Ophir Claim

Site Name

Primary: Ophir Claim

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Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Iron
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc

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Location

State: Nevada
County: Storey
District: Comstock Lode

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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.

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Type: Underground

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1859
Discovery Year: 1859
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L

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Physiography

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

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal vein, Comstock

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Orebody

Form: TABULAR

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Structure

Type: R
Description: North-Trending Anticline; Regional Dip To West Or Northwest

Type: L
Description: Faults

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Propylitization, Oxidation,Pyritization

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Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Argentite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): THIS DEPOSIT IS FOUND ON THE COMSTOCK VEIN PROPER, AND CONSISTS FO SILVER SULFIDE ORE WITH A SUBSTANTIAL GOLD CONTENT. THE DEPOSIT IS PART OF THE COMSTOCK LODE, EPITHERMAL PRECIOUS-METAL VEINS GENERALLY FOUND IN THE ALTA ANDESITE. THE MINE IS 2500 FEET DEEP AND EXPLORES THE COMSTOCK VEIN, OUTLIERS OF THE CONSOLIDATED VIRGINIA BONANZA, AND THE HARDY VEIN. SPORADIC PRODUCTION FROM 1859 TO 1873, BUT WELLOVER 40,000 TONS ORE AT FROM $8 PER TON TO $2500. PER TON PRODUCTION FROM 1874 TO 1925 WAS 439,137 TONS ORE AVERAGING $41.16 PER TON IN MOSTLY SILVER VALUES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Development): PART OF THE COMSTOCK LODE PROPER; PRODUCED SPROADICALLY FROM 1959-1873, AND 1874-1928. THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF ORE IN VIRGINIA CITY WAS THE OUTCROP OF THE OPHIR BONANZA

Comment (Deposit): VEIN, COMSTOCK FAULT

Comment (Location): NORTH END OF VIRGINIA CITY

Comment (Production): 1859-1873 PRODUCTION WAS WELL OVER 40,000 TONS ORE FROM $8 TO $2500/TON.

Comment (Workings): SHAFT AND ASSOCIATED WORKINGS.

Comment (Geology): THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF ORE IN VIRGINIA CITY WAS THE OUTCROP OF THE OPHIR BONANZA.

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References

Reference (Deposit): STODDARD, CARL, AND CARPENTER, J.A., 1950, MINERAL RESOURCES OF STOREY AND LYON COUNTIES, NEVADA: NBMG BULL 49.

Reference (Deposit): BONHAM, H.J., 1969, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WASHOE AND STOREY COUNTIES, NEVADA:NBMG BULL 70

Reference (Deposit): BASTIN, E.S., 1922, BONANZA ORES OF THE COMSTOCK LODE, VIRGINIA CITY, NEV; USGS BULL 735-C

Reference (Deposit): WPA STATE WRITER'S PROJECT, 1940-41, INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES OF THE MINES OF THE COMSTOCK UNPUBLISHED OPEN-FILE REPORT, NEV. BUREAU OF MINES & GEOL.

Reference (Production): STODDARD, C. AND CARPENTER, J.A., 1950.

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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.