Ren-Banshee

The Ren-Banshee is a silver and gold mine located in Elko county, Nevada.

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: Ren-Banshee
Secondary: Ren Orebody
Secondary: West Ren orebody
Secondary: Banshee orebody

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Mercury
Tertiary: Arsenic

Location

State: Nevada
County: Elko
District: Bootstrap District

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.
Administrative Organization: Elko District

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Cameco Gold Inc.
Info Year: 2002

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: disseminated gold
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1989
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Sediment-hosted Au

Orebody

Form: tabular to irregular

Structure

Type: L
Description: steep east-dipping faults

Type: R
Description: The area has been affected by regional thrust faulting.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Alteration includes decalcification and weak silicification in siltstone, and formation of massive jasperoid in the upper part of the limestone unit. Alteration of dikes is mainly sericite-quartz-pyrite, with late pyrite-quartz-kaolinite.

Rocks

Name: Mudstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Name: Chert
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Name: Mudstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Barite

Comments

Comment (Economic Factors): In 1989-1990, Ren produced about 20,000 ounces of gold. In the mid-1990s, ore from the Ren deposit was shipped to the Dee Mine about 2 1/2 miles to the northwest for processing, so production records for the Ren deposit alone are incomplete. REN?s reserves in 1997 were reported at 43.5 million tons of ore grading 0.046 opt Au (about 2 million ounces). In 2006, the resource was reported at 3,028,300 tons grading 0.398 ounces of gold per ton indicated.

Comment (Development): In 1997, Banshee was owned by Newmont Gold Co. but in 1999, it was part of a multi-property land swap with Barrick wherein Barrick acquired Banshee and other properties. In 1998, REN ownership was held byRomarco Minerals, Inc. and Uranerz USA, Inc. but Ren and West Ren were owned by Cameco Corporation in 2000. In 2000-2001, it was reported that the extension of an exploration drift from the Meikle Mine to Banshee had been deferred until the exploration program had better defined the mineralization zone. In 2002, Cameco Gold Inc. reported the discovery of high-grade gold mineralization at the REN project. Fourteen holes drilled over a three-year period have returned highgrade intercepts, including assayed grades ranging from 0.23 opt Au over 95 feet to 1.6 opt Au over 80 feet. Exploration results obtained in the previous six months from five of these holes confirmed that the mineralization extends at least 650 feet in length. Mineralization occurs 2,300 to 2,950 feet below surface and further drilling will be required to define the extent of mineralization, which remains open in three directions. Cameco planned to accelerate exploration efforts to further delineate the discovery. At that time, Cameco Gold was the operator and majority owner (62.14%) of the REN project, with Homestake Mining Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, owning the remaining interest (37.86%) in the joint venture. In May, 2004, Cameco Corporation is announced the transfer of its gold assets held by its subsidiary Cameco Gold Inc. to a new Canadian company called Centerra Gold Inc. This transfer would include ownership of the Ren property. In 2006, Centerra Gold Inc. announced that recent drill results at the REN Project include 876.3-880.9 meters @ 0.125 opt Au (RU-105-W1); 874.5-894.4 meters @ 0.032 opt Au (RU- 105-W2) and 857.4-860.5 meters @ 0.164 opt Au (RU-105- W3).

Comment (Identification): In the mid-1990s, ore from the Ren deposit was shipped to the Dee Mine about 2 1/2 miles to the northwest for processing and the two were often linked in the literature as ?Dee-Ren? although they are distinct deposits.

Comment (Location): UTM is from pit shown in EIS.

Comment (Workings): Ren open pit; Banshee to the south, just NW of Meikle was to be accessed by an exploration drift from Meikle workings

Comment (Geology): The Ren mine area is underlain mainly by Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, consisting of limestone, calcareous siltstone, and mudstone of the eastern (carbonate) assemblage, overlain in thrust contact by chert, quartzite, and mudstone of the western (siliceous) assemblage. Cretaceous(?) granodiorite porphyry and hornblende porphyry dikes have intruded the sedimentary rocks along north-striking faults. Three stages of mineralization include a pre- or syntectonic base metal-barite assemblage, a middle stage of Ag- and Sb-rich jasperoid, and a late Au-rich stage responsible for the economic mineralization at the prospect. The latter two stages of alteration and mineralization were focused along steep east-dipping faults and dikes, and the nearly flat-lying contact between lower massive limestone and laminated calcareous siltstone. Mineralization is present between 380 and 500 m below the surface. The element suite characteristic of Au-stage mineralization includes Au, As, and Hg with minor Ag and Hg; Ag and Sb are most enriched in the earlier jasperoid event. Haloes of As and Hg extend at least 80 m above the Au mineralization, but no anomalies are present at the surface. Gold anomalies are more widespread, and extend to shallower depths, but are less coherent.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: barite

Comment (Deposit): The Ren, West Ren and Banshee orebodies are located generally a half mile to a mile northwest and NNW of the Meikle Mine along the northward extension of the Post Fault. Three stages of mineralization include a pre- or syntectonic base metal-barite assemblage, a middle stage of Ag- and Sb-rich jasperoid, and a late Au-rich stage responsible for the economic mineralization at the prospect. The latter two stages of alteration and mineralization were focused along steep east-dipping faults and dikes, and the nearly flat-lying contact between lower massive limestone and laminated calcareous siltstone. Mineralization is present between 380 and 500 m below the surface. The element suite characteristic of Au-stage mineralization includes Au, As, and Hg with minor Ag and Hg; Ag and Sb are most enriched in the earlier jasperoid event. Haloes of As and Hg extend at least 80 m above the Au mineralization, but no anomalies are present at the surface. Gold anomalies are more widespread, and extend to shallower depths, but are less coherent.

References

Reference (Deposit): Cameco Gold Inc., press release, 11/25/02.

Reference (Deposit): Centerra press release, Oct, 2006.

Reference (Deposit): Albino, George, 1994, Geology and lithogeochemistry of the Ren gold prospect, Elko County, Nevada; the role of rock sampling in exploration for deep Carlin-type deposits; Journal of Geochemical Exploration, vol.51, no.1, pp.37-58.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG MI-96-MI-02

Reference (Deposit): EIS, 1996, Bootstrap, NBMG Miing District file 45, item I21

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Bull. 106, 1991

Reference (Deposit): SEG NL, No. 31, 1997

Reference (Deposit): Amer. Mines, 1989

Reference (Deposit): Amer. Mines, 1990

Reference (Deposit): Mneral Resources of Elko County, NBMG Bull. 106

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.

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.