Copper Canyon Skarn Deposits

Lander County, Nevada, United States

GoldSilverCopperLeadZincArsenicBismuthTellurium

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Description

Messrs. Tanehill, Sinclair, and Heath

Commodities

PrimaryGold, Silver, Copper

SecondaryLead, Zinc

TertiaryArsenic, Bismuth, Tellurium

Commodity typeM

Deposit

Deposit typeskarn, replacement, stratiform, stratabound

Model58: Porphyry Cu, skarn-related64: Skarn Au

Deposit sizeS

Orebody formtabular, stratiform, stratabound

Ore controlEmplacement of the Granodiorite of Copper Canyon resulted in the development of a large pyritic alteration halo and to the formation of the copper-gold skarn and replacement deposits (West and East orebodies) as well as the gold-silver skarn deposits (Fortitude and Tomboy-Minnie). There is a series of subparallel N-trending fractures and faults.

Materials

Ore mineralsGold, Electrum, Chalcopyrite, Pyrrhotite, Pyrite, Marcasite, Arsenopyrite, Sphalerite, Galena, Argentite, Bismuthinite, Hedleyite, Hessite, Andradite

GangueGarnet, Pyroxene, Diopside, Tremolite, Actinolite, Chlorite, Epidote, Calcite, Sphene, Biotite, Feldspar

Geology

Host rockSiltstone,Conglomerate,Skarn (Tactite),Limestone · "Battle Formation", "Antler Peak Formation"

Associated rockGranodiorite,Quartz Monzonite,Porphyry · Copper Canyon

StructureThe Fortitude upper and lower ore zones formed in place and were separated by the north-striking, west-dipping Virgin Fault and a granite porphyry dike intruded along the fault. \nThe Copper Canyon and Virgin Faults acted as conduits for mineralizing hydrothermal fluids emanating from a granodiorite intrusive body and for later dikes emplaced along the same structures., The Dewitt, Golconda and Antler thrust faults coour at depth. The base of the ore at the West Deposit was defined by the Golconda Thrust fault.

AlterationThere is a general zonation of calc-silicate minerals around the intrusion that corresponds to the metal zonation in the skarn deposits. In the copper-gold-skarn zone near the contact, the skarn minerals consist of garnet plus chalcopyrite with relatively minor pyroxene, while farther away from the contact, in the gold-silver zone, skarn ore consists of pyroxene plus pyrrhotite with relatively minor garnet. There is strong silicic, potassic, propylitic, phyllic, and pyritic alteration, especially of the granite porphyry.

Economic & production

Development statusPast Producer

Production years1868-2006 off and on

First production1868

Last production2006

Discovery year1866

Identification

Deposit ID10310303

MRDS IDM231290

Alternate namesFortitude, Copper Canyon Mine (underground), West Orebody, East Orebody, Tomboy-Minnie deposits

RegionNA

Data scoreA

Coordinates40.50851, -117.14262

References

Hill, J.M., 1915, Some Mining Districts in Northeastern California and Northwestern Nevada: USGS Bull 594Roberts, R.J. and Arnold, D.C., 1965; Ore Deposits of the Antler Peak Quadrangle, Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada: U.S.G.S. Prof. Paper 459-BSayers, R. W., Tippett, M. C., and Fields, E. D., 1968, The Ore Deposits at Copper Canyon and Copper Basin, Lander County, Nevada: AIME Annual Meeting Paper, N.Y.Blake, D. W., Kretschmer, E. L., 1980, Gold Deposits at Copper Canyon, Lander Co., Nev., Abstract, Precious Metals Symposium, AIME, Sparks, Nevada.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.Doebrich, Jeff, 1995, Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Antler Peak 7.5-minute quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada, NBMG Bull 109, 44 p.Theodore and Blake, 1978, Geology and geochemistry of the West orebody and associated skarns, Copper Canyon porphyry copper deposits, Lander County, Nevada, USGS Prof Paper798-C, 85 p.Blake, D.W., Theodore, T.G., Batchelder, J.N, and Kretschmer, E.L., 1979, Structural relations of igneous rocks and mineralization in the Battle Mountain mining district, Lander County, Nevada, in Ridge, J.D., ed., Papers on mineral deposits of western North America: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Report 33, p. 87-99.Doebrich, J.L., and Theodore, T.G., 1996, Geologic history of the Battle Mountain mining district, Nevada, and regional controls on the distribution of mineral systems, in Coyner, A.R and Fahey, P.L., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera: Geological Society of Nevada Symposium proceedings, Reno-Sparks, April 1995, p. 453-483, CD-ROM.Doebrich, J.L., Wotruba, P.R., Theodore, T.G., McGibbon, D.H., and Felder, R.P., 1995, Field guide for geology and ore deposits of the Battle Mountain mining district, Humboldt and Lander counties, Nevada, in Geology and ore deposits of the American Cordillera symposium: Geological Society of Nevada, U.S. Geological Survey and Sociedad Geologica de Chile, p. 327-376.Kotlyar, B.B., and Theodore, T.G., 1998, Multilevel geochemical patterns at the Fortitude gold skarn, Battle Mountain Mining District, Nevada, in Tosdal, R.M., ed., Contributions to the gold metallogeny of northern Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-338, p. 259-263.Theodore, T.G., 1971, Geologic map of the Copper Canyon area, Battle Mountain mining district, Lander County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 71-282, 1:4,800.Theodore, T.G., Silberman, M.L., and Blake, D.W., 1973, Geochemistry and potassium-argon ages of plutonic rocks in the Battle Mountain mining district, Lander County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 798-A, 24 .Geological Society of Nevada, 1999, Geology and Gold Mineralization of the Buffalo Valley Area, Northwestern Battle Mountain Trend; GSN Special Publication No. 31, 1999 Fall field trip Guidebook..Wendt, Clancy, 2004, Technical Report on the ICBM/COPPER BASIN Property, Lander and Humboldt Counties, Nevada, Staccato Gold website: http://www.staccatogold.com/i/pdf/icbm-43-101.pdfStewart, J.H., McKee, E.H., and Stager, H.K., 1977, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Lander County Nevada: NBMG Bull. 88.