Baxter Spring Prospect

Site Name

Primary: Baxter Spring Prospect
Secondary: Ralston Valley Claims

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Vanadium
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Arsenic

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Location

State: Nevada
County: Nye
District: Manhattan District

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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: Tonopah USFS District

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Owner Name: Southwestern Exploration
Home Office: 4500 E. Speedway, Tucson, Az

Owner Name: Golconda Resources Ltd.
Info Year: 2005

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: veins/shear zones
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
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: Sediment-hosted Au

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Orebody

Form: tabular

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Structure

Type: L
Description: Thrust faults and steeply dipping normal faults cut the rocks in the mineralized area.

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Host rocks are pervasively silicified and clay-altered, especially in structural zones.

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Rocks

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

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Ordovician

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Ordovician

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Description: carbonaceous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Ordovician

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Analytical Data

Analytical Data: Geochemical samples show anomalous As, Hg,and Au

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): Carlin-type gold mineralization occurs in Paleozoic carbonaceous limestones, shales, and siltstones. Seven shallow holes drilled to a maximum depth of 300 feet in the northwestern part of the claim block encountered intercepts several 100 feet thick of quartz-calcite veining, barite, silicification and drusy dissolution breccias accompanied by anomalous gold values (best value, 5 feet of 0.083 opt Au). Mineralization occurs in silicified shear zones with iron oxide and manganese oxide staining and drusy quartz crystals on fracture surfaces. There are two altered, gold-bearing jasperoid zones (250 feet and 450 feet wide) in a Paleozoic limestone-shale sequence. The initial drilling intercepted the upper, shaley part of the sequence. Deeper drilling was expected to intercept higher gold values in a lower laminated silty limestone thought to be a better host rock for gold mineralization. Golconda Resources Ltd. completed the 2004 drilling program on its Ralston Valley claims and reported that it intersected a widespread hydrothermal system in a gravel-covered pediment area. 2004 drilling delineated two mineralized structures: a West structure and an East structure. In the West Structure, one hole intersected a 270-foot thick limy shale sequence at 800 ft below a younger basalt flow. Anomalous gold, silver, arsenic and barium, as well as phosphorus, vanadium and zinc values occurred throughout this zone. Shale below this horizon was barren. Drilling in the East Structure intersected a clay zone from 400 to 500ft, and had to be abandoned at 530ft, but assay results later showed that the clay zone was most likely the hydrothermally-altered eastern structure.

Comment (Economic Factors): In 1988 it was reported that the property contained one million tons of material grading 0.050 ounces of gold per ton. In 1990, a geologic resource of 5 million tons of material grading 0.050 ounces of gold per ton was reported.

Comment (Environment): Anomalous gold, silver, arsenic and barium, as well as phosphorus, vanadium and zinc

Comment (Identification): This record covers a mineralized area described earlier by MRDS record # M233567 from which all pertinent material has been incorporated into the current record. The earlier record should be deleted.

Comment (Location): The property consists of 117 claims covering 2,390 acres situated south of Baxter Spring in the south part of the Manhattan district at the southern tip of the Toquima Range.

Comment (Workings): Old prospect pits and shafts dot the landscape in the surrounding area. Recent drilling.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: quartz, limonite, hematite, manganese oxides, barite

Comment (Development): Fifty claims over the Baxter Spring area were held by Southwestern Exploration at least to 1974. The claims were drilled by Homestake prior to 1990, who hit a drill intercept of 6.99 oz gold/ ton over 10 feet and several multi-ounce drill intercepts and surface rock samples, on which a potential resource calculation was based. The claims were held by Naneco Minerals, Ltd. in 1991. Golconda Resources, Inc. began exploring the Baxter Spring/Ralston Valley area in the mid-1990s and in 1998 Golconda decided to expand its exploration program at the project by drilling deep holes to test for a potential high-grade Carlin-type gold deposit at depth. In 2002, 38 claims (760 acres) claims were held by Golconda Resources. Seven shallow holes (maximum depth, 300 feet) drilled by Golconda in the northwestern part of the claim block encountered intercepts several 100 feet thick of quartz-calcite veining, barite, silicification and drusy dissolution breccias accompanied by highly anomalous gold values (best value, 5 feet of 0.083 opt Au). The drilling intercepted the upper, shaley part of the sequence. Deeper drilling is expected to intercept higher gold values in a lower laminated silty limestone, which is thought to be a better host rock for gold mineralization. In 2002, . Golconda Resources Ltd. staked an additional 67 claims in Ralston Valley, bringing their total there to 117 claims covering 2,390 acres. In 2004 Golconda drilled seven reverse-circulation holes on the property to delineate areas where the two mineralizing structures intersect favorable silty limestone sequences. Three holes went from overthrusted Gold Hill quartzite and shale into the granite. One hole got stuck in quartzite at 840ft. Anomalous gold values, especially in several holes indicated the presence of an extensive hydrothermal system. With alteration of the rock increasing towards the gravel-covered valley, Golconda staked the extension of the two gold mineralized structures. Golconda was soliciting venture partners for an expanded 2006 drilling program on the property.

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References

Reference (Deposit): United States Geological Survey, 1987b

Reference (Deposit): Tingley, J.V., 1981, Report on field examination of July, 1971.

Reference (Deposit): Nye County Courthouse Records, 1980

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, MI-1993-MI 2004

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): Golconda Resources Ltd. news release, 7/13/98.

Reference (Deposit): Gardiner, 1990

Reference (Deposit): Gardiner and Giancola, 1991

Reference (Deposit): Mason and others, 1996

Reference (Deposit): Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, MI-1991-2004.

Reference (Deposit): Quade, 1985a

Reference (Deposit): Tingley, 1998

Reference (Deposit): Tingley and Quade, 1986

Reference (Deposit): United States Bureau of Land Management,1978u

Reference (Deposit): Davis and Tingley, 1999

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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.