186 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 
REVIEW BY MINERAL COMMODITIES 
 
METALS 
 
 Beryllium.—Coiorado was the only State besides South Dakota that produced
beryllium concentrate. Output in 1967 was only one-third that of 1966. Handcobbed
beryl was obtained by Ralph J. Pierce from the Blackhawk mine in Fremont
County and by Car Mona Mines from the Mona claims in Lartimer ' County. A
small quantity of hand-cobbed beryl from unknown producers was sold to Beryl
Ores Co. which operated a plant in Arvada for producing beryllium compounds.

 
 Cadmium, Indium, and Thallium.— From the processing of flue dust,
dross, and byproduct materials obtained at smelters and other plants outside
the State, American Smelting and Refining Co. (Asarco) recovered cadmium,
indium, and thallium at its Globe smelter in Denver. Because the origin of
these metals could not be determined, outputs were not included as part of
any State mineral production. 
 
 Copper.—Of the 29 mines with copper production, the Idarado mine of
Idarado Mining Co. in Ouray and San Miguel 
Counties was responsible for three-fourths of the State copper output. Although
production at the Idarado mine was up 100 tons, the State output declined
6 percent or 244 tons below that of 1966. 
 Idarado Mining Co. operated the Idarado mine at nearly the 1966 level of
production. However, the nationwide copper strike affected shipments of copper
and lead concentrates after July, forcing the company to stockpile these
concentrates. Zinc concentrate shipments, however, were made throughout the
year. 
 The Emperius mine of Emperius Mining Co. in Mineral County had the second
largest output with a slight 4-percent increase in production over that of
1966. Production at the third largest source, the Eagle mine of The New Jersey
Zinc Co. a subsidiary of Gulf & Western Industries, Inc., in Eagle County,
was only 39 percent that of 1966 due to a considerable reduction in mining
copper ores; however, the quantity of zinc ore, the principal ore mined at
this operation, was about the same as in 1966. 
 Seventeen counties had copper production, San Miguel County had 61 percent
of the State output. Other counties that 
 
Table 5.—Mine production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc, in
terms of recoverable 
metals 1 
Year 
Mines producing 
 ———— 
 Lode Placer 
Material      Gold        Silver sold or  (lode and placer)    (lode and
placer)treated 2(thousand Troy Value Troy ounces Valueshort tons) ounces
(thousands) (thousands) (thousands) 
1963        
1964        
196&       
1966       
1967       
1858-1967.. 
 47 19 58 19 58 13 62 14 39 15 NA NA 
 975 33,605 $1,176 2,307 $2,951 1,052 42,122 1,474 2,626 3,396 1,021 37,228
1,303 2,051 2,652 1,225 31,915 1,117 2,086 2,697 1,173 21,181 741 1,818 2,817
NA 40,829,019 922,892 781,442 618,814 
 
Copper 
  
Short Value 
tons (thousands) 
 Lead Zinc 
————————-- — Total
value 
Short Value Short Value (thousands) 
tons (thousands) tons (thousands) 
1963       
1964        
1965        
1966        
1967        
1858—1967 
 4,169 $2,568 4,653 3,034 3,828 2,710 4,237 3,065 3,993 3,053 328,586 113,797

 19,918 $4,302 48,109 $11,065 $22,062 20,563 5,388 53,682 14,602 27,894 22,495
7,018 53,870 15,730 29,413 23,082 6,978 54,822 15,898 29,755 21,923 6,138
52,442 14,519 27,268 2,904,470 363,975 2,273,779 449,718 2,469,196 
 NA Not available. 
 1 Includes recoverable metal content of gravel washed (placer operations),
ore milled, old tailings or slimes re-treated, and ore, old slag, or tailings
shipped to smelters during the calendar year indicated. 
 2 Does not include gravel washed.