Plant type Leach
Milling method Heap Leach-Electrowin

Mining district

District name Summitville

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Unknown
    Owner Colorado Reclamation Board, State Of Colorado
    ID 0503684
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1994
  • Type Unknown
    Owner USA EPA Region 8
    ID 0570077
    Year 1995

Comments on the ownership information

  • THE SITE WAS ABANDONED IN 1992 WHEN SUMMITVILLE CONSOLIDATED MINING CO. FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY.

Production statistics

  • Year 1985
    Description Mt Ore 1244700 Mt Ore Per Year
  • Year 1986
    Description Mt Ore 2177300 Mt Ore Per Year
  • Year 1987
    Description Mt Ore 2721600 Mt Ore Per Year
  • Year 1988
    Description Mt Ore 2222600 Mt Ore Per Year

Comments on the production information

  • ACTUAL OUTPUT IS 12,965.7326 GRAMS PER DAY. UNIT PRODUCTION COST IS IN TERMS OF $ PER GRAM OF CONTAINED GOLD.
  • MILL RECOVERY DOES NOT REFLECT TOTAL RECOVERY OF MINERAL VALUE FROM THE HEAP, ONLY MILL RECOVERY FROM CYANIDE SOLUTION. TOTAL RECOVERY FROM HEAP THROUGH MILLING IS 70 PERCENT FOR GOLD AND 17 PERCENT FOR SILVER.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Measured 16266000mt ore
    Demonstrated 16266000mt ore
    Total resources 16266000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.303 g/mt Gold Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Indicated 814000mt ore
    Demonstrated 814000mt ore
    Total resources 814000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.54 g/mt Gold Major 1991

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ACTUAL RESERVE GRADE IS 1.3028 GRAMS PER MT. AS OF 1996, THE RESERVES ARE DEPLETED.
  • Q1 RESERVES ARE REMAINING MINABLE RESERVES AS OF JAN. 1988. . ACTUAL ORE GRADES ARE 1.5085 GRAMS PER MT FOR GOLD AND 7.1313 GRAMS PER MT FOR SILVER.
  • STARTED OPER. JUNE 1986. HEAP LEACH OPERATION. 1988 PROD.= 90,000 OZ. AU ; 1988 RESERVES= 744,924 OZ. CONT. AU. 1989 PROD.= 32,569 OZ. AU FROM 281,000 MT LEACHED. 1989 RESERVE = 155,000 CONT.OZ.AU. PEFR RECIEVED MARCH 1989.WILL BE INCLUDED IN 1992 AU AVAIL.STUDY 1991 RES.= 897,000 ST (814,000 MT) @ .045 OZ/ST (1.54 G/MT) TAKEN FROM GALACTIC 1990 ANN. REP. - (8 JUNE 93) 1/88 BOM MINABLE RESERVE = 7,575,000 MT AT 1.51 G AU, 7.13 G/MT. NOTE: AG GRADE FROM QUANTITY MATRIX 1

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 120HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .73
    Percent Waste Rock 66.7
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 50
    Secondary Material Cover HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 50
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 6
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 63
    Capacity 20412
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 6.72
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 101
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1988

Comments on the workings information

  • PROBABLE CERCLA (SUPERFUND) SITE. NOT PRESENTLY ON NPL. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS INCLUDE LEACH PAD CONTAINING WATER CONTAMINATED WITH CYANIDE AND HEAVY METALS. NO CONTACT NAME OR NUMBER. TOTAL MINE ACREAGE IS 11,500 ACRES. MINE HAS TWO KINDS OF ORE: HARD, VUGGY SILICA ORE, AND SOFT CLAYEY ORE. ALL DATA WERE COMPILED FROM COMPANY ANNUAL REPORTS AND USBM FILES.

Comments on other economic factors

  • ACTUAL FEED GRADES FOR GOLD AND SILVER ARE 0.0001094 GRAMS PER LITER FOR GOLD AND 0.0002952 GRAMS PER LITER FOR SILVER.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    PUBLISHED RESERVE FROM GALACTIC RESOURCES LTD. 1987 ANNUAL

  • Reserve-Resource

    REPORT. VOL. 1, P. 4.

  • Reserve-Resource

    1990 GALACTIC RESOURCES ANN.REP.; PG.7

  • Deposit

    REF:COLO DIV OF MINES 1972 SUM REF:COLO BU OF MINE 1942-4

  • Deposit

    OWN:UNION PACIFIC CORP OP:SUMMITVILLE,INC,1972

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS' MINING REVIEW, 2-20-93, P.22.

  • Deposit

    MINING WORLD NEWS, MAR/APR 1993, P.12.

  • Deposit

    ROCKY MTN PAY DIRT, 5-93, P.4A.

  • Deposit

    PAY DIRT 7-93, P.7B.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, V145 N11, 11-93, P.1377.

  • Deposit

    ROCKY MTN PAY DIRT, 4-93, P.14A.

  • Deposit

    THE DENVER POST, 2-21-93.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN METAL MARKET, 2-23-93.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 3-93, P.16BB.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE MSHA.DBF, 1995 LISTS TWO # FOR THIS OPERATION: THEY ARE 0500739 & 0570077, THE LAST # IS ENTERED AS THE MILS RES_ID. THE MINES I.D. IS 0503684, THIS IS PROBOBLY AN EARLY MSHA #.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 12-DEC-1996 Gosling 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 12/03/1984
MSHA mine ID0503684
Mine name (MSHA)Summitville Mine
Current operatorSummitville Consolidated Mining Company Inc
Current controller (parent)Galactic Resources Ltd
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

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.