Nevada · Lander County
Past Producer

Buckingham Molybdenum Deposit

Lander County, Nevada, United States
MolybdenumSilverCopperGoldTungstenLeadZinc
⌖ Show on mapUSGS source ↗
Commodities
PrimaryMolybdenum, Silver
SecondaryCopper, Gold, Tungsten
TertiaryLead, Zinc
Deposit
Deposit typereplacement
Model80: Porphyry Mo, low-F
Deposit sizeS
Orebody formirregular, tabular, disseminated
Ore controlMolybdenum mineralization is related to the emplacement of a late Cretaceous composite quartz monzonite porphyry system that intruded and strongly metamorphosed the enclosing Paleozoic sedimentary rocks to hornfels. There are at least seven major phases of intrusions that collectively form what are called the East and West stocks. All seven phases contain molybdenum mineralization. The main buckingham deposit formed in association with five igneous phases located in the two stocks. All five phases developed shells of molybdenite mineralization and the shells locally overlap to produce grades of about 0.1 to 0.20 weight percent MoS2. Mineralization is also locally controlled by shear zones, faults, and fractures .
Materials
Ore mineralsMolybdenite, Tetrahedrite
GanguePyrite, Galena, Sphalerite
Geology
Host rockMetasedimentary Rock,Hornfels,Porphyry,Quartz Monzonite · Harmony Formation
Associated rockQuartz Monzonite
StructureFOLDING, THRUST FAULTS, NW AND NE-TRENDING FAULTS: BUCKINGHAM FAULT
Tectonic settingCalc-alkaline magmatic arc.
AlterationThere were four alteration events: \n1. contactmetaorphism of the host sedimentary rocks during emplacement of the granitic plutons\n2. hydrothermal alteration associated with the metallization event\n3. clay and sericite alteration associated with faulting\n4. sugergene alteration
Economic & production
Development statusPast Producer
First production1875
Discovery year1867
Identification
Deposit ID10310305
MRDS IDM231306
Alternate namesHardy, Bentley, O'Leary, Buckingham Mine
RegionNA
Data scoreA
Coordinates40.6134, -117.0375
References
Stewart, J.H., Mckee, E.H, and Stager, H.K., 1977, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Lander County, Nevada: NBMG Bull. 88, 106 p.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-B.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.Theodore, T.G., Blake, D.W., Loucks, T.A., and Johnson, C.A., 1992, Geology of the Buckingham stockwork molybdenum deposit and surrounding area, Lander County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 798-D, 307 p.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.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, Alan R. and Fahey, Patrick L., editors, Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera: Geological Society of Nevada Symposium Proceedings, p. 453-483.Felix E. Mutschler, Steve Ludington, and Arthur A. Bookstrom, 1999, Giant Porphyry-Related Metal Camps of the World-A Database; USGS Open-File Report 99-556.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.pdfBLAKE, D. W., T. G. THEODORE, J. N. BATCHELDER, AND E. L. KRETCHMER, 1979, STRUCTURAL RELATIONS OF IGNEOUS ROCKS AND MINERALIZATION IN THE BATTLE MOUNTAIN MINING DISTRICT, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA, IN PAPERS ON MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA. NV BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, REP. 33, PP. 878-89.LINCOLN, F. C., 1923, MINING DISTRICTS AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF NEVADA: NV NEWSLETTER PUBL. CO., RENO, NV, 280 P.ROBERTS, R. J., 1964,STRATIGRAPHY AND STRUCTURE OF THE ANTLER PEAK QUADRANGLE, HUMBOLDT AND LANDER COUNTIES, NEVADA: U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 459-A, P. A1-A93.ROBERTS, R. J., P. E. HOTZ, J. GILLULY, AND H. G. FERGUSON, 1958, PALEOZOIC ROCKS IN NORTH CENTRAL NEVADA. AAPG BULL., V. 42, NO. 12, PP. 2813-2857.SAYERS, R. W., M. C. TIPPET, AND E. D. FIELDS, 1967, THE ORE DEPOSITS AT COPPER CANYON AND COPPER BASIN, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: TRANS. SOC. MIN. ENG. AIME, V. 244, P.SAYERS, R. W., M. C. TIPPETT, AND E. D. FIELDS, 1968,DUVAL'S NEW COPPER MINES SHOW COMPLEX GEOLOGIC HISTORY: MIN. ENG., V. 20, NO. 3, PP. 55-62.SCHILLING J. H., 1980, MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS AND OCCURRENCES IN NEVADA: NV BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. MAP 66, SCALE 1:1,000,000.THEODORE, T. G., AND D. B. BLAKE, 1975, GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE COPPER CANYON PORPHYRY COPPER DEPOSIT AND SURROUNDING AREA, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 798-B, P. B81-B86.THEODORE, T. G., M. L. SILBERMAN, AND D. W. BLAKE, 1973, GEOCHEMISTRY AND POTASSIUM-ARGON AGES OF PLUTONIC ROCKS IN THE BATTLE MOUNTAIN MINING DISTRICT, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 798-A, PP. A1-A24.TIPPETT, M. C., 1967, THE GEOLOGY OF THE COPPER BASIN ORE DEPOSITS, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: M.S. THESIS, UNIV. NV, RENO, NV, 30 P.VAN DENBURGH, 1939, A. S. RECONNAISSANCE OF MINING DISTRICTS IN LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: U.S. BUMINES IC 7043, 83 P.WESTRA, G., AND S. B. KEITH, 1981, CLASSIFICATION AND GENESIS OF STOCKWORK MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS: ECON. GEOL. AND BULL. SOC. ECON. GEOL., V. 76, NO. 4, PP. 844-873.WILSON, B. R., AND S. W. LAULE, 1979, TECTONICS AND SEDIMENTATION ALONG THE ANTLER OROGENIC BELT OF CENTRAL NEVADA: IN PROCEEDINGS OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION OF GEOLOGISTS/UTAH GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION BASIN AND RANGE SYMPOSIUM AND GREAT BASIN FIELD CONFERENCE, LAS VEGAS, NV, OCT. 7-11, 1979 ED. BY G. W. NEWMAN AND H. D. GOODE. RMAG, PP. 81-92.WOODCOCK, J. R., 1979, MOLYBDENUM - A GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN RESOURCES AND ONGOING PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT: ENG. AND MIN. J., V. 180, NO. 8, PP. 86-89.WORLD MINING (SAN FRANCISCO), 1981, WHAT'S GOING ON IN WORLD MINING - UNITED STATES: NEVADA; NEVADA MAY BE THE NEXT BIG MOLYBDENUM PRODUCER: V.34, NO.12, P. 77.WORLD MINING (SAN FRANCISCO), 1982, WHAT'S GOING ON IN WORLD MINING - UNITED STATES: NEVADA; DUVAL DISCOVERS SILVER AND GOLD NEAR BATTLE MOUNTAIN. V. 35, NO. 1, 72 P.SUTULOV, A., 1982, INTERMET MOLYBDENUM YEARBOOK. ALEXANDER SUTULOV/ INTERMET PUBL., SANTIAGO, CHILE, P. 28.