Orient Iron Mine

Saguache County, Colorado, United States

IronCopperGraphiteManganese

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Commodities

PrimaryIron

TertiaryCopper, Graphite, Manganese

Commodity typeB

Deposit

Deposit typereplacement

Model72: Polymetallic replacement141: Karst-hosted Fe, Al, Pb-Zn

Deposit sizeY

WorkingsUnderground

Materials

Ore mineralsChalcopyrite, Limonite

GangueAnkerite, Barite, Calcite, Graphite, Quartz

Geology

Host rockLimestone · Leadville Limestone

StructureSawatch Arch, Sangre De Cristo Range, Rio Grande Rift, Sangre De Cristo Fault, Steel Canyon Anticline

Tectonic settingCentral Cordillera (Southern Rocky Mtns)

Economic & production

Development statusPast Producer

First production1880

Last production1931

Discovery year1880

Identification

Deposit ID10016274

MRDS IDDC00818

Alternate namesPatented Claims: Anna Lee, Beehive, MS 1504, Booth, MS 11400, Brutus, MS 11400, Caesar, MS 11400, Cleopatra, MS 11400, D.W. Jones, Enterprise, MS 1506, Ephemeris, MS 11400, Flag, MS 1507, Grand Tower, Grand View, Hamlet, MS 11400, Ironton, Macbeth, MS 11400, Mcclelland, MS 1684, Mercutio, MS 11400, Nero, MS 11400, Othello, MS 11400, Poormans, MS 4933, Portia, MS 11400, Prospector, MS 1505, Runaway, MS 1539, Security Placer, MS 1903, Top Gallant, MS 11400, Trilby, MS 11400, Valley View, MS 8940, Villa Grove, Vivia B., MS 4988, West Virginia

RegionNA

Data scoreA

Coordinates38.20473, -105.81392

References

COLORADO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.STONE, J.B., 1934, LIMONITE DEPOSITS AT THE ORIENT MINE, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 29, NO. 4, P. 317-329.HARRER, C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: USBM 1C 7918.LITSEY, L:R., 1960, GEOLOGY NEAR ORIENT MINE, SANGRE DE CRIST0 MOUNTAINS, COLORADO, IN WEIMER, R.J., AND HAUN, J.D., EDS., GUIDE TO THE GEOLOGY OF COLORADO: RMAG, GSA, AND CSS, P. 129-131.BLM MINERAL SURVEYSPRODUCTION TONNAGES AND ORE GRADES (PARTIAL RECORD) FROM COLO. DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS. CUMULATIVE ESTIMATE FROM HARRER AND TESCH (1959)