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Bessie G. Mine

Past Producer in La Plata county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Tellurium, Lead, Zinc, Mercury, Antimony
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Mineral rights holdings
  18. Land status
  19. Ownership information
  20. Production statistics
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. General comments
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014153
MRDS ID D010803
MAS/MILS ID 80670001
Record type Site
Current site name Bessie G. Mine
Alternate or previous names Egyptian Queen Mine, Patented Claims: Martha, MS 1721, Bessie G., MS 2055, Lady Douglass, MS 2378, Wray, MS 2379, North Star, MS 2380, Morning Star, MS 2381, Rebecca, MS 2382, Unpatented Claims: Margo, Margo No. 2,4,5, Bessie G. Extension, Threrese, Beth Nos. 1-12, Road Runner Nos. 1-8, Hardway Smith Nos. 1-12, Shalkao Nos. 1-12, Silver Saddle Nos. 1-32
Related records 10263967

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -108.00889, 37.4321 (WGS84)
Elevation 3581
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 12.8 MILES N 35 W FROM DURANGO. Coordinates for adit shown and labeled on topo. This is the east Portal. Entry to the mine is from the west portal in Columbus Basin.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Plata(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

La Plata(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cortez(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Cortez(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Animas(hydrologic unit)

Upper San Juan(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Juan(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

San Juan 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 La Plata

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 037N 010W 30 S2 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON EAST SIDE OF SNOWSTROM PEAK IN UPPER HEFFERNAN GULCH, 3.8 MILES NE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Tellurium Critical Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Cinnabar Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Silver Ore
Dickite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification; Sericitization

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 Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Porphyritic Rocks--Diorite-Monzonite Porphyry
    Rock description Porphyritic Rocks--Diorite-Monzonite Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Dolores Formation
    Rock description Dolores Formation

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -108.00889, 37.4321
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description La Plata Dome
Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Ore body information

  • General form Tabular
    Thickness 1M
    Area 2HA
    Depth to top 30M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Igneous

Comments on the geologic information

  • Orebody Info from deleted record 10263967: Type of Orebody #1 : FISSURE VEIN Shape of Orebody #1 : TABULAR Primary mode of Origin : HYDROTHERMAL Primary Ore Control : IGNEOUS Degree of Wallrock Alter. : UNKNOWN Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 : UNKNOWN Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0 Total Surface Area (HA) : 2 Date of Last Modification : 810316

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of first production 1880
Year of last production 1987

Mining district

District name California (La Plata) District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category National Forest
Area name San Juan N. F.
Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner WESTEX; NORANDA EXPLORATION, INC. 1976
    Year 1976
  • Type Operator
    Owner Exxon Corp.
    First year 1984
  • Type Owner
    Owner Sierra Resources, Inc.
    Home office Denver, Co.
    First year 1984
  • Type Unknown
    Owner Woodbridge Corp.
    Home office Co. ID 502387 (from old MAS database)
    Year 1989

Production statistics

  • Year 1964
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.25 Oz/Ton Au, 0.25 Oz/Ton Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 7g/mt
    Major Ore Gold Gold 7g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1887. PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR 1887. 1894-1907. AND 1917 FROM PRIVATE RECORDS. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1893, 1895, 1897-1898, 1903-1904, 1908-1909, 1913-1915, 1922-1925, 1927-1929, 1931, 1937-1938, 1944-1952, 1954-1963, 1965-1972, AND AFTER 1976. ALL FIGURES AFTER 1943 ARE FROM COLO. DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR RFEPTS. ORE FIGURE FOR 1953 CITED AS ECPLORATION. ORE GRADES CITED FOR FOLLOWING YEARS PRIOR TO 1943 IN WHICH ECKEL'S FIGURES FOR ORE TONNAGE WERE SAME AS OR VERY CLOSE TO THOSE REPORTED BY CDM: 1936, 1940, 1941.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 300M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Swell Factor .5
    Percent Waste Rock 20
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NO PLANES OF WEAKNESS
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 50
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN

Comments on the workings information

  • UPPER TUNNEL DRIVEN S 73 W FOR 500 FT TO FACE, WITH STOPES AT PORTAL AND AT 240 AND 300 FT FROM PORTAL. LOWER TUNNEL LOCATED 90 FT NE OF AND 75 FT BELOW UPPER TUNNEL, DRIVEN S 73 W FOR 390 FT TO FACE, WITH RAISE TO UPPER TUNNEL AT 100 FT FROM PORTAL, 50-FT RAISE AT 350 FT FROM PORTAL, AND MAIN STOPE TO UPPER LEVEL AT 175 TO 300 FT FROM PORTAL. SEVERAL OPEN CUTS ON VEIN.

Comments on development

  • MINE FIRST OPENED ABOUT 1880 UNDER NAME OF EGYPTIAN QUEEN, RENAMED TO BESSIE G. WHEN CLAIM PATENTED IN 1891. WORKED INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1887-1976 BY VARIOUS OPERATORS. PATENTED CLAIMS OTHER THAN BESSIE G. ADDED TO PROPERTY IN 1974. IN 1983 SIERRA RESOURCES MADE AGREEMENT WITH EXXON FOR EXPLORATION OF PROPERTY AND AU-AG PRODUCTION. UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY AND MILL WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION LATE IN 1983. PROBABLE RESERVES DELINEATED ALONG PARTS OF VEIN.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PL PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 73-76, 91-93.

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 1721, 2055, 2378, 2379, 2380, 2381, 2382

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, 9/7/83, 2/8/84

  • Production

    ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 91 (AS COMPILED FROM MINT, USBM, AND PRIVATE RECORDS); COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUA. OPERATOR REPTS.

  • Deposit

    Neubert, J.T., and others, 1992, Mineral appraisal of San Juan Naitonal forest, Colorado: U.S. Bureau of Mines Mineral Land Assessment Open-File Report MLA 2-92.

  • Deposit

    CBM ANNUAL REPORT 1976

  • Deposit

    U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1965, Mercury potential of the United States: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular IC-8252, p. 376 p.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit TWO VEINS TREND N.75E., DIP STEEPLY NORTH AND CONTAIN PYRITE, TETRAHEDRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, ARSENOPYRITE, GOLD, AND TELLURIDES. MINE HAS BEEN WORKED SPORADICALLY FOR MANY YEARS, USUALLY ON A LOW-TONNAGE HIGH GRADE METHOD. TUNNEL HAS BEEN DRIVEN THRU, AND ACCESS IS FROM COLUMBUS BASIN.
Deposit COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF SILICIFIED DOLORES FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY SILLS AND DIKES OF DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY. VEIN TRENDS N 75 E, DIPS STEEPLY SE, AND CONSISTS OF 2- TO 3-FT SHEAR ZONE ALONG WHICH PORPHYRY AND RED BEDS ALTERED AND PYRITIZED BUT HAS VERY LITTLE VEIN QUARTZ. IN MAIN WORKINGS, VEIN IS ONLY 4 TO 6 INCHES WIDE IN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS BUT WIDENS TO 2 TO 3 FT IN PORPHYRY, CONTAINING QUARTZ VEINLETS AND DISSEMINATED PYRITE. SULFIDES AND TELLURIDES FOUND IN INTERLACING VEINS AND VEINLETS WITHIN VEIN ZONE. AU-AG RATIO (2:3) IS HIGHER THAN MOST OTHER TELLURIDE DEPOSITS IN DISTRICT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 1983-08-01 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Reporter 2012-09-18 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey merged and deleted duplicate record.
Reporter 1996-12-31 Unknown U.S. Bureau of Mines MAS 0080670001 = 10263967

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 10/23/1997
MSHA mine ID0502387
Mine name (MSHA)GOLDEN WONDER
Current operatorOrvis-Barker Mining
Current controller (parent)Lance Barker; Ken Orvis
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.

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.