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Opalite

Past Producer in Malheur county in Oregon, United States with commodities Mercury, Uranium, Lithium
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  18. Land status
  19. Ownership information
  20. Production statistics
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10040413
MRDS ID M055182
MAS/MILS ID 0410450004
Record type Site
Current site name Opalite

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -118.03471, 42.05222 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 20 MI W OF MCDERMITT/. Mine labeled on Payne Creek topo. Coordinates are for Pit marked on east side of the road. Other workings are west of the road.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Malheur(county)

Oregon(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Payne Creek(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Alvord Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Adel(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Quinn(hydrologic unit)

Black Rock Desert(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Oregon Malheur

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Willamette 040S 040E 33 Oregon

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Mercury Primary
Uranium Primary
Lithium Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cinnabar Ore
Mercury Ore
Aragonite Gangue
Chalcedony Gangue
Halloysite Gangue
Opal Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Pyrite Unknown

Alteration

  • (Local) Argillic Alteration, Silicification

Analytical data

Result LOCALIZED SILICIFIED AND PYRITIZED AREAS CONTAIN UP TO 265 PPM U.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 177
USGS model code 27a
Deposit model name Hot-spring Hg

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -118.03471, 42.05222
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Located In The Mc Dermitt Caldera Complex

Ore body information

  • General form OVAL

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fault Zones

Comments on the geologic information

  • ANOMOLOUS U VALUES ARE REPORTEDLY CONFINED TO A ZONE OF POTASSIUM FELDSPAR ALTERATION. RHYOLITE DOMES. ; GEOL.DESC: FLAT-LYING MIOCENE LAVAS DISPLACED BY STEEP NORMAL FAULTS FORMING BASINS IN WHICH LATE MIOCENE LAKE BEDS ACCUMULATED. MAJOR FAULTING AFTER DEPOSITION OF LAKE BEDS.
  • Orebody info from deleted record 0410450004 = 10128625:
    Length: 370 M Width: 250 M Depth to Top: 0 M Thickness: 25 M
    MAS Matrix # : 1
    MAS Column # : 1
    Type of Orebody #1 : SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 : MASSIVE
    Type of Orebody #2 : BRECCIA FILL
    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 : ADV ARGILLIC
    Minimum Depth to Top : 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0
    Date of Last Modification : 830316
    Total Surface Area (HA) : 10
    Date of Last Modification : 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1924
Year of first production 1926
Production years 1927-1933, 1936-1944, 1946, 1956-1957, 1961

Mining district

District name Opalite District (McDermitt)

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Bradley Mining Co.
    Home office California
    Year 1978
    First year 1963

Production statistics

  • Year 1963
    Period To 1963
    Material HG (data from Brooks, 1963)
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^2-10 Lb/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mercury Mercury 2711g/mt

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 30.48M
    Overall length 152.4M
    Overall width 91.44M

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT IS 100 FT DEEP. (CA. MID 1940'S) LAST OPERATED 1957.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-74 Bergquist, Joel R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUL-80 Ferns, Mark L. (Brooks, Howard C.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-AUG-93 Gray, Jerry J. Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
Updater 01-MAY-95 Li, Zhiping (Peters, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 31-AUG-92 Western Field Operations Center (WFOC) U.S. Bureau of Mines 0410450004 = 10128625
Editor 15-NOV-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey MAS 0410450004 = newMRDS 10128625, merged and deleted

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Maps centered on this site