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Windfall Mine

Plant in Eureka county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, 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 10222389
MRDS ID M232576
MAS/MILS ID 0320110142
Record type Site
Current site name Windfall Mine
Alternate or previous names Lookout, Windfall, Norse Windfall, Eureka Windfall Mine, Western-Windfall Project, Ore Body Names:, Rustler, Paroni
Related records 10044935, 10310482

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -115.9792, 39.45413 (WGS84)
Elevation 1600

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eureka(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Pinto Summit(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Mount Hamilton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ely(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Diamond-Monitor Valleys(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 Eureka

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 018 N 053 E 02 SW Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Arsenic Unknown
Arsenopyrite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Gold Unknown
Iron Oxides-Hydrated Unknown
Jasper Unknown
Kaolinite Unknown
Mercury Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Silver Unknown

Nearby scientific data

(1) -115.9792, 39.45413
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 300M
    Length 2000M
    Width 45M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 REPLACEMENT
    Type of Orebody #3 STRATABOUND
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 OTHER
    Date of Last Modification 850827
  • Area 1820HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 1820
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • DUE TO THE PERMEABLE NATURE OF THE ORE NO CRUSHING IS NECESSARY PRIOR TO HEAP LEACHING. IRRIGATION VIA POND RATHER THAN SPRINKLER ENABLES A YEAR ROUND LEACHING OPERATION.
  • THE MINE IS LOCATED IN THE FISH CREEK RANGE IN HIGHLY FOLDED AND FAULTED CARBONATE ROCKS. THE DOMINANT STRUCTURES OF THIS PART OF THE RANGE ARE THE PROSPECT RIDGE ANTIFORM, THE ROBERTS MTN THRUST FAULT, AND LOCAL, STEEPLY DIPPING, IMBRICATE THRUST PLATES. LATER TERTIARY BASIN AND RANGE FAULTING CONSTITUTES THE MAJOR PART OF A VERY COMPLEX STRUCTURAL AREA. THE ORE BODIES HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS MANTO OR BLANKET DEPOSITS, BUT THIS IS NOT A GOOD DESCRIPTION. A MORE APT DESCRIPTION MIGHT BE A HIGHLY SHEETED, WEDGE SHAPED DEPOSIT. ORE BODIES ORE IN TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROCK: 1) A JASPEROID, 2) A LOOSELY COMPACTED GRANULAR MATERIAL CALLED A SANDED DOLOMITE. THE WINDFALL ORE BODY IS DEPLETED,THE RUSTLER ORE BODY IS BEING MINED AND THE PARONI IS UNDER DEVLOPMENT.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1902
Mining method Bench (Berm)
Year of first production 1975
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Ion Exchange-Electrowin
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Comments on exploration

  • THE ORE BODY WAS REDISCOVERED IN 1974 BY IDAHO MINING CORP.

Mining district

District name Eureka District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Western Mining Services,Ltd. (See Comments)
    ID 2600891
    Interest 100
    Home office Nevada
    Year 1982
  • Type Operator
    Owner Western-Windfall Ltd.(Oper. Entity Western Mining Serv.)
    ID 2600891
    Home office Nevada
    Year 1982
  • Type Owner
    Owner Norse-Windfall Mines, Inc.
    ID 2600891
    Year 1988

Comments on the ownership information

  • IN JANUARY, 1980, IDAHO MINING CORPORATION OF GRAND JUNCTION COLORADO, SOLD THE PROPERTY TO WESTERN-WINDFALL, LTD., ON OPERATING ENTITY OF WESTERN MINING SERVICES, LTD., A SUBSIDIARY OF WESTERN GAS, OIL AND MINING, LTD., RENO NEV. WESTERN MINING SERVICES IS A SUBSIDIARY OF WESTERN GAS, OIL AND MINING OF RENO NEVADA.

Production statistics

  • Year 1975
    Description Dore Bullion-60% Au, 30% Ag 815 Kilograms Dore/Year
  • Year 1976
    Description Same As Above 1630 Same As Above
  • Year 1977
    Description Same As Above 1630 Same As Above
  • Year 1978
    Description Same As Above 260 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1978
    Description Same As Above 1630 Same As Above
  • Year 1979
    Description 180 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1979
    Description Same As Above 2445 Same As Above
  • Year 1980
    Description Same As Above 100 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1980
    Description Same As Above 2012 Same As Above
  • Year 1981
    Description Same As Above 2685 Same As Above
  • Year 1981
    Description Same As Above 120 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1982
    Description About 5900 T @ 10 G/T Au From 1908-1919 2000 Kg Au From 320000 T Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 2000000g
  • Year 1982
    Description Same As Above 4264 Same As Above
  • Year 1982
    Description Same As Above 200 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1983
    Description Same As Above 90 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1984
    Description Same As Above 140 Kilograms Of Dore/Year
  • Year 1986
    Description Bureau Of Mines Records Indicate The Following Production (As 1986, Sweeney)

Comments on the production information

  • 68,000 MT ORE PRODUCED IN 1975. 0.94 GM/MT AU AND 0.94 GM/MT AG IN ORE. 85% AU AND 42.5% AG RECOVERY EQUALS APPROXIMATELY 81.5 KGM DORE BULLION 136,000 MT ORE PRODUCED IN 1976. SAME AMOUNT AU AND AG IN ORE AND SAME RATE OF RECOVERY AS 1975, EQUALS APPROXIMATELY 163 KGM DORE BULLION. SAME FOR 1977 AND 1978. 204,000 MT ORE PRODUCED IN 1979. SAME AMOUNT AG AND AU AND SAME RECOVERY AS 1975 EQUALS APPROX. 244.5 KGM DORE BARS. RECOVERY RATE IN 1980 DROPPED TO 70% AU AND 35% AG IN 204,000 MT ORE WITH 0.94 AU AND 0.94 AG. (GM/MT) RECOVERY RATE IN 1981-1982 SAME AS 1980. ORE TONNAGE 272,000 MT AND 336,000 MT RESPECTIVELY. THE ORIGINAL UNDERGROUND MINE PRODUCED APPROXIMATELY 54,500 METRIC TONNES OF GOLD ORE, GRADING 10.9 GRAMS GOLD PER METRIC TONNE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Indicated 672000mt ore
    Demonstrated 672000mt ore
    Total resources 672000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.03 g/mt Gold Major 1982
    Silver Ag 0.94 g/mt Silver Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Indicated 1823000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1823000mt ore
    Total resources 1823000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.94 g/mt Gold Major 1982
    Silver Ag 0.94 g/mt Silver Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Indicated 2495000mt ore
    Demonstrated 2495000mt ore
    Total resources 2495000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.94 g/mt Gold Major 1982
    Silver Ag 0.94 g/mt Silver Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Inferred 1360000mt ore
    Total resources 1360000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.71 g/mt Gold Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THE WINDFALL PIT IS A PAST-PRODUCER. BETWEEN 1975-1979, 680,000 MT OF ORE WERE MINED ASSAYING 0.94 GM/MT AU AND 0.94 GM/MT AG. MILL RECOVERY WAS 85% OF THE GOLD AND 42.5% OF THE SILVER. ORE RESERVES ARE EXHAUSTED. IN 1980-1981 476,000 MT OF ORE WERE MINED FROM THE RUSTLER PIT. DURING 1983-1984(?), AS ORE IN THE RUSTLER IS BEING EXHAUSTED,ORE FROM THE PARONI PIT WILL BE PHASED IN. BUT FOR THIS REPORT IT IS ASSUMED THAT ALL PRODUCTION FROM 1980-1983 IS FROM THE RUSTLER. THE PARONI PIT IS SCHEDULED TO BE PHASED INTO PRODUCTION DURING 1984. RESERVES NOTED UNDER Q-P75 ARE FIGURED FROM 1984-1989. M1C1=M3C1+M4C1 MATRIX ONE, COLUMN ONE EQUALS MATRIX THREE COLUMN ONE PLUS MATRIX FOUR COLUMN ONE. MATRIX TWO COLUMN ONE, DESCRIBING THE WINDFALL PIT IS EXHAUSTED OF ORE. MATRIX 1 COLUMN 2 REFLECTS REMAINING ORE AS MAY 1986.
  • NO PUBLISHED RESERVE-RESOURCE INFORMATION.
  • OTHER NAME: EUREKA WINDFALL MINE. HEAP LEACHING OPERATION. DONE IN 1984 STUDY; NOT LISTED IN BOM SURVEY AS A PRODUCER IN 1989. BELIEVE COMPLETELY MINED OUT AS OF 1989. WILL NOT BE UPDATED FOR THE 1992 AU AVAILABILITY STUDY. CLOSED AS OF 1/90. AKA: NORSE WINDFALL MINE. BOX 326, EUREKA, NV 89316

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 182HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Percent Waste Rock 99.9
    Hardness of Ore SAND, GRAVEL
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 3
    Capacity 1344
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 4.42
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on the workings information

  • NO CONTACT, MINE CLOSED IN 1989. TOTAL MINE ARE IS 4,480 ACRES. MICRON-SIZED GOLD OCCURS PRIMARILY IN HAMBURG DOLOMITE, WHICH HAS BEEN SANDED AND THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL DESTROYED. GOLD IS ACCOMPANIED BY ANOMOLOUS AMOUNTS OF ARSENIC AND MERCURY; ORE IS LOW IN BASE METALS.

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE WINDFALL PLANT DOES NOT CONTAIN A CRUSHING CIRCUIT. ORE FROM PITS IS PUT DIRECTLY ON LEACH PADS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    805. WILSON, W. L. HEAP LEACHING GOLD ORE, EUREKA

  • Reserve-Resource

    WINDFALL GOLD MINE, EUREKA, NEVADA. PAPER IN PROCEEDINGS

  • Reserve-Resource

    FROM A SYMPOSIUM ON GOLD (RENO, NV, APR. 21-24, 1980).

  • Reserve-Resource

    UNIV. NV, RENO, NV, 1980, 10 PP.

  • Deposit

    ORE DIS 1904, EXPLORATION IN 1938

  • Deposit

    80. CHAFFEE, M. A., C. L. FORN, J. R. HASSEMER, J. D.

  • Deposit

    HOFFMAN, E. L. MOISER, J. M. NISHI, R. M. O'LEARY, D. F.

  • Deposit

    SIEMS, R. L. TURNER, E. P. WELSH, AND G. VAN TRUMP.

  • Deposit

    GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSES OF ROCK AND SOIL SAMPLES, EUREKA

  • Deposit

    MINING DISTRICT AND VICINITY, EUREKA AND WHITE PINE

  • Deposit

    COUNTIES. U.S. GEOL. SURV. OFR 78-790, 1978, 117 PP.

  • Deposit

    83. CHAMBERLAIN, P. G., AND M. G. POJAR. GOLD AND SILVER

  • Deposit

    LEACHING PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES. BUMINES

  • Deposit

    INFORMATION CIRCULAR 8969, 1984, 47

  • Deposit

    PP.

  • Deposit

    232. GROVE, G. R. A STUDY OF THE FINE-GRAINED

  • Deposit

    DISSEMINATED GOLD ORE OF THE WINDFALL MINE, EUREKA COUNTY,

  • Deposit

    NEVADA. M.A. THESIS, UNIV. CA, SANTA BARBARA,

  • Deposit

    CA, 1979, 98 PP.

  • Deposit

    365. KOSCHMANN, A. H., AND M. H. BERGENDAHL. PRINCIPAL

  • Deposit

    GOLD PRODUCING DISTRICTS OF THE UNITED STATES. U.S. GEOL.

  • Deposit

    SURV. PROF. PAPER 610, 1968, 283 PP.

  • Deposit

    378. 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

    412. . GOLD AND SILVER CYANIDATION PLANT PRACTICE,

  • Deposit

    V. II. AIME, 1981, 263 PP.

  • Deposit

    MORRISON-KNUDSEN. MINERALS AVAILABILITY-MINE/DEPOSIT FILE

  • Deposit

    REPORT FOR THE WINDFALL MINE. MORRISON-KNUDSEN COMPANY

  • Deposit

    INC. CONTRACT NO. S0221028, MARCH 1983.

  • Deposit

    518. NOLAN, T. B. THE EUREKA DISTRICT, NEVADA. U.S.

  • Deposit

    GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 406, 1962, 78 PP.

  • Deposit

    520. NOLAN, T. B., AND R. N. HUNT. THE EUREKA MINING

  • Deposit

    DISTRICT, NEVADA. PAPER IN ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED

  • Deposit

    STATES, 1933-1967, ED. BY J. D. RIDGE. V. 1

  • Deposit

    (GRATON-SALES). AIME, NEW YORK, 1968, PP. 966-991.

  • Deposit

    522. NOLAN, T. B., C. W. MERRIAM, AND M. C. BLAKE, JR.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PINTO SUMMIT QUADRANGLE, EUREKA AND

  • Deposit

    WHITE PINE COUNTIES, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV.

  • Deposit

    MAP I-793, 1974, SCALE 1:31,680.

  • Deposit

    552. PASTORINO, M. EUREKA'S WINDFALL MINE HAS RICH

  • Deposit

    HISTORY. ELY (NEVADA) DAILY TIMES. SEPT. 5, 1978, P. 3.

  • Deposit

    593. ROBERTS, R. J., K. M. MONTGOMERY, AND R. E. LEHNER.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA. NV

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULL. 64, 1967, 152 PP.

  • Deposit

    692. STEVENS, D. L. AND R. B. HAWKINS. A COMPARISON OF

  • Deposit

    THE GOLD MINERALIZATION AT JERRITT CANYON, NEVADA, WITH

  • Deposit

    OTHER DISSEMINATED GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE BASIN AND RANGE

  • Deposit

    REGION. PRES. AT AIME CIRCUMPACIFIC ENERGY AND MINER.

  • Deposit

    RESOUR. CONF., HONOLULU, HA, AUG. 1982, 13 PP.

  • Deposit

    775. WARREN, R. E. MINE CLOSURES SIGNAL DRAMATIC

  • Deposit

    TURN-DOWN IN MINING INDUSTRY. NV MIN. ASSOC. BULL., V. 6,

  • Deposit

    NO. 3, 1982, PP. 1-3, 20.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit GENERAL LOCATION: ABOUT 6.5 KM S OF EUREKA GENERAL SIZE OF ORE BODY: SMALL MILL: ON-SITE,ACTIVE,CYANIDE HEAP LEACH, CARBON ADSORPTION, ELECTROLYSIS, SMELTING, PROCESS RATE; 1100 T/D (1980), PRODUC- ES DORE BULLION 60% AU AND 30% AG, GOLD:SILVER RATIO 5.7:1 PRODUCTION: FROM AN OPEN PIT MINE, MULTIPLE BENCH, HAVING A CAPACITY OF 320000 T/YR OF ORE. GENERAL LOCATION: ABOUT 53 KM E OF LOVELOCK GENERAL SIZE OF ORE BODY: MEDIUM MILL: ON-SITE

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 23-APR-1996 Avery, Dale 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)

StatusAbandoned since 01/24/1990
MSHA mine ID2600891
Mine name (MSHA)Norse Windfall Mines Incorporated
Current operatorNorse Windfall Mines Inc
Current controller (parent)Foss Ted
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.

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.