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Benson Mines

Past Producer in St. Lawrence county in New York, United States with commodities Iron, Titanium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10223868
MRDS ID W044798
MAS/MILS ID 0360890012
Record type Site
Current site name Benson Mines
Related records 10090008

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -75.00598, 44.17858 (WGS84)
Elevation 497

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

St. Lawrence(county)

New York(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Oswegatchie(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Gouverneur(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ogdensburg(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Great Lakes(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States New York St. Lawrence

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary
Titanium Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Biotite Unknown
Feldspar Unknown
Hornblende Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Sillimanite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -75.00598, 44.17858
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N60E
    Dip 84W
    Thickness 125M
    Length 4000M
    Width 350M
    Area 2000HA
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 SEDIMENTARY
    Type of Orebody #3 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Secondary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N60E:84W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 2000
    Date of Last Modification 810626

Comments on the geologic information

  • MIXED GARNET AND PYROXENE-FELDSPAR GNEISS - LIES OVER ORE. GARNET AND SILIMANITE-QUARTZ-FELDSPAR GNEISS - IS ORE. MIGMATIC PLAGIOCLASE GNEISS - LIES UNDER ORE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1810
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1887
Milling method Magnetic

Mining district

District name St. Lawrence County

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Benson Corp.
    ID 3000588
    Interest 46
    Home office New York
  • Type Owner
    Owner Newton Falls Paper Mill, Inc.
    ID 3000588
    Interest 30
    Home office Newton Falls, Ny
    Year 1980
  • Type Owner
    Owner St. Lawrence Co. Office Of Economic Development
    ID 3000588
    Interest 2
    Home office New York
    Year 1980
  • Type Owner
    Owner J. And L Steel Corp.
    ID 3000588
    Interest 22
    Home office Pennsylvania
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1968
    Description Crude Ore Production 3652000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1969
    Description Crude Ore Production 3138000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1970
    Description Crude Ore Production 2530000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1971
    Description Crude Ore Production 2410000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1972
    Description Crude Ore Production 2738000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1973
    Description Crude Ore Production 3115000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1974
    Description Crude Ore Production 3289000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1975
    Description Crude Ore Production 2439000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1976
    Description Crude Ore Production 3046000 Mt Ore/Year
  • Year 1977
    Description Crude Ore Production 2414000 Mt Ore/Year

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1974
    Total resources 203200000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 23.5 wt-pct Iron Major 1974

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • TITANIUM CONTENT AFFECTS MARKETABILITY. EXACT TIO2 GRADE UNKNOWN. .
  • ADDED BY EFOC FOR EVALUATION. MEMO 2/21/80 DEPOSIT REPORT SHOWS OWNERSHIP AS BENSON MINES, INC.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 42.9HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 50
    Capacity 15898
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 2.64
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on the workings information

  • TOTAL LAND HOLDING IS 2631 HECTARES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    *BLOOMSTRAN, W. E. NOTES RELATING TO BENSON MINES STAR

  • Deposit

    LAKE, NEW YORK. BENSON MINES, INC. MARCH 29, 1979,

  • Deposit

    4 PP. ILLUS.

  • Deposit

    BUDDINGTON, A. F., AND B. F. LEONARD. REGIONAL GEOLOGY OF

  • Deposit

    THE ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY MAGNETITE DISTRICT NORTHWEST

  • Deposit

    ADIRONDACKS, NEW YORK. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFES-

  • Deposit

    SIONAL PAPER 376, 1962, 145 PP.

  • Deposit

    CRUMP, R. M., AND E. L. BEUTNER. THE BENSON MINES IRON

  • Deposit

    ORE DEPOSITS, SAINT LAWRENCE COUNTY, NEW YORK. CH.

  • Deposit

    IN ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1933-1967, ED.

  • Deposit

    BY JOHN D. RIDGE. AIME, NEW YORK, V. 1, 1ST ED.,

  • Deposit

    1968, PP. 49-71.

  • Deposit

    *JONES AND LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION. BENSON MINES. NO

  • Deposit

    DATE, 13 PP.

  • Deposit

    LEONARD, B. F., AND A. F. BUDDINGTON. ORE DEPOSITS OF THE

  • Deposit

    ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY MAGNETITE DISTRICT, NORTHWEST

  • Deposit

    SIONAL PAPER 377, 1964, 159 PP.

  • Deposit

    PALMER, D. F. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR BENSON MINES,

  • Deposit

    NEW YORK. ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 65, NO. 1, 1970, PP.

  • Deposit

    31-39.

  • Deposit

    THOMAS, R. EMPIRE VERGES ON FOURTH EXPANSION SUCCESS.

  • Deposit

    ENG. AND MIN. J., V. 180, NO. 9, SEPTEMBER 1979,

  • Deposit

    PP. 128-133.

  • Deposit

    THORNBURY, W. D. REGIONAL GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE UNITED

  • Deposit

    STATES. JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., NEW YORK. 1965,

  • Deposit

    PP. 178-184.

  • Deposit

    WEINMAN, P. L. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE INVERTEBRATE

  • Deposit

    FOSSILS OF NEW YORK, EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 9. THE

  • Deposit

    UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. THE STATE MUSEUM

  • Deposit

    AND SCIENCE SERVICE, ALBANY, NEW YORK. 1966, 18 PP.

  • Deposit

    *CAN BE OBTAINED FROM ORIGINATING ORGANIZATION.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORE BODY THICKNESS IS THE DEPTH OF THE ORE ZONE MINABLE BY SURFACE METHODS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-OCT-1996 Rcb-Jah U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 02/02/1979
MSHA mine ID3000588
Mine name (MSHA)Benson Mine And Mill
Current operatorJones & Laughlin Steel Corp
Current controller (parent)LTV Corp
Mine typeSurface (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

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