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Yankee Mine

Producer in White Pine 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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10310391
MRDS ID RE00280
Record type Site
Current site name Yankee Mine
Alternate or previous names Lincoln Pit, Blue Pit, Gray Pit, Lee Pit, Monitor Pit, Olustee Pit, Davis Pit, Saddle Pit, West Spur Pit, East Spur Pit, West Crusher Pit, Hilltop Pit, Rebel Pit, Rifle Pit, Southeast Extension Pit, Union Gray

Comments on the site identification

  • This record includes all material from earlier record # RE00280 which should be deleted from the database.

    The Yankee Mine is part of Placer Dome?s Bald Mountain Mine project.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -115.52558, 39.6779 (WGS84)
Elevation 2000
Relative position Yankee Mine is located in the southern Ruby Mountains about 45 miles northwest of Ely and 75 miles south of Elko. The mine is in the southern end of the Bald Mountain Mining District about five miles south of the Alligator Ridge Mine. Lat/long is for approximate center of mining activity.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

White Pine(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Buck Mountain East(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Newark Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ely(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Long-Ruby 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 White Pine

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 021N 057E 14 23 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The Yankee Mine is in the southernmost part of the Bald Mountain Mining District about five miles south of the Alligator Ridge Mine. The mined area consists of several orebodies aligned in a NNW trend extending over about a mile and a half from north to south.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: gold
  • Gangue Materials: Limonite, hematite, jarosite, arsenic oxides.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Hematite Ore
Jarosite Ore
Limonite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Host rocks are silicified and decalcified the host rock. Decalcification is pervasive enough to form zones of up to 8-% remnant illite clay. Silicification ranges from minor to complete jasperoid formation. Mineralization is intimately associated with jasperoid formation. Intense liesegang banding is regional.

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 > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone
    Rock unit name Pilot Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Early Mississippian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Pilot Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Early Mississippian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Devils Gate Limestone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Devonian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Middle Devonian

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -115.52558, 39.6779
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Ore is associated with a NW-trending anticline. Mineralization is controlled locally by a series of near-vertical faults that trend east to northeast,

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore is controlled both structurally and stratigraphically. The 16 or so orebodies at Yankee are aligned N20W along the west flank of a NW-trending anticline. Mineralization is controlled locally by a series of near-vertical faults that trend east to northeast, or perpendicular to the anticlinal axis. Stratigraphically, the ore is contained within the basal 100 feet of the Pilot Shale, which here consists of siltstone and limestone. The lower Pilot limestone contains the highest grade material. The upper siltstones of the Pilot Shale contain very little mineralization and may have acted as an impermeable cap to the mineralizing fluids.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1992
Year of last production 2004
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Hydromet
Milling method Heap Leach-Agglomerate-Carbon Column-Electrowin
Production years 1992 - 2004

Comments on exploration

  • PLACER DOME DID SOME RESOURCES DELINIATION DRILLING IN 1995.

Mining district

District name Bald Mountain District
District name Yankee Basin

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area
Area name Ely BLM district

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Placer Dome U. S., Inc.
    Year 2004
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Placer Dome U. S. Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office California
    Year 1996
    First year 1993
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner USMX, Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1996
    Last year 1993

Production statistics

  • Year 1983
    Description Kg, Gold 74 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 74000g
  • Year 1984
    Description Kg, Gold 453 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 453000g
  • Year 1985
    Description Kg, Gold 373 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 373000g
  • Year 1986
    Description Kg, Gold 812 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 812000g
  • Year 1987
    Description Kg, Gold 1431 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1431000g
  • Year 1988
    Description Kg, Gold 2163 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2163000g
  • Year 1989
    Description Kg, Gold 2395 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2395000g
  • Year 1990
    Description Kg, Gold 2508 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2508000g
  • Year 1991
    Description Kg, Gold 2910 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2910000g
  • Year 1992
    Description Ore Production (0.045 Oz Au/St) 600000 St/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 661386.6mt 1g/mt
  • Year 1992
    Description Gold Production 21000 Oz/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 653173.1g
  • Year 1992
    Description Gold 10921 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 339681.11g
  • Year 1992
    Description Kg, Gold 2961 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2961000g
  • Year 1993
    Description Gold 11272 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 350598.43g
  • Year 1993
    Description Kg, Gold 3184 Kg, Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3184000g
  • Year 1994
    Description Gold 39953 Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1242677.37g
  • Year 1994
    Description No Gold Production
  • Year 1995
    Description Gold Production 96608 T Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 3004845.09g
  • Year 1995
    Description 1995 Gold Production 36896 T Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1147594.03g
  • Year 1995
    Description See Bald Mountain For Future Production

Comments on the production information

  • 1995 PRODUCTION FROM RANDOL, 1996/97; ALSO INCLUDED IN BALD MT 0320330503 MAS PROPERTY PRODUCTION:

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Measured 1923000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1923000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.51 g/mt Gold Major 1991
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Inferred 1071000mt ore
    Total resources 1071000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.82 g/mt Gold Major 1991
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Measured 1923000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1923000mt ore
    Inferred 1071000mt ore
    Total resources 2994000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.62 g/mt Gold Major 1991
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Total resources 1130352mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.95 g/mt Gold Major 1991
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.242 g/mt Gold Major 1991

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVES FROM RANDOL 1993/94.

Comments on the workings information

  • The Yankee Mine is an open pit/heap leach/carbon adsorption operation.

Comments on other economic factors

  • In 1992, the Yankee deposit was reported to contain 683,000 ounces of gold.

    In 1992, the Yankee Mine produced 25,800 ounces of gold. Since Placer Dome U. S., Inc. acquired the Yankee Mine in 1993, its production has been included with that of the Bald Mountain Mine.
  • LOADED CARBON SENT TO NEAR-BY BALD MOUNTAIN/ALLIGATOR RIDGE MILL.

Comments on development

  • the Yankee deposit was first discovered by AMSELCO in the late 1970s. Kennecott began production form the mine area in 1989. USMX operated the mine from 1991. USMX poured its first gold on June 24, 1992. Total mill capacity was 500 gpm. The cash cost of production in 1992 was predicted to be $293/oz Au. Recovery was projected to be 75%. Yankee carbon will be processed at the Alligator Ridge refinery. Discovery cost through 1991 was approximately $5.85 per proven mineable ounce of gold. In 1993, Placer Dome U. S., Inc. acquired the Alligator Ridge holdings from USMX, Inc. and subsequently, the Yankee Mine's production was included with Bald Mountain Mine's production. Placer Dome includes this mine area as part of its Mooney Basin Project. The Mooney Basin facility was commissioned in 1999 and ore deliveries from the Top pit Stage 7 to this facility are scheduled. Leaching should continue through 2009.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Hitchborn and others, 1996, Geology and Gold Deposits of the Bald Mountain Mining District, White Pine County, Nevada, in Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera Symposium Proceedings, eds. A. Coyner and P. Fahey.

  • Deposit

    Stout, Bill, 1996, Geologic Overview of the Yankee Mine, White Pine County, Nevada, in The Geological Society of Nevada 1996 Spring Field Trip, Geology and Gold Deposits of Eastern Nevada, GSN Special Publication No. 23.

  • Deposit

    Hose, Blake, and Smith, 1976, Geology and Mineral Resources of White Pine County, Nevada, NBMG Bulletin 85.

  • Deposit

    USMX, 1992, Annual Report for 1991.

  • Deposit

    "USMX Yankee Mine in Nevada Starts Gold Production", Skillings Mining Review, July 18, 1990.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, MI-90 thru MI-02

  • Deposit

    NBMG Map 91, 2nd, 3rd

  • Deposit

    DEIS, 1995

  • Deposit

    FEIS, 1995

  • Deposit

    Amer. Mines (1991-92), 1991 thru Amer. Mines (2000), 1999

  • Deposit

    Nevada Land Status Map, 1990.

  • Deposit

    Nutt, C.J., Hofstra, A.H., Hart, K.S., and Mortensen, J.K., 2000, Structural setting and genesis of gold deposits in the Bald Mountain-Alligator Ridge area, east-central Nevada, in Cluer, J.K., Price, J.G., Struhsacker, E.M., Hardyman, R.F., and Morris, C.L., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: The Great Basin and Beyond: Geological Society of Nevada Symposium Proceedings, May 15-18, 2000, p. 513-537.

  • Production

    RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1996/97, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES, P280.

  • Reserve-Resource

    RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1993/94, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES, P295.

  • Deposit

    RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1994/95, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES, P360.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOK, 1996, P195.

  • Deposit

    PLACER DOME INC., 1996 FORM 40-F, PP. 13-16, 21-22.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit The Yankee mine has been generally considered a ?Carlin-Type ? disseminated gold deposit. The ore is distributed in about 16 separate orebodies ranging in size from about 35,000 tons to 900,000 tons of ore, averaging about 0.050 ounces of gold per ton of ore. Gold is associated with silicification and decalcification of the host rock. Ore is controlled both structurally and stratigraphically. The 16 or so orebodies at Yankee are aligned N20W along the west flank of a NW-trending anticline. Mineralization is controlled locally by a series of near-vertical faults that trend east to northeast, or perpendicular to the anticlinal axis. Stratigraphically, the ore is contained within the basal 100 feet of the Pilot Shale, which here consists of siltstone and limestone. The Devils Gate Limestone hosts minor gold mineralization. Mineralization is intimately associated with jasperoid formation.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-93 Phinisey, J. D. (Marcus, S.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-94 Li, Zhiping (Moyer, Lorre A.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-AUG-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 03-OCT-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-NOV-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.