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Siuna Mine

Past Producer in Nicaragua with commodities Gold, Copper, Silver, Zinc, Lead, Nickel
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  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. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10086131
MRDS ID W702057
Record type Site
Current site name Siuna Mine
Alternate or previous names La Luz, Los Angeles Mine, Siuna

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -84.78327, 13.73423 (WGS84)
Elevation 180
Location accuracy 2000(meters)
Relative position 95 MILES WSW OF PUERTO CABEZAS AT VILLAGE OF SIUNA. 230 KM NE OF MANAGUA.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nicaragua(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Nicaragua

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Copper Primary
Silver Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Nickel Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • FINENESS OF GOLD - 890.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Millerite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Rhodonite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) "Skarnification" - Low Grade, Pyritization, Argillic Alteration.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Metagalpa
    Rock description Metagalpa
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Metapan Formation; Yojoa Sedimentary Sequence
    Rock description Metapan Formation; Yojoa Sedimentary Sequence

Nearby scientific data

(1) -84.78327, 13.73423
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Miogeosycline; Window In Tert Volcanics.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Anticline?

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR, EQUIDIMENSIONAL
    Strike }
    Dip (1) 60}
    Length 750M
    Width 80M
    Depth to bottom 500M
  • General form TABULAR, EQUIDIMENSIONAL
    Dip (1) 60}
    Length 120M
    Width 100M
    Depth to bottom 180M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Hanging Wall Dike (Or Flow), Zones Of Enhanced Permeability, Secondary Enrichment Of Au In Oxide Zone.

Comments on the geologic information

  • AGE OF VOLCANICS AND INTRUSIVES HAS NOT BEEN DEFINITIVELY ESTABLISHED. SOME ANDESITIC FLOWS AND TUFFS ARE FOUND INTERBEDDED WITH THE LOWER CRETACEOUS SEDIMENTS AND VOLCANIC CLASTS ARE FOUND IN LIMESTONE CONGLOMERATES. POSSIBLE PRE-CRET BASEMENT OF SCHISTS AND MARBLES NOT EXPOSED.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discoverer Spanish Prospectors
Year of first production 1896

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Jose Aramburu
    First year 1896
    Last year 1919
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner La Luz And Los Angeles Mining Co.
    First year 1919
    Last year 1938
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Venturas Ltd. Renamed La Luz Mine Ltd (Falconbridge)
    First year 1938
    Last year 1968
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Rosario Mining Co.
    First year 1974
    Last year 1979
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Inmine
    First year 1979
    Last year 1992

Production statistics

  • Year 1939
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0340 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 1g/mt
  • Year 1939
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.11 Oz/T Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 3g/mt
  • Year 1940
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 0.0358 0z/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1941
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.208 Oz/T Au, 0.799 0z/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 23g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 6g/mt
  • Year 1942
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.199 Oz/T Au, 0.0928 Oz/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 6g/mt
  • Year 1943
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.183 Oz/T Au, 0.0891 Oz/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 5g/mt
  • Year 1944
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.206 Oz/T Au, 0.0888 Oz/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 6g/mt
  • Year 1945
    Period 1939-1945
    Material AG
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.1186 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 3g/mt
  • Year 1945
    Period 1939-1945
    Material AU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.1186 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 3g/mt
  • Year 1945
    Period 1901-1945
    Material ORE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.25 Oz/St Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 7g/mt
  • Year 1945
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.163 Oz/T Au, 0.0653 Oz/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 2g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 5g/mt
  • Year 1946
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.169 0z/T Au, 0.052 Oz/T Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Ore Gold Gold 5g/mt
  • Year 1947
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1338 0z/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 4g/mt
  • Year 1948
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1390 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 4g/mt
  • Year 1949
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1252 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 4g/mt
  • Year 1950
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1138 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1951
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1057 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1952
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1033 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1953
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1172 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1954
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1044 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1955
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1097 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1956
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1081 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1957
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1117 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1958
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1187 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1959
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1056 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1960
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1051
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1961
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0966 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1962
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1006 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1963
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1073 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1964
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1076 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1965
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1065
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1966
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0950 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1967
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.1000 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1968
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0830 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 2g/mt
  • Year 1968
    Period 1939-1968
    Material AU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.0526 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 1g/mt
  • Year 1968
    Period 1939-1968
    Material ORE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.0526 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 1g/mt
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0970 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 3g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0860 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 2g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0670 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 2g/mt
  • Year 1982
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0630 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 2g/mt
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0500 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1984
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0410 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1985
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0320 Oz/St
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 1g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • 1901-1926 PRODUCTION HAD A $5 MILLION VALUE; AU/AG GRADES ARE RECOVERY GRADES; IN 1945 ABOUT 500 T/DAY FROM OPEN-PIT, 800 T/DAY FROM UNDERGROUND; ORE PRODUCTION CAPACITY 500,000 - 1,000,000 MT/YR. COPPER WAS PRODUCED BUT THERE ARE NO STATISTICS. IN 1961 THE MINE WAS SUPPORTED BY MINING ORE THAT AVERAGED 0.107 OZ/T AU, 0.032 OZ/T AG, AND 0.4% CU. FROM 1985-1992 THERE WAS SOME EXPLORATION, BUT WAS MOSTLY DORMANT. 1939-1968 PRODUCTION THAT OF LA LUZ MINES LTD (FALCONBRIDGE); 1979-1985 PRODUCTION THAT OF EMPRESA MINERA DE SIUNA (EMISILU, INMINE) FROM UNPUBLISHED COMPLICATION OF FREDRIKSSON DARCE (1991).

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1968
    Total resources 1000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.682 g/mt Gold Major 1968
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Total resources 10180211000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3 g/mt Gold Major 1993
    Silver Ag 2.1 g/mt Silver Minor 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ORE (1) PROBABLE AND PROVEN ORE BASED ON A CALCULATION DONE BY LA LUZ MINES (FALCOLNBRIDGE); (2) PROVEN RESERVES BASED ON A CUT OFF GRADE OF 0.05 OZ/ST AND 10% DILUTION RECALCULATED BY ROSARIO MINING CO.; (3) PROBABLE RESERVES BASED ON SAME CUT OFF GRADE AND DILUTION RECALCULATED BY ROSARIO MINING MINING CO.; (4) TOTAL RESERVES, COMBINATION OF (2) AND (3). THE OPEN PIT MATERIAL IS LOW-GRADE, THERE MAY BE A FEW MILLION TONS IN 0.03 OZ/ST, WITH ABOUT 1,000,000 ST OF THIS BEING OXIDIZED.
  • ORE IS PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESERVES.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 1100M
    Width 300M
    Overall depth 570M

Comments on the workings information

  • PRE-1944 MINING FROM OPEN PIT, POST-1944 UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. OVERALL AREA OF WORKINGS IS 0.125 SQ KM. LOWEST DEVELOPMENT LEVEL WAS 500 M. SHAFT WENT DOWN TO 570 M.

Comments on development

  • KNOWN BY NATIVES WHO WORKED ALLUVIAL GOLD. MINING WAS FIRST CARRIED OUT BY "WASHING" THE DIRT FROM THE "OXIDE ZONE" ON TOP OF THE HILL. MINING OPERATIONS BEGAN IN 1896; LA LUZ AND LOS ANGELES MINING CO (1909-1928) PRODUCED 523,000 SHORT TONS OF 0.25 OZ/ST AU FROM OPEN-PIT; LA LUZ MINES LIMITED DID EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT (1936-1939); FALCONBRIDGE AND LA LUZ (1939-1954) PRODUCED 3,500,000 SHORT TONS OF 0.11 OZ/ST AU FROM UNDERGROUND. ROSARIO MINING COMPANY (1974-1979) DID EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT; EMPRESA MINERA DE SIUNA (INMINE) PRODUCED 1,014,000 SHORT TONS OF 0.053 OZ/ST AU FROM OPEN-PIT; 1985-1992 MINE WAS MAINLY DORMANT UNDER INMINE. ; ECON.COM: MILL CAPACITY FROM 1939-1948 WAS 300 ST/DAY AND FROM 1948-1968 MILL CAPACITY WAS 2,000 ST/DAY. FLOTATION AND CYANIDATION PLANT 1945-1949. MILL-GRAVITY, FLOTATION AND CYANIDE, CAPACITY OF 2000 T/DAY IN 1968. NOW IN BAD CONDITION, MINING-SHRINKAGE STOPING IN (1) ORE BODY, BLOCK CAVING IN (2) ORE BODY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTO CENTROAMERICANO DE INVESTIGACION Y TECNOLOGIA INDUSTRIAL (ICAITI), 1970, MAPA METRALOGENETIO DE AMERICA CENTRAL; 1:2000000 & ESTUDIOS METALOGENETICOS DE AMERICA CENTRAL: PUBLICIONES GEOLOGICAS DEL ICAITI NUMERO III, 76 P.

  • Deposit

    ROBERTS, R.J., AND IRVING, E.M., 1957, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF CENTRAL AMERICA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1034, P. 187-188.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, JANUARY 1989, P. 46.

  • Deposit

    U.S. EMBASSY MANAGUA, 1993, A LOOK AT NICARAGUA'S MINING SECTOR: DEPARTMENT OF STATE CABLE, 8/93.

  • Deposit

    KONDAKOV, L.A., AND NABROVENKOV, O.S., 1983, PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MATALLOGENY OF NICARAGUA: ISVESTIYA AKADEMII NAUK SSSR, SERIYA GEOLOGICHESKAYA, V. 1983, P. 91-104.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    ROBERTS AND IRVING (1957); US EMBASSY MANAGUA (1993).

  • Reserve-Resource

    KONDAKOV AND NABROVENKOV (1983).

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OCCURS IN FOOTWALL OF ANDESITE DIKE IN FOLDED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS IN ZONE 300-400 FT WIDE AND 2000 FT LONG. TOTAL MINEABLE GOLD CONTENT IS PROBABLY FROM 75-100 ST. ORE BODY (2) IS SEPARATED BY 60 M OF LOW GRADE TO STERILE MATERIAL FROM (1) AND LIES TO THE EAST OF IT. 180 M BELOW THE SURFACE THE TWO ARE JOINED IN A LOW-GRADE ZONE, THUS (2) IS A BRANCH OF (1).
Deposit RECORD W700697 BY DELILAH J. BEOUGHER HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS ONE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-90 Bliss, James D. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-89 Beougher, Dee (Spanski, Gregory T.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-FEB-92 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUL-92 Venable, Margaret U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-94 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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