Surcease Mine

The Surcease Mine is a gold mine located in Butte county, California at an elevation of 1,850 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: Surcease Mine
Secondary: Surcease
Secondary: Bunker Hill
Secondary: Treasure Hill

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Iron
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: California
County: Butte

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Hoefling Brothers
Home Office: Sacramento, Ca.

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: RIBBON

Structure

Type: L
Description: Trondjemite Intrusion Exposed 2 Mi. To Se.

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYED 0.2-0.06 OZ. AU/TON

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Bournonite
Ore: Antimony
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Marcasite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): A FEW THOUSAND TONS OF ORE REMAINED IN SIGHT IN MAY, 1928.

Comment (Location): UTM ACC. W 1/2

Comment (Production): ABOUT 27,000 TONS OF ORE WAS TREATED IN MILL. NO SPECIFIC DATES AVAILABLE.

Comment (Development): ECON.COM: OPERATING COST FOR MINING, MILLING, TREATMENT AND MARKETING BULLION WAS $5.03/TON

Comment (Deposit): 2 VEIN SYSTEMS. PRINCIPAL ORE SHOOT PITCHES N18E, BEING BOUNDED BY FAULT. NORTH ORE SHOOT YIELDED MOST GOLD, EXTENDED FROM NEAR SURFACE TO 210 FT. LEVEL OF WORKINGS. IT WAS 132 FT. IN AVG. STOPE LENGTH, AVG. 6 FT. THICK. COARSE PYRITE APPEARED IN PATCHES; CARRIED SMALL AMOUNT OF COPPER SULFIDES. NEARLY ALL GOLD WAS IN SULFIDES, WHILE QUARTZ WITH LITTLE OR NO SULFIDE WAS LOW-GRADE. SOUTH ORE SHOOT APEXED ABOUT 210 FT. ADIT LEVEL AND HAD PITCH LENGTH OF 140 FT., STOPE LENGTH AVG. 110 FT. BETTER ORE OCCURED IN FLATTER-DIPPING VEINS. MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS IN OBRIEN (1940).

Comment (Workings): INCLINE OF 24 DEG. TO DEPTH OF 450 FT., STEEPENS TO 40 DEG. 610 FT. TOTAL DEPTH. PRINCIPAL ADIT ON 210 FT. LEVEL, ENTERING FROM SHIELDS GULCH NEAR MILL, AND RUNNING NW ON VEIN 1000 FT. OR MORE, CROSSING SHAFT AND EXTENDING TO NORTH FAULT. LEVEL ABOVE IT RUN 420 FT. SE AND 560 FT. NW. BELOW ADIT, LEVEL RUN BOTH WAYS WITH RAISES TO PROSPECT DOWNWARDS EXT. OF ORE SHOOTS. 600 FT. LEVEL WAS ALSO RUN 450 FT. SE AND 600 FT. NW WITHOUT FINDING ANY ORE BODY. MILLSITE. MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS IN OBRIEN (1949)

Comment (Deposit): OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY BY VARIOUS LESSESS AND OWNERS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

References

Reference (Deposit): LOGAN, C.A., 1930, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF BUTTE COUNTY, CALIF. CALIF. JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 26, NO. 4, P. 381-382

Reference (Deposit): OBRIEN, J.C., 1949, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF TRINITY COUNTY, CALIF.: CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOLOGY, V-45, NO. 3, P. 431-432

Reference (Deposit): GOODWIN, J. G., 1957, LEAD AND ZINC IN CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 53, NOS. 3 & 4, P. 421-422

Reference (Deposit): SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY, 1964, MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, V. 2, P. 54-55

Reference (Production): LOGAN (1930) OBRIEN (1949) GOODWIN (1957)

Reference (Reserve-Resource): LOGAN (1930)

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.