Big Four Mine

Past Producer in Elko county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Iron
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Ownership information
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10045135
MRDS ID M232803
Record type Site
Current site name Big Four Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -116.09704, 41.6824 (WGS84)
Relative position 1 MILE NE. OF COLUMBIA RANCH

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Elko(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Maggie Summit(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Bull Run Mountains(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

McDermitt(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

South Fork Owyhee(hydrologic unit)

Middle Snake-Boise(hydrologic accounting unit)

Middle Snake(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Elko

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 044N 052E 25 Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Sphalerite Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -116.09704, 41.6824

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Fault Contact With Granodiorite

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Dip 15 S
    Width 1.52M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fissures And Shears

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1908
Year of first production 1908

Mining district

District name Aura

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Phil Heater
    First year 1980

Comments on the production information

  • SEVERAL SHIPMENTS OF ORE WERE MADE IN 1908. ORE ALSO CONTAINED SOME ZINC.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 91.44M

Comments on the workings information

  • 3 TUNNELS APPROX. 100 FT. LONG

Comments on development

  • SEVERAL ORE SHIPMENTS WERE MADE IN 1908. LISTED AS ACTIVE MINE & CYANIDIZATION MILL IN 1980, EMPLOYING 3 PERSONS

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    GRANGER, A.E. ET AL (1957) GEOLOGY & M INERAL RESOURCES OF ELKO CO. NEV., NEV BUR OF MINES BULL 54

  • Deposit

    EMMONS, W.H. (1910) RECONNAISSANCE OF ELKO, LANDER, & EUREKA CO, NEV. USGS BULL 408

  • Deposit

    STATE INSPECTOR OF MINES (1981) DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE OPERATIONS ACTIVE IN 1980.

  • Production

    GRANGER, A.E., ET AL.,(1957)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit REPLACEMENT VEIN & FISSURES & SHEARS
Deposit LOCATED ON EAST BANK OF COLUMBIA CREEK, 1/4 MILE ABOVE COLUMBIA. THREE TUNNELS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET LONG HAVE BEEN DRIVEN. MADE SEVERAL SHIPMENTS OF ORE IN 1908. LISTED AS ACTIVE MINE & CYANIDIZATION MILL IN 1980 EMPLOYING 3 PERSONS

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-1979 Kirkham, Richard A. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Authoritative Nevada resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.