Daisy Gold Mine

Nye County, Nevada, United States

GoldSilverFluorine-FluoriteUraniumMercuryClayArsenicCopperMolybdenumThallium

⌖ Show on map USGS source ↗

Description

Continental Fluorspar Co. (fluorite); Cordex (gold)

Commodities

PrimaryGold, Silver, Fluorine-Fluorite

TertiaryUranium, Mercury, Clay, Arsenic, Copper, Molybdenum, Thallium

Commodity typeB

Deposit

Deposit typesediment-hosted gold; volcanic-hosted veins; hydrothermal replacement

Model150: Epithermal vein, Comstock173: Sediment-hosted Au

Deposit sizeL

Orebody formGold is disseminated in tabular to irregular bodies. Fluorite occurs as lenticular irregular masses, irregular veins, small masses, disseminated grains, pipe-like.

Ore controlA NE - trending set of faults (shear zone) which dip vertically to steeply east, control the lateral extent of the ore shoots. A NW-trending low - angle set of faults dipping NE forms the upper and lower boundary of many ore shoots. Coalescence of south-dipping, upper plate listric normal faults with the Fluorspar Canyon detachment fault may be important for the ground preparation at the Secret Pass gold orebody.

Materials

Ore mineralsGold, Fluorite, Cinnabar, Clay, Calcite, Dolomite, Quartz, Montmorillonite, Sericite, Kaolinite

GangueSilica

Geology

Host rockLimestone,Siltstone,Dolomite,Welded Tuff,Rhyolite · "Halfpint member of the Nopah Formation", "Carrara Formation", "Bonanza King Formation"

Associated rockTuff,Rhyolite,Basalt,Latite

StructureSignificant local structures are the Bullfrog Hills Caldera, Fluorspar Canyon detachment fault, northeast-trending, steep dipping, right lateral tear faults and gently northwest dipping thrust faults. The principal structural ore control for all three gold mineralized zones is normal faulting. The highest grade ore zones are associated with intersections of high-angle and low-angle faults. A low-angle fault forms the footwall of the gold mineralization in the favorble host rocks at the West Zone. In the South Zone, disseminated gold mineralization occurs in favorable host rocks in the footwall of a low-angle fault., A low-angle structure called the Fluorspar Canyon Detachment separates mineralized volcanic rocks in the hanging wall from unmineralized Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the footwall of the fault and is thought to be part of a large-scale fault bounding the base of a regional allochthonous terrane.

Tectonic settingback-arc extensional cratonic basin

AlterationThe highest gold values in the West Zone are associated with intense silicification and fluorite occurrence. Gold mineralization in the Halfpint member is accompanied by anomalous concentrations of arsenic, antimony, mercury, and thallium. Alteration in the Carrara Formation occurs as subtle decalcification, accompanied by anomalously high arsenic and silver, copper, molybdenum and thallium values correlating with gold. In the Secret Pass Zone, disseminated gold mineralization occurs in strongly propylitized, argillized, and silicified Miocene rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs.

Economic & production

Development statusProducer

Production yearsgold, 1997- 2001\nfluorspar, 1916-1988

First production1919

Last production2001

Discovery year1918

Identification

Deposit ID10310491

MRDS IDW006927

Alternate namesSunday Night Zone (Joshua), West Zone, Crowell Mine, Daisy Fluorspar Mine, Beatty Fluorspar Mine, Lige Harris-Enif Area, Yellow Spar, Bullmoose North Pit, Bullmoose South PitDaisy, Gold Ace, Good Hope Pit, Mother Lode, Reward, Secret Pass Zone, South Zone

RegionNA

Data scoreA

Coordinates36.87664, -116.69728

References

Greybeck, J. D., and Wallace, A. B., 1991, Gold mineralization at Fluorspar Canyon near Beatty, Nye County, Nevada, in Raines, G. L., et al, eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 935-946.Ahern, R. and Corn, R. M., 1981, Mineralization Related to the Volcanic Center at Beatty, Nevada: Arizona Geological Society Digest XIV, p. 283-286.Mapa, M.R., 1990, Geology and mineralization of the Mother Lode Mine, Nye County, Nevada, in Schafer, R., et al, eds., The Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, Field Trip Guidebook #9, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno.NBMG, 1991, The Nevada Mineral Industry 1990, NBMG Special Publication MI-1990, p. 24.NBMG, 1994, MI-1993.Cornwall, H. R. and Kleinhampl, F. J., 1964, Geology of Bullfrog Quadrangle and Ore Deposits related to Bullfrog Hills Caldera, Nye County, Nevada and Inyo County, California: USGS Prof. Paper 454-J.Cornwall, H. R. and Kleinhampl, F. J., 1961, Geology of Bare Mountain Quadrangle, Nevada: USGS Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-157Geehan, R. W., 1946, Exploration of the Crowell Fluorspar Mine, Nye County, Nevada: U.S. Bur. Mines Rept Inv. 3954, 9 p.Garside, L.J., 1973, Radioactive Mineral Occurrences in Nevada: NBMG, Bull. 81, p. 92.Papke, K.G., 1979, Fluorspar in Nevada: NBMG Bull. 93, p.40-43.Cornwall, H.R., 1972, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Southern Nye Co.: NBMG Bull, 77, p. 35.Kral, V.E., 1951, Mineral Resources of Nye Co.: NBMG Bull. 50, p. 61-62.Thurston, W.R., et. al., 1949, Daisy Fluorspar Deposit: USGS Strat. Min. Inv. Prelim. Rept. 3-209.Quade/Smith, 1982, Field Examination, NBMG, 4/21/82Papke, K.G., 1983, Directory of Nev. Mine Operations Active in 1982; NBMG ReportAvon, 1974, Daisy Mine Report, NBMG File 228, Item 1Union Pacific RR. Co., 1952, Fluorspar Resources of CA., NV, OR, ID., CO.USGS, 1949, Strategic Minerals Investigations Preliminary Rept 3-209Smith, A.M., 1931, Inspection Trip Notes, NBMG, File 228, Item 8Lincoln, F.C., 1923, Mining Dist and Mineral Resources of Nev; Nev. Newsletter Pub. Co., Reno, NV.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.Glamis Gold Ltd., company press release, 2/28/2000.Yahoo Mining/Metals News, 11/8/1999.Glamis Gold website, 1998.