Big Chief Group

The Big Chief Group is a gold mine located in Imperial county, California at an elevation of 820 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: Big Chief Group
Secondary: Mesquite Mine
Secondary: Mesquite Project
Secondary: Mesquite Lode Mine
Secondary: Mesquite
Secondary: Calcite
Secondary: Land Group

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: California
County: Imperial
District: Mesquite

Land Status

Land ownership: Mixed
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: Other
Type: Federal Lease
Type: Private Lease

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Gold Fields Mining Corp. (Sub Of Consolidated Goldfieds)
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1997
Years: 1988 -

Owner Name: Consolidated Goldfields
Info Year: 1997
Years: 1988 -

Owner Name: Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corp.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1996

Production

Year: 1993
Description: Ore Production 19157974 Mt Ore
Year: 1993
Description: Gold Production 106122 T Oz/Yr Gold
Year: 1994
Description: Ore Mined (Heap Leach) @ 0.030 Opt 35800000 St Ore
Year: 1994
Description: Gold Production 207508 Tr Oz/Yr
Year: 1995
Description: Ore Mined (Heap Leach) @ 0.022 Opt 37500000 St Ore
Year: 1995
Description: Gold Production 193361 Tr Oz/Yr
Year: 1995
Description: Ore Mined (Heap Leach) @ 0.022 Opt 41400000 St Ore
Year: 1996
Description: Gold Production 186797 Tr Oz/Yr
Year: 1986
Description: Mine Production 1701000 Metric Tons Ore
Year: 1986
Description: Gold Recovered 66000 Troy Ounces
Year: 1987
Description: Mine Production 2500000 Metric Tons Ore
Year: 1987
Description: Gold Production 97000 Troy Ounces
Year: 1988
Description: Mine Production 3300000 Metric Tons Ore
Year: 1988
Description: Gold Production 124000 Troy Ounces
Year: 1980
Description: Gold Production 200000 T Oz/Yr

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Plant Type: Leach
Plant Subtype: Hydromet
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Heap Leach-Carbon Column-Merrill-Crowe
Year First Production: 1986
Discovery Year: 1780
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Salton Trough

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Gold
Unknown: Malachite
Unknown: Marcasite
Unknown: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): 1989 RESERVE= 1,856,000 OZ.CONT.AU. R-RECORD 6 TOTAL DEMONSRTATED RESOURCES, R-RECORDS 4 + 5 PROVEN + PROBABLE (ORE) + MEASURED + INDICATED (MINERALIZED MATERIAL):

Comment (Deposit): ALSO HAS MINES ID OF 0404614

Comment (Economic Factors): OXIDE LEACH 35,924,328 MT @ 1.063 G/MT. OXIDE DUMP LEACH 12,337,648 MT @ 0.411 G/MT. NONOXIDE LEACH 5,170,926 MT @ 1.851 G/MT.

Comment (Production): DATA FROM 1994 TO 1996: SEE BIB. "HP" OO1.

Comment (Economic Factors): MINE WILL POSSIBLY OPERATE UNTIL 1999.

Comment (Workings): ADDITIONAL ANIMAL CONTROLS INCLUDE; HAZING, DESIGN CHANGES TO PROVIDE EXCLUSION PIPING OF SOLUTION, REDUCTION IN SOLUTION CYANIDE CONCENTRATIONS. PROCESS WATER; 650,000 GPD. 200,000 GPD FOR ORE PROCESSING.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): CONVENTIONAL HEAP LEACH SULFIDE ORE:

Comment (Reserve-Resource): TOTAL DEMONSTRATED RESOURCES-12/31/96, PROVEN + PROBABLE (ORE)+ MEASURED + INDICATED (MINERALIZED MATERIAL); ADIT CAPACITY BASED ON AVG OF PRODUCTION FORM 1994-1996:

Comment (Economic Factors): PREPRODUCTION STRIPPING:6.67 MMT. CAP. COST TO INCREASE PRODUCTION TO 2.72 MMT/A:$6.58 MILLION CAP COST SHOWN S-DEV2 IS TOTAL CP COST.

References

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGY, SACRAMENTO, CA. PERS. COMMUNICATION, 1986.

Reference (Deposit): SILVA, M. GEOLOGIST, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND

Reference (Production): SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORP. 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT, P21.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1996/97, U.S. MINES & MINING

Reference (Reserve-Resource): COMPANIES, P162.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORPORATION, 1995 FORM 10-K REPORT,

Reference (Reserve-Resource): P 14.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): SANTA FE PACIFIC GOLD CORPORATION, 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT,

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PP. 5, 7, 19.

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL., V. 38, 1942, P. 114.

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. DIV. MINES AND GEOL. COUNTY REPORT 7, 1977, P. 48,

Reference (Deposit): 54.

Reference (Deposit): GALE, G.D. BENEFICIATION SECTION IN NORTHUMBERLAND MINE,

Reference (Deposit): NYE COUNTY, NEVADA. MAS PROPERTY EVALUATION FILE

Reference (Deposit): REPORT, SEPTEMBER, 1984.

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, NOVEMBER 1985.

Reference (Deposit): LLOYD, R. GEOLOGIST, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGY, SACRAMENTO, CA. CA. PERS. COMMUNICATION, 1986.

Reference (Deposit): WILLIS, J. MINE GEOLOGIST, GOLD FIELDS OPERATING COMPANY.

Reference (Deposit): PERS. COMMUNICATION, 1986.

Reference (Deposit): E & MJ, FEBRUARY 1988.

Reference (Deposit): SANTA FE PACIFIC CORP., 1992 ANNUAL, & FORM 10-K REPORTS.

Reference (Deposit): SANTA FE PACIFIC CORP., 1993 ANNUAL, & FORM 10-K REPORTS.

Reference (Deposit): MINING COST SERVICE, OTTO SCHUMACHER, ED. WESTERN MINE

Reference (Deposit): ENGINEERING, SPOKANE, WA.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL 107, #34, AUG 21, 1996, PP. 1, 6.

Reference (Deposit): PAYDIRT, #691, JAN. 1997, P12.

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.