Bald Butte Mine

Past Producer in Lewis and Clark county in Montana, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Fluorine-Fluorite, Molybdenum, Copper
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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  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 10071364
MRDS ID W014705
Record type Site
Current site name Bald Butte Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -112.34728, 46.72268 (WGS84)
Elevation 2097
Relative position ABOUT 17 MILES NW OF HELENA, MONTANA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lewis and Clark(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Greenhorn Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Elliston(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Missouri(hydrologic unit)

Upper Missouri(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri-Marias(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Lewis and Clark

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 011N 006W 10,09 W2 (10) Montana

Comments on the location information

  • ON BALD BUTTE 3.5 MI SOUTHWEST OF THE OLD MINING CAMP OF MARYSVILLE.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Lead Secondary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Tertiary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Copper Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • SAHINEN REPORTS THAT FLUORITE PRODUCTION WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT EXTENSIVE BENEFICIATION

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Fluorite Ore
Galena Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Sericitization, Fluoritization

Analytical data

Result SAMPLE: 30% CAF2, 41% SIL, 5% AL AND FE OXIDES

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Helena Limestone
    Rock description Helena Limestone
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock type qualifier PORPHYRITIC DIORITE, GRANODIORITE
    Rock unit name Belmont Prophyry;Marysville Stock
    Rock description Belmont Prophyry;Marysville Stock
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Boulder Batholith, Prickly Pear Dome
Type of structure Local
Structure description Marysville Stock, Post-Mineral Downthrown Fault Blocks

Ore body information

  • General form STRATA-BOUND
    Strike N30-45W
    Dip 20-30NE

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE "KNIFEBLADE" FOUND HERE. SO NAMED FOR NARROW FISSURE VEIN STRUCTURES RICH IN FREE GOLD.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes

Mining district

District name Marysville District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Bald Butte Gold Mines,
    Home office Spokane, Wa

Production statistics

  • Year 1948
    Period 1890-1948
    Material ore
    Ore mined 152000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor CU Copper Copper 15791.36mt
    Minor PB Lead Lead 811930.34mt
    Major AG Silver Silver 4012349.04g
    Major AU Gold Gold 5754143.98g

Comments on the production information

  • TOTAL PRODUCTION REPORTED VALUE $2750000, 90% WAS BULLION, AND 10% IN CONCENTRATES. BULLION 753 FINE, CONCENTRATES RAN 1 OZ AU, 4 OZ AG, AND 10% PB.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 152.4M

Comments on the workings information

  • WORKINGS INCLUDED A SERIES OF PITS & TUNNELS. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME OF SAHINEN'S VISITATION THE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS WERE INACCESSIBLE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORE SHOOTS WERE FOUND ALONGSIDE THE DIKE IN PLACES AND IN THE ADJOINING HORNSTONE ON ITS N SIDE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1976 Mlynarczyk, Meg S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAY-1980 Wise, Kristine K. (Elliott, James E.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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