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Alligator Ridge Mine

Producer in White Pine county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Antimony, 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 10310371
MRDS ID M233775
Record type Site
Current site name Alligator Ridge Mine
Alternate or previous names Vantage #1 Orebody, Vantage #2 orebody, Vantage #3 orebody, Vantage VO orebody, NBMG sample site 928, Gator, Luxe B, Luxe C/D, Luxe G, Luxe Saddle, Luxe Saddle Extension

Comments on the site identification

  • This record includes all material from earlier record # M233775 which should be deleted from the database. The Alligator Ridge Mine encompasses several orebodies listed under ?other names? field

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -115.51839, 39.7602 (WGS84)
Relative position The Alligator Ridge mine is located about 60 miles NW of Ely, and 40 miles ESE of Eureka. Location is for center of main pit which is clearly marked on the USGS topo map.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

White Pine(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mooney Basin Summit(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Newark Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ely(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Long-Ruby 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 White Pine

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 022N 057E 22 23 24 26 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The Alligator Ridge mine is located at the south end of Alligator Ridge.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: native gold
  • Gangue Materials: drusy quartz, barite, calcite, gypsum, alunite, kaolinite in oxidized ore; stibnite, pyrite, orpiment, realgar, calcite in carbonaceous ore. Also jarosite, specular hematite, stibiconite, goethite

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Quartz Gangue
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Alunite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Stibnite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Orpiment Gangue
Realgar Gangue
Jarosite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Stibiconite Gangue
Goethite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Alteration consists predominantly of quartz replacement of host rock carbonate. Quartz replacement in Pilot Shale closely follows the contact between ore and waste, whereas in Devils Gate Limestone, a stratiform jasperoid replacement body extends well beyond the ore zones. Beyond the area of silicification, diagenetic dolomite in Pilot Shale was replaced by hydrothermal calcite, and calcite veins comprised as much as 10% of the host rocks. Following gold deposition, intense oxidation destroyed organic matter, sulfides, and detrital illite in Pilot Shale and alunite and/or barite veins were deposited; this event is thought to be hydrothermal. Lastly, oxidation related to weathering deposited jarosite and goethite. Shifts in the isotopic compositions of carbonate are associated with gold mineralization.

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 > Siltstone
    Rock type qualifier silicified and carbonaceous
    Rock unit name Pilot Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Mississippian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Devonian
  • 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 > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Joana Limestone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Mississippian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone > Claystone
    Rock unit name Pilot Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Mississippian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Devonian

Nearby scientific data

(1) -115.51839, 39.7602
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Basin and Range-type high angle normal faults. Low amplitude anticlines and synclines that strike N-S and plunge 20S, with limbs that dip nearly 20 degrees.
Type of structure Local
Structure description N- to NE-striking normal fault ; possible N-NE striking anticline.

Ore body information

  • Name Alligator Ridge Mine.
    General form discontinuous lenses
    Strike N10E
    Dip SUB-HORIZONTAL, WITH NORMAL FAULT OFFSETS DOWNTHROWN ON THE EAST.
    Plunge APPROX. 10-20 DEGREES
  • Name Vantage 3
    Thickness 75M
    Length 915M
    Width 305M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 STRATABOUND
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Date of Last Modification 850903
  • Area 30100HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 30100
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Stratigraphic controls: The greatest portion of precious metal mineralization occurs in the lower 300 feet of the Pilot Shale; a small portion of the mineralization is in the upper 25 feet of the underlying Devils Gate Limestone. This conformable sedimentary contact was the focus for lateral movement of hydrothermal fluids. The upper 100 feet of the pilot shale is a less permeable claystone and may have capped hydrothermal fluids. Structural controls: the Vantage fault served as a conduit for rising hydrothermal fluids. There is also evidence of a north-northeast striking asymmetrical anticline running the length of the deposits. The axis of the anticline would lie along the strike of the three vantage deposits and plunges gently to the southwest. Along the crest of the anticline numerous extensional fractures and extensive brecciation may have provided conduits for the ore-bearing solutions.

Comments on the geologic information

  • The disseminated gold ore occurs in silicified siltstones of the Pilot Shale with the high grade ore occurring in discontinuous, carbonaceous lenses. Just east of the Vantage Pit the Vantage normal fault strikes N10E and dips 70 degrees east and has downthrown the underlying Devils Gate Limestone on east against the upthrown Pilot and Joanna sequence, which lie to the west of the fault. Gold deposition is accompanied by Ag, Sb, As, +/-Hg.
    Upper age limit of gold mineralization set by movement along the Vantage fault, which offsets 39-24 Ma volcanics. Lower age limit set by K-Ar dating of post mineral alunite, which yields an age of 11.5 Ma.
  • THERE ARE FOUR SEPARATE BUT ADJACENT AREAS OF MINERALIZATION CONTAINING SUBMICRON SIZED TO VISABLE PARTICLES OF GOLD IN IRON-STAINED SILTSTONE. EACH DEPOSIT OCCURS AT GREATER DEPTH AS EVIDENCED BY AN INCREASE IN SULFIDES AND CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL. ALL DEPOSITS CONTAIN SOME OXIDE MATERIAL. THE ORIGIN OF THE MINERALIZATION IS BELIEVED TO BE YOUNG GEOLOGICALLY, MAYBE LESS THAN FIVE MILLION YEARS, AND RELATED TO VOLCANIC EVENTS STILL EVIDENCED BY NEARBY HOT SPRINGS AND GEYSERS. AT PRESENT, THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOUR MINERALIZED AREAS. THERE ARE FOUR CLASSES OF ORE: PRIMARY, PARTLY DELETERIOUS, DELETERIOUS, AND CARBONACEOUS. DELETERIOUS IS DEFINED AS 1-2% SULFIDES, OCCURRING AS REALGAR, ORPIMENT, AND STIBNITE. MINERALIZATION FOR M1 AND M2 IS THE SAME. STIBICONITE IS ALSO PRESENT.
  • ORE IS RELATED TO HOT SPRING ACTIVITY THAT CAUSED SILICIFICATION AND ALTERATION OF THE PILOT SHALE, AND DEPOSITION OF THE MICRON SIZED GOLD PARTICLES. THE ORE BODIES OCCUR AS LENSES THAT CONFORM TO THE ATTITUDE OF THE SHALE, AND ALIGN WITH A SET OF NORTH-NORTHEAST STRIKING FRACTURES. VANTAGE 1 IS ROUGHLY CIRCULAR, 200X200X40 METERS. VANTAGE 2 IS 200X100X40 METERS. VANTAGE 3&4 ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 200X100X50 AND 200X200X50 METERS, RESPECTIVELY. ALL 4 DEPOSITS ARE IRREGULAR IN SHAPE AND OCCUR NEAR THE BASE OF THE SHALE. OTHER TYPES OF WALL ROCK ALTERATION ARE JASPEROID SILICIFICATION, OXIDATION, AND DECARBONIZATION. GENERAL SIZE OF ORE BODY IS MEDIUM. DEEPEST ORE BODY IS 120 METERS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1976
Discoverer Lyle F. Campbell
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1981
Year of last production 1996
Plant type Leach
Milling method Heap Leach-Agglomerate-Carbon Column-Electrowin
Production years 1981-1996

Mining district

District name Bald Mountain District
District name Buck Mountain District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area
Area name Ely BLM District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Barrick
    Year 2006
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Placer Dome U. S. Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1994
    First year 1993
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner USMX, Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1993
    Last year 1993
  • Type Operator
    Owner Nerco Minerals Co.
    Interest 50
    First year 1988
  • Type Owner
    Owner Amselco Minerals, Inc., Warren Stanford, General Manager
    Interest 50
    Home office P.O. Box 149, Ely, Nv 89301
    First year 1988

Comments on the ownership information

  • USMX SOLD PROPERTY TO PLACER DOME U.S., INC. IN AUG. 1993. OWNER 1 IS A SUB. OF PLACER DOME INC.

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Dore Bullion Bars 90% Au 5% Ag 5% Other 1 Metric Tons Bull/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 5wt-pct
    Major Gold Gold 90wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Description Same As Above 1 Metric Tons Bull/Year
  • Year 1982
    Description Same As Above 1 Metric Tons Bull/Year
  • Year 1983
    Material ore produced
    Ore mined 698000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Metric Tons Of Ore Produced 698000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 1.99mt
    Primary Silver Silver 542000g
  • Year 1983
    Period 1981-1983
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.11 Oz Au/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 3g/mt
  • Year 1984
    Material ore produced
    Ore mined 805000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Metric Tons Of Ore Produced 805000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Silver Silver 451000g
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 1.89mt
  • Year 1985
    Material ore produced
    Ore mined 709000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Metric Tons Of Ore Produced 709000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary metal recovered Silver Silver 342000g
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 1.24g
  • Year 1986
    Material ore produced
    Ore mined 1089000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Metric Tons Of Ore Produced 1089000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Silver Silver 715000g
    Primary Gold Gold 2.56mt
  • Year 1991
    Description Au 17366 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 540143.05g
  • Year 1992
    Description Gold Production 10500 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 326586.55g

Comments on the production information

  • ANNUAL PRODUCTION IS 1900 KG AU, 440 KG AG.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Indicated 3500000mt ore
    Demonstrated 3500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.15 g/mt Gold Major 1984
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1983
    Total resources 2267000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.541 g/mt Gold Major 1983
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Total resources 811000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.807 g/mt Gold Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.807 g/mt Gold Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 952000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.665 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.105 g/mt Gold Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 1984 RESERVES ARE FROM STANFORD, W.D., 1984.
  • IDENTIFIED GEOLOGIC RESERVES CONTAIN 14,500,000 METRIC TONNES OF ORE GRADING 1.85GM/T GOLD. WITH 10% DILUTION,THERE ARE 15,900,000 TONNES OF RECOVERABLE IDENTIFIED RESERVES WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 1.69 GM/T GOLD. THERE ARE 4,445,000 TONNES OF DEMONSTRATED ECONOMIC RESERVES WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 4.11 GM/T GOLD. A TOTAL RECOVERABLE RESOURCE AT 10% DILUTION CONTAINS 4,890,000. MATRIX 1 COLUMN 2 DENOTES MINEABLE RESERVES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1984 (NERCO 10-K REPORT)

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 30100HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .65
    Percent Waste Rock 99.9
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 6
    Capacity 3400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 12.27
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 200
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on the workings information

  • One large open pit 250 ft deep called the Vantage I. Vantage II and Vantage III orebodies were developed to the south of Vantage I. Potential exists for a fourth minable deposit dependent upon future economic conditions.
  • AMSELCO IMPROVED ABOUT 50 KM OF COUNTY ROAD.

Comments on other economic factors

  • The mine produced more than 700,000 ounces of gold and a large but unknown number of ounces of silver during its years of operation from 1981 through 1996. Some production was not reported separately but included as part of the Bald Mountain mines production.
    Reserves in 1983 were reported at 5 million tons of ore grading 0.09 opt Au.
    Reserves in 1989 were reported at 1 million tons of ore grading 0.064 opt Au.
    Remaining reserves in 1992 were reported at 11.5 million tons of ore grading 0.046 opt Au.
    A 1992 geologic resource of 661,888 ounces of gold was reported but this figure includes the resource of the Casino/Winrock deposits.
  • FOLLOWING PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY STUDIES BEGUN IN JANUARY, 1979, IT WAS DECIDED IN JANUARY, 1980, TO PROCEED TO FULL- SCALE DEVELOPMENT. THE PLANT START-UP WAS IN OCTOBER, 1980. THE MINE AND PROCESSING PLANT ARE DESIGNED TO PRODUCE AND PROCESS 680,000 METRIC TONNES ORE PER YEAR. VANTAGE 1&2 ARE PRESENTLY DEVELOPED AND PRODUCING. VANTAGE 3 WILL BEGIN DEVELOPMENT IN 1983 AND BE CONTINUED INTO 1984. PRODUCT A IS GOLD, PRODUCT B IS SILVER. DEVELOPMENT COSTS TO PLACE THE ALLIGATOR RIDGE MINE IN PRODUCTION COST $27,000,000. THESE COSTS INCLUDE MINE EQUIPMENT, PROCESSING PLANT, SHOP/WAREHOUSE, LABORATORY, OFFICE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MINE DEVELOPMENT. DEVELOPMENT OF THE VANTAEGE 3 PIT IS EXPECTED TO COST ABOUT $3,000,000.

Comments on development

  • The Alligator Ridge mine was discovered in an area of no previous exploration or mining history where claims were first staked by a prospector in 1976, working on a grubstake for AMSELCO Minerals. The area was subsequently mapped, sampled and drilled. Reserves were announced in 1981 when mining began. A new carbon in-leach facility was finished in 1987 to improve recovery of gold from ore. The mine was first operated by AMSELCO Minerals, later BP Minerals Inc., and later by a 50/50 joint venture with NERCO Minerals Co. (1988). Reserves at the Alligator Ridge mine were exhausted in December, 1989, but the mine continued to produce intermittently. The mine last produced in 1996, but production was included with that of the Bald Mountain mines of Placer Dome U.S. Inc., and not reported separately.
    In 2006, Barrick acquired the Alligator Ridge Mine properties through its acquisition of Placer Dome U.S. Inc..

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    The Geological Society of Nevada 1996 Spring Field trip, Geology and Gold Deposits of Eastern Nevada, GSN Special Publication No. 23.

  • Deposit

    Bentz, J., Jones, R. B., and Smith, P., 1981, Field Examination and Mine Tour

  • Deposit

    NBMG Map 84, 1983, Active Mines and Oil Fields

  • Deposit

    Division of Mine Inspection, 1983, Directory of Nevada Mine Operations Active During Calendar Year 1983.

  • Deposit

    Garside, L. J., 1981, Notes on field trip and tour of mine for Geological Society of Nevada, 26 Sept 1981.

  • Deposit

    NBMG Mining District Files 323, Press Clippings

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1988, NBMG MI-1987.

  • Deposit

    Klessig, P.J., History and Geology of the Alligator Ridge Gold Mine, White Pine Co. NV: in GSN 1985 Field Trip Guidebook.

  • Deposit

    Ilchik, R.P., 1991, Geology of the Vantage Gold Deposits, Alligator Ridge, Nevada, in Raines, G.L., Lisle, R.E., Schafer, R.W. and Wilkinson, W.H., Eds., Symposium Proceedings, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, Geologic Society of Nevada and the U.S. Geological Survey, April 1-5, 1990, Vo. 2, p. 645-663.

  • Deposit

    Garbrecht, D. A., Jones, S. K., and Slothower, G. E., 1990, Geology of the Alligator Ridge deposits, White Pine County, Nevada; Geology and ore deposits of the Great Basin; field trip guidebook compendium

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Mining Magazine, January, 1989, p. 44.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI -1993

  • Deposit

    Nevada Division of Minerals. 1994

  • 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

    Geologic Map of the Alligator Ridge area, including the Buck Mountain East and Mooney Basin Summit Quadrangles and parts of the Sunshine Well SE and Long Valley Slough Quadrangles, White Pine Co., Nevada, 1:24,000; USGS Map I-2691.

  • Deposit

    Nutt, C.J., Hofstra, A.H., Hart, K.S., and Mortensen, J.K., 2000, Structural setting and genesis of gold deposits in the Bald Mountain-Alligator Ridge area, east-central Nevada, in Cluer, J.K., Price, J.G., Struhsacker, E.M., Hardyman, R.F., and Morris, C.L., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: The Great Basin and Beyond: Geological Society of Nevada Symposium Proceedings, May 15-18, 2000, p. 513-537.

  • Deposit

    Hitchborn and others, 1996, Geology and Gold Deposits of the Bald Mountain Mining District, White Pine County, Nevada, in Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera Symposium Proceedings, eds. A. Coyner and P. Fahey.

  • Deposit

    The Geological Society of Nevada 1996 Spring Field trip, Geology and Gold Deposits of Eastern Nevada, GSN Special Publication No. 23.

  • Deposit

    BLM, 2004, Bald Mountain Mine Exploration Program Programmatic Environmental Assessment NV040-04-023, Case File # N78825.

  • Deposit

    Unpub. Memos-Amselco.

  • Ownership

    MINING WEEKLY, JUNE 25, 1993, P3, 4.

  • Ownership

    THE MINING RECORD, JUNE 9, 1993, PP 10, 11.

  • Reserve-Resource

    STANFORD, W. D. ALLIGATOR RIDGE: FROM A LONE PROSPECTOR'S DISCOVERY TO AN OPERATING GOLD MINE. MIN ENG. (NY), V. 36, NO. 6., JUNE 1984, PP. 593-598.

  • Deposit

    AMSELCO MINERALS, INC. ALLIGATOR RIDGE MINE: FACT SHEET. HANDOUT TO FIELD TRIP 2, SEDIMENT-HOSTED PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, MAR. 25-28, 1984, 7 PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBERLAIN, P. D. HEAP LEACHING AND PILOT TESTING OF GOLD AND SILVER ORES. PAPER IN PAPERS GIVEN AT THE PRECIOUS-METALS SYMPOSIUM, SPARKS, NEVADA, NOVEMBER 17-19, 1980. NV BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. REP. 36, 1983, PP. 77-83.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBERLAIN, P. G., AND M. G. POJAR. GOLD AND SILVER LEACHING PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES. BUMINE IC 8969, 1984, 47 PP.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    DE MULL, T. J. AND R. A. WOMACK. HEAP LEACHING AT ALLIGATOR RIDGE. SOCIETY MINING ENGINEERING AIME PREPRINT 83-403, 1983, 11 PP.

  • Deposit

    ELKO (NV) DAILY FREE PRESS. NEVADA MINES ACQUIRE BY NERCO, INC. FEB. 11, 1983, P. 11.

  • Deposit

    THIS MONTH IN MINING: U.S.-NEVADA - ALLIGATOR RIDGE USES HEAP LEACHING TO PRODUCE GOLD BULL ORES. V. 182, NO. 8,1981, PP. 35-37.

  • Deposit

    GREELY, M. ALLIGATOR RIDGE LOOKING FOR PROSPECTS EXTEND LIFE OF WHITE PINE GOLD MINE. ELY (NV) DAILY TIMES, MAR. 16, 1983, PP. 4, 6.

  • Deposit

    HOSE, R. K., M. C. BLAKE, AND R. M. SMITH. GEOL AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF WHITE PINE COUNTY, NEVADA. NV BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULL. 85, 1976, 105 PP.

  • Deposit

    IKRAMUDDIN, M., L. BESSE, AND P. M. NORDSTROM. THE RELATION BETWEEN TI, RB, AND K IN THE CARLIN-TYPE GOLD DEPOSITS. ABSTR. IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA. SYMP. OF THE ASSOC. OF EXPL GEOCHEM., RENO, NV, MAR. 25-28, 1984, PP. 37.

  • Deposit

    ILCHIK, R. P. HYDROTHERMAL MATURATION OF ORGANIC MATTER AT THE ALLIGATOR RIDGE GOLD DEPOSITS, NEVADA. ABSTR. NO. 53,039 IN ABSTRACTS WITH PROGRAMS, 1984. 97TH ANNU. MEETING, GEOL. SOC. AM., NOV. 5-8, 1984, RENO, NV P. 548.

  • Deposit

    KLESSIG, P. J. HISTORY AND GEOLOGY OF THE ALLIGATOR RIDGE GOLD MINE, WHITE PINE COUNTY, NEVADA; FIELD TRIP SEDIMENT-HOSTED PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS. PAPER IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA, FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK, ED. BY J. L. JOHNSON. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, NV, MAR. 25-28, 1984, PP. FT2 27-35.

  • Deposit

    LEWIS, A. LEACHING AND PRECIPITATION TECHNOLOGY GOLD AND SILVER ORES. ENG. AND MIN. J., V. 184, NO. 6, 1983, PP. 48-56.

  • Deposit

    MCCLELLAND, G. E., D. L. POOL, AND J. A. EISELE. AGGLOMERATION - HEAP LEACHING OPERATIONS IN THE PRECIOUS METALS INDUSTRY. BUMINES IC 8945, 1983, PP. 10-16.

  • Deposit

    LIST, SANTINI WELCOMES AMSELCO'S NEW GOLD "HEAP LEACH" MINE. NV MIN. ASSOC. BULLETIN VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2, 1981, PP. 1-2.

  • Deposit

    PINSON GOLD MINE IN PRODUCTION WITH EFFICIENT, AUTOMATED MILL. NV MIN. ASSOC. BULL., V. 5, NO. 2, 1981, PP. 2-3.

  • Deposit

    POOLE, F. G. FLYSCH DEPOSITS OF ANTLER FORELAND BASIN, WESTERN UNITED STATES. PAPER IN TECTONICS AND SEDIMENTATION, ED. BY W. R. DICKSON. SOC. ECON. PALEONTOLOGISTS AND MINERAL., SPEC. PUBL. NO. 22, 1974, PP. 58-82.

  • Deposit

    RIGBY, J. K. GEOLOGY OF THE BUCK MOUNTAIN-BALD MOUNTAIN AREA, SOUTHERN RUBY MOUNTAINS, WHITE PINE COUNTY NEVADA. INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. PETROL. GEOL. GUIDEBOOK OF THE GEOLOGY OF EAST CENTRAL NEVADA, 11TH ANNU. FIELD CONF., UT GEOL. ASSOC., SALT LAKE CITY, UT, 1960, PP. 173-180, FIG. 4, SCALE 1:125,000; FIG. 5, SCALE 1:125,000.

  • Deposit

    RANDOL, MINES AND MINING DEIRECTORY, 1996/1997, P226,227.

  • Deposit

    1995/96, NEVADA MINES DIRECTORY, P16.

  • Deposit

    BONHAM, H. F., JR. RESERVES, HOST ROCKS, AND AGES OF BULK-MINEABLE PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS IN NEVADA. NV BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. OFR 82-9, 1982, 4 PP.

  • Deposit

    WHAT'S GOING ON IN WORLD MINING - UNITED STATES: NEVADA; NEVADA'S ALLIGATOR RIDGE GOLD MINE COME ON STREAM. V. 34, NO. 8, 1981, P. 65.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME INC., 1996 FORM 40-F, PP. 13-16, 21-22.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit The ore zones lie directly above an unmineralized jasperoid unit which has replaced the lowest portion of the Pilot Shale. The mineralization is related to a NNE-striking normal fault exposed in the north and east walls of the Vantage I open pit. This fault flattens at depth to a low-angle or bedding plane shear. The three Vantage deposits form a mineralized zone that covers an area 3000 feet long by 1000 feet wide. Dimensions of the Vantage one orebody are approximately 250 by 250 by 250 feet with an average grade of 0.1 opt gold. The Vantage II orebody covers an area approximately 800 feet long by 500 feet wide and 300 feet thick averaging 0.11 opt gold. The Vantage III deposit covers an area 200 feet long by 200 feet wide and 150 feet thick with an average grade 0.08 opt gold. The Vantage Ine orebody was exposed at surface. Mineralization in the remaining deposits becomes progressively deeper from north to south.
Deposit UPON CHECKING PLACER DOME 10K, 1994 AND AN. RP. 1994, IT APPEARS THAT PLACER DOME U.S., INC. HAS INCLUDED THIS PROPERTY WITH ITS BALD MOUNTAIN OPERATION, (0320330503).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-82 Mohsen, Ahmed F. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-DEC-88 La Pointe, D.D. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-AUG-89 Beougher, Dee (Spanski, Gregory T.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-91 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-94 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-AUG-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-DEC-06 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.

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.