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

Round Mountain Gold Mine

Producer in Nye county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Arsenic, Antimony, Thallium, Mercury, Molybdenum, Fluorine-Fluorite, Manganese, Tungsten
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. 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. Reserves and resources
  20. Workings at the site
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. General comments
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10069298
MRDS ID W002891
Record type Site
Current site name Round Mountain Gold Mine
Alternate or previous names Sunnyside Mine, Sphinx Glory Hole, Great Western Tunnel, Rattlesnake, Keane Vein, Los Gazabo Vein
Related records 10310493, 10310392

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.07814, 38.70382 (WGS84)
Elevation 2100
Relative position ABOUT 0.8 MILES S40W FROM TOWN OF ROUND MOUNTAIN, NV. 50 MILES N OF TONOPAH, NV.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nye(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Round Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Ione Valley(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Tonopah(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Northern Big Smoky Valley(hydrologic unit)

Central Nevada Desert Basins(hydrologic accounting unit)

Central Nevada Desert Basins(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Nye

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 010N 044E 19;30 Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Thallium Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Tertiary
Manganese Critical Tertiary
Tungsten Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • DISSEMINATED GOLD IN ALASKITES; MORE GOLD IN QUARTZ; SULFIDES FROM DIORITE?

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Electrum Ore
Alunite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Illite Gangue
Jarosite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Montmorillonite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Realgar Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) See Comments

Analytical data

Result REALGAR HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THE KEANE VEIN. MO AND W VALUES ARE HIGHER IN DEEPER ORES. THERE IS A DECREASE IN CONCENTRATIONS OF AS, SB, AND TL(?) WITH DEPTH. FLUORINE SHOWS CONSISTENT VALUES THROUGHOUT THE MINE AREA WITH NO RECOGNIZED TREND WITH DEPTH. CU, PB, ZN DO NOT APPEAR TO CHANGE WITH DEPTH IN THE DRILL HOLES ANALYZED.

Mineral occurrence model information

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 Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Shoshone Granite Pluton;;Metasedimentary Rocks
    Rock description Shoshone Granite Pluton;;Metasedimentary Rocks
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Rhyolitic Ash-Flow Tuffs
    Rock description Rhyolitic Ash-Flow Tuffs

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.07814, 38.70382
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Nw Lineament Seen As Disruption In N-S Trends Of Toquima And Toiyabe Ranges
Type of structure Local
Structure description Nw-Striking Faults And Joints; Wnw-Trending Paleotopographic High, May Represent Margin Of Buried Caldera Located Sw Of Round Mountain

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR, MUSHROOM
    Strike NW-SE
    Dip 15-85S
    Depth to bottom 457.2M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ring Fracture Zone Associated With The Unmapped Buried Caldera. Au Deposition Is Controlled By High-Angle Fractures, Particularly The Nw-Trending Sets. Fracures Were Reactivated By Strike-Slip Faulting (Nw).

Comments on the geologic information

  • TER-RECENT FAULT ACTIVITY; CRUSHING POST ORE. PLEIST-REC VALLEY FILL.
  • OLIGO, BASED ON THREE K-AR RADIOMETRIC AGE DATES: 25.2, 0.8 MA (ADULARIA FROM VEINS ON ROUND MOUNTAIN), 25.4, 0.8 MA (SERICITE FROM ALTERED TUFF IN FOOTWALL OF MARIPOSA VEIN), 25.5, 0.8 MA (ALKALI FELDSPAR FROM ALTERED TUFF IN FOOTWALL OF MARIPOSA VEIN).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1906
Discoverer John Stebbins And Frank Dixon
Year of first production 1906
Production years 1906-1942; 1977-PRESENT (4/93)

Mining district

District name Round Mountain District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Echo Bay Mines Ltd.
    Interest 50
    First year 1982
  • Type Owner
    Owner Case, Pomeroy And Co. Ltd.
    Interest 25
    First year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Homestake Mining Co.
    Interest 25
    First year 1992
  • Type Operator
    Owner Smoky Valley Mining Co. Mr. Chet Diercks, General Manager
    Home office P.O. Box 480, Smoky Valley Road, Round Mountain, Nv 89045-0480 (702) 377-2366
    First year 1982

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 5442000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.694 g/mt Gold Major 1976
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Total resources 16326000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 1.976 g/mt Silver Major 1980
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Total resources 5442000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.129 g/mt Gold Major 1977
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Total resources 88435000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 2.258 g/mt Silver Major 1984
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Total resources 87981000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.722 g/mt Gold Major 1987
    Silver Ag 1.976 g/mt Silver Major 1987
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.214 g/mt Gold Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.931 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.734 g/mt Gold Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.691 g/mt Gold Major 1993

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 16093M

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: NATIVE GOLD DISSEMINATED IN QUARTZ, MORE GOLD IN GRANITE; MORE AG, PB IN INTRUDED SEDS

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RANSOME, F.L., 1909, ROUND MOUNTAIN: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 380, P. 44-47.

  • Deposit

    KLEINHAMPL, F.J., AND ZIONY, J.I.,19854, MINERAL RESOURCES OF NORTHERN NYE CO.: NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, BULLETIN 99B.

  • Deposit

    FERGUSON, H.G., 1921, ROUND MOUNTAIN DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 725-I, P. 383-406.

  • Deposit

    BERGER, B.R., TINGLEY, J.V., FILIPEK, L.H., AND NEIGHBOR, J., PROCESSES CONTROLLING TRACE-ELEMENT PATTERNS IN HOT SPRINGS-RELATED GOLD-SILVER DEPOSITS IN LATE OLIGOCENE VOLCANIC ROCKS, ROUND MOUNTAIN, NEVADA: UNPUBLISHED REPORT, NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY FILES.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS, D.N., JR., SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, MARCH 3, 1979, P. 8-17.

  • Deposit

    SILBERMAN, M.L., SHAWE, D.R., KOSKI, R.A., AND GODDARD, B.B., 1975, K-AR AGES OF MINERALIZATION AT ROUND MOUNTAIN AND MANHATTAN, NYE COUNTY, NEVADA: ISOCHRON WEST, V. NO. 13, P. 1-2.

  • Deposit

    WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1982, JANUARY 5, 1982, "LOUISIANA LAND BOOSTS ESTIMATES OF GOLD RESERVES."

  • Deposit

    NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MI-1987.

  • Deposit

    GSN PRECIOUS METALS SYMPOSIUM, 1987, FIELDTRIP GUIDEBOOK, P. 130; TECHNICAL VOLUME, P. 375.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, MONTAGU MINING FINANCE, MINING DATABASE, 8/10/91.

  • Deposit

    TINGLEY, J.V., AND BERGER, B.R., 1985, LODE-GOLD DEPOSITS OF ROUND MOUNTAIN, NEVADA: NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 100, 62 P.

  • Deposit

    CAVENDER, W.S., AND PURDY, C.P., 1985, THE MAKING OF THE ROUND MOUNTAIN MINE, IN HOLLISTER, V.F., ED., DISCOVERIES OF EPITHERMAL PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS, SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS OF AIME, NEW YORK, P. 101-104.

  • Deposit

    MILLS, B.A., 1985, GEOLOGY OF THE ROUND MOUNTAIN GOLD DEPOSIT: NYE COUNTY, NEVADA, IN HOLLISTER, V.F., ED., DISCOVERIES OF EPITHERMAL PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS, SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS OF AIME, NEW YORK, P. 104-114.

  • Deposit

    SANDER, M., AND EINAUDI, M., 1987, THE ROUND MOUNTAIN GOLD-SILVER MINE, NYE COUNTY, NEVADA, IN JOHNSON, J., ED., BULK MINEABLE PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS-GUIDEBOOK FOR FIELD TRIPS, THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA, RENO, P. 130-135.

  • Deposit

    ARGALL, G.O., 1985, HEAP LEACHING SMOKY VALLEY GOLD, ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, V. 186, NO. 12, P. 18-23.

  • Deposit

    SANDER, M., 1988, GEOLOGIC SETTING AND THE RELATION OF EPITHERMAL GOLD-SILVER MINERALIZATION TO WALL ROCK ALTERATION AT THE ROUND MOUNTAIN MINE, NYE COUNTY, NEVADA, IN SCHAFER, R., ET AL, EDS., BULK MINEABLE PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA, RENO, P. 375-416.

  • Deposit

    FERGUSON, H.G., AND CATHCART, S.H., 1954, GEOLOGY OF THE ROUND MOUNTAIN QUAD., NEVADA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEOLOGICAL QUADRANGLE MAP GQ-40.

  • Deposit

    KOSCHMANN, A.H., AND BERGENDAHL, M.H., 1968, PRINCIPAL GOLD PRODUCING DISTRICTS OF THE UNITED STATES: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 610, P. 193-194.

  • Deposit

    ECHO BAY MINES LTD., 1988, ANNUAL REPORT FORM 10-K FOR 1987.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Deposit

    ECHO BAY MINES 1993 ANNUAL REPORT

  • Deposit

    NEVADA DEPT. OF MINERALS, 1994

  • Deposit

    1909 GEOLMAP RANSOME, USGS BULL. 380

  • Deposit

    1954 GEOLMAP FERGUSON AND CATHCART, USGS GQ-40

  • Deposit

    1921 GEOLMAP FERGUSON, USGS BULL. 725-1

  • Deposit

    ALBINO, GEORGE, 1993,WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONO S. MARCUS, APRIL 30, 1993

  • Deposit

    BRUCE VEEK, 1993, WRITTEN COMMUNICATION TO S. MARCUS, REVISING THIS MRDS RECORD. VEEK IS SENIOR GEOLOGIST AT ROUND MOUNTAIN (4/93).

  • Deposit

    1923 COMPILE LINCOLN: NEVADA NEWSLETTER PUBLISHING COMPANY

  • Production

    1988-1990 ANNUAL PRODUCTION: MINING JOURNAL/MONTAGU MINING FINANCE, MINING DATABASE, 8/10/91.

  • Production

    1910-1920 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: FERGUSON, H.G., 1921, ROUND MOUNTAIN DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 725-I, P. 383-406.

  • Production

    1906-1969 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: TINGLEY, J.V., AND BERGER, B.R., 1985, LODE GOLD DEPOSITS OF ROUND MOUNTAIN, NEVADA: NBMG BULLETIN 100, 62 P.

  • Production

    1977-1981 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: MILLS, B.A., 1985, GEOLOGY OF THE ROUND MOUNTAIN GOLD DEPOSIT: NYE COUNTY, NEVADA, IN HOLLISTER, V.F., ED., DISCOVERIES OF EPITHERMAL PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS, SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS OF AIME, NEW YORK, P. 104-114.

  • Production

    1982-1987 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: ECHO BAY MINES LTD., 1988, ANNUAL REPORT FORM 10-K FOR 1987.

  • Production

    1988-1990 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: MINING JOURNAL/MONTAGU MINING FINANCE, MINING DATABASE, 8/10/91. NBMG MI-1993

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MI-1987; SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, MARCH 3, 1979; WALL STREET JOURNAL, JANUARY 5, 1982. NBMG MI-1993

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: 1864 (SILVER)
Deposit GOLD DEPOSITS ARE IN QUARTZ LENSES IN THE LIMESTONES AND PROBABLY ARE GENETICALLY RELATED TO THE LATE SILICEOUS PHASE OF THE ALASKITE. NATIVE GOLD IS FINELY DISSEMINATED IN THE QUARTZ AND IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH SCATTERED SULFIDES IN THE LENSES.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1975 Smith, Martha R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-1981 Wong, George (Roberts, Ralph) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1988 La Pointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-APR-1992 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-1993 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.

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:

  • Homestake Mining Co. — acquired by Subsidiary of Barrick Gold (2001)
    Operator of the historic Homestake Mine in South Dakota; acquired by Barrick Gold in 2001.

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.