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Cripple Creek district

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Region West, Rocky Mountains
States
Mineral systems
Deposit types
Commodities
Other minerals

Information leading to the delineation of this focus area

Basis for focus area Approximate outline of the Cripple Creek open pit. Extended slightly to enclose other past producers from Au(Te) deposits.
Identified resources Identified gold resources; historical gold production and current production of gold (Newmont).
Production After discovery of gold in 1891, development of high-grade veins proceeded rapidly, and production increased markedly to nearly 1 million oz/yr by 1900. Production tapered off slowly until WWI, and then fell more thereafter during the 1920s and 1930s. Gold production was 360,000 and 322,000 oz Au in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Silver production was about ~200,000 to 300,000 oz Ag each between 2006 and 2014.
Status Past and current mining.
Estimated resources > 800 metric tons Au (includes various grades; Kelley and others, 2010).
Geologic maps Wobus and others (1976), scale 1:48,000.
Geophysical data Rank 3 aeroradiometric and Rank 5 aeromagnetic coverage.
Favorable rocks and structures Oligocene diatremes and associated hydrothermal breccias.
Deposits Cripple Creek district (MRDS dep_id: 10311065); more than 500 mines operated in the district.
Evidence from mineral occurrences MRDS; Goldfarb and others (2017).
Geochemical evidence Ore contains up to 2235 ppm Te, with higher values associated with high-grade ore zones (Keith and others, 2020).
Geophysical evidence Unknown.
Evidence from other sources Unknown.
Comments Potential for byproduct Te.
Cover thickness and description No cover.
Authors Joshua M. Rosera.
New data needs Mapping and lidar, geochemical sampling to determine potential for critical minerals.
Geologic mapping and modeling needs Although there are likely existing geologic maps associated with the Cripple Creek deposit, 1:24,000 scale maps for Cripple Creek South and the Big Bull Mountain quadrangles would be needed. Other potential quadrangles include Cripple Creek North and Pikes Peak.
Geophysical survey and modeling needs None requested at this time.
Digital elevation data needs Lidar is adequate for about 70% of the Cripple Creek South and Big Bull Mountain quadrangles exists but needed for the southern portion of these quadrangles.