Tonkin Springs Gold Mine

Eureka County, Nevada, United States

GoldSilverArsenicMercuryAntimonyZincBarium-Barite

⌖ Show on map USGS source ↗

Description

Mineral Ventures Inc.

Commodities

PrimaryGold

SecondarySilver

TertiaryArsenic, Mercury, Antimony, Zinc, Barium-Barite

Commodity typeB

Deposit

Deposit typedisseminated

Model{173: Sediment-hosted Au}

Deposit sizeS

Orebody formTABULAR

Ore control"The principal ore control is structure. All known orientations of high angle normal faults as well as lower angle thrust fault-related brecciation served as plumbing for the hydrothermal system. The NNW-striking set of normal faults defines the most noticeable trend of mineralization on the district level; higher grade pods usually flow this direction. The N60E set of normal faults is second in importance and serves to control mineralization at the individual pits. N-S control of mineralization is suggested by gold-in-soil anomalies and by subsurface gold mineralization in the Rooster main area."

Materials

Ore mineralsPyrite, Arsenopyrite, Gold, Orpiment, Cinnabar, Stibnite, Quartz, Calcite, Barite

GangueRealgar

Geology

Host rockLimestone,Siltstone · "Vinini Formation", "Devils Gate Limestone"

Associated rockGranodiorite,Rhyolite,Tuff,Andesite,Porphyry,Dacite

Structure"Intercalated slices of eastern and western facies rocks comprise the upper plate of the Roberts Mountains thrust. Brecciation and recumbent folding resulting from late Devonian to Mississippian deformation are well developed within the tectonically disturbed zone between slices. En echelon NNW-striking, east dipping normal faults of Tertiary age dominate the local structural fabric. ENE-striking, near vertical normal faults are subordinate in magnitude to the NNW trend and have localized silicification in places (e.g. Rooster Ridge). A N-S to NNE structural trend is recognized on high altitude photography.", "Roberts Mountains Thrust; WNW-striking broad, open folds."

Alteration"Alteration that has affected ore host rocks includes silicification, decalcification, argillization, carbonization. Silicification is widespread throughout the district and is evidenced by abundant jasperoid. Gold ore is often found in decalcified limestone. Argillization is widespread, but argillized rocks are generally not mineralized. The amount of carbonaceous ore has now been shown to be at least in part due to finely disseminated sulfide, not carbon."

Economic & production

Development statusProducer

Production years1985-1990.

First production1985

Last production1990

Discovery year1982

Identification

Deposit ID10310543

MRDS IDM242945

RegionNA

Data scoreA

Coordinates39.9374, -116.4577

References

{Deposit:: Nevada Division of Mine Inspection Staff, 1988, Directory of Nevada mine operations active during calendar year 1987: 84 p.}{Deposit:: Benedetto, K., et al, 1992, Roadside Geology and Precious Metal Mineralization along U.S. 50, Reno To Ely, Nevada, in Buffa, R. and Coyner, A., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin - Field Trip Guidebook Compendium, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 1133.}{Deposit:: Eespell, R. and Rich, T., 1992, Geology and Mineralization of the Tonkin Springs Mining District, in Buffa, R. and Coyner, A., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin - Field Trip Guidebook Compendium, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 949-958.}{Deposit:: Tingley and Smith, 1983, A Mineral Inventory of The Shoshone-Eureka Resource Area, Battle Mountain, Nevada: NBNG Open File Report 83-3.}{Deposit:: Tingley and Smith, 1983, Results of geochemical sampling within the Shoshone-Eureka Resource Area, Eureka, Lander, and Nye Counties, Nevada: NBMG Open File Report 83-4.}{Deposit:: Bonham, H., 1989, Bulk-Mineable Precious-Metal Deposits and Prospects in Nevada: NBMG Map 91.}{Deposit:: NBMG, 1988, The Nevada Mineral Industry - 1987, NBMG Special Publication MI-1987.}{Deposit:: NBMG, 1991, The Nevada Mineral Industry - 1990, NBMG Special Publication MI-1990.}{Deposit:: USGS Open-File Report 376, 1978.}{Deposit:: Hardesty, R., 1983, The Tonkin Springs Gold Deposit, presentation at the 89th Annual Northwest Mining Association Convention, Spokane; copy in NBMG Mining District File #106.}{Deposit:: Mehrens, M.B., 1987, Case history and problem 1: The Tonkin Springs Gold Mining District, Nevada, U.S.A., in Fletcher, W.K., et al., eds., Exploration geochemistry: design and interpretation of soil surveys, Reviews in Economic Geology, vol. 3, p. 129-134.}{Deposit:: Silver State Mining 1985 Annual Report.}{Deposit:: NBMG Mining District File #106, Press Clippings.}{Deposit:: NBMG, 1994, MI-1993, MI-96; MI-97; MI-98; NBMG Map 91, 1st, 2nd, 3rd; Amer. Mines (1998) 1997: Mas, 1984; Amer. Mines (1999), 1998.}{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:: US Gold Corp website 2006}{Deposit:: NEVADA MINING ASSOCIATION BULLETIN, ENERGY RESERVES GROUP FINDS GOLD MINERALIZATION IN EUREKA CO., OCT-NOV, 1981, VOL 3, # 6, P16.}{Deposit:: RANDOL, 1996/97, MININING DIRECTORY, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES, P275.}{Deposit:: THE MINING RECORD, VOL 107, #?, AUG. 31, 1996, P9.}{Deposit:: THE MINING RECORD, VOL 107, #41, OCT. 9, 1996, P1.}{Deposit:: THE MINING RECORD, VOL 108, #16, APR. 16, 1997, P3.}{Deposit:: U.S. GOLD COPR., NEWS RELEASE, APR., 29, 1996.}{Reserve-Resource:: 1995/96, NEVADA MINES DIRECTORY, PP. 18, 19, 24.}{Reserve-Resource:: GOLD CAPITAL CORPORATION, 1995, FORM 10-KSB, P9.}