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<br />NO molybdenum mineralization has yet been found within the Study Area.
<br />As previously stated, Climax located traces of molybdellum below 3030
<br />feet in its drill hole just outside the Study Area. G"ologic data
<br />cited previously indicate that this mineralized intrusive may underlie
<br />part of the Study Area. Further drilling within the Study Area will
<br />be required to outline the mineralized zone.
<br />
<br />Bureau of Mines states16/ "there is small to moderate potential for a
<br />small to large size molybdenum deposit under Oh-Be-Joyful Creek". The
<br />small to moderate potential estimate is due to the very limited data
<br />available showing molybdenum mineralization. The "small to la::ge size
<br />molybdenum deposit" reflects the fact that data on ore reserve.:>, if
<br />any, are not yet gathered but that the Mount Emmons ore body is a
<br />large size disseminated porphyry molybdenum ore body. A new molyb-
<br />denum orE body, if one exists, would also be expected to be a disseminated
<br />deposit, a type which tends to be large~ than vein deposits.
<br />
<br />-2,. Coal
<br />
<br />The Oh-Be-Joyful Wilderness Study Area lies within the Slate River
<br />Valley Di,;trict of the Crested Butte Co~l field. Coal occurs in as
<br />many as SLX separate beds within the upper Cretaceous Mesaverde
<br />Formation_ The coal near the Study Area is hig~~~ variable, ranging
<br />from high volatile B bituminous to anthracite. -- The high volatile
<br />B bituminous coals occur mainly in the southern part of the District
<br />near Crested Butte. Immediately northwest of Crested Butte several of
<br />the coal beds become semianthracite. Just north of the semianthracite
<br />area, thrr~e of the major coal beds, the Bulkley, Peanut, and Smi th
<br />Hill coals, all become anthracites. This progressive increase in rank
<br />over a short distance was caused by heating of the coal beds from the
<br />igneous intrusions in the area.
<br />
<br />Mining of the anthracite coals has occurred at the Smith Hill Mine on
<br />Anthracite Mesa east of Slate River and at the Peanut Mine along the
<br />Slate River east of Mount Emmons. About 3 million tons of coal were
<br />produced from 1885 to 1954, the last year the mines were operated.
<br />The coal was mined from the Peanut and Smith Hill coal beds which
<br />range from 1810 6 feet thick in the lower part of the coal bearing
<br />interval. --I Anthracites as thin as 2 '3" to 3'2" were mined in this
<br />, , 19 "
<br />Dlstrlct. -- Ten analyses of coals fr~m Anthraclte Mesa and Mount
<br />Emmons showed the following:
<br />
<br />~y
<br />
<br />U.S. Bureau of t.1ines, Intermountain Field Operations Center, De'iver Federal
<br />Center, Letter of March 9, 1981.
<br />
<br />l]J
<br />
<br />Dapples, E.C., 1939, Coal Metamorphism in the Anthracite - Cres ed Butte
<br />Quadrangles: Econ, Geol" Vol, 34, No.4, p, 369-398,
<br />
<br />18/
<br />
<br />Gaskill, D.L., Godwin, L.H., and Mutschler, F.E., 1967 Geologi Map
<br />of the Oh-Be-Joyful Quandrangle, Gunnison County, Cola ado; U.S G.S.
<br />Map GQ-578,
<br />
<br />19/
<br />
<br />Hornbaker, A.L., Holt, R.D., and Murray, D.K., 1976, 1075, Summary of Coal
<br />Resources in Colorado; C.G.S. Special Publication #9.
<br />
<br />36
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