Ophir

Past Producer in San Miguel county in Colorado, United States with commodities Lead, Copper, Silver, Zinc, Gold
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10048780
MRDS ID MP90005
Record type Site
Current site name Ophir
Related records 10119070

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.8087, 37.83307 (WGS84)
Relative position EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 5 TO 7 MILES WEST OF THE SILVERTON CALDERA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

San Miguel(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ophir(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

San Miguel(hydrologic unit)

Upper Colorado-Dolores(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Colorado-Dolores(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 San Miguel

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Hematite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

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
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
    Rock unit name Silverton Volcanic Series;San Juan Formation;Telluride Conglomerate
    Rock description Silverton Volcanic Series;San Juan Formation;Telluride Conglomerate

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.8087, 37.83307

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Paradox Basin Of Southeastern Utah And Southwestern Colorado (Intracratonic Basin) Trending Northwest-Southeast Elongate Structure. Gypsum Valley Anticline, Dolores Anticline: Fold Axis Trending Northwest-Southeast
Type of structure Local
Structure description Series Of Northwest Trending Fractures From The Silverton Caldera, But The Most Productive Veins Trend Towards The West

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Strata (Wall Of Veins)

Comments on the geologic information

  • SAN JUAN FM. - 35-30 MA: INTERMEDIATE-COMPOSITION MUDFLOWS, VOLCANICLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS, LAVA FLOWS, AND FLOW BRECCIAS. THE MOST PRODUCTIVE VEINS ARE IN THE SAN JAUN TUFF

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1878

Mining district

District name Ophir

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1932-1945.

  • Deposit

    KOSCHMANN, A.H., AND BERGENDAHL, M.H., 1968, PRINCIPAL GOLD-PRODUCING DISTRICTS OF THE UNITED STATES: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 610, 283 P.

  • Deposit

    FRIEDMAN, JULES D., AND HELER, JOAN S., TECTONIC TRENDS OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE PARADOX BASIN, SOUTHEASTER UTAH AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO, AS DERIVED FROM LANDSAT MULTISPECTRAL SCANNER IMAGING AND GEOPHYSICAL AND GEOOGIC MAPPING: US. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 200-C,D, 40 P.

  • Deposit

    MOSIER, D.L., SINGER, D.A., AND SALEM, B.B., 1983, GEOLOGIC AND GRADE-TONNAGE INFORMATION ON VOLCANIC-HOSTED COPPER-ZINC-LEAD MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSITS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 83-89, 78 P.

  • Production

    USBM YB (1932-45)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DISTRICT MAY BE CALLED IRON SPRINGS

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 17-JUL-1995 Sachiko Tanikawa U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Authoritative Colorado resources

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