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Lucky Friday Mine

Past Producer in Shoshone county in Idaho, United States with commodities Lead, Silver, Gold, Zinc, Copper, Antimony, Cadmium
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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. General comments
  26. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10257227
MRDS ID W026639
MAS/MILS ID 0160790012
Record type Site
Current site name Lucky Friday Mine
Alternate or previous names Golden Hunter Mine ( old MAS# 0160790063), Gold Hunter

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -115.77932, 47.47237 (WGS84)
Elevation 1050
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Shoshone(county)

Idaho(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mullan(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Wallace(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Wallace(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 005 E 25,26,33,35 Idaho

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Matildite Trace
Pyrargyrite Trace
Polybasite Trace
Bournonite Trace
Jamesite Trace
Arsenopyrite Trace
Pyrrhotite Trace
Greenockite Trace
Cerrusite Trace
Limonite Trace

Alteration

  • (Local) Bleaching

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
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Revett Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Wallace Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Rock unit name St Regis Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Burke Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -115.77932, 47.47237
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name Hook Anticline
Structure description Hook Anticline, plunges 75 degrees, hosts vein

Ore body information

  • General form Tabular
    Strike N80W
    Dip 80S
    Thickness 1000M
    Length 5000M
    Width 3000M
    Area 50HA
    Depth to top 1M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 BLEACHING
    Strike And Dip N80W:80S
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 1
    Total Surface Area (HA) 50
    Date of Last Modification 970103

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Faulting
  • Fracturing

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1880
Discoverer J.F. Ingalls
Mining method Caving Methods - Longwall Caving
Year of first production 1942
Year of last production 2001
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation
Production years 1942-2001

Mining district

District name Hunter District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Lucky Friday Mines Co.
    Interest 100
    First year 1905
    Last year 1913
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Lucky Friday Mining Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office Wallace, Idaho
    First year 1913
    Last year 1936
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office Wallace, Idaho
    First year 1939
    Last year 1964
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Hecla Mining Co.
    ID 1000088
    Interest 100
    Home office 6500 North Mineral Drive\nSuite 200\nCoeur d'Alene ID 83815-9408\nUnited States\n
    Year 1996
    First year 1964

Production statistics

  • Year 1991
    Material Ore milled
    Ore mined 138028mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production 138028 Mt Ore Milled
  • Year 1992
    Material Ore milled
    Ore mined 158912mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production 158912 Mt Ore Milled
  • Year 1993
    Material Ore milled
    Ore mined 162911mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production 162911 Mt Ore Milled
  • Year 1994
    Material Ore milled
    Ore mined 113385mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production 113385 Mt Ore Milled
  • Year 1995
    Material Ore milled
    Ore mined 144128mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production 144128 Mt Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Silver Silver 51715944.47g
    Minor Gold Gold 25815.88g
  • Year 1996
    Material Ore milled
    Ore mined 170800mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Lead Lead 19030mt
    Major Silver Silver 59293592.24g
    Minor Gold Gold 29454.99g
    Minor Zinc Zinc 3315mt
  • Year 2010
    Period 1942-2010
    Material 147 milllion oz Ag, 1.1 million tons Pb/Zn combined. \nHecla 2010 AR, p. 6.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal Silver Silver 4570mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Measured 470000mt ore
    Demonstrated 470000mt ore
    Total resources 470000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 586.2999 g/mt Silver Major 1984
    Zinc Zn 1.2 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1984
    Lead Pb 12.1999 wt-pct Lead Major 1984
  • Type In-situ
    Name Proven and Probable
    Estimate year 2010
    Proved 1489700mt ore
    Remarks Hecla 2010 AR, p. 12.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver 425 g/mt Silver Primary 2010
    Zinc 2.8 wt-pct Zinc Secondary 2010
    Lead 7.8 wt-pct Lead Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Measured 608100mt ore
    Demonstrated 608100mt ore
    Total resources 608100mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 569.1 g/mt Silver Major 1985
    Zinc Zn 1.8999 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1985
    Lead Pb 11.9 wt-pct Lead Major 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Indicated 416mt ore
    Demonstrated 416mt ore
    Total resources 416mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 552 g/mt Silver Major 1990
    Zinc Zn 2.4 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1990
    Lead Pb 14.4 wt-pct Lead Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Demonstrated 399000mt ore
    Total resources 399000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 466.28 g/mt Silver Major 1991
    Zinc Zn 2.8 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1991
    Lead Pb 12.8 wt-pct Lead Major 1991
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Indicated 409mt ore
    Demonstrated 409mt ore
    Total resources 409mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 478.2773 g/mt Silver Major 1995
    Zinc Zn 2.8 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1995
    Lead Pb 13.3 wt-pct Lead Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Inferred 2218mt ore
    Total resources 2218mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 354.58 g/mt Silver Major 1995
    Zinc Zn 2.8 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1995
    Lead Pb 13.3 wt-pct Lead Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Measured 3803000mt ore
    Demonstrated 3803000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 511 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 2.2 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1996
    Lead Pb 11.3 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 20460000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 320 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 1.5 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1996
    Lead Pb 5.4 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Total resources 23463000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 350 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 1.6 wt-pct Zinc Minor 1996
    Lead Pb 6.3 wt-pct Lead Major 1996

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 1996: Measured Grades: Ag=401 G/Mt; Pb=11.6%; Zn=1.8%. 1996: Indicated Grades (From New Area): Ag=290 G/Mt; Pb=4.1%; Zn=Not Given In The Phone Call (0? Or Unknown?) All Tonnage And Assay Values Are Based On Dry Tonnes Total Metal Recovery Is 105% Vs Reserves, Total Tonnage Recovered Is 130% Vs Reserve Reserve Tonnages Only Are Quoted In Hecla Published Figures. Grades Are Computed Back Through Metal Recovered And Recovery Factors. As The Recovery Of Cu And Au Are Unknown This Method Could Not Be Employed For These Commodities. They Were Therefore Carried Through At 100%.
  • 86 Brook-Hunt & Ilzsg Data. Hecla 1989 10k Has 458,800 St At 16.1 Oz Ag, 14.4% Pb, And 2.4% Zn.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 1900M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method LONGWALL CAVING 10-108
    Swell Factor .6
    Percent Waste Rock 10
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING MAY BACK SLAB
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 4
    Length of Inclines (m) 0
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 300
    Number of Adits 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 500
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 97.5
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1990
  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 2
    Mining Record # 1
    Mining Method UNDERHAND 10-35
    Unit Production Cost 45.53
    Year of Information 1996

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    Hecla Mining Company, 1995 Annual Report, P19.

  • Production

    Yearly Hecla Annual Reports (1983 - present)

  • Reserve-Resource

    Hecla Minco, 1983, Annual Report For Fy 1983.

  • Reserve-Resource

    Hecla Mining Co. 1985 Annual Report

  • Reserve-Resource

    Hecla Mining Co., 1989, Form 10k, 3/19/90

  • Deposit

    Brakenbusch, Silver Shaft Development. Pres. At Nwma Short Course, Spokane, Wa, Nov. 28-30, 1983.

  • Deposit

    Campbell, Guidebook To The Geology Of The Coeur D' Alene Mining District. Id Bumines And Geol. Bulletin 16, 1961, 37 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Crandell, The Silver Shaft Project At The Lucky Friday Mine. Paper Pres. At The Nwma Convention, Spokane, Wa, 1980.

  • Deposit

    Crandell, & Others. Designing Lucky Friday'S Silver Shaft. E & Mj, Apr. 1981, Pp. 68-73.

  • Deposit

    Day, H. C. The Coeur D'Alene Mining District In 1963. Id Bureau Of Mines And Geol. Pamphlet 133, 1963, 104 Pp.

  • Deposit

    E & Mj. Programming New Growth In The Coeur D'Alene, Apr. 1980, Pp. 62-66; Part 2, May 1980, Pp. 94-99.

  • Deposit

    Fryklund, Ore Deposits Of The Coeur D'Alene District, Shoshone County, Idaho: USGS P.P. 445, 1964, 103 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Gott, And Cathrall, Geochemical-Exploration Studies In The Coeur D'Alene District, Idaho And Montana: USGS Pp 1116, 1980, 63 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Gross, The New Lucky Friday Mine. Pres. At The 1984 Pacific Northwest Met. And Miner. Conf., Portland, Or, Apr. 30- May 2, 1984, 14 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Hecla Mining Company. Annual Report. 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983.

  • Deposit

    ----. Lucky Friday Mine. Unpubl. Pamphlet, 1981, 4 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Hecla Mining Compay. Form 10-K Report To The Sec. Dec. 31, 1983.

  • Deposit

    ----. Joint Proxy Statement-Prospectus For Merger With Ranchers Exploration And Development Company. June 11, 1984, Pp. 48-55, 71.

  • Deposit

    Hobbs, S. W., And Others, 1965 , Geology Of The Coeur D'Alene District, Shoshone County, Idaho: USGS Prof. Paper 478 , 139 P.

  • Deposit

    Leep, Geologic Features Of The Star-Morning And Lucky Friday Mines In Idaho'S Coeur D'Alene District. Pres. At Aime 16th Annual Int. Miner. Con., Vail, Co, July 18, 1980, 10 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Marks, Cut-And-Fill And Square-Set Stoping Costs For Smaller Orebodies. Ch. 8 In Mineral Industry Costs. Nwma 1982, Pp. 115-121.

  • Deposit

    Mckinstry, Deepest Single Lift Shaft In North America Nears Completion. Min. Eng., Oct. 1983, Pp. 1391-1396.

  • Deposit

    Mining Engineering. Hecla'S Silver-Lead Mines Provide A Study In Contrasts, July 1976, Pp. 59-60, 356-5, 356-6.

  • Deposit

    Ransome And Calkins. The Geology And Ore Deposits Of The Coeur D'Alene District, Idaho. USGS P.P. 62, 1908, 203 Pp

  • Deposit

    Shenon And Mcconnel. The Silver Belt Of The Coeur D'Alene District, Idaho: Id Bumines And Geol. Pamphlet No. 50, 1939, 9 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Staff, Lucky Friday Mine. Cut-And-Fill Stoping At Lucky Friday Mine. Ch. 6 In U.G. Mining Methods Hdbk. Sme-Aime 1982, Pp. 554-557.

  • Deposit

    Steckly And Lemons. A Method For Updating Cost Estimates For The Minerals Availability System. Unpubl. Bumines Rep., Ifoc, May 1976.

  • Deposit

    Straam Engineers, Inc. Capital And Operating Cost Estimating System Handbook. Bumines Contract No. Jo255026, 1979.

  • Deposit

    Umpleby And Jones, Jr. Geology And Ore Dposits Of Shoshone County, Idaho. USGS Bulletin 732, 1923, 156 Pp.

  • Deposit

    Wahler, W. A., And Associates. Summary Of Hydraulic Backfill Operations In Selected Underground Mines, Coeur D'Alene District, Idaho. Bumines Contract No. Ho242026, May 1976.

  • Deposit

    The Mining Record, Sept., 4, 1996, P11.

  • Deposit

    The Mining Record, Dec., 4, 1996, P8, V107, #49, P19.

  • Deposit

    Mining Journal, 5-16-97, P.394.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 5-16-97: Hecla Approved Plans To Double Ag Output. The Expansion Wll Be Fuelled By The Development Of The Gold Hunter Vein (1500 M NW Of The Lucky Friday Vein). The Gold Hunter Vein Is Nearly Twice The Grade And Width Of The Lucky Friday Vein And Will Allow The Company To Increase Ag Production To Over 4 Moz By 1998. In 1996, The Operation Produced 1.9 Moz. The New Vein Will Be Mined Using Overhand Cut-And-Fill. In Addition, Hecla Plans To Upgrade Its Backfill Plant And Expand Its Concentrate Storage Facilities. Total Proven And Probable Ag Reserves At The Lucky Friday Mine Are 18.5 Moz. Property Includes The Golden Hunter Mine (Past Producer) Mas Seq# 0160790063.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 18-JUL-97 Clarke, Donald 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)

StatusActive since 03/01/2013
MSHA mine ID1000088
Mine name (MSHA)Lucky Friday
Current operatorHecla Limited
Current controller (parent)Hecla Mining Company
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