1. Mineral Resources
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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Cortez Gold Operations

Plant in Lander county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Mercury, Silver
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10125727
MRDS ID W002496
MAS/MILS ID 0320150509
Record type Site
Current site name Cortez Gold Operations
Alternate or previous names Pipeline, Cortez Open Pit, Cortez Gold Mine, South Pipeline
Related records 10069103, 10246211, 10310461

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -116.59282, 40.14991 (WGS84)
Elevation 1800
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eureka(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Cortez(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Crescent Valley(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winnemucca(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

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 026 N 048 E 05 SESESW Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Mercury Tertiary
Silver Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -116.59282, 40.14991
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 CARBONATE SILIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 BLEACHING
    Date of Last Modification 961031

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1966
Mining method Combined Methods
Year of first production 1968
Plant type Leach
Milling method Carbon-In-Leach-Electrowin

Mining district

District name Cortez District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim
Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Placer Dome U. S. Inc.
    Interest 60
    Home office California
    Year 1996
  • Type Owner
    Owner Kennecott Minerals Co. (Rtz-Cra) (With A 7.5% Npi)
    Interest 40
    Home office Utah
    Year 1996
    First year 1991
  • Type Operator
    Owner Cortez Gold Mines Joint Ventrue
    Home office Nevada
    Year 1996

Production statistics

  • Year 1991
    Description Gold 23097 Oz Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 718397.1g
  • Year 1992
    Description Gold 45553 Oz Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1416856.86g
  • Year 1993
    Description Gold 66851 Oz Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2079298.8g
  • Year 1993
    Description Millfeed (1993) 647000 St/Yr
  • Year 1994
    Description Gold Production 41765 Oz Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1299036.88g
  • Year 1995
    Description Ore Treated 646000 Mt/Yr
  • Year 1995
    Description Gold Production 111000 Tr Oz/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3452486.39g
  • Year 1996
    Description Ore Treated 623000 Mt/Yr
  • Year 1996
    Description Gold Production (Inc Pipline/So. Pip) 160782 T Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 5000879.88g

Comments on the production information

  • MILL ORE OPERATION. 1988 AU PROD.= 50,000 OZ. 1989 AU PROD.= 40,000 OZ. FROM MILLING 687,140 MT ORE. 1989 RESERVE = 506,000 OZ CONT.AU. AS OF 12/31/95 ALL GOLD PRODUCTION FOR "CORTEZ" GOLD MINING PROPERTIES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS FILE:
  • 6-97: PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BE 310,000 OZ AU/YR BASED ON A CAPACITY OF 7200 TONNES/DAY.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Demonstrated 3100000mt ore
    Total resources 3100000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.89 g/mt Gold Major 1977
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 4117000mt ore
    Total resources 4117000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.6 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 49379000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.8 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 82668333mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.7 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 84251667mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.5 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 166912000mt ore
    Total resources 166912000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.1 g/mt Gold Major 1997

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THIS IS THE MAIN FILE FOR THE CORTEZ MINING COMPLEX: IT CONTAINS RESERVES/RESOURCES AND ADIT DATA FOR THE "CORTEZ MINES", CONSISTING OF FIVE OPEN PITS: CORTEZ (NO MAS SEQ#); GOLD ACRES & LITTLE GOLD ACRES (0320150008); HORSE CANYON (0320110228), THE CORTEZ MILL (0320159011). THE CRESENT PIT DOES NOT HAVE A SEPARATE MAS SEQ#. THESE THREE PIT ARE DEPLETED. THE ONLY ONE PIT IS IN PRODUCTION AT THIS TIME (AUG-97) PIPELINE (0320150003); SO. PIPELINE (0320150610) START-UP IN 1998: THEIR IS ALSO A PIPELINE MILL (NO MAS SEQ#), IT WILL EVENTUALLY PROCESS ALL THE ORE. RESERVES/RESOURCES ARE TOTAL DEMON. (PROV+PROB+MEAS+IDIN) ORE AS OF 12/31/96:

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method COMBINED METHODS

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    1995-96 PROD; RTZ-CRA CORP. PLC CRA LTD, FACT BOOK 1997,

  • Production

    P 33.

  • Production

    DRY GRINDING EZPERIENCE AT THE CORTEZ GOLD MINE", GARRY

  • Production

    KEIZER, MINING ENGINEERING, V145, #12, DEC. 93, PP. 1459-

  • Production

    1462.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES, BULL #88, 1977, P78.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOK, 1996, P 195.

  • Reserve-Resource

    PLACER DOME INC., 1995 10-K REPORT, P 12.

  • Reserve-Resource

    PLACER DOME INC., 1996 10-K REPORT, PP. 14-16.

  • Reserve-Resource

    RTZ-CRA FACT BOOK, P21 & RTZ-CRA ANNUAL REPORT; FORM 20-F,

  • Reserve-Resource

    PP. 17, 29.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULLETIN 1312-P, 1971, P5, PLATE 2.

  • Deposit

    USGS (PP?) 408, 1910, P103.

  • Deposit

    RANDO MINING DIRECTORY, 1996/97, U.S. MINES & MINING

  • Deposit

    COMPANIES, P237, "CORTEZ MINE".

  • Deposit

    1995/96, NEVADA MINES DIRECORTY, P 16, "PLACER DOME U.S.

  • Deposit

    INC.", P 23, "CORTEZ MINE".

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOK 1996, PP 193-196, "CORTEZ MINE".

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME, PRESS RELEASE'S, 1994-1995, VARIOUS.

  • Deposit

    THE RTZ CORP, PLC, 1994 ANNUAL REPORT AND FORM 20K.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME, 1994 ANNUAL REPORT

  • Deposit

    USGS PROF PAPER 610, 1968, P179.

  • Deposit

    WARGO, JOSEPH G. THE NEXT EXPLORATION STATE FOR CARLIN-TYPE

  • Deposit

    GOLD DEPOSTIS, MINING ENGINEERING, V31,#9, SEPT. 1979,

  • Deposit

    PP. 1321-1323.

  • Deposit

    ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V64, 1969, PP. 526-537.

  • Deposit

    BASIN AND RANGE GEOLOGY GUIDEBOOK, FIELD CONFERENCE, RENO

  • Deposit

    NEVADA, 1969, NEVADA MACKAY SCHOOL OF MINES, 1969, PP.

  • Deposit

    12/1 - 12/11.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, V5, #5, 1969, PP. 28-32.

  • Deposit

    THE RTZ CORPORATION PLC CRA LIMITED, 1995 ANNUAL REPORT ON

  • Deposit

    FORM 20-F.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME, INC, 1995 10-K REPORT, P 19.

  • Deposit

    THE NORTHERN MINER, V83 #14, 6-2-97, P. B1, B6.

  • Deposit

    RTZ-CRA 1996 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 20-F.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 03-OCT-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

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.