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Rain Mine

Producer in Elko county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Barium-Barite, Arsenic, Mercury
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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 10310534
MRDS ID W700401
Record type Site
Current site name Rain Mine
Alternate or previous names Gnome orebody, B. J. Hill orebody, Snow Peak orebody, Northwest Extension orebody, Northwest Rain orebody, Saddle orebody, Tess orebody

Comments on the site identification

  • All information from record No. W700401 has been incorporated into this new record. Record No. W700401 should be deleted from the database. This record also replaces MRDS record No. MP90057 which is an incomplete entry for the Gnome deposit. MRDS record No. MP90057 should be deleted from the file.
  • Singer, D. A., Nevada Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 96-2, Ch 11 combines Rain and Gnome deposits, but nearby SMZ and Emigrant Springs deposits are separate, so they are not included in this record.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -116.0111, 40.61348 (WGS84)
Elevation 2070
Relative position The Rain Mine is located about 18 road miles south of Carlin, NV.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Elko(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ravens Nest(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Battle Mountain(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

South Fork Humboldt(hydrologic unit)

Humboldt(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Elko

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 032 N 053E 29 30 31 32 33 34 Nevada
Mount Diablo 031 N 053E 03 04 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • Coordinates are to main Rain Mine area; the satellitic deposits extend for about two miles to the northwest and a mile and a half to the southeast for the main Rain pit along the Rain fault.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: gold
  • Gangue Materials: barite, calcite, jarosite, hematite, silica, alunite, kaolinite, cinnabar, wavellite, dussertite, Mn oxides

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Calcite Ore
Jarosite Ore
Hematite Ore
Silica Ore
Alunite Ore
Kaolinite Ore
Cinnabar Ore
Wavellite Ore
Dussertite Ore
Barite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification, baritization, argillization, leaching, oxidation. Silicification generally is restricted to major hydrothermal conduits and to the ore zone. There is an envelope of silicification slightly smaller than the mineralized zone. Hydrothermal barite forms an envelope constrained within the silicification envelope. Alunite, jarosite, and barite veins are prominent along northeast and northwest striking fractures both within the Rain Fault and peripheral to gold mineralization. Specular hematite and manganese oxides cover fracture surfaces. In some areas, sedimentary rocks are slightly calcareous and show liesegang banding.

Analytical data

Result Sample 1505 of fractured, iron-stained siltstone from rain (west) drilling area contains 7% Fe, 0.15% Mg, 0.07% Ca, 0.2% Ti, 10 ppm Mn, 700 ppm As, 300 ppm B, 5000 ppm Ba, 70 ppm Cr, 30 ppm Cu, 7 ppm Ni, 30 ppm Pb, 5 ppm Sc, 200 ppm Sr, 500 ppm B, 10 ppm Y, 100 ppm Zr. Sample 1506 of gray carbonaceous shale from drill cuttings pile on rain west property contains 1.5% Fe, 0.5% Mg, 0.5% Ti, 20 ppm Mn, 300 ppm B, 3000 ppm Ba, 70 ppm Cr, 50 ppm Cu, 30 ppm La, 15 ppm Ni, 30 Pb, 7 ppm Sc, 150 ppm Sr, 300 ppm V, 20 ppm Y, and 100 ppm Zr. Sample 1507, of brecciated, iron-stained jasperoid from float on drill road contains 1% Fe, 0.03% Mg, 0.07% Ca, 0.15% Ti, 1500 ppm As, 20 ppm B, +5000 ppm Ba, 20 ppm Cr, 15 ppm Cu, 5 ppm Ni, 30 ppm Pb, 150 ppm Sb, 700 ppm Sr, 70 ppm V, 50 ppm Zr

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 > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Webb Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Mississippian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone
    Rock unit name Webb Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Mississippian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Devils Gate Limestone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Middle Devonian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Oxyoke Canyon Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Early Devonian

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Three major fault zones controlled gold mineralization in the Rain subdistrict. The Rain fault zone is a N60?W-trending
structural corridor that defines the Rain ?horst? and includes the Rain fault, the Dike fault, and the SB fault. The N30?Etrending
Northeast fault zone truncated the Rain fault zone southeast of the Rain open pit.
The Rain Fault strikes N50-70W, dips 70 degrees SW, and is a reverse fault
Type of structure Regional
Structure description southeast part of the Carlin Trend

Ore body information

  • General form tabular to irregular
    Strike N50-70W
    Dip 70 DEGREES SW
    Thickness 106.68M
  • Strike N60W
    Dip 70S
    Thickness 107M
    Length 732M
    Width 122M
    Area 576HA
    Depth to top 46M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 INTERM ARGILLIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 BLEACHING
    Strike And Dip N60W:70S
    Minimum Depth to Top 31
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 4
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 576
    Future Surface Area (HA) 95
    Previous Surface Area (HA) 481
    Date of Last Modification 920130

Controls for ore emplacement

  • The Rain Fault served as a conduit for mineralizing hydrothermal fluids. The basal Webb Formation immediately above the unconformable contact with Devils Gate Limestone served as a stratigraphic control.

Comments on the geologic information

  • Gold mineralization penetrates the Webb Formation in the hanging wall of the Rain Fault for a distance of 45 to 183 meters.

    The age of gold mineralization at Rain is approximately 31.7 +/- 10.3 Ma based on fission track dating of hydrothermal apatite, predating the oldest supergene alunite age of 22 Ma.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1982
Discoverer Price Montrose
Mining method Combined Methods
Year of first production 1988
Year of last production 1994
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Solvent Extraction-Electrowin
Milling method Carbon-In-Leach-Electrowin
Production years 1988 - 1994

Mining district

District name Rain Subdistrict
District name Carlin Trend District SE
District name Railroad District
District name Bullion District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area
Area name Elko Bureau of Land Management administrative district
Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Newmont Mining Corp.
    Year 2006
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Newmont Gold Co. (Newmont Mining Corp.)
    Interest 100
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1996
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Newmont Exploration, Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1988
    Description Annual Gold Output 1266 Kilograms
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1266000g
  • Year 1989
    Description Annual Gold Output 4324 Kilograms
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 4324000g
  • Year 1990
    Description Annual Gold Output 3766 Kilograms
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3766000g
  • Year 1994
    Material ore produced Rain surface + underground
    Ore mined 1407000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production (Rain Sur + Undg) 1407000 Mt/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 2.18mt
  • Year 1995
    Material ore production Rain underground
    Ore mined 133000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ore Production (Rain Undg) 133000 Mt/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 1mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 4520000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.37 g/mt Gold Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Inferred 10505000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.72 g/mt Gold Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 4413000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.19 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 134263mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 6.96 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 4547000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.37 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 10655000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.82 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 14478000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.93 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Inferred 9392000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.71 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 14478000mt ore
    Inferred 9392000mt ore
    Total resources 23870000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.84 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1988
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.863 g/mt Gold Major 1988
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.778 g/mt Gold Major 1990

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 152.4
    Overall length 1066.8
    Overall width 457.2M
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 739
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .67
    Percent Waste Rock 81.8
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 3
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 10
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 6
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 6350
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 873
    Unit Production Cost 8.38
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1991
  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method COMBINED METHODS

Comments on the workings information

  • Rain Open Pit plus other satellite pits followed by underground workings: Stope 1 and Stope 2. Stope 1 was the first underground mine developed on the Carlin trend, and the mine was accessed by a portal and decline.

Comments on other economic factors

  • Pre-mining reserves (1983) were 15.5 million tons grading 0.066 opt Au for 1,017,300 contained ounces of gold.

    In 1989 the geologic resource was reported as 22.57 Mt grading 0.052 opt Au with mineable reserves of 821 K oz Au.

    Rain open pit production from 1988 - 1994 was 707,949 ounces (22 t) of gold. Underground mining at Rain began in 1994, and by year 2000, underground mining had produced 114,815 ounces (3.56 t) of recovered gold.



    In 1988, the Gnome satellite orebody of the Rain deposit was estimated to contain a remaining resource of 2446 kilotonnes of ore containing 4.05 tonnes gold.

Comments on development

  • The Rain property had no history of mining activity prior to 1979. The original Rain claims were staked by Price (Turk) Montrose, a local barite prospector, over a barite-bearing jasperoid outcrop. Based on similarities between this exposure and goldbearing outcrops along the Carlin trend, Mr. Montrose submitted his claims to Newmont Mining Corporation in 1979. Newmont acquired the property on the basis of samples with up to 0.48 opt (16.5 g/t) gold from the Rain jasperoid discovery outcrop. Detailed exploration began with systematic rock chip and soil geochemistry followed by drilling. Initial reverse circulation exploration drilling in1982 and 1983 defined an initial reserve of more than 680,000 ounces (21 t) of gold. Subsequent infill and step-out drilling in the area of the Rain open pit eventually increased this to over one million by 1994. Satellite deposits at Emigrant, Gnome, Snow Peak, and the Southern Mineralized Zone (SMZ) were also discovered during this time.

    Construction of the Rain access road began in July 1987,and mining began in October of the same year. The first gold bar was poured in June 1988. Open-pit mining continued from 1988 through 1994 resulting in the recovery of 707,949 ounces (22 t) of gold and peak production in 1990 and 1991. In 1992, a reevaluation of exploration potential in the Rain subdistrict began with a program of detailed geologic mapping, close-spaced gravity surveys, rock chip geochemistry, comprehensive data compilation, and deep drilling. This work greatly enhanced the understanding of the geologic setting and controls on gold mineralization. During a period of nearly 5 years (1992-1997), exploration along the northwest extension of the Rain fault and southward along the Emigrant fault led to the discovery of the Rain Extension in 1992, the Tess deposit in1993 and 1994, NW Tess and Saddle deposits in 1995 and 1996.

    Underground mining began at Rain in early 1994 with the development of Stope 1 and Stope 2 in the immediate hanging wall of the Rain fault. Rain Underground geologists split the Rain Extension into three segments called Stope 1, Stope 2, and Zone 3, and the Tess deposit into three segments called Zone 4, Zone 5, and Zone 6. These deposits were "high-grade" extensions of the Rain open-pit deposit. Stope 1 was the first underground mine developed on the Carlin trend, and the mine was accessed by a portal and decline. All post-1995 production was from underground mining at Rain.

    Stope 1, Stope 2, and Zone 3 were mined out between 1994 and 1998. Production from Zone 4 began in late 1998, and by 1999 it totaled 97,166 tons (88,170t) grading 0.309 opt (10.6 g/t) for 30,024 ounces (936 kg) of gold . Zone 4 became the largest and highest-grade underground reserve identified to date in the Rain subdistrict. Underground exploration pushed the development drift out to Zone 6 of the Tess deposit approximately 4,000feet (1,220 m) to the northwest along strike with the Rain fault. By year 2000, underground mining at Rain had produced 114,815 ounces (3.56 t) of recovered gold. Widespread surface drilling indicates mineralization continues along the Rain fault for at least 3,000 feet (900 m) beyond Zone 6 of the Tess deposit. This area contains the underground sulfide resource of the Saddle/NW Tess deposit. Estimated resources for the Saddle/NW Tess deposit area 782,000 ounces (24.2 t) from ore averaging 0.572 opt.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Staff, 1988, Directory of Nevada Mine Operations Active During Calendar Year 1987: Nevada Division of Mine Inspection, 84 p.

  • Identification

    Singer, D.A., 1996, Grade and tonnage models, in Singer, D.A., ed., An analysis of Nevada's metal-bearing mineral resources: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 96-2, Chapter 11, p. 11.1-11

  • Deposit

    Knutsen, G.C., and West, P.W., 1984, Geology of the Rain disseminated gold deposit, Elko Co., NV.

  • Deposit

    Bonham, H.F., 1988, Bulk-Mineable Precious-Metal Deposits and Prospects in Nevada, NBMG Map #91.

  • Deposit

    Rocky Mountain Pay Dirt, 1987, "Newmont Gold seeking land exchange for Rain gold project."

  • Deposit

    Nevada Mining Association Bulletin, 1987, Newmont Gold-BLM initiate mutually useful land swap.

  • Deposit

    NBMG Field Examination Report, 1982, and sample analyses.

  • Deposit

    NBMG Open File Report 82-11.

  • Deposit

    USGS Map I-1028.

  • Deposit

    Ketner and Smith, 1982, Geology, vol. 10, p. 298-303.

  • Deposit

    Thoreson, R.F., 1987, The Rain Gold Deposit, in Bulk Mineable Precious Metal Deposits of the Western U.S., Guide for Field Trips, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno.

  • Deposit

    Thoreson, R.F., 1991, Geology and gold deposits of the Rain subdistrict, Elko County, Nevada, in Raines, G.L., et al., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 635-643.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1994 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 27-29.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1988, The Nevada Mineral Industry 1987, NBMG Special Publication MI-1987.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT GOLD CO., 1994 10-K, PP. 13-14.

  • Deposit

    The Northern Miner, 1/8/90.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1995 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 40- 41.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1991, The Nevada Mineral Industry 1990, NBMG Special Publication MI-1990.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1995 FORM 10-K REPORT, P14.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 48-49.

  • 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.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEWMONT GOLD CO., 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT, P16.

  • Deposit

    Longo, Anthony A., Thompson, Tommy B., and Harlan, J. Bruce, 2002, GEOLOGIC OVERVIEW OF THE RAIN SUBDISTRICT; in NBMG Bulletin 111, pp. 168-189
    http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/b111/rain.pdf

  • Deposit

    BAGBY, W. C. SEDIMENT-HOSTED DISSEMINATED GOLD DEPOSITS IN NEVADA: A REVIEW OF THEIR GEOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS. ABSTR. NO. 33,496 IN ABSTRACTS WITH PROGRAMS, 1984. 97TH ANNU. MEETING, GEOL. SOC. AM.,

  • Deposit

    BLOOMSTEIN, E. I. AMMONIA ALTERATION IS A GEOCHEMICAL LINK IN GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE CARLIN-MIDAS BELT. ABSTR. IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, NV, MARCH 25-28, 1984, P. 27.

  • Deposit

    JOUR. GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION, V. 9, NO. 2/3, 1978, PP. 186-194. 013-0063.

  • Deposit

    CLISBY, H. NEVADA'A PRECIOUS METALS PICTURE LOOKING BETTER ALL THE TIME. BIG SKY PAYDIRT (BISBEE, AZ), NO. 36, SEPT. 1983, PP. 21A-25A.

  • Deposit

    DOTT, R. H., JR. PENNSYLVANIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF ELKO AND NORTHERN DIAMOND RANGES, NORTHEASTERN NEVADA. AM. ASSOC. PETROLEUM GEOL. BULL. V. 39, NO. 11, 1955, P. 2211.

  • Deposit

    DREWES, H. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTHERN SNAKE PLAINS, NEVADA. GEOLOGY SOCIETY AMERICAN BULL., VOL 69, NO. 2, 1958, PP. 221-240.

  • Deposit

    GRACE, K. A. EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN 1982. WORLD MIN. (YEARBOOK), V. 36, NO. 8, 1983, PP. 60-61.

  • Deposit

    GRANGER, A. E., M. M. BELL, G. C. SIMMONS, AND F. LEE. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA. NEV. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULL. 54, 1957 190 PP.

  • Deposit

    JACKSON, C. F., AND E. D. GARDNER. CARLIN GOLD, A NEWMONT MONEY GENERATOR KEEPS ON RENEWING ITSELF AFTER SPARKING THE REBIRTH OF GOLD MINING IN NEVADA. ENG. AND MIN. J., V. 184, NO. 7, 1983, PP. 38-43.

  • Deposit

    KETNER, K. B., AND J. F. SMITH, JR. MID-PALEOZOIC AGE OF THE ROBERTS THRUST UNSETTLED BY NEW DATA FROM NORTHERN NEVADA. GEOL., V. 10, NO. 6, JUNE 1982, NORTHERN NEVADA. GEOL., V. 10, NO. 6, JUNE 1982, PP. 298-303.

  • Deposit

    KNUTSEN, G. C. GEOLOGY OF THE RAIN GOLD DEPOSIT, ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA. ABSTR. IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, NV, MAR. 25-28, 1984, PP. 32.

  • Deposit

    KNUTSEN, G. C., AND WEST, P. W. GEOLOGY OF THE RAIN DISSEMINATED GOLD DEPOSIT, ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA: ARIZONA GEOL. SOC. DIGEST, V. 15, 1984, P. 73-76.

  • Deposit

    REGNIER, J. P. M. CENOZOIC GEOLOGY IN THE VICINITY OF CARLIN, NEVADA. GEOL. SOC. OF AMERICA BULL., V. 71, 1960, P. 1189.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, J. F., JR., AND K. B. KETNER. GENERALIZED GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CARLIN, DIXIE FLATS, PINE VALLEY, AND ROBINSON MOUNTAIN QUADRANGLES, ELKO AND EUREKA COUNTIES, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. MISC. FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-481, 1972, SCALE 1:125,000.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, J. F., JR., AND K. B. KETNER. STRATIGRAPHY OF PALEOZOIC ROCKS IN THE CARLIN-PINON RANGE AREA, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 867-A, 1975, PP. A1-A87.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, J. F., JR., AND K. B. KETNER. GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CARLIN-PINON RANGE AREA, ELKO AND EUREKA COUNTIES, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. MAP I-1028, 1978, SCALE 1:62,500.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, R. M. MINERAL RESOURCES OF ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. OFR 76-56, 1976, 194 PP.

  • Deposit

    1996, AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOK.

  • Deposit

    1995/96, NEVADA MINES DIRECTORY.

  • Deposit

    RANDOL, 1994/95 & 1996/97, MINES DIRECTORIES, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit The main Rain orebody is a WNW-elongate zone, subparallel to and in the hanging wall of a N50-70W- striking high angle reverse fault, the Rain Fault. Rain satellitic deposits Rain NW, Tess, and Saddle extend for about two miles to the northwest along the Rain fault BJ Hill orebody extends about a mile a to the southeast of the main Rain pit along the Rain fault. The Gnome, SMZ, and South Peak orebodies are within about a mile to the south of the main Rain orebody.



Gold ore in the Rain subdistrict developed along the unconformity between the Mississippian Webb Formation and the underlying Devonian Devils Gate Limestone. Hydrothermal breccia developed in thin-bedded to laminated mudstone of the middle to lower Webb Formation and collapse breccia in

medium- to thick-bedded limestone of the upper Devils Gate Limestone that served as channelways for gold-bearing hydrothermal solutions. These breccias were exposed at the Rain open-pit deposit and extend underground for more than 3 miles (5 km) northwest of the open pit. Pipe-like breccia bodies, some containing higher-grade gold mineralization, developed within the Devils Gate Limestone below the collapse breccia zones. Sandstone of the Devonian Oxyoke Canyon Formation also hosts weak gold mineralization 1,400 feet (430 m) below the Rain open-pit deposit.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-88 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-88 La Pointe, D.D. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-APR-89 Taylor, J.R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-92 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-94 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 18-AUG-95 Sachiko Tanikawa U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 08-OCT-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-JUN-03 LaPointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Editor 01-SEP-07 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.

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Newmont Mining Corp. — renamed to Newmont Corporation (2019)
    Renamed from Newmont Mining Corporation to Newmont Corporation in early 2020 (after the 2019 merger with Goldcorp).

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

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.