Palo Alto Mine

The Palo Alto Mine is a copper mine located in Elko county, Nevada at an elevation of 5,850 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: Palo Alto Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Nevada
County: Elko
District: Contact (48)

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Nevada Copper Co.
Years: 1968 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1894
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Columbia Plateau
Physiographic Section: Snake River Plain

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: TABULAR, PINCH & SWELL

Structure

Type: L
Description: Granodiorite Stock With Assoc. Faults, Fractures

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): SHAFTS, DRIFTS, STOPES, ETC.

Comment (Geology): THE ORE BODIES ARE IN A SMALL FISSURE VEIN IN ONE OF THE GRANODIORITE TONGUES. QUARTZ VEINS (STRIKE N 60 E DIP 70 SE).

Comment (Deposit): MINE DISCOVERED IN 1894-95 (SCHRADER, 1912, P 120). IT IS WELL DEVELOPED BY SHAFTS, DRIFTS, STOPES, ETC. THE VEIN (MOSTLY PINCHED AND INTERRUPTED) IS AN EASTERN CONTINUATION OF THE MAIN VEIN OF THE NEVADA-BELLEVUE MINE THE VEIN ARERAGES 4 FEET IN WIDTH. THE MINE PRODUCED ABOUT 1700 TONS OF ORE. MOST OF THE 300 TONS PRODUCED PRIOR TO 1910 AVERAGED ABOUT 30 % COPPER, $3.00 IN GOLD, AND 8 OZ. SILVER TO THE TON. PRODUCTION IN 1914 AND 1928 RAN 5 % CA AND 3 OZ. SILVER TO THE TON. (SCHRADER, 1935, P 26) MINERAL SURVEY 3959 ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Production): 1700 TONS ORE PRODUCED. MOST OF THE 300 TONS PRODUCED PRIOR TO 1910 AVERAGED ABOUT 30% CU, $3/T. AU, 8 OZ/TON AG. PRODUCTION IN 1914 AND 1928 RAN 5% CU AND 3 OZ/T. AG.

Comment (Development): PRODUCTION YEARS-PRE 1910, 1914 AND 1928.

Comment (Deposit): ORE BODIES IN SMALL FISSURE VEIN IN ONE OF THE GRANODIORITE TONGUES.

References

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, R.M. (1976) MINERAL RESOURCES OF ELKO CO., NEV: USGS OFR 76-56, P 39-45

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, F.C. (1912) A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE JARBIDGE, CONTACT, AND ELK MT. MINING DISTRICTS, ELKO CO, NEVADA, USGS BULL 497, P 99-150

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, F.C. (1935) THE CONTACT MINING DISTRICT, NEVADA: USGS BULL 847-A

Reference (Deposit): HOPE, R.A. & COATS, R.R. (1976) PRELIM. GEOLOGIC MAP OF ELKO CO., NEV: USGS OFR 76-779.

Reference (Production): SCHRADER, F.C. (1935)

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.