The South Saval Extension (SSX) Mine is a gold mine located in Elko county, Nevada at an elevation of 7,382 feet.
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
Elevation: 7,382 Feet (2,250 Meters)
Commodity: Gold
Lat, Long: 41.36389, -115.99999
Map: View on Google Maps
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South Saval Extension (SSX) Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: South Saval Extension (SSX) Mine
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Antimony
Location
State: Nevada
County: Elko
District: Independence Mountains
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: Elko District U S Forest Service
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Queenstake Resources
Info Year: 2006
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: carbonate-hosted Au-Ag
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Sediment-hosted Au
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: L
Description: fracture zone
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Wallrock alteration of sedimentary rocks and the basalt dike was mapped in detail on three underground mine levels. Mapped alteration of sedimentary rocks included decarbonatization, dolomitization, silicification, carbon enrichment, and arsenic sulfide mineralization. Alteration of the dike progresses from deuteric to sericitic to argillic with proximity to northeast-striking faults. Silicification, also oxidation of antimony sulfides.
Rocks
Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Description: calareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Silurian
Age Old: Middle Ordovician
Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Description: carbonaceous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Silurian
Age Old: Middle Ordovician
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Gold
Ore: Orpiment
Ore: Realgar
Ore: Calcite
Gangue: Stibnite
Comments
Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: GOLD
Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: stibnite, orpiment, realgar, calcite
Comment (Deposit): The SSX deposit (South Saval Extension) is one of several sedimentary rock-hosted gold deposits of the Jerritt Canyon District. The district is located in the central part of the Independence Mountains, 70 km north-northwest of Elko, Nevada. Geologic units exposed in the SSX underground mine are the Upper Ordovician to Lower Silurian Hanson Creek Formation, a Silurian portion of the Roberts Mountains Formation, and the allochthonous Upper Cambrian and Ordovician Snow Canyon Formation. These rocks are intruded by a Pennsylvanian basalt dike that locally hosts ore. Jerritt Canyon District geologists have divided the Hanson Creek Formation into five distinct units (numbered from youngest to oldest) and the three youngest are exposed at the SSX mine. Most of the gold at the SSX mine is hosted in the Hanson Creek Formation, particularly within the rhythmically interbedded micritic limestone and calcareous siltstone unit. There are two important sets of structures that localize ore at SSX. The older set of faults is partially occupied by the basalt dike, and strikes range from N70?W to N50?W with nearly vertical dips. The younger set of major faults cut the dike and its associated west-northwest trending faults and have strikes ranging from N10?E to N50?E, and dips ranging from 60 to 800 NW. The northeast-striking faults have normal offset, and share similar features (e.g. dolomitized wallrocks, carbon enrichment, arsenic and iron sulfides, silicification, and both tectonic and decarbonatization/collapse breccias). The ore mineralization/grade and alteration effects are more substantial with proximity to these structures. Petrographic and microanalytical analyses of samples collected from the SSX mine workings provided data for paragenetic interpretation. An early base metal sulfide event was followed by introduction of pyrite, apatite, carbonates, and silica. Ore-related mineralization produced gold-bearing marcasite, orpiment, realgar, carlinite and kaolinite. Geochemical data provided by Independence Mining Company comprising 33 elements from 164 surface drill-holes (3146 samples) were analyzed. Significant correlation was found for two distinct groups of elements. The first group included Zn, Cd, V, Cu, Mo, Ni, and Ag. The second group included Au, As, Hg, and Tl. Although sample intervals were 50-foot composites on average, distinct zoning of gold, arsenic, mercury and thallium was evident. These elements increase in concentration with proximity to northeast-striking faults. Permeability was the most important factor in localizing gold mineralization. Unit 3 of the Hanson Creek Formation was a favorable lithologic unit due to its numerous permeable silty interbeds. Northwest-striking faults and the basalt dike were equally important in localizing ore fluids. However, orebody geometry, alteration patterns and geochemical data indicate that northeast-striking faults were the most important conduits for gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids. Fluid flow during the introduction of hydrothermal fluids was focused along the northeast-striking faults. Dissolution of calcite with subsequent dolomite precipitation disrupted sedimentary bedding, resulting in collapse breccias. Fluids spread laterally along the conduits as well as along the Pennsylvanian dike and its parallel structures, generating the alteration zoning in the dike, Hanson Creek Formation and collapse breccias as well as dispersion of ore-related elements.
Comment (Economic Factors): In 2004: Proven reserve: was reported as 458,561 tons grading 0.302 ounces of gold per ton (138,424 ounces of gold), plus a probable reserve of 1,023,144 tons grading 0.285 ounces of gold per ton (291,793 ounces of gold). In 2006, Queenstake reported reserves for SSX of 3,070,000 tons of ore grading 0.237 ounces of gold per ton, proven and probable (727,590 ounces of gold) .
Comment (Location): UTM is to current portal of the SSX underground mine). SSX underground mine is located about amile south of the Saval/Steer open pit mine.
Comment (Workings): SSX underground workings have portal in earlier Pattani Springs open pit.
References
Reference (Deposit): Dewitt, Alexander, 1999, Alteration, geochemical dispersion, and ore controls at the SSX Mine, Jerritt Canyon District, NV; abstr., GSN Newsletter, May, 1999.
Reference (Deposit): Smith, R.M., Mineral Resources of Elko County, Nevada, USGS Open-File Report 1976-56.
Reference (Deposit): LaPointe and others, 1991, Mineral Resources of Elko County, Nevada, NBMG Bulletin 106.
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.
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.
