Morderalli Iron Mine

The Morderalli Iron Mine is a iron mine located in Eureka county, Nevada.

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: Morderalli Iron Mine
Secondary: Amarilla Mine
Secondary: Simplot Mine
Secondary: Mordarelli

Commodity

Primary: Iron
Tertiary: Phosphorus-Phosphates

Location

State: Nevada
County: Eureka
District: Modarelli-Frenchie Creek District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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

Not available

Production

Year: 1961
Time Period: 1951-1961
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^Ave. 57.8% Fe

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1951
Discovery Year: 1903
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Great Basin
Physiographic Detail: Basin And Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Volcanic-hosted magnetite

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: L
Description: Deposit On East Limb Of North Trending Anticline. Dips 60-80e

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Volcanics Devitrified, Argillized, With Sericite, And Secondary Kspar

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SEE SHAWE, ET AL (1962) P. 98

Materials

Ore: Martite
Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Apatite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): DISCOVERED IN 1903 BY A. PLUMMER. MINING BEGAN IN 1951 WITH TOTAL PRODUCTION THROUGH 1961 OF 395,900 LONG TONS OF IRON ORE. AVERAGE GRADE WAS 57.8% FE. ONLY THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE DEPOSIT IS ORE, MOST OF THE REMAINDER IS TOO LOW GRADE. THE DEPOSIT WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE USBM DURING WW II. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Geology): THE ORE OCCURS AS REPLACEMENT OF RHYODACITE AND RHYOLITE IN MESOZOIC VOLCANIC FLOWS AND IS LOCALIZED AT INTERSECTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTHEAST TRENDING FAULTS THAT CUT THE AREA. BOUNDARIES OF THE DEPOSITS ARE SHARP SO SELECTIVE MINING CAN BE USED. SOME PORTIONS OF THE DEPOSITS CONTAIN UP TO 6-7% PHOSPHOROUS. THE PRINCIPAL OREBODY IS TRIANGULAR IN PLAN AND DIPS 60NE. (ROBERTS, 1967). A CONSPICUOUS SILICIFIED ZONE MAY HAVE CONTROLLED IN PART THE EXTENT OF MINERALIZATION ON THE NORTHWEST. THE IRON WAS PROBABLY DERIVED FROM LOWER CRET. PLUTONIC ROCK, WHICH WAS DEUTERICALLY ALTERRED (MUFFLER, 196).

Comment (Deposit): ORE OCCURS AS REPLACEMENT BODIES LOCALIZED AT INTERSECTIONS OF FAULTS CUTTING VOLCANIDS.

Comment (Development): MINING BEGAN IN 1951. SE PORTION OF THE DEPOSIT IS HIGHER GRADE THAN THE REST. THE DEPOSIT WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE U.S.B.M. DURING W.W. II

References

Reference (Deposit): ROBERTS, R. J., ET AL (1967) GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF EUREKA CO., NEV. BUR. OF MINES BULL. 64

Reference (Deposit): USBM (WINNEMUCCA) MILS NO. 89, REFERENCE NO. 3201100028

Reference (Deposit): SOUTHERN PACIFIC CO. (1964) MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, P. 92

Reference (Deposit): MUFFLER, L. J. (1964) GEOLOGY OF THE FRENCHIE CREEK QUADRANGLE, USGS BULL. 1179

Reference (Deposit): SHAWE, F. R., REEVES, R. G., KRAL, V. E. (1962) IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF NEVADA, PART C., N B OF M BULL 53

Reference (Production): SHAWE, F. R. ET AL, (1962)

Nevada Gold

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.