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Ortiz Project

Plant in Santa Fe county in New Mexico, United States with commodities Gold, Silver
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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. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10175204
MRDS ID D007829
MAS/MILS ID 0350490027
Record type Site
Current site name Ortiz Project
Alternate or previous names Ortiz Open Pit Gold Mine, Ortiz Mine, Dolores Mine, Cunningham Mine

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -106.13617, 35.33866 (WGS84)
Elevation 2125
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Santa Fe(county)

New Mexico(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Golden(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Albuquerque(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Albuquerque(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Rio Grande-Santa Fe(hydrologic unit)

Rio Grande-Elephant Butte(hydrologic accounting unit)

Rio Grande-Elephant Butte(hydrologic subregion)

Rio Grande(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States New Mexico Santa Fe

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 013 N 008 E 24 New Mexico

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Calcite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Gold Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Limonite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Scheelite Unknown
Silver Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -106.13617, 35.33866
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 100M
    Length 210M
    Width 120M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 BRECCIA FILL
    Shape of Orebody #1 PIPELIKE
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SERICITIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 INTERM ARGILLIC
    Reclaimed Surface Area (HA) 90
    Date of Last Modification 970106

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE ORTIZ OREBODY IS AN INTENSELY BRECCIATED MINERALIZED QUARTZITE CONTAINING DISSEMINATED PARTICLES OF GOLD. THE GOLD OCCURS AS FREE PARTICLES OF NATIVE GOLD THROUGHOUT THE DEPOSIT.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1833
Mining method Combined Methods
Year of first production 1980
Plant type Leach
Milling method Heap Leach-Electrowin

Comments on exploration

  • EXPLORATION IN NEARBY AREA DURING 1989/1990 COULD RESULT IN NEW OPERATION.

Mining district

District name Old Placers

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Private Lease
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Barrick Gold Corp. (American Barrick Resources Corp.)
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1996
    First year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner American Barrick Resources Corp.
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1996
    First year 1994
    Last year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Lac Minerals (Usa) Inc.
    ID 2901314
    Interest 100
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1996
    Last year 1994
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Goldfields Mining Corp.
    Interest 100
    Home office New York
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description 1980 Production Not Reported Mt Ore
  • Year 1981
    Description 1308 Kg Au, 244 Kg Ag 706400 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 244000g
    Major Gold Gold 1308000g
  • Year 1982
    Description 1560 Kg Au, 261 Kg Ag 753000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 261000g
    Major Gold Gold 1560000g
  • Year 1983
    Description 1,490 Kg Au, Ag Not Reported 804800 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1490000g
  • Year 1984
    Description 2,330 Kg Au, Ag Not Reported 805200 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2330000g
  • Year 1985
    Description 1,131 Kg Au, 238 Kg Ag 830100 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 238000g
    Major Gold Gold 1131000g
  • Year 1986
    Description 952 Kg Au, 239 Kg Ag 751500 Mt Ore Mine Closed 12/86
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 239000g
    Major Gold Gold 952000g
  • Year 1987
    Description 28 Kg Au, Plant Closed Feb 1987
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 28000g

Comments on the production information

  • THE ORTIZ OREBODY IS AN INTENSELY BRECCIATED MINERALIZED QUARTZITE CONTAINING DISSEMINATED PARTICLES OF GOLD. THE GOLD OCCURS AS FREE PARTICLES OF NATIVE GOLD THROUGHOUT THE DEPOSIT. PRODUCTION DATA FROM BU MINES PRODUCTION STATISTICS 1981-86. COMPANY PROVIDED AU PRODUCTION IN 1987. MINE PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN DEC 1986 - ORE RESERVES EXHAUSTED. LEACH PLANT PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN FEB 1987. SOME GOLD PRODUCTION WAS REPORTED BY AU COMD SPEC IN 1995.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1983
    Measured 7100000mt ore
    Demonstrated 7100000mt ore
    Total resources 7100000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.82 g/mt Gold Major 1983
    Silver Ag 0.2999 g/mt Silver Minor 1983
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Measured 1900000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1900000mt ore
    Total resources 1900000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.51 g/mt Gold Major 1982
    Silver Ag 0.085 g/mt Silver Minor 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 35834000mt ore
    Total resources 35834000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.51 g/mt Gold Major 1996

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    LINQUIST, W. F. EXPLORATION OF THE ORTIZ GOLD DEPOSIT

  • Geology

    NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY AND EXPLORATION. COLORADO MINING

  • Geology

    ASSOCIATION 1980 MINING YEARBOOK, PP. 106-111.

  • Geology

    SPRINGETT, MARK. EXPLORATION OF ORTIZ GOLD DEPOSIT, NEW

  • Geology

    MEXICO - SAMPLING AND ORE RESERVES. COLORADO MINING

  • Geology

    ASSOCIATION 1980 MINING YEARBOOK, PP. 112-120.

  • Production

    HICKSON, ROBIN J. HEAP LEACHING PRACTICES AT ORTIZ GOLD

  • Production

    MINE, SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO. CHAP 18 IN INTERFACING

  • Production

    TECHNOLOGIES IN SOLUTION MINING, AIME PUB, 1982,

  • Production

    PP. 209-222.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL. ORTIZ, GOLD FIELDS' NEW

  • Reserve-Resource

    WORLD GOLD MINE. SEPTEMBER 1983, P. 59.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINE, SANTA FE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO. CH. 18 IN INTERFACING

  • Reserve-Resource

    TECHNOLOGIES IN SOLUTION MINING, AIME PUBLICATION, 1982,

  • Reserve-Resource

    PP. 212-3.

  • Reserve-Resource

    RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1996/97, U.S. MINES & MINING

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMPANIES, P285.

  • Workings

    WORLD GOLD MINE. SEP. 1983, PP. 58-63.

  • Deposit

    NMBM FILE DATA 1980

  • Deposit

    ATKINSON 1961 NMBM BULL 77 PLATE 1

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 2-93, P.24.

  • Deposit

    METALS ECONOMICS GROUP, WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITIES IN LATE-

  • Deposit

    STAGE GOLD PROJECTS, V. 1, 2/92, P. 51. (CONSULTANT STUDY)

  • Deposit

    RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1994/95, U.S. MINES & MINING

  • Deposit

    COMPANIES, P366.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SHUT DOWN IN 1988. RENEWED EXPLORATION ACTIVITY HAS RESTORED OPERATION TO AN ACTIVITY EXPLORATION/DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-FEB-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 04/13/1987
MSHA mine ID2901314
Mine name (MSHA)Ortiz Mine
Current operatorGold Fields Operating Company
Current controller (parent)Consolidated Gold Fields Limited
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

External references

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