Victorine Gold Mine

Site Name

Primary: Victorine Gold Mine
Secondary: Victorine Gold Project
Secondary: Sumich Deposit
Secondary: Bimetallic Mine
Secondary: Phoenician
Secondary: Kingston Mine
Secondary: Klondike Mine

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Commodity

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

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Location

State: Nevada
County: Lander
District: Kingston 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.

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Owner Name: Stirrup Creek Gold, Ltd.
Percent: 50.00
Info Year: 2004

Owner Name: Goldrea Resources Corp.
Percent: 50.00
Info Year: 2004

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: vein/shear zone
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1865
Year Last Production: 1989
Discovery Year: 1862
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

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Orebody

Form: tabular

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Structure

Type: L
Description: The Kingston Canyon Thrust Fault is exposed just south of the mine area.

Type: R
Description: Roberts Mountains Thrust Fault

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification

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Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Description: sills
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Jurassic

Name: Phyllite
Role: Host
Description: graphitic
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician
Age Old: Middle Cambrian

Name: Argillite
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician
Age Old: Middle Cambrian

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician
Age Old: Middle Cambrian

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician
Age Old: Middle Cambrian

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Silver
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Galena
Gangue: Sphalerite
Gangue: Pyrite

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Comments

Comment (Development): This property has been known by several names since it was first discovered. Gold- and silver-bearing quartz veins were discovered at this site in 1862. The Victorine and Morning Star claims on the prominent gold-bearing quartz vein were patented in 1869 and 1891 respectively. In the early days, the gold ore was mined from the adits and trammed on a track about 1500 feet along contour to ore bins, after which an aerial tram carried the ore to the bottom of the canyon where it was loaded and hauled by horsedrawn wagon to a mill located about two miles down Kingston Canyon. The gold-silver concentrate was then shipped to England for final refining. The mine was examined and underwent metallurgical testing in the 1930s without further development. In 1941, Goldacres mine manager Harry Treweek brought in a crew of workers to channel sample the deposit for assaying and metallurgical testing preparatory to mining, but the onset of World War II thwarted plans to put the mine into production. With rising gold prices in the early 1980s, the entire central Toiyabe Range was actively prospected for precious metals deposits by the Anaconda Company, FMC Corp., and Superior Minerals, followed by numerous other exploration companies. Harry Treweek again promoted the Victorine deposit in the early 1980s, this time to New Beginnings Resources Inc., who formed a joint venture with other companies to bring the mine into production. Several unpublished company reports specifically on the Victorine Mine area by New Beginnings Resources Inc. in Aug.-Sept. 1983, indicate that mine development was in progress at that time extending underground workings under the old Victorine mine. Mapping, sampling and metallurgical testing were being conducted; and ore was being stockpiled at the surface for pilot scale metallurgical testing. At the same time, Homestake Mining Company was actively prospecting Brazos ground in the old Klondike mine area adjoining the Victorine across the canyon to the west along the same structure. The Victorine Mine was listed as an active, underground gold-silver mine in 1983, employing 12 persons, operated on a joint venture between Crested Butte Silver Mining Company of Austin, Nevada, U. S. Energy, and New Beginnings Resources. In 2000, Western Mine Development, a wholly owned subsidiary of Newgold Inc., was actively producing gold from the Victorine Mine in Kingston Canyon. The underground operation had a production capacity of 1,000 ounces of gold per month and anticipated increasing that level to 2,500 ounces per month by mid-2001. The property consists of 130 mining claims, covering 2,200 acres.Construction of a 455 tpd mill to process teh ore was begn in 1984 east of Kingston Village at the mouth of Kingston Canyon. The mill circuit included crushing, grinding and flotation, cyanide treatment and carbon-and-pulp recovery circuit , electrowinning stripping, and refining into dore bars. Kingston district - MI-95 Joint venture partners Verdstone Gold and Stirrup Creek Gold plan a $300,000 surface and underground drilling program to explore the Victorine Mine property beginning in February 1996. Drilling in 1992 discovered the Treasure Island zone and other mineralized zones near the old Victorine Mine workings. In 2004, owners were listed as Goldrea Resources Corp. (50%); Stirrup Creek Gold, Ltd. (50%). Reclamation was supposed to be progressing in 2005 at the Victorine, according to a NV Division of Minerals annual report.

Comment (Deposit): The Victorine Mine deposit consists of a shallowly-dipping gold-and silver-bearing quartz vein system. The ore occurs as pockets and veinlike masses of quartz along a silicified zone in limestone at the top of a lower Cambrian map unit. The ore zone trends east and in general, dips 20-30 degrees north, conformable to the host rocks. The vein forms a prominent outcrop, 3 to 8 feet thick, which is traceable for more than a mile along strike. The vein system includes a main (lower) vein about 28 fet thick and several smaller veins lying above the main vein. Drill- and surface observations indicate that the main vein follows a thrust fault. Renewed movement along the thrust brecciated the vein material and provided pathways for repeated subsequent vein emplacement. Up to 5 episodes of brecciation and vein emplacement are documented with the richest gold deposition event being one of the later events. The ore-controlling thrust lies below the Roberts Mountains thrust fault and cuts a series of graphitic shales interbedded with limestones. The host rocks along the vein exhibit intense drag-folding.

Comment (Identification): All material from earlier record M232855 for the historic Victorine mine has been incorporated into the current record.

Comment (Location): The mine workings are located in Victorine Canyon, a tributary on the north side of Kingston Canyon.

Comment (Workings): The mine is developed by about 3000 feet of workings including two 700-ft adits. The South Drift is 846 feet long, the North Crosscut is 205 feet long; the south crosscut is 366 feet long; and the northeast crosscut is 105 feet long (1983). Surface prospects have also been developed and the deposit has been extensively drilled.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: gold, silver, copper carbonates, argentite, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: iron oxides, galena, sphalerite, pyrite

Comment (Economic Factors): Production from the Victorine deposit during the period 1862-1986 was 570 kilotonnes of ore grading 0.185 ounces of gold per ton. From 1987-88, the mine produced 39,247 ounces of gold and 88,207 ounces of silver. From1987-89, it was reported that a total of 78,000 ounces of gold was produced. In 1992, the Victorine deposit was reported to contain 915,000 tons of ore grading , 0.304 ounces per ton gold. In 1995, proven and probable reserves were reported at 256,000 tons of ore grading 0.36 ounces per ton gold, plus an additional geologic resource of 31,160 ounces of gold. In 2000 and 2001, the deposit was reported to contain 120,000 ounces of gold proven and probable reserves; plus an additional 200,000 ounces of gold as possible reserves.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Akright, Robert L., 1990, Geology of the Sumich (Victorine) Deposit, Kingston District, Lander County, Nevada. in Discoveries of valuable minerals and precious metals deposits related to intrusions and faults; Case histories of mineral discoveries; Volume 2, p. 353-357, Victor F. Hollister, editor, Littleton, Colo. : Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, 1990.

Reference (Deposit): www.newgold.com

Reference (Deposit): Northern Miner, 1/15/96.

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

Reference (Deposit): Sizer, F.L., 1893, Report on the Kingston Group of Mines (Unpub): NBMG Mining District Files

Reference (Deposit): Brown, A.H., 1909, Unpublished report on the Kingston Property: NBMG Mining District Files

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): New genetic and structural interpretation of the quartz-gold deposits in the Kingston District, Nevada; 1998, North American Conference on Tectonic Control of Ore Deposits and the Vertical and Horizontal Extent of Ore Systems : proceedings volume / editors, Geza Kisvarsanyi, Sheldon K. Grant.: University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Mo., p. 103-108.

Reference (Deposit): Kuehn, Carl A., 1984, Geology and exploration geochemistry of the Big Creek and Kingston Canyon areas, Toiyabe Range, Lander County, Nevada; M.S. Thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1984, 217 p.

Reference (Deposit): State Division of Mine Inspection, 1983, Directory of Nevada Mine Operations active during calendar year 1983.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

Reference (Deposit): Tingley, J. V., 1981, Field Examination Report, Sept 21, 1981.

Reference (Deposit): Unpublished reports to stockholders, 1983, New Beginnings Resources, Inc.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Map 84, 1983, Active Mines and Oil Fields

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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.