Cactus

The Cactus is a gold mine located in Kern county, California at an elevation of 3,199 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: Cactus
Secondary: Shumake Deposit
Secondary: Cactus Gold Mine
Secondary: Cactus Queen Mine
Secondary: Cactus Mine
Secondary: Shumake Mine
Secondary: Blue Eagle Mine
Secondary: Middle Buttes

Commodity

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

Location

State: California
County: Kern
District: Middle Buttes

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

Type: Located Claim

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Cactus Gold Mines Co.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1990

Owner Name: W. J. Carey
Percent: 1.00
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1990

Owner Name: Coca Mines Inc.
Percent: 74.00
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1990

Owner Name: Compass Mining Inc.
Percent: 25.00
Info Year: 1990

Owner Name: Cactus Gold Mines Inc. (Owned (85%) By Hecla)
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1996

Owner Name: Dakota Mining Corp.
Percent: 25.00
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1997

Owner Name: Hecla Mining Co.
Percent: 75.00
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1997

Owner Name: Summo Minerals Corp.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1997
Years: 1997 -

Production

Year: 1989
Description: Heap Leach Gold Production 59493 Ty Oz/Yr
Year: 1989
Description: Ore Treated 2106800 Mt
Year: 1991
Description: Ore Production 2129724 Mt
Year: 1991
Description: Gold Production 53912 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1991
Description: Silver Production 217014 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1992
Description: Ore Production 318414 Mt Ore
Year: 1992
Description: Gold Production 36283 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1992
Description: Silver Production 138394 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1993
Description: No Ore Production Ore Depleted 0 Mt
Year: 1993
Description: Gold Production 9755 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1993
Description: Silver Production 32220 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1994
Description: Gold Production 10147 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1994
Description: Silver Production 26074 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1995
Description: Gold Production 5295 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1995
Description: Silver Production 2324 T Oz/Yr

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Plant Type: Leach
Plant Subtype: Hydromet
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Leach-Precipitation
Year First Production: 1986
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): AS OF 1989, RESERVES WERE 202,000 CONTAINED OZ AU.

Comment (Production): MINING STOPPED IN 1992 HEAP LEACH GOLD/SILVER RECOVERY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 1995 AND END SOMETIME IN 1996.

Comment (Deposit): SITE LOCATION FROM BLM CLAIM LOCATION REGISTER. MOST RECENT MINING TERMINATED IN FEB., 1992. HEAP LEACHING OF ORE WILL CONTINUE TILL 1995. ON 1945 USGS TOPO WILLOW SPRINGS 15 MIN SHEET MINE IS CALLED CACTUS MINE. NO THE 1965 & 1974 PHOTO REVISED USGS TOPO WILLOW SPRINGS 7.5 MIN SHEET THE MINE IS CALLED CACTUS QUEEN MINE. THE CURRENT NAME AS OF, 1996-1997, GIVEN IN NEWS REPORTS THE NAME IS THE CACTUS GOLD MINE. 7-97: SUMMO HAS ACQUIRED EXTENSIONS OF ITS OPTIONS TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY UNTIL 8-29-97 TO ALLOW TIME FOR INCORP. OF TECHNICAL DUE DILIGENCE DATA INTO A PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY. THE COMPANY CONTINUES ITS DRILLING PROGRAM AND AN EXTERNAL ORE RESERVE CALCULATION IS UNDERWAY AND AN INTERNAL PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY IS IN PROGRESS TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AND WHETHER OR NOT SUMMO SHOULD EXERCISE ITS OPTIONS IN THIS GOLD MARKET. 8-97: AN EXTERNAL ORE RESERVE CALCULATION IS UNDERWAY AND AN INTERNAL PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY IS IN PROGRESS TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AND WHETHER OR NOT SUMMO SHOULD EXERCISE ITS OPTIONS IN THIS GOLD MARKET.

Comment (Ownership): AS OF 1994: HECLA HAD A 64% INTEREST IN CACTUS GOLD MINES CO. CACTUS GOLD MINES CO. IS OWNED BY MIDDLE BUTTES PARTNERS LIMITED (MBPL), & 25% BY COMPASS MINING INC.. MBPL IS A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP IN WHICH THE COMPANY (MBPL) IS THE SOLE GENERAL PARTNER (53%) & A LIMITED PARTNER (11%). AS OF JAN 1997, HECLA AND DAKOTA SIGNED AGREEMENTS TO SELL THEIR INTEREST IN THE MINE TO SUMMO.

References

Reference (Ownership): THE MINING RECORD, VOL., 108, #4, JAN 22, 1997, P3.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): HECLA MINING COMPANY, 1995 FORM 10-K REPORT, P27.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, COUNTY REPORT

Reference (Deposit): #1, 1962, PP. 103-104.

Reference (Deposit): SOUTHERN PACIFIC CO., MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, V. III-

Reference (Deposit): SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 1964, PP. 42, 53.

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS, D. N. JR.," COCA OPENS SHUMAKE MINE AND PLANT

Reference (Deposit): FOR PRODUCTION AT CACTUS GOLD MINES", SKILLING MINING

Reference (Deposit): REVIEW, VOL., 78, #4, 1989, PP. 4-8.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNAI DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, SPECIAL PUB.

Reference (Deposit): #103, 1990.

Reference (Deposit): BLM CLAIM LOCATION REGISTER

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1990.

Reference (Deposit): HECLA MINING COMPANY, 1994 ANNUAL REPORT, P20.

Reference (Deposit): HECLO MINING COMPANY, 1994, 10-K REPORT, P19.

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1994/95, U.S. MINES AND MINING

Reference (Deposit): COMPANIES, P223.

Reference (Deposit): HECLA MINING COMPANY, 1995 10-K REPORT, P26.

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL MINING COMPANY, 1996/97, U.S. MINES AND MINING

Reference (Deposit): COMPANIES, P151.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL., 108, #4, JAN 22, 1997, P3.

Reference (Deposit): BLAKE, A.R. AND OTHERS, 1991, THE SHUMAKE VOLCANIC DOME

Reference (Deposit): HOSTED EPITHERMAL, PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSIT, WESTERN MOJAVE

Reference (Deposit): DESERT, CALIFORNIA; ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, VOL 86, #8, PP. 1646

Reference (Deposit): TO 1656.

Reference (Deposit): "SUMMO MINERALS-CACTUS GOLD MINES CONTINUED DRILLING EXTENDS

Reference (Deposit): SHUMAKE OREBODY." FOUND ON POINT CAST BUSINESS WIRE,

Reference (Deposit): 7-29-97.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, V108 #32, P.1, 8-6-97.

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.