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Horse Canyon Pit Cortez Complex

Plant in Eureka county in Nevada, 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. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10246495
MRDS ID M242255
MAS/MILS ID 0320110228
Record type Site
Current site name Horse Canyon Pit Cortez Complex
Alternate or previous names Horse Canyon, Cortez Mine 0320150509, Cortez Mill 0320159011, Gold Acres 0320150008
Related records 10047015, 10310318

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -116.54672, 40.14711 (WGS84)
Elevation 2530
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eureka(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Cortez(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Crescent Valley(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Pine(hydrologic unit)

Humboldt(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management NV)

Bureau of Land Management NV BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Eureka

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 026 N 047 E 03 Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Barite Unknown
Clay Unknown
Gold Unknown
Iron Oxides-Hydrated Unknown
Jarosite Unknown
Jasper Unknown
Quartz Unknown

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 BLEACHING
    Date of Last Modification 850830
  • Area 400HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 400
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1981
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Ion Exchange-Electrowin
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Precipitation

Mining district

District name Cortez Mountains

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim
Type of mineral rights Minerals Only
Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Placer Dome Us Inc. (Sub Of Placer Dome Ltd.)
    Interest 60
    Home office California
    Year 1989
    First year 1989
  • Type Owner
    Owner Kennecott Minerals Co. (Sub Of Rtz Corp.)
    Interest 40
    Home office Utah
    Year 1989
    First year 1989
  • Type Operator
    Owner Cortez Gold Mines Jv
    Home office Nevada
    Year 1996
    First year 1989
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cortez Gold Mines
    Year 1991
    First year 1991

Comments on the ownership information

  • JV OWNERS: PLACER DOME U.S./ KENNECOTT CORP./ VERNON TAYLOR,JR. CORTEZ JOINT VENTURE COMPRISED OF PLACER AMEX, INC. MANAGING PARTNER, KENNECOTT, AND VERNON F. TAYLOR JR.

Production statistics

  • Year 1983
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Dore Buttons;Estimated 1200 Kg Au/Yr 6000 Kg Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1200000g

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Total resources 3121000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.89 g/mt Gold Major 1982

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • TONNAGE AND GRADE INCLUDE 5% DILUTION
  • SEE BIBLI REF. FUTURE DATA WILL BE IN CORTEZ MINE FILE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 240HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .6
    Percent Waste Rock 75.1
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 31
    Primary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 6
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 26
    Capacity 2540
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 400
    Unit Production Cost 11.97
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1984

Comments on other economic factors

  • MINE EQUIPMENT IS LEASED; MILL EQUIPMENT APPROXIMATELY 14 YRS OLD.
  • PORTION OF MINE COSTS ARE FOR CORTEZ DUMP ORE, PERHAPS $1.00 T.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    564. PLACER DEVELOPMENT LTD. ANNUAL REPORT, FORM 10-K,

  • Reserve-Resource

    FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1982. SECURITIES AND

  • Reserve-Resource

    EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 1983, 67 PP.

  • Reserve-Resource

    169. ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL. THIS MONTH IN

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING: NEVADA. V. 184, NO. 6, 1983, PP. 45, 119.

  • Deposit

    27. BAGBY, W. C. SEDIMENT-HOSTED DISSEMINATED GOLD

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS IN NEVADA: A REVIEW OF THEIR GEOLOGIC

  • Deposit

    CHARACTERISITCS. ABSTR. NO. 33,496 IN ABSTRACTS WITH

  • Deposit

    PROGRAMS, 1984. 97TH ANNU. MEETING, GEOL. SOC. AM.,

  • Deposit

    NOVEMBER. 5-8, 1984, RENO, NV, P. 434.

  • Deposit

    84. CHENDER, M. (ED.). GOLD PROJECTS IN THE UNITED

  • Deposit

    STATES: A MINE- SEARCH REPORT. MET. ECON. GROUP, BOULDER,

  • Deposit

    CO, 1983, 142 PP.

  • Deposit

    90. CLISBY, H. NEVADA'A PRECIOUS METALS PICTURE LOOKING

  • Deposit

    BETTER ALL THE TIME. BIG SKY PAYDIRT (BISBEE, AZ),

  • Deposit

    NO. 36, SEPT. 1983, PP. 21A- 25A.

  • Deposit

    100. CORTEZ GOLD MINES. UNTITLED COMPANY REPORT

  • Deposit

    DESCRIBING ITS CORTEZ MINING DISTRICT OPERATIONS.

  • Deposit

    SEPT. 1983, 6 PP.

  • Deposit

    170. ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL. THIS MONTH IN

  • Deposit

    MINING: CORTEZ GOLD MINES. V. 184, NO. 6, 1983, P. 119.

  • Deposit

    219. GILLULY, J., AND H. MASURSKY. GEOLOGY OF THE CORTEZ

  • Deposit

    QUADRANGLE, NEVADA. UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

  • Deposit

    BULLETIN 1175, 1965, 117 PP.

  • Deposit

    426. MINING ACTIVITY DIGEST. U.S. MINE/PLANT ACTIVITY -

  • Deposit

    NEVADA: PLACER AMEX, INC. ENG. AND MIN. J. INT.

  • Deposit

    DIRECTORY, V. 9, NO. 8, 1983, P. 4.

  • Deposit

    513. NEW MEXICO PAYDIRT (BISBEE, AZ). OF MINES AND MEN.

  • Deposit

    NO. 75, AUG. 1983, P. 8A.

  • Deposit

    593. ROBERTS, R. J., K. M. MONTGOMERY, AND R. E. LEHNER.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA. NV

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULL. 64, 1967, 152 PP.

  • Deposit

    692. STEVENS, D. L. AND R. B. HAWKINS. A COMPARISON OF

  • Deposit

    THE GOLD MINERALIZATION AT JERRITT CANYON, NEVADA, WITH

  • Deposit

    OTHER DISSEMINATED GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE BASIN AND RANGE

  • Deposit

    REGION. PRES. AT AIME CIRCUMPACIFIC ENERGY AND MINER.

  • Deposit

    RESOUR. CONF., HONOLULU, HA, AUG. 1982, 13 PP.

  • Deposit

    780. WELLS, J. D., AND J. E. ELLIOTT. GEOCHEMICAL

  • Deposit

    RECONNAISSANCE OF THE CORTEZ-BUCKHORN AREA, SOUTHERN CORTEZ

  • Deposit

    MOUNTAINS, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. BULL. 1312P, 1971, 18

  • Deposit

    PP.

  • Deposit

    781. WELLS, J. D., J. E. ELLIOTT, AND J. D. OBRADOVICH.

  • Deposit

    AGE OF THE IGNEOUS ROCKS ASSOCIATED WITH ORE DEPOSITS,

  • Deposit

    CORTEZ-BUCKHORN AREA, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF.

  • Deposit

    PAPER 750-C, 1971, PP. C127-C135.

  • Deposit

    785. WESTERN MINER (VANCOUVER, BC). ALIVE IN THE WEST:

  • Deposit

    CANADIAN EXPLORATION AND MINING; WIDE-RANGING INTERESTS OF

  • Deposit

    PLACER DEVELOPMENT. V. 57, NO. 4, APR. 1984, PP.9-12.

  • Deposit

    NEV. DIV. MINE INSPECTION, 1991, DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE

  • Deposit

    OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1990, P. 40.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit GENERAL LOCATION: ABOUT 100 KM SW OF ELKO GENERAL SIZE OF ORE BODY: SMALL MILL: CORTEZ MILL 22 KM FROM MINE,ACTIVE, AGGITATED CYANIDE LEACH, (CIL-CARBON IN BACK), PRESSURE STRIPPING, ELECTROLYSIS -STEEL WOOL, SMELTING,1800 T/D CAPACITY. PRODUCTION: MINE PRODUCES APPROX. 66000 T/A ORE @ 3:1 (WASTE TO ORE RATIO). THIS IS PART OF THE CORTEZ MINING COMPLEX WHICH IS COMPOSED OF THIS OP PLUS THE GOLD ACRES PIT (0320150008), CORTEZ MINE (0320150509) THE CORTEZ MILL (0320159011) & CRESENT PIT. PEFR RECEIVED MARCH,1985 FOR HORSE CANYON AND PEFR REVIEWED-- HOWEVER, INFO. IS NOW VERY DATED. PROD./RES./PLANNING DATA IS UNDER SEQ.NO. 0320150509.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 26-JUN-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.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Nevada resources

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