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Borealis Mine & Mill

Plant in Mineral 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. Materials information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10198539
MAS/MILS ID 0320210463
Record type Site
Current site name Borealis Mine & Mill
Alternate or previous names Borealis Mine, James Ridge See Comments

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -118.76096, 38.38242 (WGS84)
Elevation 2195
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Mineral(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Corey Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Excelsior Mountains(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Walker Lake(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

East Walker(hydrologic unit)

Walker(hydrologic accounting unit)

Central Lahontan(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 Mineral

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 006 N 029 E 17 SENENE Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • GENERAL LOCATION: ABOUT 24 KM SW OF HAWTHORNE

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Mercury Secondary
Silver Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Alunite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Chlorite Unknown
Gold Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Kaolinite Unknown
Montmorillonite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Silver Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -118.76096, 38.38242
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 60M
    Length 370M
    Width 152M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 BRECCIA FILL
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 STRATIFORM
    Type of Orebody #3 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 POTASSIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 ADV ARGILLIC
    Date of Last Modification 850820
  • Area 1550HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 1550
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1977
Mining method Bench (Berm)
Year of first production 1981
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Precipitation
Milling method Leach-Solvent-Extract-Precipitation

Mining district

District name Aurora Division, Aranka Goldfields

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Echo Bay Minerals Co.
    ID 2601655
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1987

Production statistics

  • Year 1982
    Description 1 697 Kg Slver
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 697000g
  • Year 1982
    Description 1982 Gold Produced 1244 Kg Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1244000g
  • Year 1982
    Description 1982 Ore Processed 404000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1983
    Description 1983 Silver Produced 265 Kg Silver
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 265000g
  • Year 1983
    Description 1983 Gold Produced 1012 Kg Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1012000g
  • Year 1983
    Description 1983 Ore Processed 273000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1984
    Description 1984 Silver Produced 2328 Kg Silver
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 2328000g
  • Year 1984
    Description 1984 Gold Produced 1831 Kg Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1831000g
  • Year 1984
    Description 1984 Ore Processed 1296000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1985
    Description 1985 Silver Produced 1478 Kg Silver
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1478000g
  • Year 1985
    Description 1985 Gold Produced 1749 Kg Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1749000g
  • Year 1985
    Description 1985 Ore Processed 2037000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1986
    Description 1986 Gold Produced 1550 Kg Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1550000g
  • Year 1986
    Description 1986 Ore Processed No Ore Production (Tails)
  • Year 1986
    Description 1986 Silver Produced No Silver Mentioned

Comments on the production information

  • NOW DEPLETED - IN SHUTDOWN. CLOSED 1-90.
  • 1988 PROD.= 60,000 OZ.AU; 1988 RESERVE= ONLY 167,010 CONT. OZ.AU 1989 PROD.= 89,000 OZ AU FROM LEACHING 2,209,000 MT ORE. 1989

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 2512mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 5.44 g/mt Gold Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 2500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.74 g/mt Gold Major 1981
    Silver Ag 21.26 g/mt Silver Trace 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Indicated 1027000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1027000mt ore
    Total resources 1027000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 3.87 g/mt Silver Trace 1987

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVE = 0 (DEPLETED).
  • M1C1=M1C2+M1C3 MATRIX ONE COLUMN ONE EQUALS MATRIX ONE COLUMN TWO PLUS MATRIX ONE COLUMN THREE. OVERALL RESOURCES ARE THOSE COMBINED FROM BOTH THE BOREALIS AND THE JAMIES RIDGE PITS. BOREALIS PIT JAMIES RIDGE PIT

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 1550HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 99.9
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 3
    Capacity 2180
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 4.5
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on other economic factors

  • DORE BARS PRODUCED AT BOREALIS ARE PRESENTILY FLOWN TO RENO THEN SHIPPED TO ATTLESBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, WHERE HANDY AND HARMAN REFINE THE DORE TO 999+ GOLD AND 999+SILVER PRO- PRODUCTS.
  • EQUIPMENT: HIMCO HAS SUBCONTRACTED THE MINING, HAULAGE OF ORE AND WASTE, MOVING OF CRUSHED ORE TO LEACH PADS, REMOVAL OF SPENT (LEACHED) ORE FROM LEACH PADS TO WASTE DUMPS, DRIL- LING OF OVERBURDEN AND ORE, AND BLASTING OF OVERBURDEN AND ORE TO AN OUTSIDE MINING CONTRACTOR (PRESENTLY PORTER AND MEIZNER OF BATTLE MTN, NV). THE CONTRACTOR FURNISHES ALL MOBILE MINING EQUIPMENT, DRILL RIGS, BLASTING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES. THE CONTRACTOR PERFORMS ALL MAINTENANCE ON THE EQUIPMENT AND PURCHASES REPLACEMENT PARTS AND SUPPLIES. AN APPROXIMATE EQUIPMENT LIST INCLUDES: DESCRIPTION QUANTITY KOMATZU DOZER 1 (EQUIVLENT TO CAT D-9) FRONT-END LOADER 4 TEREX, 6.8 CU M TRUCKS 5 TEREX, 36 MT TRACTOR WITH TRAILER UNITS 7 31 TO 45 MT MOTOR GRADERS 2 CAT 14G WATER TRUCKS 2 DRILL, I-R T4 1 200 MM DIAMETER AN 8 CU YD CATERPILLER 988 FRONT-END LOADER OPERATED BY HIMCO DUMPS RUN-OF-MINE ORE INTO THE CRUSHING/AGGLOMERATION PLANT FEED HOPPER.
  • HEAP LEACH OPERATION. MILL: ON-SITE, ACTIVE, AGGLOMERATION, CYANIDE HEAP LEACH, MERRILL-CROWE ZN PPT., 2270 T/D CRUSHER,34 KG EACH DORE BULLION SHIPPED BY AIR TO RENO, THEN ON TO HANDY & HARMON, MASS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CALLICUTT, W. BOREALIS: THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF A

  • Deposit

    FAST-TRACK APPROACH. HEAP AND DUMP LEACHING, V. 1,

  • Deposit

    NO. 1, JAN. 1984, PP. 3-4, 6.

  • Deposit

    FERGUSON, H. G., AND S. W. MULLER. STRUCTURAL

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY OF THE HAWTHORNE AND TONOPAH QUADRANGLES, NEVADA.

  • Deposit

    U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 216, 1949, 55 PP.

  • Deposit

    GARSIDE, L. J. ROAD LOG/TRIP GUIDE: STERLING MINE,

  • Deposit

    GOLDFIELD DISTRICT, HASBROUCK MOUNTAIN (DIVIDE DISTRICT),

  • Deposit

    TONOPAH DISTRICT, AND BOREALIS MINE, FIELD TRIP 3, PRECIOUS

  • Deposit

    METAL DISTRICTS IN SOUTHERN AND WESTERN NEVADA. PAPER IN

  • Deposit

    EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN

  • Deposit

    CORDILLERA, FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK, ED. BY J. L. JOHNSON.

  • Deposit

    SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, NV,

  • Deposit

    MAR. 25-28, 1984, PP. FT3 1-31.

  • Deposit

    GREEN, W. R. STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF MINERALIZATION AT

  • Deposit

    THE AURORA MINING DISTRICT, MINERAL COUNTY, NEVADA. M.S.

  • Deposit

    THESIS, UNIV. NV, RENO, NV, 1964, 41 PP.

  • Deposit

    HUANG, C. BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND SOIL GEOCHEMICAL

  • Deposit

    STUDIES AT THE BOREALIS MINE, MINERAL COUNTY, NEVADA,

  • Deposit

    U.S.A. ABSTR. IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN CORDILLERA. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO,

  • Deposit

    NV, MAR. 25-28, 1984, P. 24.

  • Deposit

    KLEINHAMPL, F. J., W. E. DAVIS, M. L. CHESTERMAN, C.

  • Deposit

    W. CHESTERMAN, R. H. CHAPMAN, AND C. H. GRAY, JR.

  • Deposit

    AEROMAGNETIC AND LIMITED GRAVITY STUDIES AND GENERALIZED

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY OF THE BODIE HILLS REGION, NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA.

  • Deposit

    U.S. GEOL. SURV. BULL. 1384, 1975, 38 PP.

  • Deposit

    LEWIS, A. LEACHING AND PRECIPITATION TECHNOLOGY FOR

  • Deposit

    GOLD AND SILVER ORES. ENG. AND MIN. J., V. 184,

  • Deposit

    NO. 6, 1983, PP. 48-56.

  • Deposit

    LIGHTNER, F. H., R. L. FAVERTY, AND W. E. COUGHLIN.

  • Deposit

    THE BOREALIS PROJECT: A FAST-TRACK APPROACH TO MINE

  • Deposit

    DEVELOPMENT. MIN. ENG., V. 35, NO. 11, NOV. 1983,

  • Deposit

    PP. 1564-1565.

  • Deposit

    LOCKARD, D. W., AND J. H. SCHILLING. THE MINERAL

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRY OF NEVADA. CH. IN BUMINES MINERALS YEARBOOK,

  • Deposit

    V. 2, 1981, PP. 322-323.

  • Deposit

    NEVADA MINING ASSOCIATION (RENO). SANTINI, HIMCO

  • Deposit

    OFFICIALS JOIN DEDICATION OF NEW BOREALIS MINE. NV MIN.

  • Deposit

    ASSOC. BULL., V. 5, NO. 6, 1981, PP. 10-11.

  • Deposit

    NEVADA MINING ASSOCIATION (RENO). HIMCO'S BOREALIS

  • Deposit

    GOLD MINE GEOLOGY DESCRIBED IN REPORT. NV MIN. ASSOC.

  • Deposit

    BULL., V. 6, NO. 2, 1982, PP. 14-15.

  • Deposit

    NEW MEXICO PAYDIRT (BISBEE, AZ). HOUSTON MINERALS TO

  • Deposit

    BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR NEVADA OPEN-PIT GOLD MINE. NO.

  • Deposit

    45, FEB. 1981, P. 58.

  • Deposit

    ROSS, D. C. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF MINERAL

  • Deposit

    COUNTY, NEVADA. NV BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL.

  • Deposit

    BULL. 58, 1961, 98 PP.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS' MINING REVIEW. BOREALIS GOLD/SILVER MINE

  • Deposit

    OF TENNECO BEGINS OUTPUT. V. 70, NO. 52, 1981, P. 18.

  • Deposit

    STATE OF NEVADA. DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE OPERATIONS

  • Deposit

    ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1982. DEP. IND. RELATIONS, NV

  • Deposit

    DIV. MINE INSP., 1983, 60 PP.

  • Deposit

    STRACHEN, D. G., P. M. PETTIT, AND R. F. REID. THE

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY OF THE BOREALIS GOLD DEPOSIT, MINERAL COUNTY,

  • Deposit

    NEVADA (ABSTR.). GEOL. SOC. AM. ABSTR. WITH PROGRAMS,

  • Deposit

    ANNU. MEETING, NEW ORLEANS, LA, 1982, P. 684.

  • Deposit

    WALLACE (ID) MINER. ORE BODY FOUND AT BOREALIS.

  • Deposit

    JAN. 6, 1983, P. 3.

  • Deposit

    NEVADA DEPT. OF ENVIRON. PROTECTION. MINE FILES. REVIEWED

  • Deposit

    IN 1988.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit JAMES RIDGE IS ANOTHER DISCRETE ORE BODY,DISCOVERED IN 1982. LOCATED ABOUT 6 KM NE OF THE BOREALIS DEPOSIT.IT IS 250 M BY 100 M BY 30 M THICK AND WAS PLACED IN PRODUCTION IN APRIL 1983 AND MINED OUT IN 7 MONTHS. GENERAL SIZE OF ORE BODY: SMALL

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 18-OCT-96 Spear, James M. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusActive since 10/01/2013
MSHA mine ID2601655
Mine name (MSHA)Borealis Mine
Current operatorBorealis Mining Company, LLC
Current controller (parent)Andreas Steckenborn; Kelly Malcolm
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

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.