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Buffalo Valley Mine

Producer in Lander county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Arsenic, Nickel
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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 10106923
MRDS ID M231308
Record type Site
Current site name Buffalo Valley Mine
Related records 10149446, 10310306

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.24789, 40.60379 (WGS84)
Elevation 1756
Relative position LOCATED 16 MILES S OF THE VALMY EXIT ON INTERSTATE 80 AND 17 MILES WSW OF TOWN OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NV.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lander(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Antler Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Dixie Valley(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 Lander

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 032N 042E 33 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • UTM'S TO SHAFTS OF HISTORIC UNDERGROUND WORKINGS AT NORTH END OF CURRENT OPEN PIT. LOCATED BETWEEN TIMBER AND MILL CANYONS.; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = WINNEMUCCA (1971) 1:250000

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Nickel Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • ROBERTS AND ARNOLD (1965) REPORT THE PRESENCE OF A VEIN CONTAINING PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE 800 FT. SE OF THE HISTORIC WORKINGS WHICH ASSAYS UP TO 2.0 OZ/TON AU; THIS IS LIKELY IN THE AREA WHICH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AS AN OPEN PIT. ACCORDING TO SHIPMENT RECORDS FROM 1924-1951, THE AU AND AG CONTENT OF THE ORE INCREASES WITH AN INCREASE IN COPPER.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Gold Ore
Hematite Ore
Limonite Ore
Malachite Ore
Biotite Gangue
Clinozoisite Gangue
Diopside Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Contact Metamorphism, Endoskarn, Potassic Alteration, Prograde Skarn, Retrograde Skarn. See Geology Comments.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 64
USGS model code 18f
Deposit model name Skarn Au
Mark3 model number 82

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Alluvium
    Rock unit name Unknown;Unknown;Unknown
    Rock description Unknown;Unknown;Unknown
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Havallah Formation
    Rock description Havallah Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.24789, 40.60379
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Golconda Thrust
Type of structure Local
Structure description The Havallah Sequence Of The Buffalo Valley Mine Has A Homoclinal Appearance. With Certain Exceptions, Beds Strike Nw To Slightly East Of North And Generally Dip 45-65 Sw Or West. Buffalo Valley Mine Is Situated In A Fault Block That Is Bounded On The East By The Western Range-Bounding Fault Of Battle Mountain And On The West By Another West-Dipping Normal Fault, Which Is Known In Mine Terminology As The Front Fault.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR

Controls for ore emplacement

  • See Comments

Comments on the geologic information

  • ALTERATION COMMENTS: CONTACT METAMORPHISM: IN THE UPPER STRUCTURAL UNIT OF THE HAVALLAH SEQUENCE, NON-CALCAREOUS SILTY LITHOLOGIES ARE CONVERTED TO BIOTITE HORNFELS; SLIGHTLY CALCAREOUS, SILICEOUS AND ARGILLACEOUS SILTSTONES ARE METAMORPHOSED TO CALC-SILICATE HORNFELSES (DIOPSIDE + QUARTZ PLAGIOCLASE, CLINOZOISITE, EPIDOTE). SULFIDES ARE RESTRICTED TO LATER FRACTURES. ENDOSKARN: SULFIDE-POOR CALC-SILICATE MINERAL ASSEMBLAGES WHICH OCCUR AS ALTERATION PRODUCTS OF PORPHYRY DIKES ARE COMMON WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE OPEN PIT, RARE IN THE OPEN PIT, AND ABSENT EAST AND NORTH OF THE PIT. IN SOME HAND SPECIMENS, ENDOSKARN ALTERATION CAN BE OBSERVED AS ENVELOPES ABOUT INDIVIDUAL QUARTZ VEINS, E.G. PLAGIOCLASE-QUARTZ-PYROXENE-BEARING INNER ENVELOPES (HORNBLENDE DESTROYED) AND RELICT HORNBLENDE-STABLE OUTER ENVELOPES. POTASSIC ALTERATION: SHREDDY HYDOTHERMAL BIOTITE IS ABUNDANT IN DIKES IN THE OPEN PIT AND THE DEGREE OF BIOTIZATION IS INDEPENDENT OF PROXIMITY TO QUARTZ VEINS.
  • PROGRADE SKARN: A FEW UNEQUIVOCAL BUT RARE EXAMPLES OF COARSE GRAINED GARNET-PYROXENE SKARN HAVE BEEN EXPOSED IN THE CENTER OF THE OPEN PIT, INTERBEDDED WITH CALC-SILICATE HORNFELS. THESE SKARNS CONTAIN PYRITE, ALTHOUGH IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER IT WAS DEPOSITED SYNCHRONOUS WITH SKARN SILICATES. RETROGRADE SKARN: PYROXENE HORNFELS AND LESS COMMONLY BASALT AND BIOTITE HORNFELS LOCALLY ARE INTENSELY ALTERED TO DARK GREEN CHLORITE, PYRITE, AND NONTRONITE(?). THIS ASSEMBLGE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO CARRY FREE GOLD. GEOLOGY COMMENTS: ROCKS OF THE HAVALLAH SEQUENCE IN THE BUFFALO VALLEY MINE AREA CAN BE GROUPED INTO 3 LOCAL UNITS (AND THEIR METAMORPHIC AND METASOMATIC EQUIVALENTS): 1) A LOWER STRUCTURAL UNIT CONSISTING OF CHERT, LESSER SHALE AND SILTSTONE, MINOR PEBBLY SANDSTONE RICH IN BLACK CHERT CLASTS, AND MINOR LIMESTONE; 2) A SILL OR LAVA FLOW OF FINE GRAINED BASALT; AND 3) AN UPPER STRUCTURAL UNIT CONSISTING OF NON-CALCAREOUS TO WEAKLY CALCAREOUS SILTSTONE, QUARTZITE, AND SHALE. THE
  • BASALT AND UPPER STRUCTURAL UNIT ARE EXPOSED IN THE PIT. VARIABLY ALTERED GRANODIORITIC PORPHYRY DIKES INTRUDE THE HAVALLAH SEQUENCE ROCKS THROUGHOUT THE MINE AREA AND ARE INTERPRETED TO BE PART OF A LATE EOCENE(?) PORPHYRY SYSTEM, INFERRED TO BE RELATED TO A LARGER SUBJACENT PLUTON. SOME DIKES CARRY ANOMALOUS AU VALUES, INDICATING AU DEPOSITION POST-DATES INTRUSION OF THE DIKES. UNALTERED, UNMINERALIZED INTERCALATED ASH FLOW TUFFS AND ALLUVIUM OVERLIE THE HAVALLAH SEQUENCE ROCKS AND DIKES. BASED ON THE SPATIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF AU-BEARING PYRITIC VEINS WITH THE SWARM OF DIKES IN THE PIT AND THE PRESENCE OF MINOR AU OCCURRENCES ASSOCIATED WITH OUTLYING PORPHYRY DIKES, SEEDORFF (1991) SUGGESTS THAT AU DEPOSITION IS RELATED TO THE COPPER CANYON PORPHYRY SYSTEM.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1916
Discoverer C. Ganser Anothers (?)
Year of first production 1924
Year of last production 1990
Production years 1924-1935; 1937-1941; 1951; 1986-1990

Mining district

District name Buffalo Valley; Battle Mountain; Mill Canyon

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Buffalo Valley Mines Co. ; Horizon Gold Shares Inc.
    First year 1941
  • Type Owner
    Owner Buffalo Valley Mines Co.
    First year 1941

Production statistics

  • Year 1987
    Material ORE-AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0573 Opt Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 2g/mt
  • Year 1988
    Material ORE-AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.0299 Opt Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 1g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • HORIZON GOLD SHARES FISCAL YEAR ENDS MARCH 31. 1986-1990 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION FIGURES REPRESENT THE PERIOD FROM THE INITIATION OF OPEN PIT MINING ON JUNE 1, 1986 TO THE DECISION TO SUSPEND MINING AND LEACHING OPERATIONS ON OCTOBER 1, 1990.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.129 g/mt Gold Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.129 g/mt Gold Major 1987
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.287 g/mt Gold Major 1989

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 914.4M
    Overall depth 60.96M
    Overall length 762M
    Overall width 152.4M

Comments on the workings information

  • HISTORIC UNDERGROUND WORKINGS AGGREGATE 3000 FT. AND INCLUDE 5 ADITS, ONE OF WHICH IS 600 FT. LONG AND ANOTHER 400 FT. LONG. IN ADDITION, 40 SHALLOW PITS AND TRENCHES HAVE BEEN DUG ON THE SURFACE. THREE LEVELS, CONNECTED BY STOPES AND RAISES, AND AN INCLINED SHAFT WHICH EXTENDS 220 FT. BELOW THE SURFACE CONSTITUTE THE MAIN UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. OVERALL DIMENSIONS AND DEPTH GIVEN ABOVE ARE FOR THE ULTIMATE PIT AS PLANNED IN 1988. THE LAND POSITION CONTROLLED BY HORIZON GOLD AT THE BUFFALO VALLEY MINE AND SURROUNDING ACREAGE TOTALS OVER 18,000 ACRES.

Comments on development

  • 214 ROTARY DRILL HOLES, OVER 3000 AU ASSAYS COLLECTED FROM SURFACE, UNDERGROUND, AND DRILL HOLE SAMPLES, SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC MAPPING, AND METALLURIGICAL AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES. HORIZON MINED THE BUFFALO VALLEY DEPOSIT AS AN OPEN PIT-HEAP LEACH OPERATION DURING THE PERIOD JUNE 1, 1986 TO OCTOBER 1, 1990. IN DECEMBER, 1988, HORIZON FORMED A JOINT VENTURE WITH CHEVRON RESOURCES COMPANY TO EXPLORE THE BUFFALO VALLEY PROPERTY. AS OF NOVEMBER 1989, THE HORIZON/CHEVRON VENTURE HAD DISCOVERED ADDITIONAL NEAR SURFACE AU OCCURRENCES IN OXIDIZED VEINS TO THE NORTH, SOUTHWEST, AND EAST OF THE OPEN PIT AND HAD IDENTIFIED AN UNDERGROUND RESOURCE IN AU-BEARING OXIDIZED VEINS BENEATH THE EXISTING PIT. TOTAL$: <1.5; MILL.CAP: 850 GALLONS/MI N.; ECON.YEAR: 1986. ; ECON.COM: HORIZON USED THREE GRADE CATEGORIES DURING OPEN PIT MINING/HEAP LEACHING: NUMBER ONE ROCK (>/= 0.015 OPT AU) WAS CRUSHED PRIOR TO LOADING ON THE HEAP LEACH PAD; NUMBER TWO ROCK (>/= 0.012 AND <0.015 OPT AU) WAS TREATED
  • AS RUN-OF-MINE MATERIAL AND WAS LOADED ON THE LEACH PAD UNCRUSHED; WASTE WAS CLASSIFIED AS ANYTHING GRADING <0.012 OPT AU. CONSTRUCTION AND START UP COSTS AT THE MINE WERE LESS THAN $1.5 MILLION. CASH OPERATING COSTS PER OUNCE OF AU SOLD AVERAGED $175 FOR FISCAL 86/87, $250 FOR FISCAL 87/88, $246 FOR FISCAL 89/90, AND $227 FOR THE PERIOD JUNE 1, 1986 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1990 (START UP TO SHUT DOWN). AVERAGE PRODUCTION COST PER OUNCE OF AU SOLD, INCLUDING DEPRECIATION AND DEPLETION, WAS $321 FOR THE PERIOD JUNE 1, 1986 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1990. HORIZON OWNS A 100% WORKING INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY AND IS OPERATING UNDER A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH ROYALTIES VARYING FROM 4% TO 7.5% OF GROSS PROCEEDS, DEPENDING ON REALIZED AU PRICES. MOST METALLURGICAL TESTS HAVE RETURNED SODIUM CYANIDE AU LEACH RECOVERIES RANGING FROM 65%-75% OF THE CONTAINED AU WITHIN 60-120 DAYS OF STANDARD HEAP LEACHING TECHNIQUES, ALTHOUGH TYPICAL RECOVERIES AT THE MINE WERE 80%. BUFFALO VALLEY MINE ORE WAS CRUSHED TO MINUS ONE
  • INCH PRIOR TO STACKING ON THE HEAP LEACH PADS. AT THE TIME OF SUSPENSION OF FULL SCALE OPERATIONS ON OCTOBER 1, 1990, MINING CAPACITY WAS 1900 TPD. DORE BARS PRODUCED AT BUFFALO VALLEY MINE AVERAGED 66% AU, 11% AG, 19% CU, AND 4% OTHER IMPURITIES, INCLUDING NI. ORE CRUSHING WAS DONE BY A CONTRACT CRUSHER. AU RECOVERY FACILITIES WERE CONSTRUCTED ON THE PROPERTY AND CONSISTED OF 8 ONE-HALF-TON EDUCTION CARBON COLUMNS, 5 ONE-TON FIXED BED CARBON TANKS, 2 PRESSURIZED STRIPPING TANKS, AND 4 ELECTROLYTIC RECOVERY CELLS. THESE FACILITIES WERE CAPABLE OF TREATING 850 GALLONS OF PREGNANT SOLUTION PER MINUTE FROM THE HEAP LEACH PAD.
  • PROSPECTING IN THE AREA OF THE BUFFALO VALLEY MINE BEGAN IN THE 1860'S WITH THE DISCOVERY OF AU PLACERS. IN 1916, BUFFALO VALLEY MINES CO. PURCHASED FROM C. GANSER AND OTHERS 28 UNPATENTED CLAIMS WHICH WERE THEN DEVELOPED AS THE UNDERGROUND MINE. PRODUCTION WAS ALMOST CONTINUOUS FROM 1924 TO 1941, AND ALSO IN 1951. A 10-TON CYANIDIZATION PLANT WAS BUILT IN 1925 AND 1196 TONS OF ORE WERE TREATED BY 1933. TOTAL REPORTED PRODUCTION THROUGH 1951 WAS APPROXIMATELY 3000 TONS. NUMEROUS INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION COMPANIES EXPLORED THE BUFFALO VALLEY MINE FROM THE MID-1960'S TO 1985. IN 1985, HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC. ACQUIRED A 99 YEAR MINING LEASE ON 158 UNPATENTED MINING CLAIMS AT THE BUFFALO VALLEY MINE. HORIZON THEN EXPANDED THEIR LAND POSITION BY LOCATING AN ADDITIONAL 679 UNPATENTED CLAIMS. AT THE TIME OF HORIZON'S ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY, THERE EXISTED A DATABASE COLLECTED FROM PREVIOUS EXPLORATION EFFORTS THAT CONSISTED OF OVER 200 SHORT PERCUSSION DRILL HOLES, 7 DIAMOND DRILL HOLES,

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ROBERTS, R.J., AND ARNOLD, D.C., ORE DEPOSITS OF THE ANTLER PEAK QUADRANGLE, HUMBOLDT AND LANDER COUNTIES, NEVADA: U.S.G.S. PROF PAPER 459-B.

  • Deposit

    QUADE, J./ BENTZ, J.; FIELD EXAM MAY 11, 1982

  • Deposit

    SEEDORFF, E., BAILEY, C. R. G., KELLEY, D., AND PARKS, W., 1991, BUFFALO VALLEY MINE: A PORPHYRY-RELATED GOLD DEPOSIT, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA, 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. 969-987.

  • Deposit

    HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1987.

  • Deposit

    HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1988.

  • Deposit

    HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1989.

  • Deposit

    HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., FORM 10-K FOR 1990.

  • Deposit

    HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., FORM 10-K FOR 1991.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Production

    ANNUAL PRODUCTION FOR FISCAL YEARS 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89: HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1989. 1924-1951 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: ROBERTS, R.J., AND ARNOLD, D.C., ORE DEPOSITS OF THE ANTLER PEAK QUADRANGLE, HUMBOLDT AND LANDER COUNTIES, NEVADA: U.S.G.S. PROF PAPER 459-B. 1986-1990 CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION: HORIZON GOLD SHARES INC., FORM 10-K FOR 1991. MI-1993

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE OREBODIES MINED UNDERGROUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT FAULT STRIKE N18E AND DIP 40-55W. THE DEPOSIT DEVELOPED BY OPEN PIT STRIKES N30W AND TRUNCATES AGAINST THE FRONT FAULT.
Deposit DO NOT CONFUSE THIS DEPOSIT WITH THE BUFFALO VALLEY MOLYBDENUM PROSPECT THAT LIES 7 KM TO THE SOUTH AT THE SW TIP OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN IN SECS. 21 AND 28T31N, R42E (NO MRDS RECORD). THIS RECORD HAS BEEN MERGED WITH DATA FROM RECORD #M233793, WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1980 La Pointe, D. D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-AUG-1982 Martin, Paul (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-NOV-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.

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.