Easy Junior Mine

Site Name

Primary: Easy Junior Mine
Secondary: Nighthawk Ridge Mine

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Commodity

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

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Location

State: Nevada
County: White Pine
District: White Pine 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: BLM Ely Administration District

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Owner Name: ALTA GOLD CO.
Home Office: 2319 FOOTHILL DRIVE #140, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, 84109
Info Year: 1999

Owner Name: ALTA BAY JOINT VENTURE: ECHO BAY, LTD.
Percent: 40.00
Info Year: 1999

Owner Name: ALTA BAY JOINT VENTURE: ALTA GOLD CO.
Percent: 60.00
Info Year: 1999

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

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

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Carbonate-hosted Au-Ag

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Type: L
Description: Nighthawk Fault

Type: R
Description: Rocks in the mine area have been affected by low amplitude, open folds with axes that strike between N-S and N15E.

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification is the most common alteration within the orebody. Jasperization, argillization, and decarbonization have also affected the rocks. Chainman Shale and Pilot Shale are argillized and silicified adjacent to the Nighthawk Fault.

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Rocks

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

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

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Opal
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Scorodite

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): Sediment-hosted disseminated gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: hematite, limonite, opal, barite, scorodite

Comment (Development): The original Easy Junior claims were staked in 1979 by Earth Resources Company on the basis of prominent jasperoid outcrops. These claims were acquired by Houston International Minerals Company (HIMCO) in 1980. HIMCO drilled eight holes totaling 1810 ft in 1980, but only one hole contained anomalous gold mineralization. Himco subleased Easy Junior to Consolidated Mineral Resources from 1981 to 1983, during which eight holes totaling 2620 ft. were drilled. Drill results were discouraging. In 1984, Consolidated Minerals conveyed interest in Easy Junior to AAMINEX for stock, and AAMINEX sub-leased the property to Santa Fe Pacific Mining Co. During 1984-1985, Santa Fe completed geologic mapping, a VLF survey and 16 drill holes totaling 9295 ft. Several of these holes intersected narrow zones of gold mineralization, the best being a 45 ft intercept grading 0.059 opt gold. All mineralized intercepts were at the contact of the Chainman Shale and Joana Limestone. Santa Fe terminated the lease in 1985, after which AAMINEX returned the claims back to Tenneco Minerals Co, which had since acquired HIMCO. All drilling up to this time had been completed in the vicinity of the outcropping jasperoids. In 1986, Tenneco extended the claim block north to include what would become the Nighthawk Ridge deposit. A soil geochemistry grid identified two linear gold anomalies which led to the discovery of outcrop of folded and silicified Chainman Shale with abundant barite and minor scorodite along fractures. 36 samples from this outcrop assayed as high as 2.33 ppm gold, but averaged 0.5 ppm gold, with anomalous Hg, Tl, As, and Sb. A 41 drill hole program was initiated in September, 1986. The discovery hole was the 39th hole, intersecting 320 feet grading 0.066 opt gold.

Comment (Economic Factors): 'Reserves in 1989 were estimated to be apporximately 5.68Mt of ore grading 0.031 opt Au. In 1991, reserves and resources of 137,000 oz Au were estimated to remain. The cash cost of production was $240/oz. gold.

Comment (Geology): All mineralized intercepts were at the contact of the Chainman Shale and Joana Limestone.

Comment (Location): The mine is located at the northern end of Railroad Valley at the southeast end of the Cortez Trend.

Comment (Workings): The mine has been developed by open pits and other surface workings.

Comment (Commodity): Commodity Info: AU:AG ratios are generally > 50:1.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: micron-sized gold grains

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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): Carden, J.R., 1991, The Discovery and Geology of the Nighthawk Ridge Deposit at Easy Junior, White Pine County, Nevada, in Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, Raines, G.L., et al., eds., The Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 665-676.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1991, The Nevada Mineral Industry 1990, NBMG Special Publication MI-1990, p.25.

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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.