Shale Pit Mine

The Shale Pit Mine is a gold mine located in Nye county, Nevada at an elevation of 6,463 feet.

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: Shale Pit Mine
Secondary: Gold Shale Claim
Secondary: Slate Creek Deposit
Secondary: Steigmeyer Property

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Tungsten

Location

State: Nevada
County: Nye
District: Round Mountain 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Stevens, Theodore E.
Years: 1965 -

Owner Name: Western Metals Producers Corp. (Renounder Lease)
Home Office: Reno, Nv
Years: 1971 -

Owner Name: Cache Creek Exploration Co.
Years: 1968 -

Owner Name: Round Mountain Gold Corp.
Info Year: 2004

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Carlin-type disseminated gold
Operation Type: Surface
Year First Production: 1950
Year Last Production: 1971
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Sediment-hosted Au

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Attitudes of axial planes of folds in the thrust plate trend N 80E, 70SE.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Alteration consists of bleaching and argillization of tuffs.

Rocks

Name: Welded Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician

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

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Description: dark gray to black
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: Ore valued at $1.50 per ton

Materials

Ore: Calcite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings consist of a pit.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: native gold, auriferous pyrite

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: pyrite, white calcite

Comment (Development): J. M. Ferry, a contractor, began excavating gold and silver ore from the Shale Pit in 1950. The owner in 1965 was Theodore E. Stevens. Owner in 1968 was Cache Creek Exploration Co., of Reno. In 1971, the property was under lease to Western Metals Producers Corporation of Reno.

Comment (Identification): This record is an updated version of MRDS record # M231742 for the Steigmeyer Property including all information from it plus additional information.

Comment (Location): The mine is located two miles SSW of Round Mountain Gold Mine main pit area.

References

Reference (Deposit): Shawe, D.R., and Hoffman, J. D., 2003, Maps showing the distribution and abundance of gold, silver, mercury, arsenic, and antimony in rock samples from part of the southern Toquima Range and adjacent areas, Nye Couty, Nevada; USGS Map MF 2327-C.

Reference (Deposit): Bonham, 1986, 1989, 1991

Reference (Deposit): Davis and Tingley, 1999

Reference (Deposit): Tingley and Quade, 1986

Reference (Deposit): United States Bureau of Land Management, 1978k, 1999a

Reference (Deposit): United States Bureau of Mines, 1995

Reference (Deposit): United States Geological Survey, 1971h

Reference (Deposit): Tingley, 1998

Reference (Deposit): Shawe, D. R, 1977, Mineral Resource Potential of the Round Mountain Quadrangle, USGS Map MF-834.

Reference (Deposit): Kleinhampl, F.J. and Ziony, J.I., Geology and Mineral Deposits of Northern Nye Co.: Nev. Bur. of Mines and Geology, Bulletin.

Reference (Deposit): Foster, R. L. 1971, Gold Deposits at Slate Creek, Northern Nye County,Nevada: Econ. Geol.,vol. 66, p. 965-966

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.