Buffalo Valley Molybdenum Prospect

The Buffalo Valley Molybdenum Prospect is a copper and molybdenum mine located in Lander county, Nevada at an elevation of 4,987 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

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Site Name

Primary: Buffalo Valley Molybdenum Prospect

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc

Location

State: Nevada
County: Lander
District: Mill Canyon Distric

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Deposit Type: pluton-related, porphyry molybdenum
Operation Type: Surface
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Mo, low-F

Orebody

Form: tabular

Structure

Type: L
Description: Northwest-striking structural zones are manifested by granodiorite porphyry dikes and larger elongated intrusive bodies, aeromagnetic lineaments, and regional alignment of mineralized areas. They generally are subtle features that trend N 30? to 40? W and that become evident only after regional mapping and compilation and are not as obvious as the north-striking fault zones. Three such northwest-striking zones have been delineated in the Battle Mountain mining district. The Northwest-striking structural zones in the Battle Mountain mining district are apparently pre-Late Cretaceous in age based on the orientation and age of the monzogranite of Trenton Canyon. The northwest zones may coincide with shattered hingelines of large-scale folds associated with a regional Jurassic compressional event (Doebrich and Theodore, 1996).

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Alteration consists of varying degrees of contact metamorphism and metasomatism associated with the emplacement and hydrothermal alteration of the Buffalo Valley quartz monzonite porphyry stock. Carbonate sedimentary roacks were altered to cacl-silicate hornfels, quartzite, skarn, wollastonite. More pelitic units were altered to biotite hornfels, siliceous hornfels and quartzite. Hydrothermal alteration of the quartz monzonite stock is strong K-feldspar-botite alteration, sericitic, propylitic, and silicification.

Rocks

Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Description: calcareous
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Permian
Age Old: Middle Pennsylvanian

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Description: silty
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Permian
Age Old: Middle Pennsylvanian

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

Name: Chert
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Permian
Age Old: Middle Pennsylvanian

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Permian
Age Old: Middle Pennsylvanian

Name: Porphyry
Role: Host
Description: quartz monzonite
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Cretaceous

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Host
Description: porphyry
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Feldspar
Ore: Sericite
Ore: Epidote
Ore: Chlorite
Ore: Quartz
Ore: Actinolite
Ore: Tremolite
Ore: Calcite
Ore: Garnet
Ore: Wollastonite
Ore: Diopside
Ore: Quartz
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Biotite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Identification): This is a new record. Do not confuse this deposit with the Buffalo Valley Gold Mine prospect that lies 7 km to the north at the SW tip of Battle Mountain in secs. 33 and 34, T32N, R42E (see MRDS record).

Comment (Location): The Buffalo Valley molybdenum prospect is located 7 km south of the Buffalo Valley gold mine at the SW tip of Battle Mountain, just southwest of the main Battle Mountain mining district.

Comment (Workings): suface prospect

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: molybdenite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: pyrite, pyrrhotite, quartz, diopside, wollastonite, garnet, calcite, tremolite-actinolite, quartz, chlorite, epidote, sericite, K-feldspar, biotite

Comment (Geology): Mesozoic structural and magmatic events in the Battle Mountain mining district included formation of a northwest-striking structural fabric, including faults and broad open folds, and emplacement of Late Cretaceous granodioritic to monzogranitic stocks at Trenton Canyon, Buckingham, and probably at the Buffalo Valley molybdenum prospect just to the west of the southwest corner of the mining district. Low-fluorine porphyry molybdenum systems developed with the Late Cretaceous stocks in the mining district (Doebrich and Theodore, 1996). Mesozoic magmatism in the Battle Mountain mining district consisted of emplacement of two or possibly three Late Cretaceous granodioritic to monzogranitic intrusive complexes that generated low-fluorine porphyry molybdenum mineralizing systems of varying intensity. These include the Buckingham system in the Copper Basin area, the monzogranite of Trenton Canyon, and a weak mineral system at the Buffalo Valley molybdenum prospect (Doebrich and Theodore, 1996). Tectonics and magmatism during the Cenozoic in the Battle Mountain mining district changed from one of largely compression to one of extension. Plutons became generally more intermediate in composition and were emplaced at higher levels, giving rise to a number of porphyry copper and molybdenum-copper systems with associated deposits of base and precious metals. Cenozoic structural and magmatic events in the Battle Mountain mining district included development of north-striking normal fault zones, emplacement of late Eocene to early Oligocene granodioritic stocks and dikes throughout the region, and eruption of volcanic and volcaniclastic rock, ranging in age from early Oligocene to Pliocene. Periodic change in extension directions during the Cenozoic resulted in several generations of normal fault sets with variable orientations (Doebrich and Theodore, 1996).

Comment (Development): There is no recorded production from the prospect, although it has been explored by several major companies throughout its history. Rio Tinto examined it in 1963-1965 and drilled nine holes totalling 3153 feet . Parnasse Company explored it in 1970-1971 and drilled four more holes totalling 6050 feet. Phelps Dodge explored it in 1974-1975 and drilled 6 holes totalling 4148 feet, and Noranda explored the property in 1980-1981 drilling 2 more holes totalling 1940 feet.

Comment (Economic Factors): From drill and geochemical data, Thomas in 1985 estimated a central core resource of about 10 million tons of material grading 0.06% MoS2 hosted by the intrusive plus a concentric shell of country rock mineralization of about 20 million tons of material grading 0.03% MoS2 and 0.03 % Cu, which would place it in the realm of significant molybdenum deposits.

Comment (Deposit): Molybdenite and chalcopyrite mineralization is associated with a celtral zone of stockwork quartz veining, K-spar and sericite alteration in the granodiorite stock and intense silication in the surrounding country rock. Mineralization extends from within the quartz monzonite porphry stock outward into the altered, metamorphosed sedimentary country rocks, and is largely vein-controlled with some disseminated sulfides as well. the Buffalo Valley prospect is a subeconomic Cretaceous quartz monzonite porphyry molybdenum system. Airborne magnetics over the areas of the prospects display broad positive responses that probably correspond to the subsurface extent of igneous rock, altered wallrock, or both (Doebrich and Theodore, 1996).

References

Reference (Deposit): Thomas,T. J., 1985, Geology of the Buffalo Valley Prospect, Lander County, Nevada, M.S. Thesis, University of Nevada, Reno, 118 p.

Reference (Deposit): Doebrich, Jeff, 1995, Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Antler Peak n7.5-minute quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada, NBMG Bull 109, 44 p.

Reference (Deposit): Wendt, Clancy, 2004, Technical Report on the? ICBM/COPPER BASIN Property, Lander and Humboldt Counties, Nevada, Staccato Gold website: http://www.staccatogold.com/i/pdf/icbm-43-101.pdf
URL: http://www.staccatogold.com/i/pdf/icbm-43-101.pdf

Reference (Deposit): Doebrich, J.L., and Theodore, T.G. (1996) Geologic History of the Battle Mountain Mining District, Nevada, and Regional Controls on the Distribution of Mineral Systems in Coyner, Alan R. and Fahey, Patrick L., editors, Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera: Geological Society of Nevada Symposium Proceedings, p. 453-483.

Reference (Deposit): Roberts, R.J., and Arnold, D.C., Ore Deposits of the Antler Peak Quadrangle, Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada: U.S.G.S. Prof Paper 459-B.

Reference (Deposit): Geological Society of Nevada, 1999, Geology and Gold Mineralization of the Buffalo Valley Area, Northwestern Battle Mountain Trend; GSN Special Publication No. 31, 1999 Fall field trip Guidebook.

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.