Santa Fe Gold Project

Mineral County, Nevada, United States

GoldSilverArsenicAntimonyLeadZincMercuryThalliumMolybdenumCopperBarium-BariteTungsten

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Description

G.B. Gaylord i

Commodities

PrimaryGold, Silver

SecondaryArsenic, Antimony, Lead, Zinc

TertiaryMercury, Thallium, Molybdenum, Copper, Barium-Barite, Tungsten

Commodity typeB

Deposit

Deposit typefault zone; Disseminated, epithermal, replacement in breccia fill

Model173: Sediment-hosted Au

Deposit sizeS

Orebody formtabular

Ore controlThe Santa Fe Fault zone controls both hydrothermal alteration and Au-Ag deposition. Au mineralization is entirely hosted by the Triassic Luning Formation along the Santa Fe Fault at its intersection with the calvada fault. All the significant gold concentrations occur where the Luning has been fractured along the trends of the main faults. Mineralization is associated with either jasperoid or breccia zones of various kinds.

Materials

Ore mineralsElectrum, Pyrite, Freibergite, Miargyrite, Twinnite, Heteromorphite, Boulangerite, Zinkenite, Chalcopyrite, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Galena

GangueQuartz, Pyrite, Marcasite, Jasper, Chalcedony, Sericite, Kaolinite, Stibnite, Hematite, Barite, Calcite, Limonite, Realgar

Geology

Host rockLimestone,Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate),Metamorphic Rock · Luning formation

Associated rockQuartz Monzonite,Rhyodacite,Latite,Basalt · "Todd Mountain Stock", "Mickey Pass Tuff", "."

StructureWalker Lane, The Santa Fe Fault forms the contact between the Luning Formation and Mickey Pass Tuff and consists of a breccia zone up to 125 meters wide.

AlterationArgillization, decalcification, silicification, carbonaceous alteration, propylitization are the dominant styles of alteration present.. Stearns (1982) proposes 3 separate pulses of hydrothermal alteration within the Santa Fe Fault zone. These events are 1) early quartz-sericite-kaolinite alternation known as "white breccia clasts", 2) main stage carbonaceous, jasperoid, and stockwork veining, and 3) late stage hydrothermal leaching. Au-Ag deposition is associated with the second (main) event. Jasperoids are commonly very pyritic.

Economic & production

Development statusProducer

Production years1988-1995

First production1988

Last production1995

Discovery year1960

Identification

Deposit ID10310379

MRDS IDM242955

Alternate namesCalvada Mine Area, Santa Fe Mine

RegionNA

Data scoreB

Coordinates38.59436, -118.14345

References

Fianacca, Mike, 1987, GSN Bulk Mineable Precious Metals Symposium Field Trip Guidebook and Technical Volume and GSN 1986 Fall Field Trip Guidebook.Bonham, H.F., 1988, NBMG MI-1987.Bonham, H.F., 1986, NBMG Map 91.NBMG Mining District File #207, press clippings.Stearns, S.W., 1982, Disseminated Epithermal Precious Metals in the Santa Fe District, Mineral County, NV: MS Thesis, Stanford Univ.Albino, G.V., Giles, D.A., Janney, D.W., Kurrasch, D., 1990, Geology of the Santa Fe Gold Deposit, Mineral County, Nevada, in Buffa, R.H., and Coyner, A.R., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin - Field Trip Guidebook Compendium, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 494-502Mining Journal/Montagu Mining Finance, 8/10/91, Mining Data Base.Lowe, N.T., et al., Principal Deposits of Strategic and Critical Minerals in Nevada, USBM Information Circular 9035, p. 164.NBMG, 1994, MI-1993Corona Corp, 1989Nevada Division of Minerals, 1994Long, 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.