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Rabbit Creek Mine

Producer in Humboldt county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Arsenic, Mercury, Antimony, Barium-Barite
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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. 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 10084955
MRDS ID W700381
Record type Site
Current site name Rabbit Creek Mine
Alternate or previous names North Central, 268, 122, West Central, East Central Areas, Hgo, Sws, Main Chert, Dz, Lgo, Upper Sill, Jackrabbit, Snowshoe Ore Zones

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.17235, 41.24683 (WGS84)
Relative position 72 KM NORTHEAST OF WINNEMUCCA, NV.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Humboldt(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Dry Hills South(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Osgood Mountains(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

McDermitt(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Middle 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 Humboldt

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 039N 043E 19;29;31 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • RABBIT CREEK IS LOCATED ON THE EASTERN FLANK OF THE OSGOOD MTS.; IT ADJOINS THE CHIMNEY CREEK SOUTH DEPOSIT TO THE SOUTH (THEY MAY EVENTUALLY CONNECT). SOURCE FOR UTM'S-SANTA FE MINING CO. THE DEPOSIT IS WITHIN THE GETCHELL TREND AND IS NEAR THE PREBLE, PINSON, GETCHELL AND CHIMMNEY CREEK GOLD DEPOSITS.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Lead Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • GOLD IN THE MAIN CHERT ORE ZONE OCCURS AS MICRON-SIZED GRAINS ADJACENT TO CUBIC PYRITE SURROUNDED BY ORPIMENT. AU:AG RATIOS FOR THE ORE ZONES RANGE 0.3:1 AT JACKRABBIT TO 48.9:1 AT HGO. AVERAGE AU:AG RATIOS ARE 11:1 FOR OXIDE ORE AND 4:1 FOR UNOXIDIZED ORE.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cinnabar Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Orpiment Ore
Pyrite Ore
Realgar Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stibnite Ore
Clay Gangue
Goethite Gangue
Illite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Decalicification, Silicification, Dolomitization, Argillization, And Minor Sericitization Of Sediments. Albitization And Propylitization Of Basalt. Decalcification Increased Porosity, Allowing Introduction Of Mineralizing Fluids. Silica Was Introduced In Several Stages In The Hgo Orebody. Dolomitization Accompanied One Of The Silicification Stages. Argillization Is Important In The Lgo Orebody.

Analytical data

Result AU IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANOMALOUS AS (AVG. 5600 PPM, MAX 38.5 % FOR UNOXIDIZED ORE), SB (AVG. 763 PPM, MAX 2.2 WT %), HG (AVG. 25 PPM, MAX O.1 WT %). THE CONCENTRATIONS OF AS, SB, HG IN BOTH OXIDE AND UNOXIDIZED ORE AT RABBIT CREEK ARE HIGHER THAN IN MOST CARLIN-TYPE DEPOSITS. BACKGROUND VALUES IN UNALTERED SEDIMENTARY HOST ROCKS ARE: AS 50 PPM, SB 2 PPM AND HG 70 PPB.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 172
USGS model code 26a
Deposit model name Carbonate-hosted Au-Ag
Mark3 model number 15

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Rock unit name Comus Formation;Comus Formation;Comus Formation;Upper Comus Formation;Upper Comus Formation;Upper Comus Formation
    Rock description Comus Formation;Comus Formation;Comus Formation;Upper Comus Formation;Upper Comus Formation;Upper Comus Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Comus Formation;Comus Formation;Comus Formation
    Rock description Comus Formation;Comus Formation;Comus Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.17235, 41.24683
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Antler Belt. Major, Deep Seated, N-S Structural Zone (Suture) 40 Km (25 Miles) Long, Known As The Getchell High-Angle Fault System Bounds The Eastern Flank Of The Osgood Mountains. N-S Trending Belt Of Gold Mineralization That Is At Least 5.6 Km (3.5 Miles) Long And 300 M (1000 Ft) To 450m (1500ft) Wide.
Type of structure Local
Structure description The Conelea Overturned Anticline Dominates The Structural Picture Of The Rabbit Creek Mine Area. The Fold Axis Strikes N20-30w, Dips 20-30 Degrees Southwest, And Plunges 5 Degrees Northwest. The Conelea Anticline Is Offset By Three Ne-Striking Faults; The Northernmost Of The Three (Dz Fault) Has About 2000 Ft. Of Dextral Offset. The Dz Fault Is Interpreted As A Riedel "R" Shear Associated With An Inferred Major Ns Basement Suture With Right Lateral Offset, The "Rabbit Suture".

Ore body information

  • General form OTHER
    Strike LONG DIMENSION OF ORE ZONE IS NNE.
    Dip 15 DEGREES NE.
    Thickness 36.58M
    Length 335.28M
    Width 182.88M
    Depth to top 121.92M
  • General form OTHER
    Dip 15 DEGREES NE.

Controls for ore emplacement

  • The "Rabbit Suture" Is Considered A First Order Control. The Dz Fault Was Probably A Feeder Fault. Favorable Calcareous Lithologies Within Nw- Trending Overturned Anticline Are Stratigraphic Controls.

Comments on the geologic information

  • RABBIT CREEK GOLD DEPOSIT IS CONCEALED UNDER A THICK SERIES OF COALESCING ALLUVIAL FANS FORMING A PEDIMENT OF THE OSGOOD MOUNTAINS. THE ORE BODY OCCURS IN PALEOZOIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS WHICH ARE COMPLETELY COVERED BY QUATERNARY SAND, GRAVEL AND CLAY. THE PALEOZOIC ROCKS DEPOSITED IN A EUGEOSYNCLINAL ENVIRONMENT WERE EXTENSIVELY DEFORMED DURING THREE PRE-TERTIARY TECTONIC EVENTS. THRUSTING DURING THE ANTLER AND SONOMA OROGENIES BROUGHT WESTERN FACIES DEEP WATER UNITS OVER OR INTERLEAVED THEM WITH EASTERN FACIES, SHALLOW WATER UNITS IN A COMPLEX ASSEMBLAGE. THRUSTS ARE GENERALLY N-NE STRIKING. PALEOZOIC UNITS ARE TILTED AND FOLDED, OFTEN ISOCLINALLY, AND STEEPLY DIPPING. DURING THE BASIN AND RANGE EXTENSION MAFIC AND FELSIC DIKES WERE INTRUD. HIGH ANGLE FAULTS PLAYED A PRIMARY ROLE IN LOCALIZING THE FLOW OF HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEPOSITION OF GOLD. HOST ROCKS ARE BLACK, CARBONACEOUS, CALCAREOUS SHALES, SILTSTONES, CHERTS, INTERBEDDED BASALTIC HYDROCLASTIC TUFFS,
  • AND COEVAL BASALTS AND VOLCANICLASTICS. CONCORDANT SILLS AND LAVA FLO OF HIGH-TITANIUM BASALTS OF THOLEIITIC-TO-ALKALIC COMPOSITION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1987
Discoverer Santa Fe Pacific Mining, Inc., 6200 Uptown Blvd., Suite 400, Albuquerque, Nm 87110. Charles Tapper Is The Geologist Credited With The First Ore Hole.
Year of first production 1990
Production years 1990 - (PROJECTED MINE LIFE OF 15 YEARS

Mining district

District name Potosi District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Rabbit Creek Mining, Inc.
    Home office Box 552, Winnemucca, Nv 89445
  • Type Owner
    Owner Santa Fe Pacific Mining, Inc.
    Home office 6200 Uptown Blvd., Suite 400, Albuquerque, Nm 87110

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 26000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.004 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Name NORTH CENTRAL AREA - OXIDE ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 6984000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.609 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Name NORTH CENTRAL AREA - SULFIDE
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 2489000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 5.251 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 6984000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.27 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Name 268 AREA - SULFIDE ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 128000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.67 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Name 122 AREA - OXIDE ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 8000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.609 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Name 122 AREA - SULFIDE ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 1000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 4.348 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type Milling
    Name OXIDE MILL ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.727 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type Leaching
    Name HEAP LEACH ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.762 g/mt Gold Major 1990
  • Type Milling
    Name SULFIDE MILL ORE
    Estimate year 1990
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 5.223 g/mt Gold Major 1990

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LINE 1 FIGURES REPRESENT PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESOURCE ESTIMATES FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL AREA, 268 AREA, AND 122 AREA. ESTIMATES FOR THE WEST CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL AREAS ARE EXCLUDED.
  • LINE 1: ORE IS OXIDIZED AND TREATABLE WITH CONVENTIONAL EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES. LINE 3: ORE IS REFRACTORY AND WILL REQUIRE PREOXIDATION AS PART OF MILLING PROCESS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 121.92M

Comments on the workings information

  • EXPANDED OPEN PIT MINE WILL BE 1 MILE LONG BY 1.5 MILES WIDE. THE OXIDE PIT WILL EVENTUALLY REACH 1200 FT. IN DEPTH AND REQUIRE 150 MILLION TONS OF OVERBURDEN TO BE REMOVED OVER THE LIFE OF THE MINE. (THE HUMBOLDT SUN, WINNEMUCCA, NV., JULY 27, 1990, P. 32-34.)

Comments on development

  • IN JANUARY 1987, WAS THE DISCOVERY HOLE. DRILLING THROUGH 1988 IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING MINERALIZED AREAS: NORTH CENTRAL AREA, 268 AREA, 122 AREA, WEST CENTRAL AREA, EAST CENTRAL AREA. WITHIN THESE AREAS ARE NUMEROUS OREBODIES, INCLUDING HGO, SWS, MAIN CHERT, DZ, LGO, UPPER SILL, JACKRABBIT, AND SNOWSHOE. PRESTRIPPING COMMENCED MARCH 1989. MILL AND HEAP LEACH CONSTRUCTION BEGAN AUGUST 1989. INITIAL PRODUCTION SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 1990 AT AN ANNUAL RATE OF 200,000 OZ. AU PER YEAR. ; TOTAL$: 77.4 ; EXPAN$: 60-65 ; ECON.YEAR: 1991-92 ; ECON.COM: INITIAL PRODUCTION BEGAN AUGUST 1990 UTILIZING OXIDE ORES WITH AN OUTPUT OF 200,000 OZ OF AU/YR. THE CONVENTIONAL CARBON-IN-LEACH MILL IS RATED AT 1500 TPD. A SECOND CIRCUIT TO TREAT UNOXIDIZED ORE IS PLANNED. THE ORE BODY WILL BE DEVELOPED IN THREE PHASES. FIRST, THE NORTH-CENTRAL OXIDE PIT, FOLLOWED BY EXPANSION OF OXIDE PRODUCTION FURTHER SOUTH. PRODUCTION FROM SULFIDE GOLD RESERVES WILL BEGIN IN 1995. OXIDE ORE GREATER THAN
  • 0.05 OZ/TON IS DESIGNATED AS MILL ORE. OVER THE LIFE OF THE MINE, OPERATING COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE $207/0Z (1990 DOLLARS FOR OXIDE PRODUCTION.)
  • EXPL.COM: RABBIT CREEK IS A BLIND DISCOVERY FOUND BY DRILLING TARGETED ON PHOTOLINEAMENTS. SANTA FE GEOLOGISTS FIRST REVIEWED THE RAILROAD GRANT SECTIONS IN THE RABBIT CREEK AREA IN 1985 AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THE CHIMNEY CREEK DEPOSIT BY GOLD FIELDS MINING CORP. IN MAY 1986, DRILLING BY GOLD FIELDS NEAR THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY INDICATED TO SANTA FE GEOLOGISTS THE POSSIBILITY OF SHALLOW, ALTERED BEDROCK IN SECTION 19. A PHOTOGEOLOGICAL EVALUATION IDENTIFIED A STRONG NS LINEAMENT FROM THE CHIMNEY CREEK TO RABBIT CREEK DEPOSITS. TEN WIDELY SPACED HOLES WERE DRILLED IN JULY 1986. NO ORE GRADE AU INTERCEPTS WERE ENCOUNTERED BUT ANOMALOUS AS (100'S OF PPM) AND HG (1 PPM) VALUES WERE COMMON. TEN ADDITIONAL HOLES WERE DRILLED IN OCTOBER 1986. THE BEST AU INTERCEPT WAS 5 FT./O.15 OPT; TRACE ELEMENT GEOCHEMISTRY WAS SIMILAR TO THE FIRST PHASE OF DRILLING. BOTH AU AND TRACE ELEMENT VALUES GENERALLY INCREASED TOWARD THE BOTTOM IN MANY HOLES. THE SECOND HOLE OF THE THIRD ROUND OF DRILLING

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPOSIT DESCRIPTION DATA IS FOR HGO ORE ZONE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OREBODY OF THE RABBIT CREEK MINE IN TERMS OF RESERVES. SEVEN OTHER MINERALIZED ZONES ARE RECOGNIZED. DEPOSIT IS COVERED BY 60M TO 165 M OF ALLUVIUM.
Deposit RABBIT CREEK DEPOSIT IS CONSIDERED A CLASSIC "CARLIN TYPE" DEPOSIT AND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS MIDPLATE SEAMOUNT VOLCANISM WITHIN AN EXTENSIONAL STRESS FIELD. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit Discovery Year: 1987 ORE

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1988 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-AUG-1991 Moyer, Lorre A. (Marcus, S.M.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-FEB-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

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