Barrick Bullfrog Gold Mine

The Barrick Bullfrog Gold Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Nye 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

Name: Barrick Bullfrog Gold Mine  

State:  Nevada

County:  Nye

Elevation:

Commodity: Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 36.87944, -116.85306

Map: View on Google Maps

Satelite View

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Satelite image of the Barrick Bullfrog Gold Mine

Barrick Bullfrog Gold Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Barrick Bullfrog Gold Mine
Secondary: Bonanza Mountain
Secondary: Bullfrog
Secondary: Montgomery-Shoshone
Secondary: North Extension
Secondary: Phase IV
Secondary: Phase V
Secondary: Polaris
Secondary: Southwest Extension


Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Copper


Location

State: Nevada
County: Nye
District: Bullfrog District


Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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 BLM Administration District


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Not available


Ownership

Owner Name: Barrick Gold Corp.
Info Year: 2004


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: volcanic-hosted disseminated
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

Not available


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal vein, Comstock


Orebody

Form: disseminated; lode; tabular; vein/shear zones


Structure

Type: R
Description: Regional structures are normal faults trending N to NW, blocks tilted east, the E-W-trending Bullfrog fault with dip greater than 20 degrees north.

Type: L
Description: Veins strike N-S, dip greater than 50 deg; E-W, dip 20 deg N.


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: oxidation, silicification


Rocks

Name: Ash-Flow Tuff
Role: Host
Description: rhyolitic
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Quartzite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Silurian

Name: Shale
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Silurian

Name: Limestone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Silurian

Name: Mica Schist
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Ordovician

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

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Host
Description: ash-flow tuff
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Tertiary


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Limonite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcocite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Alunite
Gangue: Calcite


Comments

Comment (Development): The Barrick Bullfrog gold mine won the Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Award in both 1996 and 2000 for reclamation and post-mining land use. In 2004 it was reported that Barrick Corp. intends to transfer 81 acres of its former mining property to the Beatty Economic Development Corporation, a 501(C)3 non-profit. The redevelopment plan proposes the land's use as a wind and solar farm, a demonstration project for "green energy."

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: auriferous pyrite, native gold, cerargyrite, limonite, chalcocite, galena

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: quartz, calcite, limonite, alunite

Comment (Economic Factors): Before mining began in 1989, reserves of 18.6 million tons of ore grading 0.097 oounces of gold per ton were reported. By 1996, there was 10.2 million tons grading 0.062 opt gold as proven and probable reserves; plus 3.7 million tons grading 0.040 opt gold in mineralized material. From 1989 through 1999, the Barrick Bullfrog Mine produced a total of 2,313,643 ounces of gold and 3,026,451 ounces of silver.

Comment (Geology): Volcanics in the mine vicinity are broken into blocks that dip 40 deg east. Faults trend NW_NE, dip W with normal displacement. Faulting is possibly same age as volcanics. Fault blocks have been rotated with horizontal movement less than vertical

Comment (Workings): The Barrick Bullfrog mine was first developed by open pit methods, but as mining progressed deeper, underground methods wre used to mine deeper high grade tabular feeder zones. Adits were collared at different levels within the open pit.

Comment (Identification): This new record describes specifically the most recent Bullfrog Gold Mine operated by Barrick Gold, which encompasses several older historic gold mines in the district, including M242413, M231918, and W002909, from which all pertinent material has been incorporated into this new record. The earlier records should not however be deleted from the database for historic reference.

Comment (Location): The mine is located just east of the historic ghost town of Rhyolite centered roughly between Ladd, Paradise, and Montgomery Mountains.

Comment (Deposit): Oxide ore contains native gold, cerargyrite, limonite, chalcocite, galena and crustified and porcelaneous calcite.


References

Reference (Deposit): Koschmann, A H and Bergendahl, M H, 1968, Principal Gold Producing Districts of the U.S.: USGS Prof. Paper 610, p. 191-192

Reference (Deposit): Ball, S H, 1907, Reconn. SE Nevada and E Calif: USGS Bull. 308, p 176-182

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): NBMG, 1994, MI-1993-2004

Reference (Deposit): Nevada Division of Minerals, 1994

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

Reference (Deposit): Division of Mine Inspection, Dec. 1983, Directory of Nevada Mine Operations Active During Calendar Year 1983.

Reference (Deposit): Kral, V E, 1951, Mineral Resources of Nye Co, Nevada; Nev. Univ. Bull, v. 45, no 3, Geology and Mining Ser. 50, p. 29

Reference (Deposit): Ransome, F.L., Emmons, W. H., and Garrey, G. H. 1910, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Bullfrog Dist. Nev. USGS Bull. 407, 130 p.


Nevada Gold

Gold Districts of Nevada

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.