The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, formerly and historically the Cresson Mine, is an active gold mine located near the town of Victor, in the Cripple Creek mining district in the US state of Colorado. The richest gold mine in Colorado history, it is the only remaining significant producer of gold in the state, and produced 322,000 troy ounces of gold in 2019, and reported 3.45 million troy ounces of Proven and Probable Reserves as at December 31, 2019.Active Mines in Colorado Colorado Geological Survey website, accessed: 6 July 2010FACTS ABOUT COLORADO MINING Colorado Mining Association website, accessed: 6 July 2010 It was owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti through its subsidiary, the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (CC&V), until 2015, when it sold the mine to Newmont."Newmont to acquire CC&V mine from Anglogold Ashanti," Engineering & Mining Journal, July 2015 p.4 Newmont completes purchase of Cripple Creek & Victor gold mine, accessed: 9 August 2015About CC&V Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company website, accessed: 5 July 2010"Newmont to acquire CC&V mine from Anglogold Ashanti," Engineering & Mining Journal, July 2015 p.4.

The mine is an open pit operation. The gold is recovered from the ore by heap leaching. CC&V's heap leach pad is one of the biggest in the world.

Geology The ore is in altered and brecciated volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks of Oligocene age and predominantly quartz latite composition. The Cripple Creek volcanic complex is surrounded by Precambrian gneiss, granite, and quartz monzonite. The gold occurs as disseminated micrometre-size free gold and as gold-silver tellurides, or telluride minerals. Gangue minerals include pyrite, quartz, and fluorite.

History Gold mining in the district began in the 1890s, mostly as underground operations, chasing high grade veins. Over 23 million ounces of gold have been recovered from the district since 1890. At 2012, prices ($1600 per troy ounce),Gold price this would be worth around US$37 billion.

Warren, Harry & Frank Woods entered the Victor mining scene in when they purchased the Mount Rosa Placer and incorporated the Mt. Rosa Mining, Milling and Land Company on January 9, 1892. This would later become known as the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine.

Most of the Cripple Creek properties were consolidated into the Golden Cycle Mining and Reduction Company, and the Carlton Tunnel was completed in 1941. This 6.5 mile long tunnel drained the district down to 3,000 feet. The roasting-cyanidation Carlton Mill opened in March 1951. This mill also tested the first carbon adsorption-desorption process.

The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad was opened in 1967 and continues to serve as a tourist attraction.

The current open cut operation dates back to 1995. The operation became part of AngloGold in March 1999, when the company acquired the Independence Mining Company and thereby 66% of the mine. AngloGold merged with junior partner Golden Cycle Gold Corporation in 2008 and thereby acquired the remaining 33% of the project.United States 2008 AngloGold Ashanti country report, accessed: 5 July 2010US gold operation's life-of-mine extended miningweekly.com, published: 2 December 2002, accessed: 6 July 2010

The mine is a low-cost, low-yield open pit operation, with grades well below one gram of gold per tonne of ore. In recent years, 2008 and 2009, the mine accounted for 5% of AngloGold Ashanti's worldwide production. It is the company's only active operation in the United States. In 2008, the State of Colorado and Teller County granted the mine a mine-life extension.United States of America: Cripple Creek & Victor AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010

Production and grade of the mine have steadily declined over the last few years, while the total production costs have risen from US$372 an ounce in 2007 to US$475 in 2009. The mine employed 562 people in 2009, of which 367 were permanent employees.

In August 2015, the mine was sold to Newmont. In December 2024, Newmont sold the mine to SSR Mining.https://www.mining.com/ssr-to-be-3rd-biggest-us-gold-miner-with-cripple-creek-victor-deal/

Cresson Vug On 24 November 1914, Dick Roelofs was supervising the exploration of the mine to the 1300 level, when a large gold-filled vug was blasted open on the 1200 level. The next day, Roelof, a mine owner and an attorney explored the "cave of sparkling jewels". The vug measured 14 feet wide, 23 feet long, 36 feet high, which took a month to empty, and yielded 60,000 troy ounces of gold.Voynick, S.M., 1992, Colorado Gold, Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Company,

Two "Aladdin's caves of gold" were discovered in August 1953, on the 3100 foot level of Ajax Mine, Battle Mountain. Sylvanite and Calaverite covered the walls. Mine superintendent M.H. Grice stated, "It is a sight a mining man may see but once in a lifetime..."

Production

Past production figures since 1995 were: Year Production Grade Cost per ounce 1995 76,587 ounces 1996 174,600 ounces 1997 228,164 ounces 1998 230,300 ounces 1999 231,000 ounces 2000 248,000 ounces 2001 214,010 ounces 2002 224,988 ounces 2003Annual Report 2005 AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010 283,866 ounces 0.67 g/t US$ 199 2004 329,030 ounces 0.61 g/t US$220 2005 329,625 ounces 0.62 g/t US$230 2006Annual Report 2006 AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010 283,486 ounces 0.54 g/t US$248 2007Annual Report 2009 AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 May 2010 282,000 ounces 0.53 g/t US$269 2008 258,000 ounces 0.49 g/t US$309 2009 218,000 ounces 0.46 g/t US$376 2010 235,000 ounces 2025 90,000 to 110,000 ounces (est.)

Gallery

See also Joseph Raphael De Lamar Binger Hermann Spencer Penrose Charles L. Tutt, Sr. Gold mining in Colorado Silver mining in Colorado

References

Further reading Cross, W., and Penrose, R.A.F., 1895, Geology and Mining Industries of the Cripple Creek District, Colorado, USGS, Washington: Government Printing Office Lindgren, W., and Ransome, F.L., 1904, Geological Resurvey of the Cripple Creek District, Colorado, USGS Bulleting No. 254, Washington: Government Printing Office Lindgren, W., and Ransome, F.L., 1906, Geology and Gold Deposits of the Cripple Creek District, Colorado, USGS Professional Paper No. 54, Washington: Government Printing Office

External links SSR Mining website Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company website

2003 Mining History Association Conference in Cripple Creek Mining Technology Report