Paradise Peak Mine

The Paradise Peak Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Nye county, Nevada at an elevation of 5,479 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: Paradise Peak Mine
Secondary: Granny Goose
Secondary: Paradise
Secondary: Fmc Deposit
Secondary: NBMG Sample Sites 1472, 1473
Secondary: Goose Claims
Secondary: Gabbs Mine
Secondary: Nody Prospect
Secondary: Finger Rock Prospect
Secondary: County Line
Secondary: Ketchup Flat

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Mercury
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal
Tertiary: Tin
Tertiary: Molybdenum
Tertiary: Iron
Tertiary: Bismuth
Tertiary: Thallium

Location

State: Nevada
County: Nye
District: Fairplay District

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Fmc Gold Corp.
Years: 1993 -

Production

Year: 1988
Material type: HG
Description: Ap_Grade: ^0.168 Opt (2)

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1986
Year Last Production: 1994
Discovery Year: 1934
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal quartz-alunite Au

Orebody

Form: DISSEMINATED

Form: DISSEMINATED

Structure

Type: R
Description: Walker Lane, Nw-Striking.

Type: L
Description: See Comments

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Propylitization, Alunite-Jarosite Alteration, Argillization, Dense Silicification, Powdery Silicification (Acid Leaching?). See Geology Comments.

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: NBMG TOOK TWO SAMPLES. SAMPLE 1472 OF BRECCIATED, SILICIFIED RHYOLITE CONTAINS 0.7% FE, 0.02% MG, 0.5% CA, 0.5% TI, 50 PPM MN, 30 PPM AG, 5000 PPM BA, 700 PPM BI, 70 PPM CU, 5 PPM MO, 100 PPM PB, 1500 PPM SB, 5 PPM SC, 100 PPM SR, 20 PPM V, 150 PPM ZR, AND 1.05 PPM AU (BY AA ANALYSIS). SAMPLE 1473 CONTAINS 1% FE, 0.02% MG, 1% CA, 0.5% TI, 70 PPM MN, 50 PPM AG, 2000 PPM BA, 50 PPM BI, 30 PPM CU, 5 PPM MO, 70 PPM PB, 500 PPM SB, 5 PPM SC, 300 PPM SR, 20 PPM V, 150 PPM ZR, AND 1.5 PPM AU (BY AA ANALYSIS).

Materials

Ore: Embolite
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Acanthite
Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Iodyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Alunite
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Illite
Gangue: Calomel
Gangue: Sulfur
Gangue: Plumbojarosite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Metacinnabar
Gangue: Realgar
Gangue: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Stibnite
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Galena
Gangue: Pyrrhotite
Gangue: Marcasite
Gangue: Sphalerite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1934 (HG); 1982 (AU)

Comment (Deposit): First Production Year: 1986 (AU)

Comment (Geology): ARGILLIZATION POSSIBLY OCCURRED DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF DENSE SILICIFICATION. TWO TYPES OF SILICIFICATION, DENSE AND POWDERY, ARE DISTINGUISHED ON CROSS SECTIONS AND BENCH MAPS AND ARE THE TWO DOMINANT TEXTURAL TYPES OF SILICIFICATION PRESENT IN THE DEPOSIT, ALTHOUGH ALL GRADATIONS EXIST. DENSE SILICIFICATION CONSISTS OF VERY FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ (0.01-0.05 MM) AND/OR OPAL, 5-20% FINE GRAINED DISEMINATED MARCASITE AND/OR PYRITE (TYPICALLY <0.025 MM), AND A TIO2 PHASE (ANATASE OR LEUCOXENE) THAT TOTALLY REPLACE THE ROCK EXCEPT FOR QUARTZ AND ZIRCON PHENOCRYSTS. DENSE SILICIFICATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH AU-AG DEPOSITION. RELICT TEXTURES IN POWDERY SILICIFIED ROCKS SUGGEST THAT MANY OF THESE ROCKS WERE FIRST DENSELY SILICIFIED (+ FINE-GRAINED SULFIDE MINERALS) AND WERE LATER OXIDIZED, PARTIALLY LEACHED, AND RECRYSTALLIZED TO POWDERY SILICA (ACID LEACHING BY ASCENDING FLUIDS?). POWDERY SILICA ALTERATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH HG DEPOSITION. GEOLOGY COMMENTS: SIX MAJOR EPISODES OF

Comment (Deposit): STUDIES TO DATE SUGGEST AT LEAST 3 STAGES OF HYPOGENE AU DEPOSITION FORMED AN ORE ZONE THAT IS ELLIPTICAL, ABOUT 200 BY 450 M IN PLAN AND ELONGATED IN A NW DIRECTION. SOME HOST ROCK IS BRECCIATED WITH QUARTZ-SULFIDE MATRIX. BRECCIA EXHIBITS HYDROTHERMAL REPLACEMENT TEXTURE. BOTTOM OF ORE ZONE IS NOT YET DEFINED, BUT IT DIPS 15 SE, AND THINS OUT ON SE EDGE, TO 15-20 FT THICK. MINERALIZATION IS BOUNDED ON THE WEST SIDE BY A FAULT WHICH WAS ACTIVE BEFORE MINERALIZATION EVENT, ACTING AS A DAM TO MINERALIZING FLUIDS. FAULTS OFFSET ORE ZONE ON NORTH AND EAST SIDES. CURVILINEAR FAULTS ENCIRCLE ORE ZONE AND DROP CENTER DOWN. ORE ZONE IS NEARLY STRATIFORM CONFINED LARGELY TO THE FELSIC VOLCANICS ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME AU-AG MINERALIZATION IN THE UNDERLYING DACITES. AU-AG MINERALIZATION IS CONFINED TO THE SILICIFIED ROCKS. ORE ZONE IS ABOUT 100 FT THICK. ORE ZONE BOUNDARIES ARE SHARP.

Comment (Development): EXPL.COM: ON THE BASIS OF VISIBLE HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AND PRESENCE OF OLD HG WORKINGS IN THE AREA, PROSPECTORS MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM ARNELL BROUGHT THE PARADISE PEAK PROPERTY TO THE ATTENTION OF FMC GEOLOGISTS IN 1982. THE FIRST SAMPLES FROM THE DEPOSIT COLLECTED BY FMC GEOLOGISTS IN EARLY 1983 WERE HIGHLY ANOMALOUS IN AU AND AG. FOLLOWING A DETAILED SURFACE SAMPLING PROGRAM, DRILLING BEGAN IN JUNE, 1983. THE FIRST DRILL HOLE INTERCEPTED OVER 80 FT. OF ALTERED ROCK CONTAINING O.35 OPT AU; 7 0F THE FIRST 18 HOLES ENCOUNTERED ORE. DRILLING ON 60 M CENTERS WAS COMPLETED IN DECEMBER, 1983 AND WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY DRILLING ON 30M CENTERS OVER THE ORE ZONE. 7TH LARGEST GOLD DISCOVERY IN RECENT U.S. HISTORY, ANNOUNCED IN JAN. 1984. MILL CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON JANUARY 1, 1985, MINING BEGAN IN DECEMBER, 1985, AND THE FIRST DORE WAS POURED IN APRIL, 1986. ; TOTAL$: 100 ; ECON.COM: PLANNED 100,000 OZ AU/YR AND 3.5 MILLION OZ AG/YR PRODUCTION, AS WELL AS 200,000 LB HG PER YEAR, ORE

Comment (Geology): HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY ARE RECOGNIZED WITHIN ORE ZONES: EARLY SILICA-SULFIDE ALTERATION, 2) EARLY HYDROTHERMAL BRECCIATION, 3) EARLY OXIDATION AND LEACHING, 4) BLACK MATRIX HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION, 5) OPAL-JAROSITE MATRIX HYDROTHERMAL BRECCIATION, AND 6) LATE OXIDATION AND LEACHING. SEVERAL OTHER HYDROTHERMAL EVENTS ARE EVIDENT IN SURROUNDING WALLROCKS. MINERALOGY, ALTERATION, TEXTURAL AND STRUCTURAL FEATURES, AND LIMITED FLUID INCLUSION AND STABLE ISOTOPE DATA INDICATE THAT THE PARADISE PEAK DEPOSIT FORMED AT VERY SHALLOW DEPTHS (<200M) AND LOW TEMPERATURES (150-200 DEGREES C) FROM ACIDIC, LOW SALINITY, PERIODICALLY BOILING FLUIDS. ALTHOUGH IT IS CLASSIFIED AS AN ACID-SULFATE TYPE HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM, TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION OF HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION, INTENSITY OF HYDROTHERMAL BRECCIATION, AND THE GEOCHEMICAL SUITE OF ELEMENTS IN THE DEPOSIT DIFFER FROM BOTH TYPICAL HOT SPRING GOLD DEPOSITS AND DEEPER LEVEL ACID-SULFATE SYSTEMS.

Comment (Deposit): THIS RECORD CONTAINS INFORMATION FROM MRDS RECORD W700600, WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): STRIPPING RATIO 2:1

Comment (Commodity): INITIALLY, 46 OF 77 TEST HOLES AVERAGED 0.14 OZ/T AU, 4.7 OZ/T AG. AU OCCURS AS NATIVE AU WITH NEGLIGIBLE AG CONTENT. AG IS PRESENT AS CERARGYRITE, EMBOLITE, ACANTHITE, NATIVE AG, AND IODYRITE. CINNABAR IS FOUND IN VUGS IN SILICIFIED ROCK; HG DEPOSITION APPARENTLY POST-DATES THE MAIN DEPOSITION OF AU AND AG. THE AG:AU RATIO RANGES FROM 4:1 IN THE UPPER PORTIONS TO >500:1 IN THE LOWEST PORTIONS OF THE ORE ZONE. THE AG:AU RATIO VARIES WITH AG CONTENT SINCE AU CONTENT COMMONLY STAYS HIGH THROUGHOUT THE ORE ZONE. THE OVERALL AG:AU RATIO IS APPROX. 33:1. THE ANOMALOUS GEOCHEMICAL SUITE ASSOCIATED WITH AU-AG ORE IS BI + SB + HG + BA + PB + TI + AS FEMO SN TL. THIS SUITE APPEARS TO BE A HYBRID OF SOME ELEMENTS COMMON IN HOT SPRINGS SYSTEMS AND OTHER ELEMENTS TYPICAL OF DEEPER, GENERALLY HIGHER TEMPERATURE SYSTEMS. HIGHLY ELEVATED LEVELS OF MO AND SN IN SOME SAMPLES MAY INDICATE A CLOSE GENETIC RELATIONSHIP TO A SHALLOW FELSIC INTRUSION. BASE METALS TEND TO INCREASE WITH DEPTH, BUT CU AND ZN

Comment (Commodity): REMAIN EXTREMELY LOW THROUGHOUT THE ORE ZONE, AND THUS FAR BASE-METAL RICH VEINS HAVE NOT BEEN DISCOVERED BENEATH THE AU-AG ORE ZONE.

Comment (Workings): HISTORIC WORKINGS AT THE NODY PROSPECT CONSISTED OF A 40 FT. SHAFT AND SEVERAL SURFACE TRENCHES. MODERN FACILITY CONSISTS OF AN OPEN PIT, 4000 TPD MILL, AND HEAP LEACH FACILITIES.

Comment (Geology): ALTERATION COMMENTS: PROPYLITIZATION, ALUNITE-JAROSITE ALTERATION, ARGILLIZATION, DENSE SILICIFICATION, POWDERY SILICIFICATION (ACID LEACHING?). OLIGOCENE ANDESITE AND OLIGO-MIOCENE TUFF UNDERLYING THE PRINCIPAL ORE HOST ROCKS ARE WEAKLY TO STRONGLY PROPYLITIZED, WHICH PROBABLY REFLECTS DEUTERIC ALTERATION THAT PREDATES THE MAIN HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM AT PARADISE PEAK. HYPOGENE ALUNITE-JAROSITE ALTERATION PRIMARILY OCCURS AS A CRUDELY STRATIFORM LAYER 20-40 M THICK BELOW HYDROTHERMAL BRECCIAS THAT CAP THE DEPOSIT AND ABOVE THE MAIN SILICIFIED ORE ZONE. ARGILLIC ALTERATION CONSISTS DOMINANTLY OF SMECTITE, OPAL-CT, QUARTZ AND LEUCOXENE, WITH MINOR MIXED LAYER ILLITE-SMECTITE AND/OR KAOLINITE PRESENT. UNOXIDIZED ARGILLIZED ROCKS ALSO CONTAIN 5-15% DISSEMINATED FINE GRAINED PYRITE AND/OR MARCASITE. ARGILLIZATION IS WELL DEVELOPED IN THE UPPER ANDESITES THAT OVERLIE THE MAIN SILICIFIED ZONE AND IN THE DACITE PORPHYRY BELOW THE MAIN SILICIFIED ZONE. BOTH ALUNITE-JAROSITE ALTERATION AND

Comment (Development): PRODUCTION CAPACITY: 1-3 MILLION TONNES/YR. EXPECTED TO HAVE A 10-YR LIFE. MILL HAS A DESIGN CAPACITY OF 4000 TPD. OVER THE MINE LIFE, THE STRIP RATIO WILL AVERAGE 1.5:1. DORE IS 96 WEIGHT % AG, 3.5 WEIGHT % AU. A TOTAL OF 185 PERSONS WERE EMPLOYED BY FMC AT PARADISE PEAK IN 1986. MINING CEASED: MAIN PIT-APRIL 1993; COUNTY LINE OREBODY-APRIL 1992; KETCHUP FLAT-AUGUST 1993. MILLING CEASED IN MAY 1993. PRODUCTION FROM ORE ON LEACH PADS WILL CEASE IN 1994. DEPOSIT/OREBODIES MINED OUT (READ, ORAL COMM.).

Comment (Location): UTM IS TO SAMPLE SITE 1472 ON DISCOVERY SITE HILL. ELEVATION TO TOP BENCH OF MINE. . INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1972); PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = TONOPAH (1971) 1:250000; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = GRANNY GOOSE WELL (1980) 1:24000

References

Reference (Deposit): JOHN, D., THOMASON, R., AND MCKEE, E., 1989, GEOLOGY AND K-AR GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE PARADISE PEAK MINE AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF PRE-BASIN AND RANGE EXTENSION TO EARLY MIOCENE PRECIOUS METAL MINERALIZATION IN WEST-CENTRAL NEVADA: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, VOL. 84, P. 631-649.

Reference (Deposit): RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL, OCT 1985, "BIG GOLD, SILVER DEPOSIT DISCOVERED NEAR GABBS.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG MINING DISTRICT FILE 227, MANY PRESS CLIPPINGS, 1984-1986, ITEMS 19, 20

Reference (Deposit): NBMG REPT 41, 1986, PRECIOUS METAL MINERALIZATION IN HOT SPRINGS SYSTEMS

Reference (Deposit): NBMG MI-1985, 1986, P. 6, 8.

Reference (Deposit): ROCKY MOUNTAIN PAY DIRT, APRIL 1988, P. 124

Reference (Deposit): THOMASON, R. E., 1986, GEOLOGY OF THE PARADISE PEAK GOLD/SILVER DEPOSIT IN TINGLEY , J.V. AND BONHAM, H. F., PRECIOUS METAL MINERALIZATION IN HOT-SPRINGS SYSTEMS, NEVADA-CALIFORNIA, NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY REPORT 41, P. 90-92

Reference (Deposit): BONHAM, H.F., JR., 11 SEP 84, NBMG FIELD EXAMINATION REPORT AND SAMPLE ANALYSIS

Reference (Deposit): THOMASON, ROBERT, E., F.M.C., 1986, G.S.N. LECTURE ON PARADISE PEAK GOLD DEPOSIT.

Reference (Deposit): JOHN, D., NASH, J., CLARK, C., AND WULFTANGE, W., 1991, GEOLOGY, HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION, AND MINERALIZATION AT THE PARADISE PEAK GOLD-SILVER-MERCURY DEPOSIT, NYE COUNTY, NEVADA, IN RAINES, G.L., ET AL, EDS., GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GREAT BASIN, THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA, RENO, P. 1020-1050.

Reference (Deposit): DOBAK, P., 1988, ALTERATION AND PARAGENESIS OF THE PARADISE PEAK GOLD/SILVER DEPOSIT, UNPUBLISHED M.S. THESIS, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, 141 P.

Reference (Deposit): SKILLINGS, D., 1986, FMC'S PARADISE PEAK GOLD/SILVER MINE OFFICIALLY DEDICATED JUNE 28, SKILLINGS' MINING EVIEW, AUGUST 9, P. 4-7.

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1991, THE NEVADA MINERAL INDUSTRY - 1990, NBMG SPECIAL PUBLICATION MI-1990.

Reference (Deposit): JOHN, D. A., NASH, J.T., CLARK, C.W.,WULFTANGE,W.H., 1990, GEOLOGY OF THE PARADISE PEAK DEPOSIT, IN BUFFA, R. ED, GUIDEBOOK FOR FIELD TRIPS: GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA SYMPOSIUM, BULK MINEABLE PRECIOUS DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN U.S., FIELDTRIP 11, RENO

Reference (Deposit): BONHAM, H.F. AND HESS, R.H., 1990, BULK-MINEABLE PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS IN NEVADA MINING INDUSTRY , NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, MI-89

Reference (Deposit): FMC GOLD, ANNUAL REPORTS, 1987,88,89

Reference (Deposit): NEVADA MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES DATA BASE, NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY DB7

Reference (Deposit): THOMASON, R.E., 1987, GEOLOGY OF THE PARADISE PEAK GOLD/SILVER DEPOSIT IN JOHNSON, J.L. ED, GUIDEBOOK FOR FIELD TRIPS: GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEVADA SYMPOSIUM, BULK MINEABLE PRECIOUS DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN U.S., RENO, P. 250-253

Reference (Deposit): READ, MIKE, 1993, ORAL COMMUNICATION ON STATUS OF PARADISE PEAK OPERATIONS FROM FMC GOLD'S PARADISE PEAK MINE, 4 AUGUST, 1993

Reference (Deposit): MINING MAGAZINE, JANUARY 1989, P44

Reference (Deposit): NBMG, 1994, MI-1993

Reference (Deposit): NEVADA DIVISION OF MINERALS, 1994

Reference (Production): (2) FMC, 1989, ANNUAL REPORT (4)FMC, 1988, ANNUAL REPT (5)FMC ANNUAL REPT, 1987 (6) DB7, (7) NBMG, 1991, THE NEVADA MINERAL INDUSTRY - 1990, NBMG SPECIAL PUBLICATION MI-1990 NBMG MI-1993

Reference (Reserve-Resource): THOMASON, R. (1986), ORAL COMMUNICATION (2) FMC, 1989, ANNUAL REPT (3) JOHN, 1990 (4)FMC, 1988, ANNUAL REPT (5)FMC, 1987, ANNUAL REPT (4)FMC, 1988 ANNUAL REPT NBMG MI-1993

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.