Western Hog Ranch Mine

The Western Hog Ranch Mine is a silver and gold mine located in Washoe county, Nevada at an elevation of 6,260 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: Western Hog Ranch Mine
Secondary: Hog Ranch Mine
Secondary: Hog Ranch Gold Mine
Secondary: Hog Ranch Occurrence
Secondary: Krista Pit
Secondary: East Deposit
Secondary: Geib Pit
Secondary: Bell Springs Deposit
Secondary: NBMG Sample Site 2410
Secondary: Locality No.6.

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Mercury
Tertiary: Uranium

Location

State: Nevada
County: Washoe
District: Leadville District (Closest One)

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Western Goldfields ; Western Mining Corp. Usa
Years: 1988 -

Owner Name: Contractor: Ledcor Construction Inc.

Production

Year: 1989
Material type: ORE-AU
Description: Ap_Grade: ^1.41 G/Tonne Au

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Hot Spring
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1986
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Hot-spring Au-Ag

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Basin/Range Structural Province; Possible Collapse Caldera Or Failed Caldera System

Type: L
Description: Possible Major Ring-Fracture System - Cottonwood Creek Volcanic Center.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal: Silicification, Opalization, Kaolinization (All Pervasive)

Rocks

Name: Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 15.100000+-0.400000
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 15.100000+-0.400000
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Gangue: Alunite
Gangue: Clay
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Chalcedony

Comments

Comment (Commodity): GOLD OCCURS AS FINELY DISSEMINATED FLECKS, AND IN SOME PLACES, IS ASSOCIATED WITH PYRITE.

Comment (Geology): THE HOG RANCH PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE TRANSITIONAL ZONE BETWEEN THE COLUMBIA PLATEAU PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCE TO THE NORTH, AND THE BASIN AND RANGE PROVINCE TO THE SOUTH. THE REGION EXHIBITS CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTH PROVINCES. THE KRISTA PIT EXHIBITS A TYPICAL DISSEMINATED HOT-SPRING AU-AG DEPOSIT WHICH HAS STRONG STRUCTURAL CONTROL. GOLD VALUES ARE LARGELY FOUND, AND ARE HIGHEST IN THE MORE INTENSELY SILICIFIED (CHALCEDONY) ROCKS. PROBABLE NEAR SURFACE MINERALIZATION. SLIGHTLY ANOMALOUS RADIOACTIVITY HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM PETRIFIED WOOD IN LATE MIOCENE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. URANIUM OCCURRENCES ALONG HOG RANCH CREEK WHICH EXTEND FOR SEVERAL MILES; +/-3000 M.

Comment (Deposit): THIS RECORD IS AN UPDATED VERSION INCLUDING DUPLICATE INFORMATION FROM M232557, W700443, AND W700584, WHICH HAVE BEEN DELETED.

Comment (Location): UTM IS TO CENTRAL PORTION OF THE KRISTA PIT, ONE OF SEVERAL PITS AT HOG RANCH.; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = VYA (1970) 1:250000; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = BUTTE SPRING (1979) 1:24000

Comment (Development): INCREASED ITS INTEREST TO 65%. INITIAL MINING WAS MOSTLY AT THE KRISTA PIT WITH CONTINUED WORK TO DEVELOP ORE SOUTH OF KRISTA. FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR BELL SPRINGS DEPOSIT 4 MILES SW OF KRISTA PIT WAS UNDERWAY WITH PLANS TO START DEVELOPMENT ON IT IN 1988. ; TOTAL$: 7.7 ; ECON.COM: TOTAL PROJECT CAPITAL COST OF $7.7 MILLION. IN 1987, TOTAL UNIT COST PER TON OF ORE WAS $10.76 AND DIRECT OPERATING COST PER OUNCE OF AU WAS $214. AVERAGE STRIP RATIO IS 1.1:1. THE MINE PRODUCES DORE BARS CONTAINING 95% AU. THREE GRADE CATEGORIES ARE USED: ORE ( 0.025 OPT AU), RUN OF MINE MATERIAL (0.01 AND < 0.025 OPT AU), AND WASTE (<0.01 OPT AU). ORE IS CRUSHED TO MINUS 1.5 IN. IN TWO STAGES AND AGGLOMERATED WITH CEMENT, LIME, AND CYANIDE SOLUTION PRIOR TO STACKING ON THE HEAP LEACH PAD. RUN OF MINE MATERIAL IS TAKEN TO THE PAD AND IS STACKED ON TOP OF EXHAUSTED HEAPS FOR LEACHING. ESTIMATED AU RECOVERY FOR THIS MATERIAL IS 40%. IT PAYS FOR ITS MINING AND REAGENT COSTS, AND CONTRIBUTES ABOUT $1 PER TON

Comment (Development): TO REVENUE.

Comment (Deposit): GOLD MINERALIZATION IS RELATED BOTH SPATIALLY AND TEMPORALLY TO PERALKALINE SILICIC VOLCANISM AND WITH A PROBABLE RING-FRACTURE SYSTEM. OPALITIC VEINING.

Comment (Workings): 4 OPEN PITS: KRISTA, EAST, GEIB, AND BELL SPRINGS. CRUSHING AND HEAP LEACH FACILITY AND AU RECOVERY PLANT.

Comment (Development): EXPL.COM: THE AREA UNDERWENT EXPLORATION FOR URANIUM PRIOR TO THE GOLD DISCOVERY. STAKED ABOUT 1980, OPTIONED BY NORANDA ABOUT 1984, WHO, WITH FERRET EXPLORATION DID EXTENSIVE DRILLING AND EXPLORATION ON IT. IN AUG. 1984, GEOMEX OWNED A 63% WORKING INTEREST IN HOG RANCH AND WAS DOING MORE DRILLING AND METALLURGICAL TESTING ON IT. IMPERIAL METALS HAD ACQUIRED AN INTEREST IN HOG RANCH BY FEB, 1986. WESTERN GOLDFIELDS AND FERRET EXPLORATION ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY AND WERE SEEKING OPERATION PERMITS IN MARCH 1986 WHICH WERE GRANTED WITH OPERATIONS COMMENCING IN APRIL, 1986. IN AUGUST 1986, OROFINO RESOURCES ACQUIRED A 10% INTEREST IN IT WITH OTHER PARTNERS WESTERN GOLDFIELDS, 50% ; GEOMEX MINERALS, 30%; AND MONTAGU MINING INVESTMENTS, 10%. LEACH PADS WERE BEING FILLED IN SEPT, 1986. IN APRIL 1987, ROYAL RESOURCES CORP BOUGHT UP ALL MONTAGU'S STOCK INCLUDING ITS 10% HOG RANCH INTEREST. FIRST POUR WAS IN LATE 1986 WITH EXPECTED PRODUCTION OF 50,000 OZ AU/YEAR. WESTERN GOLDFIELDS

References

Reference (Deposit): HARVEY, D.S., NOBLE, D.C., MCKEE, E.H., 1986, HOG RANCH PROPERTY: IN ISOCHRON WEST, NO 47.

Reference (Deposit): DROSSULIS, KIM, 1988, GEOLOGY OF THE HOG RANCH MINE, WASHOE CO., NV: IN GSN 1988 SPRING FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG MINING DISTRICT FILE 314: NUMEROUS PRESS CLIPPINGS

Reference (Deposit): NBMG MI-1987, 1988

Reference (Deposit): BONHAM, H.F., 1986, NBMG MAP 91

Reference (Deposit): JONES, R.B., 1984, NBMG FIELD EXAMINATION

Reference (Deposit): GARSIDE, L.J., 1973, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES IN NEVADA: NBMG BULL 81.

Reference (Deposit): STAFF, 1988, DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1987: NEVADA DIVISION OF MINE INSPECTION, 84P.

Reference (Deposit): STAFF, 1991, THE NEVADA MINERAL INDUSTRY: NBMG SPEC. PUB. MI-1990, P. 25 AND 44.

Reference (Deposit): WESTERN MINING CORP, 1990, NUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1989-1990.

Reference (Deposit): WESTERN MINING CORP, 1991, ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1990-1991.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

Reference (Deposit): NEVADA DIVISION OF MINERALS, 1994

Reference (Production): NBMG MI-1987 NBMG MI-1990 P. 25. LINES 6-7: WESTERN MINING CORP, 1990, ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1989-1990. LINES 10-13: WESTERN MINING CORP, 1991, ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1990-1991. NBMG MI-1993

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NBMG MI-1993

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.