Bonanza Claim

Past Producer in Del Norte county in California, United States with commodities Chromium, Platinum, Palladium, Iridium, Ruthenium, Rhodium

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10088868
MRDS ID M700420
Record type Site
Current site name Bonanza Claim

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -123.94644, 41.93232 (WGS84)
Elevation 884
Relative position 6 MI NORTH OF GASQUET
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Del Norte

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Humboldt 019N 002E 21 W2 OF SE4 California

Comments on the location information

  • UNSURVEYED. IN SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST. CLAIM LOCATED ON EAST END OF LOW PLATEAU, 1,800 FT NORTHEAST OF HIGH PLATEAU MINE. LOCATION GIVEN IS WITHIN OPEN PIT SHOWN ON TOPO MAP INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Primary
Platinum Tertiary
Palladium Tertiary
Iridium Tertiary
Ruthenium Tertiary
Rhodium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Ore
Olivine Gangue
Uvarovite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Talc And Serpentine In Shear, Also Partial To Complete Serpentinization Of Peridotite And Dunite

Analytical data

Result 1 PGE ANALYSIS: PT=15 PPB
Result PD=<4 PPB
Result IR=140 PPB
Result RU=330 PPB
Result RH=18 PPB. ORE SAID TO AVG. 50.5% CR2O3. CR:FE=2.82 (1942)

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 15
USGS model code 8a
Deposit model name Podiform chromite (minor)
Mark3 model number none

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite
    Rock unit name Josephine Ophiolite
    Rock description Josephine Ophiolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Dunite
    Rock unit name Franciscan Formation
    Rock description Franciscan Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -123.94644, 41.93232

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Major Shear Zone 6 Ft Wide Strikes N30w, Dips 30 Nw. Intense Shearing Throughout

Ore body information

  • General form PODS, LUMPS, BUNCHES, STRINGERS, DISSEMINATED
    Thickness 2M
    Width 3M
    Length 15M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Magmatic Segregation

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1941
Discoverer C. Strong, D. O'Brien, C. Johnson
Discovery method Ore-Mineral In Place
Year of first production 1942
Year of last production 1942

Mining district

District name High Plateau Area

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner C. Strong, D. O'Brien, C. Johnson
    First year 1942

Production statistics

  • Year 1942
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^50.5% Cr2o3
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Ore Chromium Chromium 51wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • DIFFERENT REFERENCES GIVE FROM 137-149 TONS PRODUCED IN 1942. THERE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN SOME PRODUCTION DURING WWI

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 15.24M

Comments on the workings information

  • INCLINED SHAFT AND SEVERAL PITS

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS M700420

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    STINSON, M.C., 1975, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MINERAL PROPERTY REPORT, UNPUB.

  • Deposit

    WELLS, F.G., CATER, F.W., JR., AND RYNEARSON, G.A., 1946, GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF CHROMITE IN CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES BULLETIN 134, PT. 1, CH. 1, P. 37.

  • Deposit

    CARLSON, C.A., AND OTHERS, 1985, ANALYSES FOR PLATINUM-GROUP ELEMENTS IN SAMPLES FROM PODIFORM CHROMITE DEPOSITS, CALIFORNIA AND OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 85-442, 14 P.

  • Deposit

    O'BRIEN, J.C., 1952, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF DEL NORTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY V. 48, NO. 4, P. 269.

  • Deposit

    CATER, F.W., JR., AND WELLS, F.G., 1953, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE GASQUET QUADRANGLE, CALIFORNIA-OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 995-C, PL. 11.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MOST INDIVIDUAL ORE BODIES ARE <100 LB BUT A FEW ARE AS LARGE AS SEVERAL TONS. ORE IS IRREGULARLY DISTRIBUTED
Deposit RECORD M007518 HAS BEEN MERGED AND DELETED.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1982 Oster, Karel L. (Albers, John P.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-FEB-1990 Peterson, Jocelyn A. U.S. Geological Survey