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Northumberland Mine

Producer in Nye county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Arsenic, Iron
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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 10106925
MRDS ID M231715
Record type Site
Current site name Northumberland Mine
Alternate or previous names Blue Bell, Monitor, Last Chance Group, Cyprus-Northumberland Mine
Related records 10310362

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -116.85898, 38.95937 (WGS84)
Elevation 2713
Relative position NORTH SLOPE OF MOUND GOODING

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nye(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Northumberland Pass(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Mount Jefferson(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)

Federal lands

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Nye

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 013N;PR0JECTED FR0M THES0UTHEAST 045E;046E;PROJECTED FROM THESOUTHEAST Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • UNSURVEYED TOWNSHIP AND RANGE . INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1972)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cerargyrite Ore
Barite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification, Sericitization, Jasperoid, Argillic

Analytical data

Result SAMPLES FROM THE LAST CHANCE CONTAIN $1-$3 IN GOLD AND 5-40 OUNCE SILVER PER TON.

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 Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock unit name Northumberland Intrusive
    Rock description Northumberland Intrusive
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Jurassic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Pogonip Group;Pogonip Group;Vinini Formation;Vinini Formation;Roberts Mountain Formation;Roberts Mountain Formation
    Rock description Pogonip Group;Pogonip Group;Vinini Formation;Vinini Formation;Roberts Mountain Formation;Roberts Mountain Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -116.85898, 38.95937
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Reg.Struct: Major Thrust Sheets

Ore body information

  • Thickness 21.34M
    Length 1219.2M
    Width 1.02M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore Is In And Adjacent To A Thrust Fault Separating Lower Plate Roberts Mtn Fm From Upper Plate Vinini Fm.

Comments on the geologic information

  • DISSEMINATED GOLD MINERALIZATION OCCURS LARGELY IN A CARBONACEOUS SHALE BED NEAR CONTACT OF GRANITIC INTRUSIVE. ORE IS PRESENT IN BOTH UPPER AND LOWER PLATE ROCKS ALONG THRUST FAULT. SILTSTONE AND LIMESTONE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY REPLACED BY JASPEROID,WHICH IS LOCALLY HYDROTHERMALLY BRECCIATED. LATE STAGE VEINLETS CONTAIN COARSE BARITE CRYSTALS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1866
Discoverer Logan, (A Prospector)

Mining district

District name Northumberland District

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Cyprus Mines Corp
    First year 1985
  • Type Owner
    Owner Cyprus Mines Corp.
    First year 1985

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Period 1981-1984
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.045-0.07 Oz Au/Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 2g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • AMOUNT UNKNOWN

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Total resources 9070000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.694 g/mt Gold Major 1980
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Total resources 350000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.976 g/mt Gold Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 8 MILLION TONS ORE WERE REPORTED, BUT 20 MILLION TONS IS PROBABLY CLOSER TO THE SIZE OF THE DEPOSIT (1981). 1986-LEACHING OF EXISTING HEAPS ONLY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 1219.2M
    Overall length 792.48M
    Overall width 396.24M

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT (LARGE); ORE CRUSHER, MILL BUILDING; ALL ON SITE OF EARLIER ESTENSIVE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS CONSISTING OF 4000 FT OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE BLUE BELL, 1600 FT IN 3 ADITS AT THE LAST CHANCE. ORE IS HAULDE TO HEAP LEACH PADS AT MOUTH OF WEST NORTHUMBERLAND CANYON IN BIG SMOKY VALLEY.

Comments on development

  • THE SILVER WAS DISCOVERED IN 1866 AND MINITOR-BLUE BELL ORE WAS TREATED AT A 10-STAMP MILL ATA SPRING IN WEST NORTHUMBERLAND CANYON, NOW MARKED BY STONE RUINS. SPORADIC SILVER MINING CONTINUED UNTIL 1891. GOLD WAS DISCOVERED JUST EAST OF THE OLD SILVER WORKINGS IN 1936 AND THE NORTHUMBERLAND MINING CO WAS OPERATING IN 1939, UNTIL 1942 WHEN THE GOLD MINE WAS CLOSED. GOLD EXPLORATION WAS RESUMER IN THE 1960'S BY HOMESTAKE AND OTHERS -IDAHO MINING CO-1970'S RESULTING IN THE INING OF THE LOW-GRADE GOLD DEPOSIT IN 1981, FIRST BY AMOCO (LATERCYPRUS MINERALS), WITH MINING CONTINUING TO PRESENT. THAT RATE OF 3000 TPD HEAP LEACHED. STANDARD OIL CO SPUN OFF CYPRUS IN 1985.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    KLEINHAMPL, F.J. AND ZIONY, J.I., 1984085, NBMG BULL 99 A AND B.

  • Deposit

    NBMG BULL 50.

  • Deposit

    UNPUBLISHED NOTES, NBMG FILE42,ITEM 2

  • Deposit

    NEVADA MINING ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER, OCT., 1980.

  • Deposit

    FIELD EXAMINATION OF THE PROPERTY, AND DISCUSSION BETWEEN L.J. GARSIDE AND H.F. BONHAM,JR.,NBMG, MAY, JULY, 1981.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, P. AND BENTZ, J., 1981, NBMG FIELD EXAMINATION.

  • Deposit

    TINGLEY, J.V. AND QUADE, JACK, 1986, NBMG OFR 86-14.

  • Deposit

    GOLDSTEIN, I.J., 1973, GOLD MINERALIZATION AT THE NORTHUMBERLAND GOLD MINE, NYE CO., NV; GSA ABS.-CARD. SECTION

  • Deposit

    MCKEE, E.H., 1974, NBMG REPROT 19

  • Deposit

    MOTTER, J.W. AND CHAPMAN, P.E., 1984, AEG FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK.

  • Deposit

    OTT, L.E., 1983, GEOL. AND OPELICALIZATION AT NORTHUMBERLAND GOLD MINE, NYE CO. NV; MS THESIS; MONTANA COLLEGE OF MINERAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

  • Deposit

    NBMG MI-1987

  • Deposit

    NBMG MINING DISTRICT FILE 242, NEWS CLIPPINGS.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Production

    KLEINHAMPL AND ZIONY (1984-5), NBMG MI-1987. NBMG MI-1993

  • Reserve-Resource

    1981 FIELD EXAMINATION AND DISCUSSION BETWEEN L.J. GARSIDE AND H.F. BONHAM,JR.,MAY,JULY,1981. NBMG MI-1993

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 3 MAIN VEINS: LADY CIMMINGS, NORTHUMBERLAND AND DETROIT VEINS. DISSEMINATED GOLD MINERALIZATION OCCURS LARGELY IN A CARBONACEOUS SHALE BED NEAR CONTACT OF GRANITIC INTRUSIVE. ORE IS PRESENT IN BOTH UPPER AND LOWER PLATE ROCKS ALON THRUST FAULT. SILTSTONE AND LIMESTONE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY REPLACED BY JASPEROID, WHICH IS LOCALLY HYDROTHERMALLY BREDDIATED. LATE-STAGE VEINLETS CONTAIN COARSE BARITE CRYSTALS. ORE IS STRONGLY ALTERED, FE OXIDE-STAINED THIN-BEDDED CARBONACEOUS SHALE. ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CANYON ARE HIGHLY ALTERED, FRACTURED VOLCANICS. GOLD OCCURS IN MICROFRACTURE FILLINGS OF QUARTZ AN BARITE IN SILICIFIED HORIZONS OF THE ORDOVICIAN POGONIP GROUP ASSOCIATED WITH MARGINS OF A MINZONITE INTRUSIVE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1981 Wong, George (Roberts, Ralph) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1988 La Pointe, D.D. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
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:

  • Cyprus Mines Corp — now part of Subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan (2007)
    Merged with AMAX into Cyprus Amax (1993); then to Phelps Dodge (1999); then to Freeport-McMoRan (2007).

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.