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Crescent Mine

Past Producer in Shoshone county in Idaho, United States with commodities Silver, Copper, Antimony, Lead, Zinc, Gold
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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. Reserves and resources
  22. Workings at the site
  23. Links to other databases
  24. Bibliographic references
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10192855
MAS/MILS ID 160790009
Record type Site
Current site name Crescent Mine
Alternate or previous names Big Creek Mine, Alhambra Mine

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Geographic coordinates: Elevation UTM Precision Relative position Point location
Ore Body -116.09356, 47.5049 (WGS84) On west side of Big Creek
(click for info)
-116.0754, 47.50525 (WGS84) 814 On west side of Big Creek
-116.08438, 47.50474 (WGS84) 1131 On west side of Big Creek
-116.08015, 47.5026 (WGS84) 1042 On west side of Big Creek
-116.08041, 47.50554 (WGS84) 983 On west side of Big Creek
-116.07451, 47.50525 (WGS84) 798 On west side of Big Creek
-116.10736, 47.51442 (WGS84) 987 On west side of West Fork Elk Creek

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Shoshone(county)

Idaho(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Kellogg East(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Coeur D'Alene(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Spokane(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

South Fork Coeur d'Alene(hydrologic unit)

Spokane(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kootenai-Pend Oreille-Spokane(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Idaho Shoshone

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Boise 048 N 003 E 15,16,17,18,19,20 Idaho

Commodities

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

Comments on the commodity information

  • Pitchblende or uraninite was found in small concentrations in two places within the hangingwall of the Alhambra fault in St. Regis Formation quartzite filling fractures that cut iron oxide zones 0.3 to 0.6 meters thick. The fracture filling consists of the uranium mineral, sericite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, calcite, and quartz.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Tetrahedrite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Stibnite Ore
Siderite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Arsenopyrite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Malachite Trace
Cuprite Trace
Silver Trace
Cerargyrite Trace
Proustite Trace
Cerussite Trace
Argentite Trace
Chalcocite Trace
Sphalerite Trace
Uraninite Trace

Alteration

  • (Local) A rich oxide zone in the upper part of the vein, 137 meters long and 0.9 meters wide, was mined to 91 meters depth
  • (Local) Veins are surrounded by halos of disseminated minerals in the wall-rock, from the vein outward, these are zones of disseminated arsenopyrite, sericite, pyrite, and carbonate. The carbonate halo begins at 24 meters and extends out to 46 to 61 meters.

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 Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Wallace Formation
    Rock description Wallace Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name St. Regis Formation
    Rock description St. Regis Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Revett Formation
    Rock description Revett Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Osburn Fault
Type of structure Local
Structure description Alhambra Fault is a 15 to 18 metert wide fracture zone with 0.3 to 1.2 meters of fault gouge in the footwall. The fault is steeply reverse and right lateral, strikes N50-80W, dips 55 to 65SW with St. Regis-Revett Formation quartzite in the hanging wall and Wallace Formation quartzite in the footwall.
Type of structure Regional
Structure description Big Creek Anticline (WNW) - deposit within the overturned north limb.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Big Creek Fault
Type of structure Local
Structure description Silver Syndicate Fault

Ore body information

  • Name Lower Alhambra
    General form PINCH AND SWELL
    Dip 60SW
    Thickness 645M
    Length 525M
    Width 1.2M
  • Name Upper Alhambra
    General form PINCH AND SWELL
    Strike 80SW
    Dip 80SW
    Thickness 457
    Length 229
  • Name Hanging Wall Vein
    General form PINCH AND SWELL
    Strike 80SW
    Dip 80SW
    Thickness 158
    Length 152
  • Name East Footwall Vein
    General form PINCH AND SWELL
    Strike 55-60S
    Dip 55-60S
    Depth to top 945

Controls for ore emplacement

  • All ore within or in structures associated with the Alhambra Fault. All commercial orebodies hosted by quartzite, mostly within the St. Regis-Revett transition zone.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1886
Discoverer J.F. Ingalls
Mining method Filled Stopes - Horiz Cut and Fill W/Waste Rock
Year of first production 1906
Year of last production 1986
Milling method Flotation
Production years 1906, 1913, 1915-1919-1942, 1955-1981, 1984-1986

Mining district

District name Yreka

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Old Abe & Tompkins Mining and Milling Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office Wardner, Idaho
    First year 1890
    Last year 1898
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Alhambra Mining Co., Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office Spokane, Washington
    First year 1898
    Last year 1937
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Big Creek Mining Co., Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office Wallace, Idaho
    First year 1902
    Last year 1952
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining & Concentrating Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office San Francisco, California
    First year 1952
    Last year 1956
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner The Bunker Hill Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office Kellogg, Idaho
    First year 1956
    Last year 1968
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Gulf Resources & Chemical Corp.
    Interest 100
    First year 1968
    Last year 1982
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Bunker LP
    Interest 100
    Home office Spokane, Washington
    First year 1982
    Last year 1984
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Crescent Silver Mines, Inc.
    Interest 100
    First year 1984
    Last year 1987
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Bunker Hill Mining Co. (US) Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Kellogg, Idaho
    First year 1987
    Last year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Fausett International, Inc.
    Interest 100
    First year 1991
    Last year 2001
  • Type Lessee
    Owner Royal Silver Mines Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Spokane, Washington
    First year 1994
    Last year 2001
  • Type Owner
    Owner Shoshone County
    Interest 100
    First year 2001

Comments on the ownership information

  • BUNKER HILL LIMITED IS COMPOSED OF A GROUP OF INVESTORS CONSISTING OF DUANE HAGADONE, HARRY F. MAGNUSON, J. R. SIMPLOT, AND JACK KENDRICK.
  • Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining & Concentrating Co. operated the Alhambra mine under lease from 1917 to 1918, and the Big Creek mine from 1922 to 1927. In 1927, Bunker Hill acquired a controlling interest in Big Creek Mining Co., Ltd., which operated as a subsidiary until absorbed by Bunker Hill in 1952.

Production statistics

  • Year 1998
    Period 1917-1986
    Material Ore Treated
    Ore mined 1091222mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Silver Silver 828mt 822g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • Production data from Long (1988). Production reported for antimony is for the years 1959 to 1966 only, production after those years, if any, was not reported in the Crescent mine bullion book.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Reserves 366297mt ore
    Measured 70099mt ore
    Indicated 148099mt ore
    Demonstrated 218198mt ore
    Inferred 148099mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 966.9 g/mt Silver Major 1984
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 128000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver 1063 g/mt Silver Major 1985

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Data from Royal Silver Mines Inc 1996 SEC Form 10K

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Name of workings Total Workings
    Overall depth 1555M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1

Comments on the workings information

  • UNDERGROUND MINING METHODS ARE PROPOSED FOR THE POSSIBLE REOPENING OF THE MINE IN 1984. U-UPC SHOWN FOR 1984; COSTS WILL INCREASE UP TO $217.66 BY 1988

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reference

    MINE/DEPOSIT FILE REPORT CRESCENT MINE, KELLOGG, IDAHO, FINAL REPORT, USBM CONTRACT NO. SO221028, JAN. 1983.

  • Reference

    CRESCENT MINE DATA PACKAGE. INFORMATION ASSEMBLED BY THE CRESCENT MINE STAFF OF BUNKER HILL CO. TO FACILITATE THE SALE OF THE MINE.

  • Reference

    REID, ROLLAND R., THE BUNKER HILL, CRESCENT AND PEND OREILLE MINES: PROSPECT OF LONG TERM CONTINUITY

  • Deposit

    Fryklund, V.C., Jr., 1964, Ore deposits of the Coeur d'Alene district, Shohsone County, Idaho: US Geological Survey Professional Paper 445, 103 p.

  • Development

    Julihn, C.E., and Horton, F.W., 1936, The silver belt and the Sunshine mine of the Coeur d'Alene district: US Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6876, 16 p,

  • Reserve-Resource

    CRESECENT SILVER MINES, INC. PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS, DATED OCT. 30, 1984, P. 20.

  • Deposit

    Cook, E.F., 1955, Prospecting for uranium, thorium, and tungsten in Idaho: Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology Pamphlet 102, 53 p.

  • Deposit

    Weis, P.L., Armstrong, F.C., and Rosenblum, S., 1958, Reconnaissance for radioactive minerals in Washington, Idaho, and Western Montana, 1952-55: US Geological Survey Bulletin 1074-B, 48 p.

  • Production

    Long, K.R.,1998, Grade and tonnage models for Coeur d'Alene-type polymetallic veins: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-583, 28 p.

  • Deposit

    Dahl, Mary Kathleen, 1981, Structural and stratigraphic control of ore through the Crescent, Sunshine, Silver Summit, Coeur and Galena mines, Coeur d'AleneDahl, Mary Kathleen, 1981, Structural and stratigraphic control of ore through the Crescent, Sunshine, Silver Summit, Coeur and Galena mines, Coeur d'Alene mining district, Idaho: Moscow, Univeristy of Idaho, MS thesis, 97 p.

  • Deposit

    Radford, Norman A., 1973, Geology of the Crescent mine and its relationships to the Coeur d'Alene silver belt: Osburn, Idaho, The Bunker Hill Co., 13 p.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1974 Miller, Pat J. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-FEB-1978 Hasler, J. William U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 06-MAR-1995 Avery, D.W. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Updater 11-MAR-2005 Long, Keith R. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Maps centered on this site