The Bluff Mine is a mercury, gold, and silver mine located in Esmeralda county, Nevada at an elevation of 5,400 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
Elevation: 5,400 Feet (1,646 Meters)
Commodity: Mercury, Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.73306, -118.02583
Map: View on Google Maps
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.
Bluff Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Bluff Mine
Secondary: NBMG Sample Sites 1255
Secondary: 1966
Commodity
Primary: Mercury
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Location
State: Nevada
County: Esmeralda
District: Dyer District
Land Status
Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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
Type: Surface/Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Wright, Mr.
Home Office: Dyer, Nv
Years: 1964 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: L
Description: Highly Contorted Limestone
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification; Gossan-Like Alteration
Rocks
Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: AVERAGE PROBABLY 1 LB HG/TON (1964). STREAM SEDIMENT SAMPLES CONTIGUOUS WITH AND NORTH OF THE MINE (SS-129 AND SS-132) WERE ANOMALOUS IN W, HG AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, PB AND CU. SAMPLE 1255 CONTAINED 15% FE, 0.1% MG, 0.1% CA, 0.03% TI, 200 PPM MN, 5 PPM AG, 50 PPM BA, 5 PPM CO, 30 PPM CR, 20 PPM CU, 10 PPM NI, 1000 PPM PB, 300 PPM V.
Analytical Data: ASSAY ACROSS BEST SHEAR ZONE MATERIAL ASSAYED 4.4 LB/TON HG
Materials
Ore: Cinnabar
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Deposit): FAULT INTERSECTION WITH STRONG LIMONITE AND SILICIFICATION FOR ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE INTERSECTION, BOTH ALONG FAULTS AND BETWEEN THEM. SHEAR ZONE WITH POROUS TO MASSIVE LIMONITE AFTER PYRITE, CONTAINING CINNABAR. CINNABAR ALSO OCCURS AS SMALL PATCHY FILMS AND LOW-GRADE DISSEMINATIONS
Comment (Workings): ONE INCLINED SHAFT BEARING DUE S, INCLINED AT 55 DEGREES, 45 FT DEEP. AT ABOUT 40-FT DEPTH, THERE IS 50 FT OF LEVEL WORKINGS TO THE EAST. SEVERAL OLD HAND-DUG PITS AND DOZER CUTS. EXTENSIVE BULLDOZER WORK.
Comment (Geology): POROUS TO MASSIVE LIMONITE AFTER PYRITE IN DRIFT, WITH FAIRLY COMMON CINNABAR. "BLUFF" TO NE OF MINE IS COMPOSED OF MASSIVE BLEACHED LIMESTONE (MARBLE), UNDERLAIN BY A SHALE UNIT
Comment (Location): AT FOOT OF SILVER PEAK MOUNTAINS, ABOUT 3 MILES ENE OF THE CIRCLE L(CORD) RANCH ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1972)
Comment (Commodity): CINNABAR IS PINKISH AND FINE-GRAINED
Comment (Development): DOZER WORK IN LAST 10-15 YEARS HAS CUT HILL PERPENDICULAR TO THE STRUCTURE. SEVERAL TRENCHES BOTH ACROSS AND ALONG THE SILICIFIED ZONE HAVE OBSCURED GEOLOGIC RELATIONS.
References
Reference (Deposit): BAKER, ART III, 1964, UNPUBLISHED SCOUTING REPORT ON THE BLUFF MINE; NBMG FILE 88, ITEM 1.
Reference (Deposit): TINGLEY, J.V., 1982, FIELD EXAMINATION OF 16 AUGUST 1982.
Reference (Deposit): QUADE, JACK, 1984, FIELD EXAMINATION OF 20 APRIL 1984.
Reference (Deposit): NBMG OFR 83-12, 1983
Nevada Gold
![Gold Districts of Nevada](https://westernmininghistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Gold-Districts-of-Nevada-main2022-2.jpg)
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.