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Flowery Mine

Producer in Storey county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper
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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. Production statistics
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. General comments
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10310359
MRDS ID M231221
Record type Site
Current site name Flowery Mine
Alternate or previous names Flowery Lode, Berry Glory Hole, Six Mile Canyon, Bonanza-Adriatic, Adriatic, Lady Bryan Pit, Connection, North Bonanza Pit, Golden Eagle Mine, Gold Eagle

Comments on the site identification

  • This record is an updated version including all information from earlier record M231221 which should be deleted from the database.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Geographic coordinates: Elevation UTM Precision Relative position Point location
Pit -119.59515, 39.31939 (WGS84) 1570 Lady Bryan pit. The Flowery Mine is located in Six Mile Canyon; about 4 miles ENE of Virginia City.
(click for info)
Pit -119.59442, 39.32122 (WGS84) 100 Berry pit
Pit -119.5838, 39.3227 (WGS84) 100 North Bonanza pit

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Storey(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Flowery Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Carson City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Reno(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Middle Carson(hydrologic unit)

Carson(hydrologic accounting unit)

Central Lahontan(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Storey

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 017N 021E 23 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The Flowery Mine is located in Six Mile Canyon about 3.5 miles east-northeast of the northern part of the Comstock Lode.
  • MINE CLOSED AT THE END OF 1995. NO MENTION OF PROPERTY IN MARAMAR MINING CORP. 1996 AR.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Iron Tertiary
Manganese Critical Tertiary
Copper Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, pyrite, gold, native silver
  • Gangue Materials: iron and manganese oxides, quartz, kaolinite, dickite, illite, chlorite, alunite and carbonate

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Galena Ore
Pyrite Ore
Gold Ore
Silver Ore
Iron Ore
Quartz Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Dickite Gangue
Illite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Alunite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification accompanies ore. Also present is a suite of hydrothermal alteration minerals, including kaolinite, dickite, illite, chlorite, alunite and carbonate in the bleached Miocene volcanic rocks.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 150
USGS model code 25c
Deposit model name Epithermal vein, Comstock
Mark3 model number 16

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock type qualifier altered
    Rock unit name Alta andesite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Middle Miocene

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -119.59515, 39.31939
ListMap
Pit (2) -119.59442, 39.32122
ListMap
Pit (3) -119.5838, 39.3227
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Flowery Lode shear zone

Ore body information

  • General form tabular
    Strike N70E
    Dip 45S
    Width 30.48M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore deposition was controlled by the Flowery Lode shear zone

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Producer
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1868
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1868
Year of last production 1995
Plant type Leach
Milling method Heap Leach-Merrill-Crowe

Mining district

District name Comstock district
District name Virginia City - Silver City district
District name Flowery district

Land status

Ownership category Private
Area name Carson City BLM Administrative District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner American Eagle Resources, Inc. (Affli. Of MMC)
    Year 1997
    First year 1989
  • Type Owner
    Owner Miramar Mining Corp., (Mmc)
    Interest 60
    Home office Canada
    Year 1996
    First year 1989
  • Type Operator
    Owner Flowery Mines Co. (1920'S)

Production statistics

  • Year 1993
    Description Silver 21500 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Secondary metal recovered Silver Silver 668724.84g
    Primary Gold Gold 62207g
  • Year 1994
    Description Gold 5080 T Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Secondary metal recovered Silver Silver 1.62mt
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 158006g
  • Year 1995
    Description Gold Production 5254 T Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Secondary metal recovered Silver Silver 1.81mt
    Primary metal recovered Gold Gold 163418g

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Measured 328000mt ore
    Demonstrated 328000mt ore
    Total resources 328000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 2.19 g/mt Gold Major 1995
    Silver Ag 33.26 g/mt Silver Minor 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1994
    Measured 1052334mt ore
    Demonstrated 1052334mt ore
    Total resources 1052334mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.92 g/mt Gold Major 1994
    Silver Ag 19.2 g/mt Silver Minor 1994
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Demonstrated 3626878mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 10.63 g/mt Gold Major 1995

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RECORD 2 FOR THE LADY BRYAN, BERRY AND BONANZA ZONES. RESERVES/RESOURCES IN RECORD 3 ARE SUFFICIENT FOR AT LEAST 9 YEARS POSSIBLY LONGER.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Name of workings Lady Bryan original underground mine
    Overall depth 274.32M

Comments on the workings information

  • Ore was mined by shrinkage stopes with later open pit development.

Comments on other economic factors

  • During 1924-1929 the operating company reported a production of 250,000 tons of ore yielding $945,000.
    From the 1860s-1880s and in 1939, the Bonanza-Adriatic ore body produced 5,101 tons of ore yielding 195 ounces of gold and 1,163 ounces of silver.
    From 1862-1932, the Flowery Mine/ Lady Bryan pit produced 6,275 tons of ore valued at $91,538; from 1988-89, and from 1992-97 the Flowery Mine/Lady Bryan pit produced 23,785 ounces of gold and 274,674 ounces of silver.
    The following reserves and resources were reported for each of the component orebodies of the Flowery District lode:In 1990, the Bonanza-Adriatic: Possible oxide reserves of 560 Kilotonnes of ore grading 0.05 opt Au containing 28 K oz Au.
    In 1991, the Flowery Mine: Geologic Resource of 29.3 million tons of ore grading 0.04 opt Au; in 1993: 362 Kilotonnes of ore grading 0.064 opt Au, 0.97 opt Ag; geol. res. 88,128 oz Au, 1 M oz Ag.
    In 1990, the Lady Bryan: Possible oxide reserves of 590 Kilotonnes of ore grading 0.04 opt Au containing 23,600 oz Au, proven drilled reserves of 141,325 t 0.05 opt Au containing 7,066 oz Au.
    In 1990, the Berry Pit: Possible oxide reserves of 420 Kilotonnes of ore grading 0.03 opt Au containing 12,600 oz Au, proven drilled reserves of 166,367 tons of ore grading 0.069 opt containing 11,479 oz Au.
    In 1990, the Connection: Inferred oxide reserves of 2.75 million tons of ore grading t 0.03 opt Au containing 82,500 oz Au.

Comments on development

  • The mines at Flowery were discovered around the same time as those near Virginia City, from which, shortly thereafter, the City of Flowery sprung. The Flowery district has produced several million dollars in bullion, and is today capped by an open pit operation which involves three different pits: the Lady Bryan, the Berry (just north of the Lady Bryan), and the North Bonanza Pit, about a half mile east of the Lady Bryan and Berry pits.
    Anaconda, the lessee in 1983, was looking for a partner in developing the Flowery Gold property, owned by Flowery Gold Mines Co. Anaconda had been exploring the area for several years. The lease was assigned in 1983 to East Comstock Gold Corp. and was subleased to Alhambra Mines in 1986. Alhambra drilled 8 holes and did a feasibility study and secured the necessary permits. Projected start up was in early 1987 with a 3-4 year mine life. It was slated to recommence production in mid-1987.
  • THE LADY BRYAN MINE IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST PATENTED CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT. SHAFTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE GULCH. OPERATIONS SUSPENDED IN 1881 WITH SPORADIC SMALL TONNAGES MINED THEREAFTER UNTIL THE MINE WAS TAKEN OVER BY FLOWERY MINES CO. IN THE 1920'S, UNDER LEASE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit The Flowery is a parallel lode to the main Comstock Lode and considered a part of the same mineralized system. The Flowery is a well-defined lode of altered and mineralized andesitic rock mineralized over a 100-ft width by a network of gold-bearing quartz stringers. Mining was done by strinkage stopes by all slime cyaniding, and later by mill hole. The Flowery Lode deposit consists of many veinlets of gold-and silver-bearing quartz in shattered and sheared andesite gold ore, fairly free from silver, in the footwall of the lode. The ore in the hanging-wall side carries silver-lead and zinc minerals characteristic of the Comstock, but no free gold ore.
Deposit THE LADY BRYAN MINE IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST PATENTED CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT, WITH A 600 FT SHAFT ON ONE SIDE OF A GULCH AND A 900 FT SHAFT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE APPARENTLY THE PRODUCTION OF A GOLD-SILVER ORE WAS FROM THE UPPER LEVELS ONLY. BY 1876 THE MINE WAS CREDITED WITH A PRODUCTION OF 3425 TONS OF A GROSS VALUE OF 64,507. COMPANY OPERATIONS WERE SUSPENDED IN 1881 WITH INTERMITTENT SMALL TONNAGEO MINED THEREAFTER UNTIL THE MINE WAS TAKEN OVER UNDER LEASE BY THE FLOWERY MINES COMPANY IN THE 1920'S.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-80 Flynn, Patricia Dodd Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-DEC-88 La Pointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Reporter 17-MAR-93 Lipton, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Updater 01-SEP-94 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 14-OCT-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-DEC-04 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.

Beyond USGS

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

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.