Pine Creek

The Pine Creek is a molybdenum, gold, tungsten, and copper mine located in Inyo county, California at an elevation of 9,252 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Pine Creek
Secondary: Black Monster
Secondary: Snow Queen
Secondary: Pine Creek Tungsten Mine

Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Gold
Primary: Tungsten
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Bismuth

Location

State: California
County: Inyo
District: Bishop Tungsten 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Union Carbide Nuclear Corp.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1918
Discovery Year: 1916
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Sierra Nevada

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sierra Nevada Batholith

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Metamorphism To Skarn, Ore In Fractures, And Some Replacement By Ore.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Powellite
Ore: Bornite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Diopside
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Feldspar

Comments

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPED FROM 8000 TO 11500 FT. ELEVATION, MILL IS AT 7800 FT. . FOUR ADITS AT ELEVATIONS OF 10,750 FT., 11,052 FT. AND 11,371 FT., AND A LARGE OPEN CUT.

Comment (Location): SECTION ESTIMATED IN CADASTRAL COORDINATES.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): 1) LEMMON, 1941. 2-4) USBM MAS.

Comment (Deposit): DESCRIPTION ABOVE IS FOR NORTH ORE BODY. SOUTH OREBODY: 400 FT LONG, 400 FT WIDE, AND 60 FT THICK.

Comment (Geology): PINE CREEK PENDANT MARBLE DENSITY IN SITU 3.2, DEFORMED IN JURASSIC. GEOL.COM: PINE CREEK PENDANT MARBLE DENSITY IN SITU 3.2, DEFORMED IN JURASSIC. SKARN (TACTITE).

References

Reference (Deposit): LEMMON, D.M., UNPUBLISHED DATA.

Reference (Deposit): BATEMAN, P.C., 1945, PINE CREEK AND ADAMSON TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS, INYO COUNTY, CALIF.: CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL., VOL. 41, NO. 4, P. 231-249.

Reference (Deposit): BURWELL, BLAIR, 1941, MILLING TUNGSTEN ORE AT PINE CREEK: MINING CONG. JOUR., VOL. 27, NO. 10, P. 16-18.

Reference (Deposit): LEMMON, D.M., AND TWETO, O.L., 1962, TUNGSTEN IN THE U.S., USGS MAP, MR-25.

Reference (Deposit): 1952 GEOLMAP BATEMAN, MAPS, REPORT

Reference (Deposit): COOPER, J. R., 1962, BISMUTH OF U.S.: USGS MR - 2

Reference (Deposit): WRIGHT, W. A., 1978, MINERALOGICAL AND COMPOSITIONAL ZONATION IN THE NORTH ORE BODY, PINE CREEK MINE, BISHOP DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA, GEOLOGICAL SOC. OF AMERICA ABSTR. WITH PROGR AMS, V. 10, N. 3, P. 155.

Reference (Deposit): 1959, OCCURRENCE OF NONPEGMATITE BERYLLIUM IN THE UNITED STATES, USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 318, PP. 91-92.

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.