Mill Canyon Property

Past Producer in Eureka county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Arsenic

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Public Land Survey System information
Commodities
Materials information
Alteration
Mineral occurrence model information
Host and associated rocks
Nearby scientific data
Geologic structures
Ore body information
Controls for ore emplacement
Economic information about the deposit and operations
Mining district
Land status
Ownership information
Bibliographic references
General comments
Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID	10310460
MRDS ID	M232249
Record type	Site
Current site name	Mill Canyon Property
Alternate or previous names	Emma E. Claim, Mill Canyon Mine, Chute, Open Cut target, Scorpion King target
Related records	10044686, 10047015, 10310318

Comments on the site identification

The current Mill Canyon project encompasses the area of the historic Mill Canyon Mine (Emma E. Claim), record M232249, and includes some material from that record.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-116.56342, 40.15991 (WGS84)
Elevation	2130
Relative position	The Mill Canyon property is located about 50 km south of Beowawe.

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
United States	Nevada	Lander

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian	Township	Range	Section	Fraction	State
Mount Diablo	027N	048E	21 28 33		Nevada

Comments on the location information

The Mill Canyon property is located 1.6 kilometres east of Placer Dome's Cortez Hills gold discovery, near the crest of the Cortez Hills. UTM is to the smaller but higher grade orebody that had some small historic production. A larger, lower grade orebody, the Chute, has been identified on the property about a kilometer to the southeast.

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Gold	Primary
Silver	Secondary
Lead	Tertiary
Zinc Critical	Tertiary
Copper	Tertiary
Iron	Tertiary
Manganese Critical	Tertiary
Arsenic Critical	Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

Ore Materials: gold, tetrahedrite, galena, pyrite, argentite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite in old Emma Mine mine ore
Gangue Materials: gangue of iron and manganese oxides and calcite, quartz. Arsenopyrite was reported in the gold ore with calcite, realgar, orpiment, stibnite, quartz and pyrite.

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Gold	Ore
Tetrahedrite	Ore
Galena	Ore
Pyrite	Ore
Argentite	Ore
Sphalerite	Ore
Chalcopyrite	Ore
Arsenopyrite	Ore
Realgar	Ore
Orpiment	Ore
Stibnite	Ore
Quartz	Ore
Pyrite	Ore
Calcite	Gangue

Alteration

(Local) silicification and bleaching of carbonate rock near fissure veins

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code	85
USGS model code	22c
Deposit model name	Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number	46
Model code	64
USGS model code	18f
Deposit model name	Skarn Au
Mark3 model number	82
Model code	172
USGS model code	26a
Deposit model name	Carbonate-hosted Au-Ag
Mark3 model number	15

Host and associated rocks

Host or associated Host

Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Stratigraphic age (youngest) Ordovician
Host or associated Host

Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Rock unit name Wenban Limestone

Stratigraphic age (youngest) Devonian

Host or associated

Associated

Rock type

Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite

Rock unit name

Mill Canyon Stock

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Oligocene

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-116.56342, 40.15991	ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure	Regional
Structure description	Roberts Mountains Thrust; Cortez Window
Type of structure	Local
Structure description	North-trending shear zones

Ore body information

General form tabular

General form	tabular

Controls for ore emplacement

Generally north-trending shear zones were invaded by hydrothemal ore fluids.

Comments on the geologic information

Generally north-trending shear zones were invaded by hydrothemal ore fluids.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type	Surface-Underground
Development status	Past Producer
Commodity type	Metallic
Deposit size	Small
Significant	Yes
Discovery year	1938
Year of first production	1938
Year of last production	1940

Mining district

District name	Cortez District

Land status

Ownership category	BLM Administrative Area
Area name	Battle Mountain BLM Administrative District

Ownership information

Type Owner

Owner Victoria Resource Corp. & Bema Gold

Year 2004
Type Operator

Owner Victoria Resource Corp.

Year 2004

Type	Owner
Owner	Victoria Resource Corp. & Bema Gold
Year	2004

Type	Operator
Owner	Victoria Resource Corp.
Year	2004

Comments on the workings information

old underground workings, recent surface exploration work

Comments on other economic factors

In 2004 reserves for an unnamed gold skarn resource at the Mill Canyon project were reported at 75 kilotonnes of ore grading 0.917 opt gold. At the same time, reserves for the Chute orebody located about a kilometer to the southeast were reported at 240 kilotonnes of ore grading 0.132 opt Au. Total reserves for the Mill Canyon project in 2004 were 100,455 contained ounces of gold.
There was a small amount of production from the Mill Canyon historic mine in the 1900s-1930s. From 1938-40 there was reported production of 23,375 tons of ore valued at $386,949. From 1939-40 the mine produced 19,528 tons of ore containing 8,822 ounces of gold and 30,260 ounces of silver.

Comments on development

Victoria Resource Corp. acquired the Mill Canyon property along with the Hilltop-Slaven and Preble-Prinson properties from Newmont early in 2003. Victoria planned a drilling project on the Mill Canyon property which is adjacent to the old Cortez and Horse Canyon Mines and 1.6 kilometres east of Placer Dome's recently announced 5.5 million ounce Cortez Hills gold discovery. Drlling was planned to test the northwest extension of the "Horse Canyon Corridor" which hosts the Horse Canyon mine and other active exploration drilling areas to the southeast. Victoria plans to commence a drill program at Mill Canyon in the fall of 2003 pending the receipt of drill permits. In Jan. 2004, Victoria Resource Corporation announced initial diamond drill results from the Mill Canyon Property in Nevada.
2004 drilling at the Mill Canyon Project concentrated on the Open Cut target which is believed to be in a structurally similar environment to the Cortez Mine and the Cortez Hills discovery. A total of 5 holes totaling 935 metres have been drilled to date and assay results have been received from 3 of the 5 holes. Hole OC-5 encountered four separate intercepts of "Carlin Style" gold mineralization which are: 3.1 metres of 26.38 grams per tonne gold (g/t), 8.8 metres of 16.83 g/t gold, 26.2 metres of 3.82 g/t gold and 17.4 metres of 3.60 g/t gold.
A second drill has drilled 2 holes totaling 589 metres at the Scorpion King target located 2 kilometers northwest of Open Cut. No significant results have been received to date and the drill will move to the Open Cut target as soon as the planned holes at Scorpion King are completed.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Deposit

Bentz, J., Bonham, H., Tingley, J.V., Smith, P., 1982, Field Examination Report, 7/82.
Deposit

Bonham, H.F., 1988, in NBMG MI-1987.
Deposit

Bonham, H.F., 1986, NBMG Map 91.
Deposit

NBMG Mining District File 109, Numerous Clippings.
Deposit

Foo, S.T., and Hebert, J. P., 1987, Geology of the Horse Canyon Deposit, Eureka County, Nevada, in Johnson, J. L., Ed., Guidebook for Field Trips, Bulk Mineable Precious Metal Deposits of the Western United States, Geological Society of Nevada Symposium, April 6-8, 1988, Reno, Nevada. p. 326-332
Deposit

Roberts R. J., et al., 1967, Geology and Mineral Resources of Eureka Co., NBMG Bull 64
Deposit

USBM (Winnemucca) MILS No. 41, Ref. No. 3201100019, Mineral Property File 37.053
Deposit

Vanderburg W.O., 1938, Reconnaissance of Mining Districts in Eureka Co. Nev., USBM I.C. 7022
Deposit

Gilluly J. & Masursky H. (1965) Geology Of The Cortez Quadrangle Nev., USGS Bull 1175.
Deposit

Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 p., one 3.5 inch diskette
Deposit

Unpublished report by Cortez Gold Mines, 1983.
Deposit

McCormack, John K., 1991, written communication.

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	The old Mill Canyon Mine (Emma E. claim) was developed on polymetallic sulfide-bearing fissure veins in north-trending shear zones. The current target is disseminated gold hosted by Wenban limestone. In 2003, Victoria reported that mapping had delineated four major, northwesterly striking, gold-bearing structural systems, which occur in the NW, N-S, WNW and NNE structural systems. Several major intersecting zones, which are currently the focus of the second phase sampling, occur within the belt. These intersection zones carry the higher grades of up to 104 g/T gold in Victoria's geochemical sampling. Some of the existing targets, inherited from previous holders of the property are located within these intersection zones as well. The intersection zones mapped to date plunge southeasterly in areas not yet evaluated by previous drilling. Victoria plans to establish the geometry of these intersection zones to test some of the older, yet viable targets such as Open Cut with surface channel sampling of 83.20 metres at a grade of 8.9 g/T. The Company will also assess the volume potential before drilling. Located approximately 3 km northwest of Open Cut, step-out drilling from previous mining company intercepts of 1.52 metres at 97.98 g/T, and 7.62 metres at 6.47 g/T in skarn zones that were cut by two drill holes 200 metres apart, will also be a focus for future drilling. Victoria's work indicates that the adjacent Cortez Hills and Cortez Mine deposits ore bodies were down-dropped steeply to the west from the Mill Canyon property. Victoria is currently working on restoring their original, pre, post-mineral fault positions with respect to the Mill Canyon structural systems to enhance prioritization of structural targets for driling.

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

The old Mill Canyon Mine (Emma E. claim) was developed on polymetallic sulfide-bearing fissure veins in north-trending shear zones. The current target is disseminated gold hosted by Wenban limestone. In 2003, Victoria reported that mapping had delineated four major, northwesterly striking, gold-bearing structural systems, which occur in the NW, N-S, WNW and NNE structural systems. Several major intersecting zones, which are currently the focus of the second phase sampling, occur within the belt. These intersection zones carry the higher grades of up to 104 g/T gold in Victoria's geochemical sampling. Some of the existing targets, inherited from previous holders of the property are located within these intersection zones as well. The intersection zones mapped to date plunge southeasterly in areas not yet evaluated by previous drilling. Victoria plans to establish the geometry of these intersection zones to test some of the older, yet viable targets such as Open Cut with surface channel sampling of 83.20 metres at a grade of 8.9 g/T. The Company will also assess the volume potential before drilling. Located approximately 3 km northwest of Open Cut, step-out drilling from previous mining company intercepts of 1.52 metres at 97.98 g/T, and 7.62 metres at 6.47 g/T in skarn zones that were cut by two drill holes 200 metres apart, will also be a focus for future drilling.
Victoria's work indicates that the adjacent Cortez Hills and Cortez Mine deposits ore bodies were down-dropped steeply to the west from the Mill Canyon property. Victoria is currently working on restoring their original, pre, post-mineral fault positions with respect to the Mill Canyon structural systems to enhance prioritization of structural targets for driling.

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	01-JUL-2004	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

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