Florida Canyon Gold Mine

Site Name

Primary: Florida Canyon Gold Mine
Secondary: West Trend Orebody
Secondary: Madre Vein
Secondary: Northeast Trend
Secondary: Zortman Extension

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Mercury
Secondary: Kaolin
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Sulfur

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Location

State: Nevada
County: Pershing
District: Prince Royal District

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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: WInnnemucca BLM Administrative District

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Holdings

Type: Other
Type: Minerals Only
Type: Located Claim

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Workings

Type: Surface

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Ownership

Owner Name: Florida Canyon Mining, Inc.
Home Office: Washington
Info Year: 1995
Years: 1989 -

Owner Name: Pegasus Gold Corp.
Home Office: 9 North Post Street, Suite 400, Spokane, Wa 99201 - (509) 624-4653
Info Year: 1990

Owner Name: Apollo Gold Corporation
Info Year: 2004

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Production

Year: 1989
Description: Heap Leach Ore @ 4.66 G/Mt 4172000 Mt Ore Leached
Year: 1988
Description: Heap Leach Gold Production 55000 Tr Oz
Year: 1991
Description: Gold 80586 Tr Oz
Year: 1992
Mined: 8620000.000 mt
Material type: ore mined
Description: Ore Mined @ 0.49 G/Mt 8620000 Mt Ore
Year: 1993
Mined: 6350000.000 mt
Material type: ore mined
Description: Ore Mined @ 0.65 G/Mt 6350000 Mt Ore
Year: 1994
Mined: 6530000.000 mt
Material type: ore mined
Description: Ore Mined @ 0.68 G/Mt 6530000 Mt Ore
Year: 1995
Mined: 7640000.000 mt
Material type: ore mined
Description: Ore Mined @ 0.70 7640000 Mt Ore
Year: 1996
Mined: 13880000.000 mt
Material type: ore mined
Description: Ore Mined @ 0.71 G/Mt 13880000 Mt Ore
Year: 1996
Description: Silver Production 104700 Tr Oz
Year: 1996
Description: Gold Production 183200 Tr Oz

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: hot spring; hydrothermal stockwork/stringers
Plant Type: Leach
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Heap Leach-Agglomerate-Carbon Column-Merrill-Crowe
Year First Production: 1986
Year Last Production: 2004
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: M

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal vein, Comstock

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Type: L
Description: Florida Canyon lies near the intersection of NE-oriented structures of the Midas Lineament and N-S trending Basin and Range normal faults. These deep-seated structures served as conduits for gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids. A strong N30-N50E structural fabric is present in and adjacent to the orebody as evidenced by alignment of quartz veining, shear zones, and well developed joint sets.

Type: R
Description: North-trending anticlines related to Nevadan Orogeny; Basin and Range normal faulting.

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification, argillization, acid leaching. During Jurassic regional metamorphism, the three primary host lithologies underwent the following changes: 1) in the more siliceous units, quartz was locally recrystallized and feldspar fragments and interstitial clays were mostly converted to sericite, 2) the clay portion of shaley siltstones was altered to sericite while the quartz portion was largely unaffected, and 3) mudstones were converted to argillites consisting mostly of fine grained sericite. Tertiary hydrothermal alteration overprints pervasive metamorphically derived quartz-sericite and is most intense within and adjacent to shear zones and hydrothermal conduits and beneath impermeable rock units. The major hypogene minerals are quartz, kaolinite, and alunite. Quartz occurs as fracture filling, selective replacements of calcareous units, and as irregular flat-lying cryptocrystalline bodies. Hydrothermally altered argillaceous rocks are pervasively kaolinized, although more siliceous units have undergone only minor argillization. Supergene alunite and kaolinite have formed by the downward percolation of acid solutions along faults and fracture zones. These fracture zones often contain calcite, exotic hematite, goethite, and sparse native sulfur. Extensive surficial bleaching is also attributed to acid leaching in the secondary environment. Hematite derived from syngenetic sulfides was mobilized by acid solutions, resulting in a pervasive maroon stain in silty units marginal to bleached areas.

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Rocks

Name: Mafic Volcanic Rock
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic
Age Old: Middle Triassic

Name: Siltstone
Role: Associated
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic
Age Old: Middle Triassic

Name: Limestone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic
Age Old: Middle Triassic

Name: Dolomite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Triassic

Name: Tuff
Role: Associated
Description: rhyolitic
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Early Triassic

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Triassic

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Early Triassic

Name: Mudstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic

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Analytical Data

Analytical Data: One composite sample of quartz veinlets from the Flying J open pit contained 0.40 ppm Au, 0.3 ppm Ag, 12 ppm As, 9 ppm Sb, and 570 ppb Hg. A composite sample from the same open pit of red, altered grass valley formation without quartz veinlets contained 0.20 ppm Au, 0.2 ppm Ag, 77 ppm As, 11 ppm Sb, and 330 ppm Hg. A representative sample of soft, white, kaolinite-alunite rich material collected from the old clay pit contained 0.2 ppm Au, 0.7 ppm Ag, <5 ppm As, 3 ppm Sb, and 3.1 ppm Hg

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Electrum
Ore: Kaolinite
Gangue: Opal
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Sulfur
Gangue: Cinnabar
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Goethite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Arsenopyrite
Gangue: Marcasite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Alunite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Adularia

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): The Florida Canyon epithermal gold deposit is hosted by weakly metamorphosed siltstones and mudstones of the Grass Valley Formation of Triassic age. Gold is hosted in stockwork quartz veins and quartz-sulfide microveinlets which cut the altered Grass Valley Formation. The deposit is localized near the intersection of north-trending Basin and Range faults that bound the west flank of the Humboldt Range and northeast-trending shear zones that may be an expression of the Midas lineament. Late, vertical displacement on the range bounding fault system have juxtaposed the deposit and unaltered basin-fill gravel. To date 76,716,000 tonnes of ore averaging 0.64 g/t (0.019 oz/t) of gold have been produced form the upper, oxidized portion of the deposit.Rocks distal to the orebody that were minimally effected by hydrothermal activity consist primarily of quartz, illite and chlorite. The deposit is associated with pervasive disseminations and fracture fillings of hydrothermal minerals that comprise three mappable zoned alteration types: 1) a central, silicic alteration of quartz-adularia veinlets and silicified rock, 2) an intermediate, argillic alteration of relatively abundant kaolinite-illite, and 3) an outer, hematitic alteration of hematite-goethite that lacks chlorite. The silicic alteration largely follows north- and northeast-trending structures and locally contains pockets of friable quartz, native sulfur, cinnabar, and alunite. Electrum and native gold have been identified in quartz veinlets; gold-silver ore has been mined from all three alteration zones. The ubiquitous presence of auriferous quartz veinlets and silicified rock at the Florida Canyon deposit suggests that the entire exposed section of host rocks was initially affected by hydrothermal reactions below a water table. A subsequent relative drop in the water table, probably related to vertical movements along Basin and Range faults, superimposed the effects of vapor-related alteration on earlier assemblages, including the formation of native sulfur, alunite, cinnabar, and some kaolinite and iron oxides and hydroxides. The mine occurs in Triassic rocks that form the west limb of a complexly faulted anticline. The oldest rocks in the district are felsites and tuffs of the Rochester Rhyolite and rhyolite porphyry intrusive of the Koipato Group. These rocks are overlain by the Prida Formation and locally capped by limestone of the Natchez Pass Formation. Diabase and diorite dikes and sills intrude the Triassic rocks throughout the district. Gold occurs as free gold in quartz veins that also contain subordinate silver, lead, and copper. These veins are typical quartz fissure veins in or near fault zones and also locally occur at contacts with diabasic dikes.

Comment (Development): Prospecting of quartz veins at Florida Canyon dates back at least to the 1870s. In 1925, two cars of kaolin were mined and shipped from the prospect. In 1936 tunnels were driven to explore several silicified outcrops carrying values in gold. In 1969 Homestake Mining Company acquired a lease on claims from the original owner, Samuel N. Moore. Seven wide-spaced rotary holes were drilled, but results were marginal and the lease dropped. The property was next leased by Cordex Exploration Company from 1972-1978. A comprehensive program of geologic mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching, and drilling of 37 holes was completed. 25 of these holes were drilled in the mineralized zone now referred to as the West Trend orebody. The next significant work was done by Flying "J" Mines, which carried out a limited heap leach operation using ore form the West Trend area. In 1980-81, a 69 hole rotary drilling program was performed by ASARCO in the West Trend area and on ground to the south. This work significantly expanded the known mineralization, but due to the low gold grades, ASARCO dropped most of its interest in the property. In 1982, the property was acquired by Montoro Gold Company, a subsidiary of Pegasus Gold Corporation. Detailed geologic mapping and geochemical sampling programs discovered additional gold occurrences throughout the area. By the end of 1985, 241 holes totaling 26,691 m had been completed in the West Trend orebody and adjacent areas. 46 holes were drilled in other exploration areas to the east and south. Large scale column leach tests on various ore types, size fractions and agglomerations were carried out in conjunction with ore delineation. In November 1985, a production decision was made and work began on the processing facilities in May 1986. The first ore was delivered to the leach pad in September and the first gold was poured in November 1986. Since the haul distance is shorter to the leach pad than the waste dump, leaching of low-grade, run-of-mine ore commenced in 1989. 760,000 tons of run-of-mine material containing between 0.008 and 0.014 opt Au were loaded on a portion of the pad and leached. Recoveries approached 50%, resulting in an estimated 4000 additional ounces being produced during the year. The success of leaching run-of-mine material is evident in the mine plan for 1992 in which roughly 4.3 million tons of run-of-mine material will be mined, in addition to 5.1 million tons of primary crushing ore. Pegasus went into bankruptcy in 200?, but the mine continued to be operated by the subsidiary Florida Canyon Gold Mining Company. The current owner of the property is Apollo Gold Corporation. 2003 was a year of mining transition for Florida Canyon. Ore reserves had been depleted in the three historic open pits and mining moved into two newly developed pits, Switchback and Central. Longer ore haulage from the new pits, combined with marginally lower grades, resulted in higher unit costs and lower gold production compared to historical averages.

Comment (Identification): This deposit encompasses the area covered by MRDS record #M060319 for the FLORIDA CANYON Gold MINE. This record supersedes the earlier record. All material in the earlier record has been incorporated into this new record.

Comment (Location): The Florida Canyon Mine is located immediately adjacent to Interstate 80 at Humboldt House/Rye Patch, and is about four miles north of the Standard Gold Mine.

Comment (Workings): 1936 development was underground; production since about 1979 has been by open pit.

Comment (Geology): The Basin and Range fault system limits the western margins of the deposit. An unknown portion of the western part of the orebody has likely been displaced beyond mining limits by this faulting. Oxidation extends to depths of 100-200 m and locally deeper. Although gold occurs in unoxidized units, all of the mineable ore developed to date is oxidized. Three types of quartz veins are recognized: 1) widespread quartz veins up to 10 cm in width produced by Jurassic regional metamorphism. These veins are discernible from Tertiary epithermal veining by their distinctive milky appearance derived from the abundance of inclusions; 2) stockwork quartz veining. These veins are the most economically important. The density of stockworks depends largely on the fracturing characteristics of the host sediments. The veining appears random but locally invades bedding plane partings as well as following a strong NNE fabric. Milky comb and clear quartz are the predominant vein filling, sometimes overgrown with adularia. Fe-sulfides (now oxidized) occur within veins and are often sparsely disseminated in adjacent wall rock; 3) large, through-going, banded fissure veins which follow the original NNE structural fabric. These veins represent a later hydrothermal episode that overprints the earlier stockwork veining. Although these veins contain sporadic gold mineralization, none is economically important.

Comment (Economic Factors): In 2004, the Florida Canyon Mine produced 73,082 ounces of gold and 60,405 ounces of silver. In 2003, Florida Canyon produced 101,811 ounces along with minor amounts of silver. In 2002, Florida Canyon produced 121,516 ounces along with minor amounts of silver. 1987-97 production for the Florida Canyon mines was 1,103,368 oz Au; for 1989-97: 479,173 oz Ag Since mining began in 1986 to the end of 2001, gold recovered from the leach pad was1.69 million ounces from a total of 135.6 million tons of ore. In 1991 Florida Canyon?s reserves were reported as 48.3 Mt of ore grading, 0.018 opt Au; In 1997 Florida Canyon?s reserves were reported as 45.5 Mt, of ore grading 0.024 opt Au, proven and probable mineralized material at 122.8 Mt grading 0.022 opt Au . Florida Canyon?s reserve grade at year end 2002 was 0.017 oz gold/ton (0.58 grams gold / tonne). At the end of 2003, Florida Canyon?s proven and probable reserves were reported at 374,393 ounces of gold.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: native gold, electrum, kaolinite

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: quartz, kaolinite, alunite, pyrite, marcasite, arsenopyrite, hematite, limonite, goethite, opal, calcite, barite, native sulfur, cinnabar, fluorite, manganese oxides, magnetite, adularia.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): 12/31/96 PROVEN + PROBABLE RESERVES, (DOES NOT INCLUDED ANY OF THE MINERALIZED MATERIAL): ADIT CAP. = CURRENT MINING RATE: AS OF 12/31/96:

Comment (Deposit): MINE WORKINGS HAVE OBLITERATED SEVERAL MINE SHAFTS AND OTHER WORKINGS SHOWN IN THE W/2 SEC. 2 ON THE IMLAY 15-MIN. TOPO MAP. LAND HOLDINGS 3192 HA AS OF 1/91. MINE LIFE 9.5 YR AS OF 1/91. WASTE TO ORE RATIO 1.63:1 AS OF 1/91.

Comment (Exploration): 91000 FT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITH 150 HOLES.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): "R" RECORD 3 MINERALIZED MATERAIL GRADES: DEMON. 0.46 G/MT: INFERRED, 0.78 G/MT: THIS MATERIAL WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ADIT.

Comment (Geology): THERE ARE NO SULFIDES IN THE MATERIAL MINED AT FLORIDA CANYON.

Comment (Production): HEAP LEACH OPERATION. 1988 AU PRODUCTION = 55,000 OZ. 198 PROD.= 79,300 OZ. FROM 4,172,000 MT LEACHED. 1989 RESERVE = 652,000 CONT. OZ.AU. TOTAL PRODUCTION 9429 KG AU & 1478 KG AG 1/91.

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References

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL. 107, #??, SEPT. 4, 1996, P20.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL. 106, #13, MARCH 29, 1995, P1

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL. 107, #34, AUG. 21, 1996, P19.

Reference (Deposit): PEAGSUS GOLD INC., FORM 10-K, DEC., 31, 1995.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC., FORM 10-K, DEC., 31, 1994.

Reference (Deposit): NEVADA, MINES DIRECTORY, 1995/96, PP 15, 16, 28.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL. 107, #41, OCT., 9, 1996, P1.

Reference (Deposit): NEV. DIV. MINE INSPECTION, 1991, DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1990, P. 78.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC, AMENDED PLAN OF OPERATIONS, APRIL 12, 1990

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL, 1996/1997, MINES DIRECTORY, US MINES AND MINING COMPANIES, P 244.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL. 107, #49, DEC., 4, 1996, PP. 8, 9.

Reference (Deposit): AMERICAN MINEWS HANDBOOK, 1996, P188.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC, FORM 10K FOR 1989, 82 PP.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD CORP., OPERATING PLAN FOR THE FLORIDA CANYON PROJECT, 1985, 18 PP.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC. NEW RELEASE, 10/1/96, 2 PP.

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW, 10/5, 1996, P5.

Reference (Deposit): PEGASUS GOLD INC., NEWS RELEASE, OCT., 1, 1996.

Reference (Production): RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY 1996-97, P.244.

Reference (Deposit): NV. BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 89, 1977, PLATE 2A.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PEGASUS GOLD INC., 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 6-7, 11 & 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT, PP. 8-11.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PEGASUS GOLD INC. FORM 10-K, DEC., 31, 1995, P9.

Reference (Deposit): Johnson, M.G., 1977, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Pershing County, Nevada: NBMG Bull. 89

Reference (Deposit): Vanderburg, 1936, Reconnaissance of Mining Districts of Pershing Co., Nevada: USBM IC 6902

Reference (Deposit): Silberling and Wallace, 1967, Geologic Map of the Imlay Quad., Pershing Co., Nevada: USGS Map GQ666

Reference (Deposit): Preuss-Nicole-E; Fifarek-Richard-H; Thomason-Robert-E,1997, Hydrothermal and vapor-related alteration at the Florida Canyon epithermal gold deposit, Pershing County, Nevada, Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America. 29; 6, p. 207.

Reference (Deposit): Nevada Division of Minerals, 1994

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): Hastings, J. S., Burkhart, T. H., and Richardson, R. E., 1988, Geology of the Florida Canyon Deposit, Pershing County, Nevada, in Schafer, R., et al., eds., Bulk Mineable Precious Metal Deposits of the Western United States, a Symposioum, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 433-451.

Reference (Deposit): Pegasus Gold Corp., Annual Reports for 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994.

Reference (Deposit): Miller, B. W., 1984, The Florida Canyon Gold Deposit, in Slavik, G., ed., Special Publication No. 1, The Geological Society Of Nevada, Reno, P. 30-32.

Reference (Deposit): Bonham, H.F. Jr, and Hess, R. H., 1992, Bulk-Mineable Precious-Metal Deposits, in The Nevada Mineral Industry 1991, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Special Pub., MI-1991, p25

Reference (Deposit): Engineering and Mining Journal, June 1988, P45

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

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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.