Fireball Ridge

The Fireball Ridge is a copper, lead, gold, and silver mine located in Churchill county, Nevada at an elevation of 4,987 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

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Site Name

Primary: Fireball Ridge

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Lead
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Nevada
County: Churchill
District: Fireball Ridge

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: BLM Carson City District

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Interaction Resources, Ltd
Info Year: 1989

Owner Name: Cominco Resources International, Ltd.
Info Year: 1988

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Deposit Type: vein
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: tabular

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Dacite
Role: Associated
Description: intrusive
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary
Age Old: Jurassic

Name: Metasedimentary Rock
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Jurassic
Age Old: Triassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: Sample 2881 from vein on north side of canyon contains 7 % Fe, 0.02 % Mg, 0.003 % Ti, 70 ppm Mn, 20 ppm Ag, 30 ppm B, 50 ppm Ba, 15 ppm Bi, 20 ppm Cd, 5 ppm Co, 300 ppm Cu, 7 ppm Mo, 300 ppm Pb, 30 ppm V, 50 ppm W, 1000 ppm Zn, and 0.34 ppm Hg (by AA analysis)

Materials

Ore: Galena
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Magnetite

Comments

Comment (Workings): The deposit is developed by old shallow shafts and adits. One small adit was driven on a vein from which ore was stockpiled in the canyon below. In 1988 there was ongoing exploration in the vicinity of the old workings.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: CU-SULFIDES, GALENA, OTHER SULFIDES

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: QUARTZ, MAGNETITE

Comment (Deposit): Mineralization is in parallel quartz veins occurring along range front fault.

Comment (Development): the area had been recently staked when examined in 1985, but there was no paper on the claims and no visible activity at the time. There was also evidence of an earlier generation of activity A drill site was in the floor of the canyon near exposed veins. There was ongoing prospect exploration in 1988.

Comment (Economic Factors): The reserves as reported in 1988 were 258 Kt ore grading 0.032 opt Au.

Comment (Identification): Data from record No. M242846 has been incorporated into this new record and updated. This record supersedes record No. M242846.

Comment (Location): The deposit is located on the NE portion of Fireball Ridge; and is accessible via good road by Brady's Hot Spring; via poor road the last mile.

References

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): Quade, Jack, 26 Feb 85, NBMG field examination and sample analysis.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG staff, 1985, NBMG OFR 85-3.

Reference (Deposit): Willden, R., and Speed, R. C., 1974, NBMG Bull. 83, p. 85-86, pl. I.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG MI-87; MI-88; NBMG Map 91, 1st, 2nd, 3rd; Interaction Co. Rept., 1989?; Reno Land Status, 1975; Amer. Mines (1989), 1989

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.