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Buckhorn Mine

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. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10271092
MRDS ID W016362
MAS/MILS ID 0320110167
Record type Site
Current site name Buckhorn Mine
Alternate or previous names North Aspen, Barbi Lake Copper Mines, Zeke, Buckhorn, North Buckhorn, South Buckhorn, South Aspen
Related records 10107309, 10310544

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -116.49342, 40.19021 (WGS84)
Elevation 2100
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eureka(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Buckhorn Mine(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)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Eureka

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 027 N 049 E 30 Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Adularia Unknown
Gold Unknown
Kaolinite Unknown
Limonite Unknown
Marcasite Unknown
Montmorillonite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Silver Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) Andesite and basalt flows
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Length 400M
    Width 340M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 BRECCIA FILL
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 FISSURE VEIN
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Date of Last Modification 850814
  • Strike N05W
    Dip 75E
    Length 360M
    Width 230M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 UNKNOWN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin UNKNOWN
    Primary Ore Control UNKNOWN
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 ADV ARGILLIC
    Strike And Dip N05W:75E
    Date of Last Modification 960724

Comments on the geologic information

  • PYRITE IS ARGENTIFEROUS AND AERIFEROUS.
  • COMMENTS ARE FOR THE OXIDE ORE BODY ONLY. BASALTIC ANDESITE FLOWS UNDIFFERENTIATED. BRECCIA IS SILICIFIED. GRAVEL AND CONGLOMERATE ARE TERTIARY.
  • ALL THESE COMMENTS ARE FOR THE OXIDE ORE BODY NOW DEPLETED. GENERAL SIZE OF ORE BODY IS SMALL. SHAPE OF ORE BODY IRREGULAR; PODS. ORE BODY IS ALSO CONTROLLED BY LITHOLOGY. TYPE OF WALL ROCK ALTERATION IS ALSO KAOLINIZATION. PIT AVERAGE DIMENSIONS ARE ESTIMATED. RECORD 1 IS NORTH BUCKHORN. RECORD 2 IS SOUTH BUCKHORN. BUCKHORN MINE CONSISTS OF AT LEAST 2 ORE BODIES. CURRENT PLANS ARE TO OPERATE 2 SEPARATE OPEN PITS, THE NORTH BUCKHORN AND THE SOUTH BUCKHORN. ORE OCCURS WITHIN 60M OF THE SURFACE. ORE IS WITHIN OXIDE AND SULFIDE ZONES. COMPANY PROJECTED MINE LIFE FROM 1984 IS 4 YRS; MILL 7 YRS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1908
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1984
Plant type Leach
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Precipitation

Comments on exploration

  • DISCOVERY METHOD WAS SURFACE PROSPECTING.

Mining district

District name Buckhorn District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cominco Resources International Ltd.
    Interest 76.4
    Home office Nevada
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner
    Owner Hecla Mining Co. (Purcheased Form Equinox Resources Ltd)
    ID 2600785
    Interest 23.6
    Home office Idaho
    Year 1993
    First year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Equinox Resources Ltd. (Sold To Helca Mining Co., 1994.
    ID 2600785
    Interest 23.6
    Home office Canada
    Year 1994
    Last year 1994
  • Type Owner
    Owner Royal Gold Inc.
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1996

Production statistics

  • Year 1991
    Description Ag 73000 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Silver Silver 2270554.11g
  • Year 1991
    Description Au 21000 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 653173.1g

Comments on the production information

  • PAST PRODUCTION--OPERATIONS THROUGH 1950 YIELDED ABOUT 1200 KG AU AND 10,000 KG AG. ANNUAL PRODUCTION IS 934 KG AU; 8400 KG AG. 1988 PROD. = 38,000 OZ. AU. 1989 PROD. = 28,900 OZ AU FROM 731,000 MT ORE LEACHED. 1989 RESERVE = ONLY 43,000 CONT.OZ. AU.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1983
    Total resources 4530000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 19.99 g/mt Silver Major 1983
    Gold Au 1.5099 g/mt Gold Major 1983
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 997900mt ore
    Total resources 997900mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 5.64 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Gold Au 3.77 g/mt Gold Major 1996

Comments on the workings information

  • TAILS ARE FROM MINING OPERATIONS BETWEEN 1912 AND 1937, AND CONSIST OF 80% CYANIDATION TAILS (-150 MESH); THE REST ARE FLOTATION TAILS. HEAP MATERIAL CONSISTS OF ALTERED BASALT CONGLOMERATE CRUSHED TO -2 IN. AND AGGLOM. WITH 10 LB/T CEMENT AND LIME. TOTAL WATER USAGE SHOWN IS MAXIMUM.

Comments on other economic factors

  • MILL IS NO LONGER IN OPERATION, CLOSED 1991-1993. THE MILL IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT ON SITE. THE MILLING METHOD IS AGGOLMERATION, CYANIDE HEAP LEACH, MERRILL-CROWE ZINC PRECIP., SMELTING. PROCESS RATE IS 680,000 MT/A.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Ownership

    ROYAL GOLD INCORPORATED 1995 ANNUAL REPORT. P6.

  • Reserve-Resource

    WALLACE (ID) MINER, COMINCO WILL WORK BUCKHORN GOLD, BIDS

  • Reserve-Resource

    FOR YERINGTON, NOV. 1982, P45.

  • Reserve-Resource

    RANDOL, MINING DIRECTORY, 1996/1997, U.S. MINES AND MINING

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMPANIES, P233, "BUCKHORN".

  • Deposit

    ELEVATORSKI, E. A. DISSEMINATED/REPLACEMENT GOLD

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS. MINOBRAS, 1981, 114 PP.

  • Deposit

    ELKO (NV) DAILY FREE PRESS. $12 MILLION GOLD PROJECT

  • Deposit

    ANNOUNCED AT BUCKHORN. SEPT. 19, 1983, P. 12. 136.

  • Deposit

    EMMONS, W. H., AND G. H. GARREY. NOTES ON THE MANHATTAN

  • Deposit

    DISTRICT. PAPER IN PRELIMINARY ACCOUNT OF GOLDFIELD,

  • Deposit

    BULLFROG, AND THEIR DISTRICTS IN SOUTHEAST NEVADA. U.S.

  • Deposit

    GEOL. SURV. BULL. 303, 1907, PP. 83-93.

  • Deposit

    MONROE, S. C. GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE

  • Deposit

    BUCKHORN MINE, EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA. ABSTR. NO. 33,495 IN

  • Deposit

    ABSTRACTS WITH PROGRAMS, 1984. 97TH ANNU. MEETING, GEOL.

  • Deposit

    SOC. AM., NOV. 5-8, 1984, RENO, NV, P. 599.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1990, P. 35.

  • Deposit

    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

    ROBERTS, R. J., A. S. RADTKE, R. R. COATS, M. L.

  • Deposit

    SILBERMAN, AND E. H. MCKEE. GOLD BEARING DEPOSITS IN

  • Deposit

    NORTH-CENTRAL NEVADA AND SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO. ECON. GEOL.

  • Deposit

    AND BULL. SOC. ECON. GEOL., V. 66, NO. 1, 1971,

  • Deposit

    PP. 14-33.

  • Deposit

    SPOKESMAN-REVIEW (SPOKANE, WA). NERCO BUYS HALF OF

  • Deposit

    TAYLOR MINE. APR. 3, 1984, PP. C5.

  • Deposit

    WELLS, J. D., AND J. E. ELLIOTT. PRELIMINARY

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGIC AND GEOCHEMICAL MAPS OF THE BUCKHORN MINE AREA,

  • Deposit

    EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN FILE

  • Deposit

    REPORT 69-315, 1969, 43 PP.

  • Deposit

    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

    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

    WELLS, J. D., AND M. L. SILBERMAN. K-AR AGE OF

  • Deposit

    MINERALIZATION AT BUCKHORN, EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA.

  • Deposit

    ISOCHRON/WEST, NO. 8, 1973, P. 37.

  • Deposit

    WENATCHEE (WA) WORLD. GOLD IN NEVADA.

  • Deposit

    SEPTEMBER 9, 1983, P. 17.

  • Deposit

    WESTERN MINING LETTER (BISBEE, AZ). COMINCO'S

  • Deposit

    BUCKHORN GOLD MINE SET TO COME ON LINE IN EARLY 1984.

  • Deposit

    NUMBER 12, NOV. 7, 1982, P. 3.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING (SAN FRANCSICO) WHAT'S GOING ON IN

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING - UNITED STATES: NEVADA. V. 34, NO. 5, 1981,

  • Deposit

    P. 92.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SULFIDE ORE ONLY. HEAP LEACH OPERATION, CEASED, 1993. MINING CEASED IN 1991, OXIDE ORE BODY DEPLETED. SULFIDE ORE BODY REMAINS BELOW. 997,900 MT SULFIDE ORE @ 3.77 G/MT AU IS KNOWN BELOW MINED OUT PITS. RECLAMATION OF MINE SHOULD CONTINUE THORUGH 1994, OPEN PITS, WASTE DUMPS AND HAUL ROADS HAS BEEN COMPLETED. GENERAL LOCATION IS ABOUT 90 KM SW OF CARLIN.
Environmental Factors AU/AG GRADES IN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITY TABLE ARE MAXIMUM.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 16-DEC-96 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 10/20/1998
MSHA mine ID2600785
Mine name (MSHA)BUCKHORN MINE
Current operatorCominco American Resources Inc
Current controller (parent)Teck Resources 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

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.