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Tusc Deposit

Producer in Eureka county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Arsenic, Antimony, Barium-Barite, Mercury, Copper, Lead, Zinc
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Workings at the site
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. General comments
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10310323
MRDS ID RE00036
Record type Site
Current site name Tusc Deposit
Alternate or previous names part of Newmont?s Carlin-South operations, MAC Deposit
Related records 10310468

Comments on the site identification

  • This record is an update of record # RE00036 from which all pertinent information has been extracted.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -116.23625, 40.8031 (WGS84)
Elevation 1710
Relative position The Tusc Deposit is located about 8 miles northwest of Carlin, Nevada, and about 1.5 miles northwest of the Gold Quarry mine.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eureka(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Schroeder Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Battle Mountain(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Humboldt(hydrologic unit)

Humboldt(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Eureka

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 34N 51E 27 28 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The Tusc Deposit is located 1.5 miles NW of the Gold Quarry Mine

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: gold
  • Gangue Materials: kaolinite, alunite, sericite (or illite), barite, hematite.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Arsenopyrite Ore
Cinnabar Ore
Galena Ore
Pyrite Ore
Realgar Ore
Stibnite Ore
Kaolinite Gangue
Alunite Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Illite Gangue
Barite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Argillization, decalcification, silicification, and baritization are the dominant forms of alteration. Most of Tusc is weakly to moderately argillized. Intense argillization occurs in some fault zones. Decalcification is strong to moderate. Along most faults, silicification is intense and jasperoids are common. Baritization is of minor importance, occurring as thin discontinuous veins associated with areas of intense silicification.

Analytical data

Result A strong geochemical halo surrounds the Tusc orebody. This is defined mainly by elevated concentrations of as (500 to 3000 ppm) and Sb (50-200 ppm). Locally, Ag, base metals, and Hg are weakly to moderately anomalous.\n

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 173
USGS model code 26a.1
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Au
Mark3 model number 17

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock type qualifier sandy
    Rock unit name Roberts Mountains Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Wenlock
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Popovich Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Devonian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone
    Rock type qualifier calcareous
    Rock unit name Rodeo Creek Unit
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Devonian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert
    Rock type qualifier argillaceous
    Rock unit name Rodeo Creek Unit
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Devonian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Argillite
    Rock type qualifier siliceous
    Rock unit name Rodeo Creek Unit
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Devonian

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -116.23625, 40.8031
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description The Good Hope fault system which strikes N40W and dips steeply SW is a narrow reverse fault that strikes N45W and has highly variable dip. It connects Tusc to Gold Quarry. At Tusc, it juxtaposes Roberts Mountains Formation and the Rodeo Creek Unit.
Type of structure Regional
Structure description Anticlinal folding has warped host rocks in the mine area

Ore body information

  • General form tabular
  • Strike N40W
    Dip 30S
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Type of Orebody #2 SHEAR ZONE
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 INTERM ARGILLIC
    Strike And Dip N40W:30S
    Date of Last Modification 920318

Controls for ore emplacement

  • A system of several coalescing faults subparallel to and related to the Good Hope Fault is interpreted to be the conduit for gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids. A majority of ore is hosted by Roberts Mountains Formation and 15% of ore hosted by Rodeo Creek Unit.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1985
Discoverer Newmont Exploration, Ltd.\n
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1994
Year of last production 2004
Plant type Leach
Milling method Carbon-In-Leach-Electrowin
Production years 1994-2004

Mining district

District name Maggie Creek Subdist
District name Carlin Trend

Land status

Ownership category Private
Ownership category BLM Administrative Area
Area name Elko Administrative District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Newmont Gold Corp.
    Year 2004

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Name Tusc
    Estimate year 1988
    Total resources 14300000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold 20 g/mt Gold Primary 1988

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .67
    Percent Waste Rock 55
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 3
    Primary Material Cover QUICKSAND
    Capacity 87090
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 4790
    Unit Production Cost 2.69
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1991

Comments on other economic factors

  • In 1988 Tusc was reported to have a geologic resource of 15.8 million tons of ore grading 0.059 ounces of gold per ton. In 1990 Tusc was reported to have reserves of 13.3 million tons of ore grading 0.062 ounces of gold per ton. Tusc?s production was lumped together with that of Gold Quarry and MAC deposits, and not published individually.

Comments on development

  • Tusc was discovered in 1985 by Newmont geologists during a reconnaissance exploration program focused on geochemical and geological targets to the northwest of Gold Quarry. The deposit was in the advanced exploration/mine design stage in 1992, and production began in 1994.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Schull, H.W., 1991, The Lithostratigraphy and Sedimentology of the Contact/Transition Between the Roberts Mountains Formation and the Western Facies Rocks in the Carlin Mining District, Eureka and Elko Counties, Nevada, in Raines, G.L., et al., eds., The Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 705-712.

  • Deposit

    Ekburg, C., Rota, J., and Arkell, B., 1991, Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Maggie Creek Subdistrict, Carlin Trend, Eureka County, Nevada, in Raines, G.L., et al., eds., The Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 625-633.

  • Deposit

    Rota, J., 1990, Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Maggie Creek Subdistrict, Carlin Trend, Eureka County, Nevada, Oral Presentation at Great Basin Symposium, The Geological Society of Nevada, Sparks, NV, April, 1990.

  • Deposit

    Arkell, B., 1992, Geology of the Tusc and Mac Deposits, in Buffa, R. and Coyner, A., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin-Field Trip Guidebook Compendium, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 862-864.

  • Deposit

    Mcfarlane, D., 1992, Gold Production on the Carlin Trend, in Buffa, R. and Coyner, A., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin-Field Trip Guidebook Compendium, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 841-843.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

  • Deposit

    Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 p., one 3.5 inch diskette.

  • Deposit

    John W. Norby and Michael J.T. Orobona, 2002, Geology and Mineral Systems of the Mike Deposit; in Gold Deposits of the Carlin Trend, NBMG Bull. 111.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, V308, # 7915, MAY 1, 1987, P332, INDUSTRY IN ACTION", "MORE GOLD FOR NEWMONT...".

  • Deposit

    EKBURG, C. E., ROTA, J. C., AND B. W. ARKELL. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE MAGGIE CREEK SUBDISTRICT, CARLIN TREND, EUREKA COUNTY, NEVADA: IN GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GREAT BASIN PUBLISHED BY THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA, 1991, PP. 625-633.

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUR. LAND MANAGEMENT. NEWMONT GOLD COMPANY'S SOUTH OPERATIONS AREA PROJECT. DRAFT EIS, MAY 1993.

  • Deposit

    WINTERS, R. A. MINES AND ORE BODIES IN THE CARLIN TREND, NEVADA--AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE PRODUCTION, AND IMPORTANCE TO THE NEVADA ECONOMY: UNPUBLISHED REPORT TO THE ELKO DISTRICT, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, ON FILE AT THE BUREAU OF MINES, WESTERN FIELD OPERATIONS CENTER, SPOKANE, WA.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Submicroscopic, epithermal gold mineralization is disseminated along fractures and pores in the Roberts Mountains Formation and the Rodeo Creek Unit. The Tusc orebody has a synformal character which plunges to the northwest.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-92 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-94 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 20-OCT-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-JAN-05 LaPointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Editor 01-SEP-07 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey Converted from S&A FileMaker format to Oracle. Edit checks on rocks, units, and ages with Geolex search, and other fields. Blended in and deleted 10310469 MAC Deposit.

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Nevada resources

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