Taylor Deposit

Site Name

Primary: Taylor Deposit
Secondary: Southeast pit
Secondary: Northwest pit
Secondary: Northeast pit
Secondary: Southwest pit
Secondary: Bishop pit
Secondary: Argus pit
Secondary: Taylor Chipps

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Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Lead

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Location

State: Nevada
County: White Pine
District: Taylor District

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Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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: Ely District U S Forest Service

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Owner Name: Alta Gold Co.
Info Year: 1999

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: disseminated
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1860
Year Last Production: 1985
Discovery Year: 1868
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: Polymetallic replacement
Model Name: Distal disseminated Ag-Au

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Orebody

Form: Blanket (due to supergene redistribution); tabular masses

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Structure

Type: L
Description: There are 2 prominent fracture systems associated with the anticline: one trending NNW, and one NE. some of the NNW fractures have fault offset, down on the west. Original movement was pre-ore, but reactivation occurred during Basin and Range tectonics.

Type: R
Description: NNW trending asymmetrical anticline with a vertical west limb and gently dipping east limb.

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Predominant alteration was jasperization of limestone, with silicification; kaolinization and sericitization of dike rock.

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Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Description: dikes and sills
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 35.000000+-
Age Young: Late Eocene

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Mississippian
Age Old: Late Devonian

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

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Argentite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Clay
Ore: Calcite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Fluorite
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: argentite, native silver, cerargyrite, stibnite, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, galena, pyrargyrite

Comment (Economic Factors): During 1981-85, about 3 million ounces of silver were produced. Early production is unknown. Pre-mining reserves in 1980 were 10 million tons of ore grading 3 ounces of silver per ton. In 1991, Alta reported reserves of 3500 kilotonnes ore containing 388 tonnes silver. In 1993 Alta reported probable reserves of 255,992 tons grading 0.0382 ounces of gold per ton.

Comment (Workings): 2 open pits, open cuts, the Taylor Shaft and Reynolds Tunnel. The old underground workings are inactive. The stripping ratio was 1:1

Comment (Deposit): Ore consists of finely disseminated crystals of argentite and clots of native silver in a gangue of silicified limestone (jasperoid). Much of the jasperoid consists of breccia fragments. Calcite and quartz occur as late-stage veins and as matrix cement in jasperoid breccia. There are also rarely occurring stibnite, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, galena, and pyragyrite. Deposits consist of large tabular masses of argentiferous jasperoid at the top of the Guilmette Limestone. Ore occupies the crest and flanks of a north-trending assymetrical anticline which is the dominat structural feature of the district. Ore is flat-lying on the crest of the anticline, dips vertically on the west flank and dips gently on the east flank. The original form of the ore bodies has been somewhat modified by late movement along N- and ENE-trending normal faults. The orebody averages 50 ft thick. Ore boundaries are "assay walls" with mineralization gradational into host rock. Limonite pseudomorphs after pyrite are common. Silica and silver appear to be contemporaneous and are slightly older than the mid-Tertiary intrusive rhyolite. Solutions entered along fracture systems and deposited minerals in crackle breccia in and near the axis of the anticline, at or near the Gilmette-Pilot contact. A period of calcite deposition followed the ore-forming period. The source of the silver may have been a deep-seated intrusive body, or the Chainman Shale and mid-Tertiary intermediate volcanic flows.

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: quartz, calcite, clay, limonite, fluorite

Comment (Geology): Silica and silver appear to be contemporaneous and are slightly older than the mid-Tertiary intrusive rhyolite. Solutions entered along fracture systems and deposited minerals in crackle breccia in and near the axis of the anticline, at or near the Gilmette-Pilot contact. A period of calcite deposition followed the ore-forming period. The source of the silver may have been a deep-seated intrusive body, or the Chainman Shale and mid-Tertiary intermediate volcanic flows.

Comment (Identification): This record represents the remaining resource called the Taylor deposit, which area encompasses the historic Taylor mine and more of the surrounding area. This record incorporates all information from the earlier MRDS record M242419 for te Taylor Deposit plus additional material.

Comment (Location): UTM is to approximate center of a large area of workings covering over 400 acres

Comment (Development): The mine was first active in the 1860s. The Taylor mine was mined sporadically in the 1950s. Silver King Mines was incorporated in 1964 and explored and developed the deposit in the 1960s and a high-grade mine was in production for one year-1965. Exploration and development continued through the 1970s. . Low-grade ore was found in a 3-mile-square area, and when silver prices rose in 1973, the company put together a major operation to mine the site. The mill had 85-90% recovery of silver. In 1981, Silver King Mines Inc. and Agnew Enterprises were joint venture partners in the project with Silver King as operator. A mill was built and the mine reopened in 1981 but closed in June 1982 when silver dropped below$5/oz. Workers were called back in Sept 1982 when silver prices were $8-$9/oz. Development in 1983included an active open pit mine and cyanidation mill employing a total of 56 persons. Nerco acquired a 50% interest in Taylor in 1984, as a joint venture with Silver King. The mine shut down again due to low silver price in Jan. 1985. Silver King (with partners Pacific Silver, and Nerco) announced exploration for gold in the Taylor area in 1987. Alta Gold Co. acquired teh property prior to 1991 and was exploring several target areas on the property as a gold prospect in 1997.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Unpublished Report on Geology and Ore Deposits of the Taylor Silver District, NBMG files.

Reference (Deposit): Bentz, J., Smith, P., Jones, R., and Tingley, J., 1981, Field Examination Report - Mine Tour.

Reference (Deposit): Havenstrite, S.R., 1984, SEG Field Trip Guide, G.S.A Ann. Mtg., Reno, Nv.

Reference (Deposit): Drewes, H.; 1967, USGS P.P. 557

Reference (Deposit): Lovering, T., 1974, Jasperoid as a Guide to Mineralization in the Taylor Mining District...," Con Geol Vol 69.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG Mining District File 340, press clippings through 1987.

Reference (Deposit): Bonham, 1989

Reference (Deposit): Havenstrite, S.R., 1983, Geology and ore deposits of the Taylor mining district, White Pine County, Nevada, in Kral, V.E., Hall, J.A., Blakestad, R.B., Bonham, H.F., Jr., Hartley, G.B., Jr., McClelland, G.E., McGlasson, J.A., and Mousette-Jones, P., eds., Papers given at the Precious-Metals Symposium, Sparks, Nevada, November 17-19,1980: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Report 36, p. 14-36.

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): NBMG Map 84, 1983, Active Mines and Oil Fields.

Reference (Deposit): Division of Mine Inspection, 1983, Directory of Nevada Mine Operations active during Calendar Year 1983.

Reference (Deposit): Pay Dirt, Sept., 1982.

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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.