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Dixie Comstock Mine

Producer in Churchill county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead
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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. Production statistics
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. General comments
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10310498
MRDS ID M233112
Record type Site
Current site name Dixie Comstock Mine

Comments on the site identification

  • All material from MRDS record M233112 has been copied to this record and updated. This record should supersede record M233112.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -118.01745, 39.8658 (WGS84)
Elevation 1080
Relative position 40 miles NNE of Frenchman in the SE part of the Stillwater Range NE of Fallon. Lat/long is for center of 3 shafts on topo sheet.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Churchill(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Dixie Hot Springs(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Carson Sink(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Reno(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Dixie Valley(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 Churchill

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 023N 035E 14 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The deposit is located on the west side of Dixie Valley in the eastern foothills of the Stillwater Range. Part of the deposit may extend into part of Section 15. UTM is to the center of a proposed open pit which would encompass the historic workings.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: electrum; native silver; copper and lead sulfides
  • Gangue Materials: QUARTZ, ADULARIA, CHLORITOID

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Electrum Ore
Silver Ore
Copper Ore
Quartz Gangue
Adularia Gangue
Chloritoid Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Intense multiple phase silicification has occurred with minor adularization of the host rocks.

Analytical data

Result A sample of the quartz vein in the shaft pillar assayed 7 ppm Ag and 6.7 ppm Au
Result Values to 4.6 opt Au and 7.8 opt Ag are reported from some of the deeper workings.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 150
USGS model code 25c
Deposit model name Epithermal vein, Comstock
Mark3 model number 16
Model code 104
USGS model code 25a
Deposit model name Hot-spring Au-Ag
Mark3 model number 45

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro
    Rock unit name Stillwater Gabbro
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Jurassic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

(1) -118.01745, 39.8658
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Mineralization occurs adjacent to an igneous contact.
Type of structure Regional
Structure description A roughly N-S-trending high-angle range-front fault cuts the host rocks near the mine area.

Ore body information

  • General form tabular

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Mineralization occurs adjacent to an igneous contact to which it may be genetically related.

Comments on the geologic information

  • Mineralization at the mine consists of well-developed stockworks transitional to hydrothermal breccias in the Stillwater Gabbro of Jurassic age. The host rock has been subjected to intense multiple phase silicification with minor adularization, and contains variable amounts of sulfides and gold.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1934
Discoverer Clyde Garrett
Year of first production 1935
Year of last production 1980
Production years 1935-1942; 1975-1980

Mining district

District name DIXIE VALLEY DISTRICT

Land status

Ownership category Private
Ownership category BLM Administrative Area
Area name Carson City BLM Administrative District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Atlas Gold Corp. and Horizon Resources Corp.
    Year 1995
  • Type Owner
    Owner Dixie Exploration Corp., Anthony Selig, Pres.,
    Home office 707 S. 4th St., Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
    First year 1980
  • Type Owner
    Owner Wilson, William L.
    First year 1974
  • Type Operator
    Owner Horizon Gold, Inc.

Production statistics

  • Year 1935
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.36 Oz/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 11g/mt
    Primary Silver Silver 15g/mt
    Secondary Lead Lead 0wt-pct
    Secondary Copper Copper 0wt-pct
  • Year 1937
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.11 Oz/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 3g/mt
    Primary Silver Silver 746g/mt
    Secondary Lead Lead 1wt-pct
  • Year 1938
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.16 Oz/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 5g/mt
    Primary Silver Silver 6g/mt
  • Year 1939
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.16 Oz/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 5g/mt
    Primary Silver Silver 8g/mt
  • Year 1941
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.66 Oz/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 21g/mt
    Primary Silver Silver 26g/mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Total resources 2136000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.875 g/mt Gold Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.383 g/mt Gold Major 1991

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 457.2M

Comments on the workings information

  • The mine is developed by a 200-ft. incline, a 100-ft vertical shaft, drifts, winzes, stopes, and more recently, by a small open pit.

Comments on other economic factors

  • Between 1934 and 1942, the mine produced 16 kilotonnes of ore containing 0.26 tonnes of gold, and 0.3 tonnes of silver. This figure includes at least 4,000 short tons of reprocessed tailings. In 1996, reserves stood at 100,000 ounces of gold contained in 2.4 million short tons of ore grading 0.049 opt gold. The remaining resources in the deposit are 4300 kilotonnes of ore containing 4.5 tonnes of gold and an unknown amount of silver.

Comments on development

  • Clyde Garrett discovered gold at Dixie Comstock in April 1934. Underground mining at that time was hindered by the intense heat and large volume of hot water intersected in the mine workings at less than 75 ft. depth. Through 1938, 8000 tons of gold ore had been treated with recovery of over $145,000. By 1940, a total of 1500 ft. of underground workings had been developed. Production continued to October 8, 1942 when the War Production Board issued its limitation order L-208. Cumulative production totaled 17,880 tons of Au-Ag ore for a combined value of $293,304. The Au:Ag ratio was 2:3 with a gold equivalent grade of 0.793 opt gold. During the period 1955-1970, various operators conducted trenching, drilling, and soil sampling programs. In 1970, the Mexican Gold and Silver Mining Company began open pit mining and removed 5000 yards of gravel overburden by year?s end. In September 1975, the first ore was shipped from this open pit operation. Approximately 86 short tons grading 2.26 opt Au and 2.43 opt Ag were trucked to the Southern Pacific railhead at Luning. Asarco Inc. leased the property 1983-1984 but dropped the lease because of the small size of the deposit and the strip ratio. Santa Fe Mining, Inc. leased the property in 1986 and completed 65 reverse circulation drill holes which largely defined the present orebody. In 1990, Horizon Gold Corporation purchased the Dixie Comstock lease agreement from Santa Fe Mining, Inc. and began feasibility studies for an open pit operation. Plans for this pit include a strip ratio of 2.4:1 and a production rate of 8000 tons of ore per day. Dore product was expected to consist of approx. 50% Au and 50% Ag. In 1995, Atlas entered into an option on the Dixie Comstock project with Horizon Resources Corp. No new production has resulted from the deposit since its delineation in 1990.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Willden, R., and Speed, R. C., 1974, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Churchill County, Nevada, NBMG Bull. 83, p 67.

  • Deposit

    Vvanderburg, W.O., 1940, Reconnaissance of Mining Districts in Churchill County, Nev., USBM I.C. 7093, p. 48.

  • Deposit

    State Inspector of Mines, 1981, Directory of Mining Operations Active in Nevada in Calendar Year 1980.

  • Deposit

    Horizon Gold Corp., Annual Report Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 1991.

  • Deposit

    Horizon Gold Corp., Annual Report Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 1992.

  • Deposit

    Bureau of Land Management, 1991, Environmental Assessment of Horizon Gold Corporation's Dixie Comstock Mine and Heap Leach Project, EA# NV-030-90-70.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1997, MI-1996

  • Deposit

    Randol, 1996, The Mines Handbook.

  • Deposit

    Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 90-206A, 33 p.; 98-206B. one 3.5 inch diskette.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Mineralization at the mine consists of well-developed stockworks transitional to hydrothermal breccias developed in the Stillwater Gabbro of Jurassic age. Mineralization is associated with intense multiple phase silicification with minor adularization, and consists of variable amounts of sulfides and gold. Mineralization may be genetically related to an adjacent igneous contact. Gold occurs as free grains of electrum ranging in size from 5-100 microns or larger. Minor amounts of native silver have also been reported. Sulfides occur as minor accessory minerals, but gold shows no strong correlation with such accessory sulfides and often appears to be very late in the paragenetic sequence. Assignment of USGS model based on mineralogy and stockwork nature of veining and ignoring the mafic intrusive host rock type.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1981 La Pointe, D. D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-JAN-1993 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-1994 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-JUL-2002 La Pointe, 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.

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.