Austin Gold Ventures Gold Mine

Site Name

Primary: Austin Gold Ventures Gold Mine
Secondary: Dry Canyon Deposit
Secondary: Quito Mine

---

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Arsenic

---

Location

State: Nevada
County: Lander
District: BIRCH CREEK DISTRICT

---

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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: Toiyabe National Forest, Austin Ranger District

---

Holdings

Not available

---

Workings

Not available

---

Ownership

Owner Name: Inspiration Inc. and FMC Minerals Corp in a joint venture called the Austin Gold Venture
Years: 1988 -

Owner Name: Morrison-Knudsen was awarded the contract for mining services
Info Year: 1986
Years: 1986 -

Owner Name: Austin Gold Venture (Inspiration Inc. and FMC Minerals Corp.)
Info Year: 1988

---

Production

Not available

---

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Sediment-hosted Au
Operation Type: Surface
Year First Production: 1986
Year Last Production: 1989
Discovery Year: 1980
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

---

Physiography

Not available

---

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Sediment-hosted Au

---

Orebody

Form: The four major ore zones are all very narrow, tabular, concentrated along pre-existing structures and about 3600 feet long.

---

Structure

Type: L
Description: Shallow thrust faults, normal faults and folding have affected the rocks in the mine area.

Type: R
Description: The deposit is located in the Birch Creek window through the Roberts Mountains Thrust.

---

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: The deposit is distinctive in its lack of significant hydrothermal alteration of wall rocks. It lacks intense silicification or clay alteration. Small amounts of pyrite, sericite and clay are common in wallrock adjacent to veins, but are not extensively developed.

---

Rocks

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Description: phyllitic argillaceous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Ordovician

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician
Age Old: Middle Ordovician

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

---

Analytical Data

Not available

---

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Arsenopyrite
Ore: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz

---

Comments

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: quartz, calcite

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: FREE GOLD, AURIFEROUS PYRITE AND ARSENOPYRITE

Comment (Geology): The deposit is located in a window of the Roberts Mountains Thrust. Rocks in the mine area include Cambrian to Devonian eastern-facies carbonate rocks exposed in a window through transitional to western-facies siliceous rocks of the Valmy Formation. Known ore-grade mineralization is controlled by the intersection of steeply-dipping faults with structurally prepared favorable host lithologies. While eastern facies carbonate rocks are the best ore host rocks, traces of gold have been intercepted in drill holes in western facies rocks. The deposit consists of four major ore zones, all very narrow and about 3600 feet in strike length. There is strong structural control of the thin quartz-calcite veinlets and gold mineralization. Veinlets range from microscopic to 15 cm in width, concentrated along pre-existing structures.

Comment (Identification): This is the same property as MRDS record No. W700418, and MRDS record No. M242948 from which all information was incorporated into this record. Records No. W700418 and M242948 should be deleted as duplicate records.

Comment (Location): The deposit is located on the east side of the Toiyabe Range, at the headwaters of Birch Creek. The mill site is on the west side of the Toiyabe Range near the mouth of Dry Creek. UTM is to near the center of the main pit.

Comment (Deposit): The deposit is located in a window of the Roberts Mountains Thrust. The deposit consists of four major ore zones, all very narrow and about 3600 feet in strike length. There is strong structural control of the thin quartz-calcite veinlets and gold mineralization. Veinlets range from microscopic to 15 cm in width, concentrated along pre-existing structures. The deposit is distinctive in its lack of significant hydrothermal alteration. It lacks intense silicification or clay alteration. Pyrite, sericite and clay are common in wallrock adjacent to veins, but are not extensively developed.

Comment (Development): First called the Quito prospect, Austin was a ?grass-roots? discovery by FMC Gold Corporation (Meridian Gold's predecessor) in 1980. FMC staked 648 unpatented lode claims on the prospect from 1980 to 1983. FMC also leased 5 patented claims and one millsite for the property. In 1984, FMC entered into a joint venture with Minorco, in which FMC kept a 28% interest, and Minorco was the operator with 72%. In 1985 Inspiration Inc. and FMC Minerals Corp. formed a joint venture called the Austin Gold Venture to develop the deposit. Morrison-Knudsen was awarded the contract for mining services (1986). The plan was to haul 350000 tons ore per year over the crest of the Toiyabes and down Dry Canyon on the west side to a mill in the Reese River Valley. Planned production (1985) of 55000 ounces of gold per year. Start-up was scheduled for mid-May, 1986. The projected mine life was 5 years. Austin Gold Ventures controlled a large claim block surrounding the mine area. First gold was poured in December 1986. The mine employed 121 persons in 1986. Stripping ratio for main pit was greater than 12:1. Ore was mined primarily through open pit methods with a very limited amount of ore delivered from an underground test mine. A total of one million tons of ore were processed through a mill. Tailings were deposited in a clay lined facility. Mine closure was followed by reclamation which was to include closure and rehabilitation of the access road. However, the community expressed an interest in leaving the road open for recreation access to the mountains, so Meridian worked directly with the community, the county and Forest Service to modify the closure plan and leave the road open, which Austin has identified as a feature that would compliment bicycle tourism in the area. By 1989, the deposit was mined out, having produced 191,000 ounces of gold from 1986 through 1989. White Knight Gold began exploration of the Quito area in the late 1990s and in 1999, USFS reported that White Knight Gold was planning a 2-3-year exploration project inthat would include road building and drilling in three separate areas in the Birch Creek drainage peripheral to the formerly mined Quito property: the Russ Southwest area (11 drill sites); the Q-4 area (6 holes); and the Spires area (new road building and up to 17 holes). The drilling project was still pending USFS approval in 2001.

Comment (Economic Factors): Production from 1986 to 1989 was 4.25 metric tonnes of gold and an unknown amount of silver from 933 kilotonnes of ore. The deposit produced 191,000 ounces of gold from 1986 through 1989. Remaining resources at that time were 4.2 metric tonnes of gold and an unknown amount of silver contained in 609 kilotonnes of ore.

Comment (Workings): The mine is developed by a multiple bench open pit covering 14 acres. Ore is treated in a flotation mill, followed by agitated cyanide leaching of flotation tailings. There is a satellite pit about 1/4 mile to the south of the main open pit. Currently proposed drilling is in areas peripheral to the existing mined area.

---

References

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): Droste, K.J., et al., 1988, "The Austin Gold Venture", In Bulk Mineable Precious Metals Deposits of the Western U.S., GSN. Symposium.

Reference (Deposit): Bonham, H.F., 1986, NBMG Map 91.

Reference (Deposit): USFS memoranda, 2001.

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

Reference (Deposit): Inspiration Mines Inc., 1985, Plan of Operation for the Austin Gold Venture, Lander County, NV.

Reference (Deposit): Bonham, H.F., 1988, in NBMG MI-1987.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1995, MI-1994

Reference (Deposit): Inspiration Resources 1986-1989 SEC Form 10K

Reference (Deposit): Inspiration Mines Inc., 1985, Plan of Operation for the Austin Gold Venture, Lander County, NV

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Mining District File 149, numerous press clippings 1985-1987

Reference (Deposit): STAFF, 1988, DIRECTORY OF NEVADA MINE OPERATIONS ACTIVE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 1987: NEVADA DIVISION OF MINE INSPECTION, 84 P

---

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.