Plumbago

The Plumbago is a gold mine located in Sierra county, California at an elevation of 4,199 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Plumbago
Secondary: Croesus
Secondary: Hope
Secondary: Crafts Clute
Secondary: Gold Beater
Secondary: Standard
Secondary: Standard Ext.
Secondary: Enterprise
Secondary: Marion

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Copper

Location

State: California
County: Sierra

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Sierra Nevada

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Carbonate

Rocks

Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): 4 ADITS, NO 3 & NO 4 , 500 FT BELOW NO 3 , UNCAVED, RECENT WORK IN NO 4 EXTENDED TO NO 10 LEVEL, 800 FT DOWN DIP FROM NO 4 ADIT LEVEL. 20000 FT DRIFTS 9000 FT RAISES & WINZES.

Comment (Geology): 2 - 4 FT AVE THICK QTZ VEIN W 1 LENS 30 FT THICK MOSTLY WELL DEFINED W HORNBLENDE SCHIST FOOTWALL & HANGING WALL OF LESS SCHISTOSE GABBRO THAN USUAL FOR THE AREA. BOTH WALLS WELL DEFINED & SEPERATED FROM QTZ BY CRUSHED, ALTERED GABBRO. CONSIDERABLE VARIATIONS IN BOTH STRIKE & DIP - ON 8 & 9 LEVELS ITS FLATTER DIP IS ASSOCIATED W GREAT INCREASE OF THICKNESS. SEVERAL SPLITS IN THE PARALLEL VEINS. QTZ CONTAINS GABBRO FRAGS EMBAYED BY QTZ SUGGESTING REPLACEMENT OF GABBRO; ELSEWHERE QTZ STRANDS W. DARK MINERAL LINES SUGGEST THRUSTING W/1 VEIN. REVERSE FAULT DISPLACES SCHIST. QTZ PINCHES OUT BEFORE MEETING SERP. VEIN CUT BUT NOT DISTORTED BY BASALT INTRUSION WHICH MAY HAVE REPLACED 60 - 150 FT OF QTZ. LATER QTZ VEINS TRANSVERSE TO MAJOR STRUCTURE, & ALONG HANGING WALL BRECCIATED WALL ROCK ALTERED TO CARBONATE MARIPOSITE & VEIN QTZ, CEMENTED BY FINE-GRAINED DARK QTZ. IN PLACES GABBRO CLOSE TO VEIN CONTAINS SML ARSENOPYRITE XTLS. VEIN ARSENOPYRITE IN LARGE BLADED CLUSTERS. ONLY PLACE IN

Comment (Geology): DISTRICT WHERE PALYGORSKITE IS FOUND - IN TOUGH FELT-LIKE SHEETS, AS FILLING OF SMALL, UP TO A FOOT, VEINS. POST MINERAL THRUSTS IN PLACES.

Comment (Location): UTM ACC. SW 1/4

Comment (Commodity): HIGH GRADE ORE ASSOC. W COARSE ARSENOPYRITE. CONCENTRATES CONTAIN ENOUGH AU TO WARRANT BEING SAVED - AVE. $150/TON. HIGH GRADE ORE WHEREVER VEIN CARRIES MUCH QTZ.

Comment (Production): FERGUSON ESTIMATES RETURN AT $86/FOOT OF WORKING IN LAST 20 YRS GRADE OF MILLROCK IS $8.40/TON. PRODUCTION OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF AU ORE REPORTED IN 1959.

Comment (Deposit): VEINS

References

Reference (Deposit): MCCULLOCH, W. C., OESTERLING, W. A., SPURCK, W. H., & TISCHLER, M. S., 1964 , MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, N CALIF. : SO. PACIFIC COMPANY, VOL. 2 , P. 34 , 35 .

Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C. V., 1942 , MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SIERRA CO.: CDM CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL., VOL. 38 , NO. 1 , P. 63 .

Reference (Deposit): FERGUSON, H. G., & GANNETT, R. W., 1932 , GOLD QTZ VEINS OF THE ALLEGHANY DISTRICT, CALIF.; USGS PROF. PAPER 172 , P. 129 - 132 , FIG. 44 .

Reference (Deposit): LOGAN, C. A., 1929 , SIERRA CO. : CDMM 25TH REPORT STATE MINERALOGIST, APRIL, P. 181 .

Reference (Production): FERGUSON, 1932 , MCCULLOCH ETAL, 1964

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.