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Santa Fe Gold Project

Producer in Mineral county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Arsenic, Antimony, Lead, Zinc, Mercury, Thallium, Molybdenum, Copper, Barium-Barite, Tungsten
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10310379
MRDS ID M242955
Record type Site
Current site name Santa Fe Gold Project
Alternate or previous names Calvada Mine Area, Santa Fe Mine
Related records 10047580

Comments on the site identification

  • All pertinent material has been incorporated from individual MRDS records for the patented claims that make up the current project: M242955; M035627

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -118.14345, 38.59436 (WGS84)
Elevation 1830
Relative position The Santa Fe Gold Project is located just south of NV Highway 361, northeast of the town of Luning.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Mineral(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Luning(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Walker Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Walker Lake(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Fish Lake-Soda Spring Valleys(hydrologic unit)

Central Nevada Desert Basins(hydrologic accounting unit)

Central Nevada Desert Basins(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 Mineral

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 009N 034E 36 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The Santa Fe Gold Project is located on the east flank of Todd Mountain, in the southern part of the Gabbs Valley Range. just south of Highway 361, NE of Luning.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Arsenic Critical Secondary
Antimony Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Mercury Tertiary
Thallium Tertiary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Tungsten Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Commodity Info: Overall Ag:Au ratio is approx. 5:1.
  • Ore Materials: micron to sub-micron grains of electrum in pyrite; freibergite, stibioenargite, miargyrite, twinnite, heteromorphite, boulangerite, zinckenite, chalcopyrite, scheelite, sphalerite, galena
  • Gangue Materials: quartz, pyrite, marcasite, jasper, chalcedony, carbonaceous material, sericite, kaolinite, stibnite, hematite, barite, calcite, limonite, realgar,

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Electrum Ore
Pyrite Ore
Freibergite Ore
Miargyrite Ore
Twinnite Ore
Heteromorphite Ore
Boulangerite Ore
Zinkenite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Scheelite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Galena Ore
Quartz Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Marcasite Gangue
Jasper Gangue
Chalcedony Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Stibnite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Realgar Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Argillization, decalcification, silicification, carbonaceous alteration, propylitization are the dominant styles of alteration present.. Stearns (1982) proposes 3 separate pulses of hydrothermal alteration within the Santa Fe Fault zone. These events are 1) early quartz-sericite-kaolinite alternation known as "white breccia clasts", 2) main stage carbonaceous, jasperoid, and stockwork veining, and 3) late stage hydrothermal leaching. Au-Ag deposition is associated with the second (main) event. Jasperoids are commonly very pyritic.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 173
USGS model code 26a.1
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Au
Mark3 model number 17

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Luning formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
    Rock unit name Luning formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock
    Rock type qualifier jasperoid
    Rock unit name Luning formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock unit name Todd Mountain Stock
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Chronological age 70
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
    Rock unit name Mickey Pass Tuff
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Rock unit name .

Nearby scientific data

(1) -118.14345, 38.59436
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Walker Lane
Type of structure Local
Structure description The Santa Fe Fault forms the contact between the Luning Formation and Mickey Pass Tuff and consists of a breccia zone up to 125 meters wide.

Ore body information

  • General form tabular

Controls for ore emplacement

  • The Santa Fe Fault zone controls both hydrothermal alteration and Au-Ag deposition. Au mineralization is entirely hosted by the Triassic Luning Formation along the Santa Fe Fault at its intersection with the calvada fault. All the significant gold concentrations occur where the Luning has been fractured along the trends of the main faults. Mineralization is associated with either jasperoid or breccia zones of various kinds.

Comments on the geologic information

  • Mineralization was Miocene 19.5+/- 0.6 Ma? from K-Ar date in replacement alunite in Guild Mine member of Mickey Pass Tuff, 5 miles NE of Santa Fe Mine. The relevance of this date to the Santa Fe Mine is questioned by Albino (1992).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1960
Discoverer G.B. Gaylord i
Year of first production 1988
Year of last production 1995
Production years 1988-1995

Mining district

District name Santa Fe mining district

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Barrick Gold Corp.
    Year 2005

Comments on the workings information

  • The mine was developed as an open pit/heap leach operation. was pit developed to a depth of 140 feep as of June 1990.

Comments on other economic factors

  • In 1990 the reported resource was 6.8 million tons grading 0.035 ounces of gold per ton and 0.241 ounces of silver per ton.
    Santa Fe gold mine production from 1989 to 1995 was 345,499 ounces of gold and 710,629 ounces of silver.

Comments on development

  • The claims were first staked by n the early 1960s. Cordero Mining Co. completed a geological and geochemical sampling program in the early 1960s. Callahan Mining completed a 3300 ft. EM survey in 1968. The property was optioned to Bell Mountain Silver Mines in 1971, and two diamond drill holes were completed. In 1973, the property was optioned to Westley Mines, Ltd., who optioned the property to Bethlehem Mines in 1974. Bethlehem Copper completed an extensive exploration program. In 1978, Inco optioned the property from Westley and drilled one hole. In 1979, Ventures West Mineral Ltd. optioned the property from Westley. Ventures West Mineral Ltd. purchased Westley Mines Ltd. in 1981. Corona's involvement at Santa Fe dates from October 1983, when Lacana Gold Inc., one of Corona's predecessor companies, entered into a JV agreement with Westley and Brican Resources to explore the property. A feasibility study was completed in late 1985, which did not lead to a production decision. In mid-1986, Lacana purchased Westley's and Brican's interests. Further drilling and metallurgical studies by Lacana were incorporated into a new feasibility study which led to a production decision in December 1987. Construction began in February 1988 and the first gold was poured August 18, 1988. The mijne operated until 1995. Homestake Mining owned it in the late 1990s and Barrick Gold acquired the Santa Fe gold property in its takeover of Homestake.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Strike and dip are for the breccia associated with the Santa Fe Fault zone. Plunge is for the main jasperoid which forms a pipe-like body approx. 120 meters in diameter within the Santa Fe Fault zone. Low grade Au/Ag mineralization occurs in sheeted and pipe-like orebodies within a 50 to 400- foot wide, steeply dipping fault breccia in carbonate rocks. Sulfide mineralization present in volcanics at 300 ft. depth, but not considered reserves. Disseminated, epithermal, replacement in breccia fill.
Stibnite in jasperoid seems to be a good indicator of high grade gold. Very limited microprobe data suggest that gold may be in solid solution in pyrite. Au and/or Au-Ag tellurides may be present. Overall Ag:Au ratio is approx. 5:1. Rare chalcopyrite and scheelite are present

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-2006 LaPointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Editor 01-SEP-2007 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey Converted from S&A FileMaker format to Oracle. Edit checks on rocks, units, and ages with Geolex search, and other fields.

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.