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Mesquite Mine

Plant in Imperial county in California, 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 10260440
MRDS ID W700453
MAS/MILS ID 0060250138
Record type Site
Current site name Mesquite Mine
Alternate or previous names Big Chief Group, Mesquite Project, Mesquite Lode Mine, Mesquite, Calcite, Land Group
Related records 10085021

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -114.9841, 33.05567 (WGS84)
Elevation 250
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Imperial(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ninemile Wash(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Trigo Mountains(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Salton Sea(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Salton Sea(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southern Mojave-Salton Sea(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management CA)

Bureau of Land Management CA BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Imperial

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
San Bernardino 013 S 019 E 05 SWSE California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Unknown
Malachite Unknown
Marcasite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) Undated granitic rocks, unit 3 (Southern California)
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Area 910HA
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Total Surface Area (HA) 910
    Date of Last Modification 970529

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1780
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1986
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Hydromet
Milling method Heap Leach-Carbon Column-Merrill-Crowe

Mining district

District name Mesquite

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Private Lease
Type of mineral rights Federal Lease
Type of mineral rights Other

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corp.
    Interest 100
    Home office California
    Year 1996
  • Type Owner
    Owner Consolidated Goldfields
    Year 1997
    First year 1988
  • Type Operator
    Owner Gold Fields Mining Corp. (Sub Of Consolidated Goldfieds)
    Home office California
    Year 1997
    First year 1988

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Gold Production 200000 T Oz/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 6220696.2g
  • Year 1986
    Description Mine Production 1701000 Metric Tons Ore
  • Year 1986
    Description Gold Recovered 66000 Troy Ounces
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2052829.74g
  • Year 1987
    Description Mine Production 2500000 Metric Tons Ore
  • Year 1987
    Description Gold Production 97000 Troy Ounces
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3017037.65g
  • Year 1988
    Description Mine Production 3300000 Metric Tons Ore
  • Year 1988
    Description Gold Production 124000 Troy Ounces
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3856831.64g
  • Year 1993
    Description Ore Production 19157974 Mt Ore
  • Year 1993
    Description Gold Production 106122 T Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3300763.61g
  • Year 1994
    Description Ore Mined (Heap Leach) @ 0.030 Opt 35800000 St Ore
  • Year 1994
    Description Gold Production 207508 Tr Oz/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 6454221.13g
  • Year 1995
    Description Ore Mined (Heap Leach) @ 0.022 Opt 37500000 St Ore
  • Year 1995
    Description Gold Production 193361 Tr Oz/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 6014200.18g
  • Year 1995
    Description Ore Mined (Heap Leach) @ 0.022 Opt 41400000 St Ore
  • Year 1996
    Description Gold Production 186797 Tr Oz/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 5810036.94g

Comments on the production information

  • DATA FROM 1994 TO 1996: SEE BIB. "HP" OO1.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1988
    Measured 635000mt ore
    Demonstrated 635000mt ore
    Total resources 635000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.3699 g/mt Gold Major 1988
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 53385000mt ore
    Total resources 53385000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.994 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 47904000mt ore
    Total resources 47904000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.72 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 41776000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.617 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 99881000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.617 g/mt Gold Major 1997
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 141657000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 0.617 g/mt Gold Major 1997

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CONVENTIONAL HEAP LEACH SULFIDE ORE:
  • TOTAL DEMONSTRATED RESOURCES-12/31/96, PROVEN + PROBABLE (ORE)+ MEASURED + INDICATED (MINERALIZED MATERIAL); ADIT CAPACITY BASED ON AVG OF PRODUCTION FORM 1994-1996:
  • 1989 RESERVE= 1,856,000 OZ.CONT.AU. R-RECORD 6 TOTAL DEMONSRTATED RESOURCES, R-RECORDS 4 + 5 PROVEN + PROBABLE (ORE) + MEASURED + INDICATED (MINERALIZED MATERIAL):

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 243HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 79
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 61
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 11389
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 4.41
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 360
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1988

Comments on the workings information

  • ADDITIONAL ANIMAL CONTROLS INCLUDE; HAZING, DESIGN CHANGES TO PROVIDE EXCLUSION PIPING OF SOLUTION, REDUCTION IN SOLUTION CYANIDE CONCENTRATIONS. PROCESS WATER; 650,000 GPD. 200,000 GPD FOR ORE PROCESSING.

Comments on other economic factors

  • PREPRODUCTION STRIPPING:6.67 MMT. CAP. COST TO INCREASE PRODUCTION TO 2.72 MMT/A:$6.58 MILLION CAP COST SHOWN S-DEV2 IS TOTAL CP COST.
  • OXIDE LEACH 35,924,328 MT @ 1.063 G/MT. OXIDE DUMP LEACH 12,337,648 MT @ 0.411 G/MT. NONOXIDE LEACH 5,170,926 MT @ 1.851 G/MT.
  • MINE WILL POSSIBLY OPERATE UNTIL 1999.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORP. 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT, P21.

  • Reserve-Resource

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

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMPANIES, P162.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORPORATION, 1995 FORM 10-K REPORT,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P 14.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORPORATION, 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT,

  • Reserve-Resource

    PP. 5, 7, 19.

  • Deposit

    CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL., V. 38, 1942, P. 114.

  • Deposit

    CALIF. DIV. MINES AND GEOL. COUNTY REPORT 7, 1977, P. 48,

  • Deposit

    54.

  • Deposit

    GALE, G.D. BENEFICIATION SECTION IN NORTHUMBERLAND MINE,

  • Deposit

    NYE COUNTY, NEVADA. MAS PROPERTY EVALUATION FILE

  • Deposit

    REPORT, SEPTEMBER, 1984.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, NOVEMBER 1985.

  • Deposit

    LLOYD, R. GEOLOGIST, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY, SACRAMENTO, CA. PERS. COMMUNICATION, 1986.

  • Deposit

    SILVA, M. GEOLOGIST, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY, SACRAMENTO, CA. CA. PERS. COMMUNICATION, 1986.

  • Deposit

    WILLIS, J. MINE GEOLOGIST, GOLD FIELDS OPERATING COMPANY.

  • Deposit

    PERS. COMMUNICATION, 1986.

  • Deposit

    E & MJ, FEBRUARY 1988.

  • Deposit

    SANTA FE PACIFIC CORP., 1992 ANNUAL, & FORM 10-K REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    SANTA FE PACIFIC CORP., 1993 ANNUAL, & FORM 10-K REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    MINING COST SERVICE, OTTO SCHUMACHER, ED. WESTERN MINE

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING, SPOKANE, WA.

  • Deposit

    THE MINING RECORD, VOL 107, #34, AUG 21, 1996, PP. 1, 6.

  • Deposit

    PAYDIRT, #691, JAN. 1997, P12.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ALSO HAS MINES ID OF 0404614

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-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.

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative California resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.