Gibraltar Mine

Past Producer in Santa Barbara county in California, United States with commodity Mercury
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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10286880
MRDS ID M055758
MAS/MILS ID 0060830020
Record type Site
Current site name Gibraltar Mine
Alternate or previous names Falcon, Santa Ynez Group
Related records 10040879

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -119.65784, 34.5236 (WGS84)
Elevation 457
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Santa Barbara(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Little Pine Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cuyama(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Los Angeles(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Santa Ynez(hydrologic unit)

Central California Coastal(hydrologic accounting unit)

Central California Coastal(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Los Padres 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 California Santa Barbara

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 005 N 027 W 12 SESWSE California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Mercury Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cinnabar Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -119.65784, 34.5236

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N20W
    Dip 75W
    Thickness 10.7M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Strike And Dip N20W:75W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830316

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1860
Year of first production 1874
Milling method Flotation

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Unknown
    Owner Gibralter Mining Co.
    Home office California
    Year 1982

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1942
    Inferred 940000mt ore
    Total resources 940000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Mercury Hg 0.1749 wt-pct Mercury Major 1942

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • OTHER NAMES:FALCON, SANTA YNEZ GROUP. REMAINING OP LIFE: 5.9 YR. @ 78.4 MT HG/YR. PAST PRODUCTION: 1956-61 1452 FL; 1962-65 NO PROD; 1966-73 5957 FL; 1973-89 NO PROD. DATE OF RESERVES: 1981 (SITE VISIT, WFOC).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OTHER OPEN STOPE METHODS
    Percent Recovery 75
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NO PLANES OF WEAKNESS
    Length of Inclines (m) 140
    Slope of Inclines 18
    Number of Inclines 1
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 335
    Number of Adits 3
    1st Condition of Workings CAVED AT PORTAL
    Capacity 400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 14.89
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    21 REPT;STATE MINERALOGIST,P 343- OJJ

  • Deposit

    ALBERS JOHN P ECON GEOL V76 N4 P765-790

  • Deposit

    ELLIOTT ROY H FALCON MINE WAR MINERALS REPORT 121 BUMINES

  • Deposit

    HOLMES GEORGE H GIBRALTER(FALCON)MINE SUPP RPT BUMINES

  • Deposit

    BRADLEY W QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CA CAL ST MIN BU BULL 78

  • Deposit

    DIBBLEE TW GEOL OF CNTRL SANTA YNEZ MTS CAL DIV MIN BULL 186

  • Deposit

    LANGER & OTHERS SCIENCE VOL 215 NO 4531

  • Deposit

    BAILEY & OTHERS FRANCISCAN ROCKS CAL DIV MIN BULL 183

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit A 15 PERCENT CONTINGENCY IS ADDED TO MINE CAP AND OP COSTS BECAUSE ADDITIONAL PUMPING COST MAY BE REQUIRED WHEN WORKINGS DEEPEN BELOW WATER LEVEL OF GIBRALTER RESERVOIR RETORT RECOVERY FOR MCDERMITT USED REPORTED TO VARY FROM 99.95 TO 99.97 PERCENT OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY NOW DISPUTED

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 17-NOV-1993 Sokaski U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Authoritative California resources

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