Summary
The Price Group is a collection of placer and lode workings in the well established Ophir Mining District in Powell County, Montana. The area is known for rich, native gold placer deposits along with some very substantial lode mining developments. The Ophir District is credited with producing $21,850,000.00 in placer gold prior to 1933. Since this time, work has been sporadic and unreported. The region is remote and rugged.
The property is literally a turn-key operation as it sits with all equipment in place and in working condition. The property has not seen use for the past 3 years due to family issues of the prior owner.
Property Sold
Location and Access
Access is via county roads from Avon, Montana. Some technical sections which will require 4WD. No private property or restricted roads.
Description
The Price Group is made up of two (2), Twenty (20) acre Placer Mining Claims and one (1) lode mining claim for a total of 60 acres. The property is readily accessible but does require 4WD even in dry seasons. The claim is positioned on Carpenter Creek in Carpenter Gulch. The area is known for having rich bars, but the deposits along Carpenter creek have been also developed by "drifting" into the bars.
This seems the case with the Price Group. Extensive development has been done on the northmost reaches of the claim including a small cabin and related structures. The work at this end of the property is all placer with bars opened up for 30 or more feet. The Carpenter Bar is noted as being one the richest and most productive bars in the district.
The mines are developed on a series of known veins, one known as the Orient vein and the other veins are unnamed. These veins run generally north/south down the gulch and the claims have been written for maximum coverage of said veins.
Farther south on the claims, an adit and a shaft have been cut to examine the lode deposit. Lode deposits have been noted as being very rich in the bar area with Native Gold. The workings are flooded and collapsed, but the water from the adit has been repurposed to the washing plant.
A complete placer wash plant has been set up with approved permitting on the property. This permit will need to be applied for again by the new claim owner, but was active as late at 2017.
The plant contains an International Backhoe and Tractor which appears to be in near running order. A grizzly, a trommel and motors to power the trommel are in place and only require power. A sluice has been set up below the trommel and is intact with mats as used in 2015-2016.
Below the wash plant, a large pump is in working condition and pumps water from a holding pond below, up to the trommel area where it can be used to wash the gold.
Operators in 2015 reported returns of 60 ounces of 85% pure gold from 10 days work at the claim.
This is a highly desirable mining operation and can be made operational and paying with little to no investment. Permitting will be required and will cost an estimated $2500.00
Geology
Contact Vendor for a GRMP-43 report that details the geology of the Price Group Mineral Property
History
Contact Vendor for a GRMP-43 report that details the geology of the Price Group Mineral Property
Additional Information
The placer operation is reported to have produced 60 ounces of 85% native gold in 10 days work in 2015. The operation is nearly turn key as some of the equipment will need to be tuned for optimal recovery. Contact Jason for more information or with questions.
