Derby Thungsten Mine

The Derby Thungsten Mine is a tungsten mine located in Washoe county, Nevada at an elevation of 4,199 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

Name: Derby Thungsten Mine

State:  Nevada

County:  Washoe

Elevation: 4,199 Feet (1,280 Meters)

Commodity: Tungsten

Lat, Long: 39.6011, -119.34470

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.


Satelite image of the Derby Thungsten Mine

Mine Description

The Derby Tungsten mine is located in sec. 13, T. 20 N., R. 23 E., in the Truckee River canyon just north of U.S. Interstate 80. According to Overton (1947, p. 72) the mine was discovered in 1940 by John Heizer. It was developed by the Rare Metals Corp. in 1940 and 1941, and several hundred tons of ore averaging about 0.5 percent WO3 per ton was produced during the exploration work. The mine has been idle since 1941.

The mine workings consist of a 600-foot adit and shallow surface trenches and pits. The tungsten mineralization occurs as disseminated grains of scheelite in tactite lenses developed along an intrusive contact between granodiorite and Mesozoic metasedimentary rocks. The outcrop area of the pre-Tertiary rocks is small. They are overlain unconformably by Tertiary and Quaternary rocks.

Two shafts, a short adit, and several prospect pits are present in the Hartford Hill Rhyolite and the Alta Formation in the vicinity of the Derby Tungsten mine. Overton (1947, p. 73) states that these workings are part of an old gold prospect known as Rainbow Canyon mines. The work was done many years ago and the prospect has been long idle. There is no record of any production.

Source: Geology and Mineral Deposits of Washoe and Storey Counties, Nevada. Bulletin 70, Nevada Bureau of Mines

Derby Thungsten Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Derby Thungsten Mine
Secondary: Wadsworth Mine
Secondary: Wadsworth


Commodity

Primary: Tungsten


Location

State: Nevada
County: Washoe


Land Status

Land ownership: Unknown
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

Not available


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Year First Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1940
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

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


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

Not available


References

Reference (Deposit): MFI, P. 31.

Reference (Deposit): NEV BUR OF MINES BULL 46, 1947,P.72

Reference (Deposit): NEV BUR OF MINES BULL 70,1969,P.75


Nevada Gold

Gold Districts of Nevada

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.