Nevada · Lander County
Past Producer

Copper Canyon Porphyry Copper Deposit

Lander County, Nevada, United States
CopperGoldSilverLeadZincIron
⌖ Show on mapUSGS source ↗
Description

Messrs. Tanehill, Sinclair, and Heath

Commodities
PrimaryCopper, Gold, Silver
SecondaryLead, Zinc
TertiaryIron
Deposit
Deposit typePorphyry Copper, skarn
Model{53: Porphyry Cu}{59: Skarn Cu}
Deposit sizeM
Orebody formtabular, blanket, irregular
Ore control"Mineral deposits related to the Copper Canyon porphyry copper mineralizing system show regional concentric metal zonation away from the intrusive center of the Copper Canyon granodiorite. Both copper and copper-gold deposits are present near the intrusive center, with gold-silver deposits outboard from these, and lead-zinc-silver deposits present in a distal concentric zone. The upper levels of the original underground Copper Canyon Mine, the West orebody, and the East orebody are of the central copper-gold skarn type. Copper-silver skarn deposits include the Fortitude and Tomboy-Minnie deposits, and the Sunshine, Bonanza, and South Canyon deposits of the Reona project. Distal lead-zinc-silver deposits include the mines & prospects of the Galena Canyon area and a lower-level deposit of the old Copper Canyon Mine.\nMineralization in the Copper Canyon underground mine was characterized by veins in sub-parallel N-trending fractures, with chalcocite-enriched zones.There is a series of subparallel N-trending fractures and faults some of which controlled ore formation."
Materials
Ore mineralsChalcopyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Galena, Cuprite, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Chalcocite, Pyrrhotite, Arsenopyrite, Azurite
GangueLimonite, Siderite, Calcite, Quartz, Jarosite
Geology
Host rockSandstone,Shale · Battle Formation
Associated rockGranodiorite,Granite,Porphyry · Copper Canyon
Structure"The Virgin Fault, Hayden Fault, Estes, Superior Estes & Superior Faults were the loci of enriched-copper ore-bodies which yielded much of chalcocite ore stoped from upper levels. The Estes-trends NW, dips NE steeply to 35 degrees; The Superior; trends N30E, dips 55 to 70 NW. The West fault trends NW.", "Dewitt, Golconda and Antler thrust faults at depth"
Alteration"Strong sericitic, propylitic, phillic, pyritic alteration, especially of the granite porphyry; argillic, leaching.\nWallrocks of the oxidized zone were strongly leached, argillized, and iron oxide stained."
Economic & production
Development statusPast Producer
Production years1870 to 2006 with a few brief lapses
First production1870
Last production2006
Discovery year1866
Identification
Deposit ID10310307
MRDS IDM231317
Alternate namesCopper Canyon Mine (underground), Virgin deposit, Superior deposit, South Canyon deposit, Galena Canyon Area Mines & Prospects, Silver King Mine, Copper Canyon East orebody, Copper Canyon West orebody
RegionNA
Data scoreA
Coordinates40.545, -117.12611
References
{Deposit:: Hill, J.M., 1915, Some Mining Districts in Northeastern California and Northwestern Nevada: USGS Bull 594}{Deposit:: Roberts, 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.}{Deposit:: Sayers, 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.}{Deposit:: Blake, D. W., Kretschmer, E. L., 1980, Gold Deposits at Copper Canyon, Lander Co., Nev., Abstract, Precious Metals Symposium, AIME, Sparks, Nevada.}{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:: Doebrich, Jeff, 1995, Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Antler Peak 7.5-minute quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada, NBMG Bull 109, 44 p.}{Deposit:: Theodore and Blake, 1978, Geology and geochemistry of the West orebody and associated skarns, Copper Canyon porphyry copper deposits, Lander County, Nevada, USGS Prof Paper 798-C, 85 p.}{Deposit:: 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.}{Deposit:: 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.}{Deposit:: 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.}{Deposit:: 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.}{Deposit:: 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.}{Deposit:: 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.pdf}{Deposit:: Stewart, J.H., McKee, E.H., and Stager, H.K., 1977, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Lander County Nevada: NBMG Bull. 88.}{Deposit:: Kotlyar, B.B., Theodore, T.G., Singer, D.A., Moss, K., Campo, A.M., and Johnson, S.D., 1998, Geochemistry of the Au-skarn environment at Copper Canyon, Battle Mountain mining district, Nevada, in Lentz, D.R., ed., Mineralized intrusion-related skarn systems}{Deposit:: Theodore, T.G., Blake, D.W., and Kretschmer, E.L., 1982, Geology and mineralization of the Copper Canyon deposits, Lander County, Nevada, in Titley, S.R., ed., Advances in geology of the porphyry copper deposits, southwestern North America: Tucson, Univ.}{Deposit:: Theodore, T.G., Blake, D.W., Loucks, T.A., and Johnson G.A., 1992, Geology of the Buckingham stockwork molybdenum deposit and surrounding area, Lander County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 798?D, 24 p.}{Geology:: Wotruba, P., Benson,R., and Schmidt,K., 1986, Battle Mountain describes the geology of it Fortitude gold-silver deposit at Copper Canyon: Mining Eng, SME, vol. 38 no. 7 pgs 495-499}