Meikle Mine

The Meikle Mine is a gold mine located in Elko 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

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Site Name

Primary: Meikle Mine
Secondary: Purple Vein deposit

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Mercury
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Nevada
County: Elko
District: Lynn (Elko County part)

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: Elko Resource area, BLM

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Barrick Gold Corp. (American Barrick Resources Corp.)
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Nevada
Info Year: 1994
Years: 1994 - 1994

Owner Name: Barrick Goldstrike Mines, Inc.

Production

Year: 1996
Mined: 145300.000 mt
Material type: ore milled
Description: Ore Milled @ 0.527 Oz/St 160200 St/Yr

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Sediment-hosted Au
Plant Type: Leach
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Combined Methods
Milling Method: Autoclave-Carbon-In-Leach-Electrowin
Year First Production: 1996
Year Last Production: 2000
Discovery Year: 1989
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Sediment-hosted Au

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: N30-35W folding in Late Triassic to Late Jurassic, was important to concentrating mineralization

Type: R
Description: Roberts Mountain Thrust. Separate NNE, NW, and NE fault trends.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: silicification, argillization, pyritization, dolomitization

Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Devonian
Age Old: Silurian

Name: Mudstone
Role: Host
Description: micritic
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Devonian
Age Old: Silurian

Name: Sedimentary Breccia
Role: Host
Description: collapse and hydrothermal
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Devonian
Age Old: Silurian

Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Early Pliocene
Age Old: Late Miocene

Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Early Devonian
Age Old: Wenlock

Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Ordovician

Name: Mixed Clastic/Volcanic Rock
Role: Associated
Description: volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Tertiary

Name: Limestone
Role: Associated
Description: silty dolomitic
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Devonian
Age Old: Ordovician

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

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

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

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

Name: Monzonite
Role: Host
Description: porphyry
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 147.000000+-
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Monzonite
Role: Host
Description: porphyry
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 162.000000+-
Age Young: Middle Jurassic

Name: Porphyry
Role: Host
Description: monzonite
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 147.000000+-
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Porphyry
Role: Host
Description: monzonite
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 162.000000+-
Age Young: Middle Jurassic

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Devonian

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Early Devonian
Age Old: Wenlock

Name: Sedimentary Rock
Role: Host
Description: debris flow
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Devonian
Age Old: Silurian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: Hg values too widespread.
Analytical Data: Sb and Au values usually low
Analytical Data: Geochemical anomalies are offset. Soil gechem: as gave best signature

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Gold
Ore: Dolomite
Ore: Silica
Ore: Calcite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Barite
Ore: Metacinnabar
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: pyrite, silica, dolomite,cinnabar, metacinnabar, barite, sphalerite, stibnite, calcite

Comment (Deposit): This is an unusually high-grade deposit. Deposit is divided into a "flat sector," just below the Vinini Fm/Roberts Mtn. Thrust; a "dipping sector" that strikes NW, dips 70 degrees NE; and a south flat-lying orebody.

Comment (Development): The Purple Vein was originally a mercury prospect in the 1930s. Gold was found by drilling; discovery hole EX89-4 intersected 540' of 0.406 oz/ton Au from 1305' to 1845'. The shaft was developed in 1994-5. Production began in late 1996 and full production was achieved in 1997, and has continued to present.

Comment (Identification): This record supersedes MRDS record RE00043, which should be deleted, as this record contains all information in RE00043 plus additional updates.

Comment (Workings): The Meikle Mine is the largest active underground mine in North America.

Comment (Economic Factors): In 1995, the Meikle deposit was estimated to contain a remaining resource of 8412 kilotonnes of ore containing 187.47 tonnes of gold (Long and others, 1998).By the end of 1998, the mine had produced more than 1.5 million troy ounces of gold and more than 426,000 ounces of silver. 1996 proven and probable reserves were reported at 8.5 Mt grading 0.716 opt Au; with an additional1.4 Mt of mineralized material ggrading 0.717 opt Au. Production 1996-98: 1,500,063 oz Au; 1997-1998: 426,030 oz Ag Capital costs estimated to be $180 million; operating costs est. $125/oz.

Comment (Geology): Mineralization could be associated with monzonite intrusive (147-162 my). Perhaps due to increased permeability and porosity, best ore in collapse/hydrothermal breccias which are well developed in areas of debris flows. Separate surficial mercury mineralization was probably emplaced by a different (much later) event, using the same conduits. Huge solution/collapse cavities and vugs lined with collector-quality barite and calcite crystals have been encountered in the underground workings of the mine.

References

Reference (Deposit): Lauha, Eric, 1992, The geology and exploration of the Purple Vein deposit (Abstract), Geological Society of Nevada Newsletter, May 1992

Reference (Deposit): Lauha, Eric, 1992, The geology and exploration of the Purple Vein deposit (Abstract), Geological Society of Nevada, Oral Presentation, May 1992 meeting

Reference (Deposit): Volk, Jeff, 1994, oral communication, American Barrick Resources Meikle Mine staff, 7 January, 1994

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

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1999, MI-1998

Reference (Deposit): The Northern Miner, 1992, Barrick's Latest; Deep But Rich, Feb. 10, 1992, P.1, 2

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): American Barrick, 1993 Annual Report

Reference (Deposit): Volk and others, Structural Geology of the Betze-Post and Meikle deposits, Elko and Eureka Counties, Nevada, in Green and Struhsacker, editors, 1996, Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera, Field Trip Guidebook Compendium, Geological Society of Nevada.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, P36.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): BARRICK GOLD CORP., 1996 FORM 40-F REPORT, PP. 14, 16, 32.

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL GUIDE 1993/1994, P. 274.

Reference (Deposit): BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, 1994 ANNUAL REPORT.

Reference (Deposit): ROCKY MOUNTAIN PAY DIRT, APRIL 1994, #175, P10A.

Reference (Deposit): MINING ENGINEERING, "AMERICAN BARRICK", L. WHITE, S. KRAL, NOV. 1994, PP. 1231 - 1242.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL. 106, #23, JUNE 7, 1995.

Reference (Deposit): MINING WORLD NEWS, VOL., 2, #7, 10/96, PP.8, 9.

Reference (Deposit): SOUTHWESTERN PAYDIRT, OCT. 1996, #688, P14.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, 1995 ANNUAL REPORT, P30.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, 1995 FORM 40-F REPORT, P29.

Reference (Deposit): THE DENVER POST, 10/23/96, P8C.

Reference (Deposit): AMERICAN METALS MARKET, VOL., 104, #191, 10/2/96, P5.

Reference (Deposit): THE NORTHERN MINER, VOL 82, #31, SEPT., 30, 1996, PP. 1, 2.

Reference (Deposit): AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOK 1996, PP. 21, 38.

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL, 1996/97, MINING DIRECTORY, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES, PP. 257, 258.

Reference (Deposit): 1995/96, NEVADA MINES DIRECTORY, PP. 5, 22.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL 107, #36, 09/04/96, PP. 1, 6.

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.