Rain Mine

Site Name

Primary: Rain Mine
Secondary: Gnome orebody
Secondary: B. J. Hill orebody
Secondary: Snow Peak orebody
Secondary: Northwest Extension orebody
Secondary: Northwest Rain orebody
Secondary: Saddle orebody
Secondary: Tess orebody

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Mercury

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Location

State: Nevada
County: Elko
District: Bullion 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: Elko Bureau of Land Management administrative district

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Type: Underground

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Ownership

Owner Name: Newmont Gold Co. (Newmont Mining Corp.)
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1996

Owner Name: Newmont Exploration, Ltd.

Owner Name: Newmont Mining Corp.
Info Year: 2006

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Production

Year: 1988
Description: Annual Gold Output 1266 Kilograms
Year: 1989
Description: Annual Gold Output 4324 Kilograms
Year: 1990
Description: Annual Gold Output 3766 Kilograms
Year: 1994
Mined: 1407000.000 mt
Material type: ore produced Rain surface + underground
Description: Ore Production (Rain Sur + Undg) 1407000 Mt/Yr
Year: 1995
Mined: 133000.000 mt
Material type: ore production Rain underground
Description: Ore Production (Rain Undg) 133000 Mt/Yr

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: sediment-hosted Au
Plant Type: Leach
Plant Subtype: Solvent Extraction-Electrowin
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Combined Methods
Milling Method: Carbon-In-Leach-Electrowin
Year First Production: 1988
Year Last Production: 1994
Discovery Year: 1982
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: Sediment-hosted Au

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Orebody

Form: tabular to irregular

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Structure

Type: L
Description: Three major fault zones controlled gold mineralization in the Rain subdistrict. The Rain fault zone is a N60?W-trending structural corridor that defines the Rain ?horst? and includes the Rain fault, the Dike fault, and the SB fault. The N30?Etrending Northeast fault zone truncated the Rain fault zone southeast of the Rain open pit. The Rain Fault strikes N50-70W, dips 70 degrees SW, and is a reverse fault

Type: R
Description: southeast part of the Carlin Trend

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification, baritization, argillization, leaching, oxidation. Silicification generally is restricted to major hydrothermal conduits and to the ore zone. There is an envelope of silicification slightly smaller than the mineralized zone. Hydrothermal barite forms an envelope constrained within the silicification envelope. Alunite, jarosite, and barite veins are prominent along northeast and northwest striking fractures both within the Rain Fault and peripheral to gold mineralization. Specular hematite and manganese oxides cover fracture surfaces. In some areas, sedimentary rocks are slightly calcareous and show liesegang banding.

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Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Devonian
Age Old: Middle Devonian

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Mississippian

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Mississippian

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Middle Devonian
Age Old: Early Devonian

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Analytical Data

Analytical Data: Sample 1505 of fractured, iron-stained siltstone from rain (west) drilling area contains 7% Fe, 0.15% Mg, 0.07% Ca, 0.2% Ti, 10 ppm Mn, 700 ppm As, 300 ppm B, 5000 ppm Ba, 70 ppm Cr, 30 ppm Cu, 7 ppm Ni, 30 ppm Pb, 5 ppm Sc, 200 ppm Sr, 500 ppm B, 10 ppm Y, 100 ppm Zr. Sample 1506 of gray carbonaceous shale from drill cuttings pile on rain west property contains 1.5% Fe, 0.5% Mg, 0.5% Ti, 20 ppm Mn, 300 ppm B, 3000 ppm Ba, 70 ppm Cr, 50 ppm Cu, 30 ppm La, 15 ppm Ni, 30 Pb, 7 ppm Sc, 150 ppm Sr, 300 ppm V, 20 ppm Y, and 100 ppm Zr. Sample 1507, of brecciated, iron-stained jasperoid from float on drill road contains 1% Fe, 0.03% Mg, 0.07% Ca, 0.15% Ti, 1500 ppm As, 20 ppm B, +5000 ppm Ba, 20 ppm Cr, 15 ppm Cu, 5 ppm Ni, 30 ppm Pb, 150 ppm Sb, 700 ppm Sr, 70 ppm V, 50 ppm Zr

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Wavellite
Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Kaolinite
Ore: Alunite
Ore: Silica
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Jarosite
Ore: Calcite
Ore: Dussertite
Gangue: Barite

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Comments

Comment (Development): The Rain property had no history of mining activity prior to 1979. The original Rain claims were staked by Price (Turk) Montrose, a local barite prospector, over a barite-bearing jasperoid outcrop. Based on similarities between this exposure and goldbearing outcrops along the Carlin trend, Mr. Montrose submitted his claims to Newmont Mining Corporation in 1979. Newmont acquired the property on the basis of samples with up to 0.48 opt (16.5 g/t) gold from the Rain jasperoid discovery outcrop. Detailed exploration began with systematic rock chip and soil geochemistry followed by drilling. Initial reverse circulation exploration drilling in1982 and 1983 defined an initial reserve of more than 680,000 ounces (21 t) of gold. Subsequent infill and step-out drilling in the area of the Rain open pit eventually increased this to over one million by 1994. Satellite deposits at Emigrant, Gnome, Snow Peak, and the Southern Mineralized Zone (SMZ) were also discovered during this time. Construction of the Rain access road began in July 1987,and mining began in October of the same year. The first gold bar was poured in June 1988. Open-pit mining continued from 1988 through 1994 resulting in the recovery of 707,949 ounces (22 t) of gold and peak production in 1990 and 1991. In 1992, a reevaluation of exploration potential in the Rain subdistrict began with a program of detailed geologic mapping, close-spaced gravity surveys, rock chip geochemistry, comprehensive data compilation, and deep drilling. This work greatly enhanced the understanding of the geologic setting and controls on gold mineralization. During a period of nearly 5 years (1992-1997), exploration along the northwest extension of the Rain fault and southward along the Emigrant fault led to the discovery of the Rain Extension in 1992, the Tess deposit in1993 and 1994, NW Tess and Saddle deposits in 1995 and 1996. Underground mining began at Rain in early 1994 with the development of Stope 1 and Stope 2 in the immediate hanging wall of the Rain fault. Rain Underground geologists split the Rain Extension into three segments called Stope 1, Stope 2, and Zone 3, and the Tess deposit into three segments called Zone 4, Zone 5, and Zone 6. These deposits were "high-grade" extensions of the Rain open-pit deposit. Stope 1 was the first underground mine developed on the Carlin trend, and the mine was accessed by a portal and decline. All post-1995 production was from underground mining at Rain. Stope 1, Stope 2, and Zone 3 were mined out between 1994 and 1998. Production from Zone 4 began in late 1998, and by 1999 it totaled 97,166 tons (88,170t) grading 0.309 opt (10.6 g/t) for 30,024 ounces (936 kg) of gold . Zone 4 became the largest and highest-grade underground reserve identified to date in the Rain subdistrict. Underground exploration pushed the development drift out to Zone 6 of the Tess deposit approximately 4,000feet (1,220 m) to the northwest along strike with the Rain fault. By year 2000, underground mining at Rain had produced 114,815 ounces (3.56 t) of recovered gold. Widespread surface drilling indicates mineralization continues along the Rain fault for at least 3,000 feet (900 m) beyond Zone 6 of the Tess deposit. This area contains the underground sulfide resource of the Saddle/NW Tess deposit. Estimated resources for the Saddle/NW Tess deposit area 782,000 ounces (24.2 t) from ore averaging 0.572 opt.

Comment (Economic Factors): Pre-mining reserves (1983) were 15.5 million tons grading 0.066 opt Au for 1,017,300 contained ounces of gold. In 1989 the geologic resource was reported as 22.57 Mt grading 0.052 opt Au with mineable reserves of 821 K oz Au. Rain open pit production from 1988 - 1994 was 707,949 ounces (22 t) of gold. Underground mining at Rain began in 1994, and by year 2000, underground mining had produced 114,815 ounces (3.56 t) of recovered gold. In 1988, the Gnome satellite orebody of the Rain deposit was estimated to contain a remaining resource of 2446 kilotonnes of ore containing 4.05 tonnes gold.

Comment (Geology): Gold mineralization penetrates the Webb Formation in the hanging wall of the Rain Fault for a distance of 45 to 183 meters. The age of gold mineralization at Rain is approximately 31.7 +/- 10.3 Ma based on fission track dating of hydrothermal apatite, predating the oldest supergene alunite age of 22 Ma.

Comment (Identification): All information from record No. W700401 has been incorporated into this new record. Record No. W700401 should be deleted from the database. This record also replaces MRDS record No. MP90057 which is an incomplete entry for the Gnome deposit. MRDS record No. MP90057 should be deleted from the file.

Comment (Location): Coordinates are to main Rain Mine area; the satellitic deposits extend for about two miles to the northwest and a mile and a half to the southeast for the main Rain pit along the Rain fault.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: barite, calcite, jarosite, hematite, silica, alunite, kaolinite, cinnabar, wavellite, dussertite, Mn oxides

Comment (Deposit): The main Rain orebody is a WNW-elongate zone, subparallel to and in the hanging wall of a N50-70W- striking high angle reverse fault, the Rain Fault. Rain satellitic deposits Rain NW, Tess, and Saddle extend for about two miles to the northwest along the Rain fault BJ Hill orebody extends about a mile a to the southeast of the main Rain pit along the Rain fault. The Gnome, SMZ, and South Peak orebodies are within about a mile to the south of the main Rain orebody. Gold ore in the Rain subdistrict developed along the unconformity between the Mississippian Webb Formation and the underlying Devonian Devils Gate Limestone. Hydrothermal breccia developed in thin-bedded to laminated mudstone of the middle to lower Webb Formation and collapse breccia in medium- to thick-bedded limestone of the upper Devils Gate Limestone that served as channelways for gold-bearing hydrothermal solutions. These breccias were exposed at the Rain open-pit deposit and extend underground for more than 3 miles (5 km) northwest of the open pit. Pipe-like breccia bodies, some containing higher-grade gold mineralization, developed within the Devils Gate Limestone below the collapse breccia zones. Sandstone of the Devonian Oxyoke Canyon Formation also hosts weak gold mineralization 1,400 feet (430 m) below the Rain open-pit deposit.

Comment (Workings): Rain Open Pit plus other satellite pits followed by underground workings: Stope 1 and Stope 2. Stope 1 was the first underground mine developed on the Carlin trend, and the mine was accessed by a portal and decline.

Comment (Identification): Singer, D. A., Nevada Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 96-2, Ch 11 combines Rain and Gnome deposits, but nearby SMZ and Emigrant Springs deposits are separate, so they are not included in this record.

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References

Reference (Deposit): CLISBY, H. NEVADA'A PRECIOUS METALS PICTURE LOOKING BETTER ALL THE TIME. BIG SKY PAYDIRT (BISBEE, AZ), NO. 36, SEPT. 1983, PP. 21A-25A.

Reference (Deposit): DOTT, R. H., JR. PENNSYLVANIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF ELKO AND NORTHERN DIAMOND RANGES, NORTHEASTERN NEVADA. AM. ASSOC. PETROLEUM GEOL. BULL. V. 39, NO. 11, 1955, P. 2211.

Reference (Deposit): JOUR. GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION, V. 9, NO. 2/3, 1978, PP. 186-194. 013-0063.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NEWMONT GOLD CO., 1996 FORM 10-K REPORT, P16.

Reference (Deposit): BAGBY, W. C. SEDIMENT-HOSTED DISSEMINATED GOLD DEPOSITS IN NEVADA: A REVIEW OF THEIR GEOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS. ABSTR. NO. 33,496 IN ABSTRACTS WITH PROGRAMS, 1984. 97TH ANNU. MEETING, GEOL. SOC. AM.,

Reference (Deposit): BLOOMSTEIN, E. I. AMMONIA ALTERATION IS A GEOCHEMICAL LINK IN GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE CARLIN-MIDAS BELT. ABSTR. IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, NV, MARCH 25-28, 1984, P. 27.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 48-49.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1995 FORM 10-K REPORT, P14.

Reference (Deposit): KNUTSEN, G. C. GEOLOGY OF THE RAIN GOLD DEPOSIT, ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA. ABSTR. IN EXPLORATION FOR ORE DEPOSITS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA. SYMP. OF ASSOC. EXPL. GEOCHEM., RENO, NV, MAR. 25-28, 1984, PP. 32.

Reference (Deposit): KNUTSEN, G. C., AND WEST, P. W. GEOLOGY OF THE RAIN DISSEMINATED GOLD DEPOSIT, ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA: ARIZONA GEOL. SOC. DIGEST, V. 15, 1984, P. 73-76.

Reference (Deposit): RANDOL, 1994/95 & 1996/97, MINES DIRECTORIES, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES.

Reference (Deposit): REGNIER, J. P. M. CENOZOIC GEOLOGY IN THE VICINITY OF CARLIN, NEVADA. GEOL. SOC. OF AMERICA BULL., V. 71, 1960, P. 1189.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, J. F., JR., AND K. B. KETNER. STRATIGRAPHY OF PALEOZOIC ROCKS IN THE CARLIN-PINON RANGE AREA, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. PROF. PAPER 867-A, 1975, PP. A1-A87.

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

Reference (Deposit): GRANGER, A. E., M. M. BELL, G. C. SIMMONS, AND F. LEE. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA. NEV. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULL. 54, 1957 190 PP.

Reference (Deposit): 1996, AMERICAN MINES HANDBOOK.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, R. M. MINERAL RESOURCES OF ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. OFR 76-56, 1976, 194 PP.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NEWMONT GOLD CO., 1994 10-K, PP. 13-14.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1995 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 40- 41.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): NEWMONT MINING CORP., 1994 ANNUAL REPORT, PP. 27-29.

Reference (Deposit): KETNER, K. B., AND J. F. SMITH, JR. MID-PALEOZOIC AGE OF THE ROBERTS THRUST UNSETTLED BY NEW DATA FROM NORTHERN NEVADA. GEOL., V. 10, NO. 6, JUNE 1982, NORTHERN NEVADA. GEOL., V. 10, NO. 6, JUNE 1982, PP. 298-303.

Reference (Deposit): GRACE, K. A. EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN 1982. WORLD MIN. (YEARBOOK), V. 36, NO. 8, 1983, PP. 60-61.

Reference (Deposit): JACKSON, C. F., AND E. D. GARDNER. CARLIN GOLD, A NEWMONT MONEY GENERATOR KEEPS ON RENEWING ITSELF AFTER SPARKING THE REBIRTH OF GOLD MINING IN NEVADA. ENG. AND MIN. J., V. 184, NO. 7, 1983, PP. 38-43.

Reference (Deposit): DREWES, H. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTHERN SNAKE PLAINS, NEVADA. GEOLOGY SOCIETY AMERICAN BULL., VOL 69, NO. 2, 1958, PP. 221-240.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, J. F., JR., AND K. B. KETNER. GENERALIZED GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CARLIN, DIXIE FLATS, PINE VALLEY, AND ROBINSON MOUNTAIN QUADRANGLES, ELKO AND EUREKA COUNTIES, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. MISC. FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-481, 1972, SCALE 1:125,000.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, J. F., JR., AND K. B. KETNER. GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CARLIN-PINON RANGE AREA, ELKO AND EUREKA COUNTIES, NEVADA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. MAP I-1028, 1978, SCALE 1:62,500.

Reference (Deposit): Longo, Anthony A., Thompson, Tommy B., and Harlan, J. Bruce, 2002, GEOLOGIC OVERVIEW OF THE RAIN SUBDISTRICT; in NBMG Bulletin 111, pp. 168-189 http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/b111/rain.pdf
URL: http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/b111/rain.pdf

Reference (Deposit): Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 90-206A, 33 p.; 98-206B. one 3.5 inch diskette.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Open File Report 82-11.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1991, The Nevada Mineral Industry 1990, NBMG Special Publication MI-1990.

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

Reference (Deposit): Nevada Mining Association Bulletin, 1987, Newmont Gold-BLM initiate mutually useful land swap.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Field Examination Report, 1982, and sample analyses.

Reference (Deposit): Rocky Mountain Pay Dirt, 1987, "Newmont Gold seeking land exchange for Rain gold project."

Reference (Deposit): Ketner and Smith, 1982, Geology, vol. 10, p. 298-303.

Reference (Deposit): Thoreson, R.F., 1987, The Rain Gold Deposit, in Bulk Mineable Precious Metal Deposits of the Western U.S., Guide for Field Trips, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno.

Reference (Deposit): USGS Map I-1028.

Reference (Deposit): Bonham, H.F., 1988, Bulk-Mineable Precious-Metal Deposits and Prospects in Nevada, NBMG Map #91.

Reference (Deposit): Knutsen, G.C., and West, P.W., 1984, Geology of the Rain disseminated gold deposit, Elko Co., NV.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1988, The Nevada Mineral Industry 1987, NBMG Special Publication MI-1987.

Reference (Deposit): The Northern Miner, 1/8/90.

Reference (Deposit): Staff, 1988, Directory of Nevada Mine Operations Active During Calendar Year 1987: Nevada Division of Mine Inspection, 84 p.

Reference (Deposit): Thoreson, R.F., 1991, Geology and gold deposits of the Rain subdistrict, Elko County, Nevada, in Raines, G.L., et al., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 635-643.

Reference (Identification): Singer, D.A., 1996, Grade and tonnage models, in Singer, D.A., ed., An analysis of Nevada's metal-bearing mineral resources: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 96-2, Chapter 11, p. 11.1-11

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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.