German Gulch

Site Name

Primary: German Gulch
Secondary: Beal Mountain Mine

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

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Location

State: Montana
County: Silver Bow
District: Siberia District

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Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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

Type: Located Claim

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Workings

Type: Surface

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Ownership

Owner Name: Beal Mountain Mining Inc.
Home Office: Montana

Owner Name: Pegasus Gold Inc.
Company ID: 2470115
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Washington
Info Year: 1991

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Production

Year: 1996
Description: Gold Production 45000 T Oz/Yr Gold
Year: 1991
Description: Ag 7200 Oz
Year: 1991
Description: Au 47305 Oz
Year: 1993
Description: Silver Production 8600 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1992
Description: Silver Production 7971 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1994
Description: Silver Production 8700 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1995
Description: Silver Production 1995 9-Months 7024 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1997
Time Period: 1989-1997
Mined: 13000000.000 mt
Material type: ore
Year: 1989
Description: Annual Gold Production 1157 Kg Of Au
Year: 1990
Description: Annual Gold Production 1555 Kg Of Au
Year: 1992
Description: Gold Production 52212 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1993
Description: Gold Production 59300 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1994
Description: Gold Production 61200 T Oz/Yr
Year: 1995
Description: Gold Production (Full Year Est) 59900 T Oz/Yr Gold
Year: 1996
Description: Silver Production 7800 T Oz/Yr Silver

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Deposit Type: Polymetallic veins, Au-Ag, Skarn, Au
Plant Type: Leach
Plant Subtype: Hydromet
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Heap Leach-Agglomerate-Carbon Column-Electrowin
Year First Production: 1989
Discovery Year: 1864
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

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Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins
Model Name: Skarn Au

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Orebody

Form: PIPE (NEARLY VERTICAL)

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Structure

Type: R
Structure: FRONTAL FOLD AND THRUST BELT OF THE GRASSHOPPER THRUST SYSTEM,

Type: L
Structure: GERMAN GULCH FAULT, THE BEAL SHEAR, AND SEVERAL NORTHWEST- AND NORTHEAST-TR

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: BLEACHING, CHLORITIZATION, SILICIFICATION, AND MINOR SERICITIZATION.

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Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Description: DIORITE DIKES AND PLUGS, GRANODIORITE, ANDESITE TO DACITE DIKES
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Cretaceous

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Description: QUARTZITE (SANDSTONES), HORNFELS (MUDSTONES), METACONGLOMERATES
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Arsenopyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Sylvanite
Unknown: Chlorite
Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Pyrrhotite
Unknown: Pyrite
Unknown: Molybdenite
Unknown: Chalcopyrite
Unknown: Calcite
Unknown: Sericite

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): ALTERATION AT THE BEAL DEPOSIT IS CHARACTERIZED BY BLEACHING, CHLORITIZATION, SILICIFICATION, AND MINOR SERICITIZATION. THE ALTERATION ASSEMBLAGE IS REPRESENTED BY CHLORITE, QUARTZ, CLAYS (SMECTITE, NONTRONITE AND KAOLIN), CARBONATE AND SERICITE. BLEACHING IS MOST EVIDENT AT INTRUSIVE CONTACTS AND ADJACENT TO MOST CROSS-CUTTING VEINS. ALTERED HORNFELSES ARE WHITE, LIGHT GRAY OR LIGHT BROWN, AND ALTERED QUARTZITES ARE WHITE TO LIGHT GREEN. SILICIFICATION AT THE BEAL DEPOSIT HAS AFFECTED MOST ROCK TYPES AND IS IN PART RELATED TO THE MINERALIZING EVENT(S). IT IS MOST APPARENT IN BRECCIA MATRICES EAST OF THE GULLY FAULT AND ADJACENT TO SILICIC VEINS THROUGHOUT THE DEPOSIT. CHLORITE IS MOST ABUNDANT IN THE QUARTZITE MATRICES, ALONG FRACTURES AND AS ENVELOPES ADJACENT TO QUARTZ, CARBONATE AND SULFIDE VEINS. SERICITE ALSO OCCURS IN THE QUARTZITE MATRICES AND WITHIN OR ADJACENT TO QUARTZ OR QUARTZ-ADULARIA VEINS. IRON OXIDES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MINERALIZATION INCLUDE BROWN TO TAN LIMONITE, RED HEMATITE AND YELLOWISH GREEN JAROSITE. THESE MINERALS OCCUR PRIMARILY AS FRACTURE COATINGS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE DEPOSIT BUT MAY EXTEND TO DEPTHS EXCEEDING 150-M (500-FT) ALONG MAJOR STRUCTURES. (HASTINGS AND HARROLD, 1988). ALTERATION AT BEAL MOUNTAIN IS COMPLEX WITH MULTIPLE EVENTS. MAJOR EVENTS INCLUDE CONTACT METAMORPHISM, METASOMATISM, RETROGRADE ALTERATION, AND OXIDATION/WEATHERNG. INTENSITY OF ALTERATION OF EACH LITHOLOGY VARIES DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO INTRUSIVES, METASOMATIC REPLACEMENT, AND RETROGRADE ALTERATION. (FOR MORE DETAIL SEE FIER, 1992)

Comment (Geology): HOST ROCKS FOR THE BEAL GOLD DEPOSIT ARE THICK-BEDDED TO LAMINATED, GENTLY NORTH-DIPPING (10 DEG TO 15 DEG) KOOTENAI-COLORADO FORMATION SANDSTONES, MUDSTONES AND CONGLOMERATES THAT HAVE BEEN CONTACT METAMORPHOSED TO PYROXENE-HORNFELS FACIES QUARTZITES, HORNFELSES AND METACONGLOMERATES. THE METAMORPHIC MINERAL ASSEMBLAGE INCLUDES BIOTITE, DIOPSIDE, POTASSIUM FELDSPAR, CHLORITE, SCAPOLITE, QUARTZ, ACTINOLITE-TREMOLITE, AND HORNBLENDE. CONTACTS BETWEEN THE LITHOLOGIC UNITS ARE COMMONLY GRADATIONAL AND SEDIMENTARY FEATURES HAVE NOT BEEN DESTROYED BY METAMORPHISM

Comment (Workings): 1932-1933 THERE WERE 2,000 FT OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. OPEN PIT ON SITE OF EARLIER HYDRAULIC WASHING FOR PLACER GOLD.

Comment (Deposit): THE DEPOSIT IS LOCATED WITHIN AND ADJACENT TO A SHEAR WHICH HAS BRECCIATED AND FRACTURED THE METASEDIMENTS AND HAS PROVIDED THE POROSITY AND ENVIRONMENT NECESSARY FOR MINERAL DEPOSITION. THE MINERALIZATION IS DISSEMINATED IN THE FAVORABLE LITHOLOGIC HORIZONS AS WELL AS NARROW CROSSCUTTING VEINS. THOSE HORIZONS ARE (BEST TO WORST) THE METACONGLOMERATES, QUARTZITES, DIOPSIDE HORNFELSES AND POTASSIUM-FELDSPAR HORNFELSES. (UNPUBLISHED NOTES, MBMG MINERAL PROPERTY FILES, ROOM 213, MAIN HALL.)

Comment (Geology): MAJOR STRUCTURES IN THE AREA INCLUDE THE GERMAN GULCH FAULT, THE BEAL SHEAR, AND SEVERAL NORTHWEST- AND NORTHEAST-TRENDING FAULTS (HASTINGS AND HARROLD, 1988). MAJOR STRUCTURES IN THE AREA INCLUDE THE GERMAN GULCH FAULT, THE BEAL SHEAR, AND THE GULLY FAULT. THE GERMAN GULCH FAULT, THOUGH NOT EXPOSED, HAS BEEN INFERRED FROM OFFSETS MAPPED ALONG THE VOLCANIC-INTRUSIVE AND INTRUSIVE-METASEDIMENT CONTACTS. THE BEAL SHEAR IS A N80-85 DEG W, 85-90 DEG SOUTH-DIPPING ZONE OF BRECCIATION AND FRACTURING THAT WAS ACTIVE PRIOR TO, AND FOLLOWING EMPLACEMENT OF THE DIORITE INTRUSIVE. LARGE, COHERENT BLOCKS OF METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS ARE COMMON IN THE MAIN PORTION OF THIS ZONE WHICH MAY EXCEED 21 M (70 FT) IN WIDTH. WESTWARD, THE BEAL SHEAR NARROWS AND HORSETAILS INTO NUMEROUS SMALLER STRUCTURES AS IT CONTINUES THROUGH AND BEYOND THE DIORITE INTRUSIVE. THE VERTICAL TO STEEPLY EAST-DIPPING GULLY FAULT FORMS THE EASTERN MARGIN OF THE DEPOSIT. THIS STRUCTURE IS MINERALIZED AND OFFSETS THE BEAL SHEAR, WHICH BECOMES LESS PRONOUNCED EASTWARD. (HASTINGS AND HARROLD, 1988) STRUCTURES WITHIN THE BEAL DEPOSIT CONSIST OF THE BEAL SHEAR AND RELATED FRACTURE ZONES, THE GULLY FAULT, BEDDING FAULTS, WEST HIGHWALL THRUST FAULT, AND THE NORTHEAST NORMAL FAULT. THE BEAL SHEAR IS LOCATED WITHIN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE BEAL DEPOSIT AND REPRESENTS A BRECCIATED AND FRACTURED ZONE WHICH STRIKES N80 DEG TO 90 DEG W AND DIPS 70 TO 80 DEG. S. THE WIDTH OF THE ZONE VARIES FROM 70 TO 120 FEET AND CUTS THE WEST HIGHWALL DIORITE HORSETAILING OUT FROM THE DIORITE HANGING WALL IN THE METASEDIMENTS TO THE WEST...... THE BEAL SHEAR APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR CONDUIT FOR GOLD-BEARING SOLUTIONS. THE GULLY FAULT IS A NORMAL FAULT STRIKING N 45 DEG TO 55 DEG W, DIPPING 85 DEG TO 90 DEG SW. DISPLACEMENT IS 20-25 FT (6.1-7.6 M) WITH THE SOUTHWEST BLOCK DOWN-DROPPED. FAULT GOUGE IS A MAXIMUM OF 20 FT (6.1 M) WIDE AND CONSISTS OF LIMONITE TO HEMATITIC CLAYS WITH BRECCIATED METASEDIMENT FRAGMENTS. THE FAULT IS MINERALI

Comment (Deposit): GOLD GRADES IN ?CLASTIC SKARN? DEPOSITS LOCALLY ARE ENHANCED WHERE QUARTZITE BEDS ARE CUT BY MINERALIZED DIORITE DIKES AND QUARTZ-SULFIDE-TELLURIDE VEINS. RETROGRADE MINERALIZATION IS LOCATED ALONG FRACTURES AND VEINLETS AND MAY REPRESENT REMOBILIZATION OF PROGRADE SULFIDE AND PRECIOUS METALS OR POSSIBLY ANOTHER MINERALIZING EVENT. (FIER, 1992).

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT IS LIMITED BY A PROMINENT NORTHWEST-TRENDING FAULT ON THE EAST AND BY A METADIORITE INTRUSIVE ON THE WEST (HASTINGS AND HARROLD, 1988). SULFIDE AND PRECIOUS METAL MINERLAIZATION AT THE BEAL DEPOSIT OCCURS PRIMARILY AS DISSEMINATIONS WITHIN FAVORABLE LITHOLOGIC HORIZONS, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT IN NARROW CROSS-CUTTING VEINS CONTAINING QUARTZ, CHLORITE AND CALCITE. (HASTINGS AND HARROLD, 1988).

Comment (Deposit): GOLD OCCURS AS NATIVE GOLD. GOLD IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH DISSEMINATED SULFIDE MINERALS (MAINLY PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE) IN QUARTZITE BEDS. ALSO, REPORTED LEAD-BISMUTH TELLURIDES. THE GOLD-SILVER RATIO IS 1:1 AT THE MAIN BEAL PIT; 5:1 AT THE SOUTH BEAL PIT (HASTINGS AND HARROLD, 1988).

Comment (Workings): MAIN BEAL PIT AT 6,920 FT; LEACH PAD AT 7,500 FT; PROJECT AREA ELEVATIONS RANGE FROM 2,100 TO 2,400 M (6,900 TO 7,860 FT). STEEP, TREE-COVERED, NORTH-FACING SLOPES AND OPEN SOUTHERLY EXPOSURES. THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE A HIGH ALTITUDE DEPOSIT IN STEEP, TREE-COVERED TOPOGRAPHY WITH THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE PROPERTY (FIER, 1992). CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IS ABOUT 1 MI SOUTH OF THE MINE. (ACCORDING TO THE LAND STATUS MAPS, THE PROPERTY DOES NOT BORDER THE DIVIDE.)

Comment (Exploration): EARLY MINERS ASSOCIATED WITH PLACERS DISCOVERED LODE DEPOSITS IN AREA. 1932-33-WINSTON BROTHERS COMPANY OPTIONED AND TESTED AREA. 1936-39-ANACONDA COMPANY EXPLORED AS A LODE DEPOSIT. 1968-83-EXPLORED BY U.S. SMELTING AND REFINING CO. (SHARON STEEL CORPORATION) WITH GEOLOGICAL MAPPING, GEOCHEMICAL SAMPLING, GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYING, AND LIMITED DRILLING ON THE ?CHICKEN? CLAIMS. 1973-76-EXPLORED AS AN OPEN PIT BY PLACER AMEX WHO OPTIONED GROUND AND CONDUCTED GEOCHEMICAL SAMPLING AND DRILLING. 1980-1983-MONTORO GOLD EXPLORED THE DEPOSIT. 1983-1984-PEGASUS GOLD CORP. (BEAL MINING COMPANY) ACQUIRES MAJORITY INTEREST IN PROPERTY FROM MONTORO AND SILVER SEAL (SHARON STEEL CORPORATION?). 1984-85-PROJECT PUT ON HOLD; DISCONTINUE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. 1988-PERMITS APPLIED FOR BY PEGASUS GOLD IN FEBRUARY/CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN JULY/LEACHING IN NOVEMBER. 1989-FIRST GOLD POUR. 1993-SOUTH BEAL DEPOSIT LOCATED (~55,000 OUNCES OF GOLD, 700,000 TONS OF MINABLE RESERVES). 1996-MAIN PIT MINED TO MAXIMUM PERMITTED DEPTH, STARTED TO BACKFILL WITH WASTE FROM SOUTH PIT. OCTOBER 1997-SOUTH BEAL (SHARON STEELE) OREBODY COMPLETED. 1998-2000-RECLAMATION AND DECOMMISSIONING OF LEACH PAD

Comment (Production): 1988 TO ~1992-250,000 OUNCES (7.8 TONS) PRODUCED WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 0.47 OPT (1.6 G/T) AND RESERVES AT THAT TIME WERE ESTIMATED AT 9.8 MILLION TONS. THE AVERAGE GRADE AT THE MAIN BEAL PIT WAS 0.045 OPT AU; AT THE SOUTH PIT IT WAS 0.06 OPT AU. (R.B. MCCULLOCH, 2000, MBMG, BUTTE, PERS. COMM.) 1989-37,200 OUNCES AU; 8,100 OZ AG. 1990-50,000 OUNCES AU; 9,800 OZ AG. 1991-47,300 OUNCES AU; 7,800 OZ AG 1992-52,200 OUNCES AU; 8,000 OZ AG. 1993-59,300 OUNCES AU; 8,600 OZ AG. 1994-61,200 OUNCES AU; 8,700 OZ AG 1995-59,880 OUNCES AU; 10,200 OZ AG. 1996-45,067 OUNCES AU; 7,834 OZ AG. CYANIDE HEAP-LEACH WITH AGGLOMERATION; RECOVERED BY CARBON ADSORPTION, CARBON STRIPPING, ELECTROWINNING, AND REFINING. THE BEAL AND SOUTH BEAL DEPOSITS ARE CONSIDERED LOW-GRADE PRECIOUS METAL, OPEN PIT BULK MINABLE AND HEAP LEACHABLE RESERVES. (FIER, 1992)

Comment (General): THIS SITE IS APPARENTLY SOURCE FOR GERMAN GULCH PLACERS. ; INFO.SRC : 3 FIELD OBSERV

Comment (Reserve-Resource): PROVEN + PROBABLE RESERVES; 12/31/96; COG OF 0.62 G/MT SR OF 5.3:1.0; SILVER GRADE BASED ON 1996 SILVER RECOVERED:

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References

Reference (Production): PEGASUS GOLD INC., 1995 ANNUAL REPORT, P6.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PEGASUS GOLD INC., 1995 FORM 10-K, P9.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PEGASUS GOLD INC., 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 6-7, & FORM 10-K

Reference (Reserve-Resource): REPORT, PP. 8, 17-18.

Reference (Deposit): NORTHERN MINER (TORONTO, CANADA). PEGASUS DOUBLES ORE RESERVES AT MONTANA LEACHING PROJECT. JANUARY 17, 1985.

Reference (Deposit): MUNDSTOCK, W. GERMAN GULCH MINING OPERATIONS MAY START BY THIS FALL, SAYS PEGASUS OFFICIAL. WALLACE MINER. FEBRUARY 11, 1988, P. 2.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC. ANNUAL REPORTS, 1986 - 1990.

Reference (Deposit): SAHINEN, U. M. MINING DISTRICTS OF MONTANA; A THESIS. MONTANA SCHOOL OF MINES, BUTTE, MT, 1935, P. 91.

Reference (Deposit): WALENGA, K. $13.2 MILLION PROJECT WON PERMITS IN RECORD TIME. ROCKY MOUNTAIN PAYDIRT, MARCH 1989, PP. 4A-5A.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA STANDARD. MEETING THURSDAY ON BEAL AMENDMENT.FEB. 2, 1992.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA STANDARD. MINING COMPANY WANTS TO EXPAND OPERATIONS. JAN. 21, 1992.

Reference (Deposit): BANISTER, D. P. GERMAN GULCH, SILVER BOW COUNTY, MONTANA. BUMINES HEAVY MINERALS SITUATION REPORT NO. 57, MARCH 1969, 10 PP.

Reference (Deposit): BEAL MOUNTAIN MINING INC. (PEGASUS GOLD CORP.). APPLICATION FOR A HARD ROCK OPERATING PERMIT, BEAL MOUNTAIN PROJECT, SILVER BOW COUNTY, MONTANA. FEBRUARY 1988.

Reference (Deposit): LAWSON, D. C. DIRECTORY OF MONTANA MINING ENTERPRISES FOR 1990. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, BULL. 129, 1990.

Reference (Deposit): LYDEN, C. J. THE GOLD PLACERS OF MONTANA. MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, MEM. NO. 26, 1948, P. 142.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL 107, #34, AUG. 21, 1996, P19.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA STANDARD. PEGASUS PLANS BEAL EXPLORATION.APRIL 5, 1992.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC., 1991 ANNUAL REPORT, P. 4,5,11,12, 1992.

Reference (Deposit): MINING RECORD. PEGASUS INCREASES RESERVES 14% IN 3 MONTHS. VOL.106N/13. MARCH 29, 1995.

Reference (Geology): HASTINGS, J.S., AND HARROLD, J.L., 1988, GEOLOGY OF THE BEAL GOLD DEPOSIT, GERMAN GULCH, MONTANA IN: BULK MINEABLE PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES; SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS, R.W. SHAFER, J.J. COOPER AND P.G VIKRE (EDS.): GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA, P. 207-220

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Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.