Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine Area

Site Name

Primary: Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine Area
Secondary: Bailey Day Claim Group
Secondary: Angela claim group

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Commodity

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

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Location

State: Nevada
County: Lander
District: Battle Mountain District

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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.
Administrative Organization: Battle Mountain BLM Administrative District

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Owner Name: Newmont Mining Corp.
Info Year: 2004

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: vein associated with a fault zone
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1934
Year Last Production: 2004
Discovery Year: 1934
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: L

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins
Model Name: Skarn Au

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Orebody

Form: tabular

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Structure

Type: R
Description: Numerous regional scale thrust faults are present in the mine area, in particular along the contact between the Harmony and Battle Formations

Type: L
Description: The NNE-striking Copper King fault zone and the WNW-striking Surprise fault.

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Alteration that has affected all rocks in the mine area are strong silicification, prograde garnet+diopside skarn that has been partially replaced by a retrograde assemblage of chlorite, quartz, calcite, and minor epidote.

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Rocks

Name: Conglomerate
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Middle Pennsylvanian

Name: Skarn (Tactite)
Role: Host
Description: garnet
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Granodiorite
Role: Associated
Description: granodiorite
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Porphyry
Role: Associated
Description: quartz-feldspar dikes
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Limestone
Role: Associated
Description: limestone
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Early Permian
Age Old: Late Pennsylvanian

Name: Conglomerate
Role: Associated
Description: conglomerate
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Middle Pennsylvanian

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Early Permian
Age Old: Late Pennsylvanian

Name: Hornfels
Role: Host
Description: calc-silicate and siliceous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Middle Pennsylvanian

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Tenorite
Ore: Azurite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Clay
Gangue: Diopside
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Goethite

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Comments

Comment (Workings): The Surprise, Labrador, and Bailey Day historic mines were developed by underground workings in the early days, replaced in later years by open pit mines. Historic underground workings consisted of a 465-foot-long adit and connecting workings. Production beginning in 1987 was by open pit on the site of the historic underground workings. Early Bailey Day mine workings consisted of 2 adits totaling 320 feet and a 150-foot inclined shaft, with connected workings.

Comment (Deposit): The Bailey Day deposit formed as a vein associated with a fault zone in a sandstone bed bounded by bedding-plane fault. Ore is associated with disseminated and fracture controlled oxidized pyrite in garnet skarn of the Harmony Formation and in lens-shaped calc-silicate horizons of the Battle Formation adjacent to mineralized structures. Ore at the Labrador and Surprise orebodies is principally localized along 2 faults: the NNE-striking Copper King fault zone and the WNW-striking Surprise fault. Most of the Bailey Day ore came from a sandstone bed bounded by bedding-plane faults and impregnated with secondary copper minerals. Model name could also be gold-or copper-bearing skarn. There are two other types of gold deposits. The gold-bearing skarns which may be related to mid-Oligocene intrusive activity and an example of this type is the Labrador deposit, which occurs in the northeast portion of Copper Basin. The other type is a silica-pyrite body with a lack of skarn and calc-silicate assemblage minerals. This deposit type develops in calcareous siltstones and sandstones of the Harmony Formation (Schmidt et al., 1988). The Surprise deposit ore primarily occurs within the Harmony Formation. It consists of strongly oxidized and retrograde altered garnet skarn developed within interbedded limestone, calcareous siltstone and sandstone. Two main faults have acted as conduits: the Copper King fault zone strikes northeast and dips 70-80? east; the Surprise fault strikes west-northwest and dips 85? north. Both faults show post-mineral offset (Schmidt et al., 1988). The Labrador deposit ore occurs in the garnet skarn of the Harmony Formation and also in the calc-silicate and siliceous hornfels of the lower Battle Formation. North-northeast and west-northwest high-angle normal faults localize mineralization (Schmidt et al., 1988)

Comment (Development): Underground production occurred in 1937, 1938, 1941, 1945, 1947, and 1954. The open pit operated from 1987 to 1993. Exploration for precious metals by numerous companies at the site of the historic copper mines began in the district in the 1980s, and through 1986, 114 drill holes had been completed in the Surprise mine area indicating an in place gold resource of 150,000 ounces. Pre-mining stripping began in April, 1987, involving about 2 million tons of overburden. Production of mill grade ore began in August 1987. In 1988, plans for a heap leach facility were postponed for at least one year. Gold recovery using heap leaching was expected to average about 60%. Mill grade ore was be treated at the Fortitude mill.

Comment (Geology): A quartz-feldspar porphyry dike in the pit is cut by garnet+pyroxene veinlets. This dike has characteristics of other Tertiary dikes in the area.

Comment (Identification): This prospect encompasses the historic Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine areas, described in earlier MRDS records # M231296, RE00049, and MRDS #M231376 from which all material has been incorporated into this record and additional new material has been added.

Comment (Location): The Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine area is located about 5 miles west of the town of Battle Mountain, in the Copper Basin area of Battle Mountain, about a mile north of the Copper King Mine. The Labrador orebody is located approximately 2000 feet west of the Surprise Deposit.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: Free gold, auriferous pyrite, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, malachite, azurite, tenorite, limonite, hematite

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: Chlorite, quartz, calcite, epidote, garnet, diopside, iron oxides, clay minerals, goethite

Comment (Economic Factors): Early ore production was not recorded. In 1996, the total endowment for the Bailey Day (1934-1984 production and 1993 reserves) were reported at: 11,981 ounces of gold 17,446 ounces of silver, and 54,974 pounds of copper. In 1996, the total endowment for the Labrador (1987-1993 production and 1993 reserves) were reported at 96,180 ounces of gold and 276,699 ounces of silver. In 1996, the total endowment for the Surprise (1937-1954 & 1987-1993 production and 1996 reserves) were reported at 155,554 ounces of gold, 1,279,053 ounces of silver, and 32,505 pounds of copper. The total endowment, production and reserves, for the combined Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine area orebodies is 263,715 ounces of gold, 1,573,198 ounces of silver, and 1,660,177 pounds of copper. This is probably a low threshold of actual endowment.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Wendt, Clancy, 2004, Technical Report on the? ICBM/COPPER BASIN Property, Lander and Humboldt Counties, Nevada, Staccato Gold website, : http://www.staccatogold.com/i/pdf/icbm-43-101.pdf
URL: http://www.staccatogold.com/i/pdf/icbm-43-101.pdf

Reference (Deposit): Geological Society of Nevada, 1999, Geology and Gold Mineralization of the Buffalo Valley Area, Northwestern Battle Mountain Trend; GSN Special Publication No. 31, 1999 Fall field trip Guidebook.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1988, The Nevada Mineral Industry - 1987, NBMG Special Publication MI-1986-MI-1993.

Reference (Deposit): Bulk-Mineable Precious Metal Deposits and Prospects in Nevada, NBMG Map 91.

Reference (Deposit): Battle Mountain Gold Company, 1988, Annual Report for 1987.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Mining District File 147, numerous press clippings.

Reference (Deposit): Schmidt, K. W., Wotruba, P. R., and Johnson, S. D., 1988, Gold-Copper Skarn and Related Mineralization at Copper Basin, Nevada, in Gold Deposits of North Central Nevada, Special Publication #8, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno.

Reference (Deposit): Roberts, R. J. and Arnold, D. C., 1965, Ore Deposits of the Antler Peak Quadrangle, Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada: U.S.G.S. Prof. Paper 459-B.

Reference (Deposit): Stewart, J. H., Mc Kee, E. H., and Stager, H. K., 1977, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Lander County, Nevada; NBMG Bull. 88

Reference (Deposit): Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 p., one 3.5 inch diskette.

Reference (Deposit): USGS PP 459B

Reference (Deposit): Doebrich and Theodore, 1996

Reference (Deposit): Buffa, R. and Schafer, R., eds., 1988, Fall Field Trip Guidebook, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 271-276.

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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.