1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Bald Mountain Mine

Producer in White Pine county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Antimony, Mercury, Bismuth, Tellurium
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
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. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10045868
MRDS ID M233723
Record type Site
Current site name Bald Mountain Mine
Alternate or previous names Top Deposit, Rbm Deposit, Rat Deposit, North Deposit, Bf Claim Group, NBMG Samples 4375, 4376, 4377.
Related records 10310370, 10310447, 10310551

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -115.59589, 39.96659 (WGS84)
Elevation 2179

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

White Pine(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Big Bald Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Newark Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ely(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)

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 024N 032E 7,8,19 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • UTM'S TO TOP PIT; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = ELY (1971) 1:250000

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary
Bismuth Critical Tertiary
Tellurium Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • THE TOP AND RBM DEPOSITS BOTH HAVE HIGH CU, ZN, AND AG CONTENTS ASSOCIATED WITH AU MINERALIZATION AS WELL AS ANOMALOUS VALUES IN BI, HG, AS, SB, AND TELLURIDES. RAT AND NORTH DEPOSITS HAVE LOW TO NON-EXISTENT BASE METAL SIGNATURES WITH HIGHER HG, AS, AND SB VALUES.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification, Argillization, Potassic Alteration. See Geology Comments.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 75
USGS model code 19c
Deposit model name Distal disseminated Ag-Au
Mark3 model number 18

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Unknown
    Rock description Unknown
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Dunderberg Shale
    Rock description Dunderberg Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -115.59589, 39.96659
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description See Ore Control.

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Mineralization Is Structurally Controlled. The Dominant Structural Trend Is N45w, But There Are Ne, N-S, And E-W Trending Structures As Well. The E-W Structures Show The Youngest Period Of Movement, Some Of Which Is Post-Ore.

Comments on the geologic information

  • ALTERATION COMMENTS: SILICIFICATION, ARGILLIZATION, POTASSIC ALTERATION. THE MAIN ALTERATION FEATURE AT BALD MOUNTAIN IS THE LARGE HALO OF SILICIFICATION AND STRONG ARGILLIZATION. POTASSIC ALTERATION IS RECOGNIZED AT DEPTH. GEOLOGY COMMENTS: HOST ROCKS ARE CALCAREOUS SHALES AND DARK GRAY LIMESTONES WHICH WEATHER TO IRON-OXIDE STAINED RED-BROWN-MAROON AND TAN COLORS. GRANITIC INTRUSIVE WITH QUARTZ PHENOCRYSTS AND OXIDIZED PYRITE WAS NOTED IN CUT FACE OF DRILL ROADS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Year of first production 1983
Production years 1983; 1985 - PRESENT (12/92)

Mining district

District name Bald Mountain

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Placer Dome U. S.

Production statistics

  • Year 1985
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.086 Opt Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 2g/mt
  • Year 1987
    Material ORE-AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.062 Opt Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 2g/mt
  • Year 1988
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.063 Opt Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 2g/mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.032 g/mt Gold Major 1985
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.484 g/mt Gold Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.371 g/mt Gold Major 1987
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1988
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.581 g/mt Gold Major 1988
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.948 g/mt Gold Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.722 g/mt Gold Major 1990

Comments on the workings information

  • PRODUCTION HAS COME FROM FOUR PITS: TOP, RBM, RAT, AND NORTH.

Comments on development

  • PLACER BEGAN EXPLORATION ON THE PROPERTY IN 1977. IN 1983, A 2 MONTH, $1.96 MILLION HEAP LEACH TEST PRODUCED 3500 OZ. AU FROM 66,000 ST OF ORE. IN 1985, TEST MINING AND HEAP LEACH OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED, A FINAL FEASIBILITY DECISION WAS MADE, AND THE PERMITTING PROCESS WAS COMPLETED. BALD MOUNTAIN MINE WAS CONVERTED FROM PILOT SCALE TO FULL SCALE PRODUCTION IN 1986. STAGE III DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOP OREBODY COMMENCED IN MID-1987 WITH A THIRD MINE SHIFT REQUIRED TO HANDLE INCREASED MINE PRODUCTION. ALSO IN 1987, THE LEACH PAD WAS EXPANDED BY 180,000 SQUARE FEET AND 3 PROCESS SOLUTION PONDS WERE LINED WITH ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANE MATERIAL TO CONTAIN AU-BEARING SOLUTIONS. IN 1988, THE TOP OREBODY PROVIDED MOST OF THE HEAP LEACH FEED, WHILE THE RBM DEPOSIT WAS PLACED INTO PRODUCTION LATE IN THE YEAR. ALSO IN 1988, 5 ADDITIONAL CARBON COLUMNS WERE INSTALLED AND NEW LEACH PAD CONSTRUCTION ADDED 680,000 SQUARE FEET OF LEACHING AREA. TOTAL$: 12; ECON.YEAR: 1986. ; ECON.COM: CASH PRODUCTION COST
  • PER OZ. OF AU WAS $256 IN 1987, $273 IN 1988, $252 IN 1989, AND $218 IN 1990. TOTAL PRODUCTION COST PER OZ. OF AU WAS $297 IN 1987, $320 IN 1988, $305 IN 1989, AND $289 IN 1990.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    HOSE, BLAKE, AND SMITH, 1976, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF WHITE PINE COUNTY, NEVADA, NBMG BULLETIN 85.

  • Deposit

    HILL, J. M., 1916, NOTES ON SOME MINING DISTRICTS IN EASTERN NEVADA, USGS BULL. 648, P. 152-161.

  • Deposit

    DEAN, D. A., BENEDETTO, K. M. F., DURGIN, D. C., 1991, PART TWO: ELY - BALD MOUNTAIN - ELY ROAD LOG, IN BUFFA, R. AND COYNER, A., EDS., GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GREAT BASIN - FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK COMPENDIUM, THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA, RENO, P. 136-162.

  • Deposit

    LOWE, N. T., RANEY, R. G., AND NORBERG, J. R., PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS OF STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS IN NEVADA, USBM INFORMATION CIRCULAR 9035, P. 75.

  • Deposit

    A STUDY OF ACTIVE U. S. GOLD MINES, JULY, 1986, METALS ECONOMICS GROUP, BOULDER, CO, P. 288-291.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1987.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1988.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1989.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1990.

  • Deposit

    BONHAM, H., BENTZ, J., AND SMITH, P., 1981, FIELD EXAMINATION, JUNE 28, 1981.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1982, OPEN FILE REPORT 82-9.

  • Deposit

    PAY DIRT, OCT, 1982.

  • Deposit

    NEVADA MINING ASSOCIATION BULLETIN, 1983.

  • Deposit

    DIVISION OF MINE INSPECTION, 1983, DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINING OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1983.

  • Deposit

    JONES AND PAPKE, 1984, ACTIVE MINES AND OIL FIELDS IN NEVADA - 1983, NBMG MAP M84.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Production

    1983 FIGURES: A STUDY OF ACTIVE U. S. GOLD MINES, JULY, 1986, METALS ECONOMICS GROUP, BOULDER, CO, P. 288-291. 1985-1987 FIGURES: PLACER DOME INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1987. 1988-1990 FIGURES: PLACER DOME INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1990. NBMG MI-1993

  • Reserve-Resource

    NBMG MI-1993

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DO NOT CONFUSE BALD MOUNTAIN MINE WITH LITTLE BALD MOUNTAIN MINE (MRDS RECORD W700447).
Deposit First Production Year: 1983 (PILOT SCALE); 1986 (FULL SCALE)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1982 Mohsen, Ahmed F. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-DEC-1984 La Pointe, D.D. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-MAY-1990 Marcus, S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-DEC-1992 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-1994 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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.