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Copper Cliff Mine

Past Producer in Missoula county in Montana, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Silver, Antimony, Arsenic
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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. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  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 10071375
MRDS ID W014719
Record type Site
Current site name Copper Cliff Mine
Related records 10270170

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -113.45482, 46.80878 (WGS84)
Elevation 1524
Relative position 4.2 KM W OF UNION PEAK, UPPER PART OF A SHORT STEEP GULCH TRIBUTARY TO UNION CR.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Missoula(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Union Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Missoula East(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Blackfoot(hydrologic unit)

Pend Oreille(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kootenai-Pend Oreille-Spokane(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Missoula

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 012N 015W 11 Montana

Comments on the location information

  • U.T.M. COORDINATES TAKEN ON SHAFT - MINE DEVELOPMENT CURRENTLY LISTED AS OPEN PIT
  • Political location in record is Missoula county. Lat/long fall in the same county but MRDS location-problem GIS test found a location problem, probably because it is 450m from the Granite county line. Original coordinates were: lat/long NAD27 46-48-32N 113-27-14W (46.80889 -113.45389); UTM N5186640 E312785 Z12; PLSS line# 1: Meridian- Montana Principal, TWNSHP 012N, RNG 015W, Sect 11, Sect_fract <blank>. The duplicate record 10270170 has very similar coordinates. The Copper Cliff mine is shown on the Union Peak quad. Geonames lat/long is 46.8079860 -113.4545269 (464829N 1132716W). Both this record and the duplicate are located about 150m S of the Geonames topo sheet location. However, since the duplicate Location Accuracy is said to be 10 meters, no change was made.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Secondary
Silver Secondary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Copper Ore
Enargite Ore
Iron Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation

Analytical data

Result 9.5-22% CU, 0.5-1 OZ/TON AG, $0.25-2.30/TON AU (1900)
Result RICHEST SHIPMENT 15 TON OF 22% CU FROM BLACK ORE BODY ABOUT50 FT BELOW THE SURFACE. OPEN PIT AVERAGED 2.5% CU.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Trachyte
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Rock unit name Union Peak Trachyte Mass
    Rock description Union Peak Trachyte Mass
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Tectonite > Mylonite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -113.45482, 46.80878
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Bearmouth Overthrust, Deep Creek Anticline
Type of structure Local
Structure description Series Of Generally Ne Trending Faults Within A 1000 Ft. Belt (Forms "The Cliff")

Ore body information

  • Strike N 20 E
    Dip ABOUT VERTICAL

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Northeast-Trending Faults

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1890
Discoverer W. P. Shipler

Mining district

District name Copper Cliff District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Armada Corp.
    Home office P. O. Box 3415, Missoula, Mt 59801

Production statistics

  • Year 1910
    Period 1891 - 1910
    Material AG
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^About 2 Toz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Silver Silver 56g/mt
  • Year 1910
    Period 1891 - 1910
    Material CU
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^About 12 %
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Copper Copper 12wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • ESTIMATED FROM DISTRICT PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTION RECORDS. SOME PRODUCTION IN 1970'S.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 457.2M

Comments on the workings information

  • 150 FT SHAFT WITH ADITS RUNNING TOWARDS IT FROM POINTS 300 AND 700 FT DOWNSTREAM, AND 80 AND 200 FT LOWER. A SHORT ADIT IS RUN NORTHWARD FROM THE GULCH AT A POINT 40 FT LOWER THAN THE SHAFT COLLAR. SEVERAL DRIFTS AND CROSS CUTS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 660, P. 220-223.

  • Deposit

    MBMG BULL 8, P. 11-15, 28-31.

  • Deposit

    MBMG BULL 108, P. 15.

  • Deposit

    MBMG MEM NO 39, P. 28.

  • Production

    PARDEE, 1918, U.S.G.S. 660-F MBMG BULL 8, P. 11-15

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LODE OCCUPIES NE FAULT FISSURE THAT DIPS 60NW

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-1976 Mlynarczyk, Meg S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-1981 Wise, Kristine K. (Elliott, James E.) U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 07-AUG-2008 Schruben, Paul U.S. Geological Survey Fixed lat/long - county disagreement.

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Maps centered on this site