Briggs Gold Mine

The Briggs Gold Mine is a gold mine located in Inyo county, California at an elevation of 1,900 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: Briggs Gold Mine
Secondary: Southern Homestake
Secondary: Grizzly Mine
Secondary: Southern Homestake Group
Secondary: Southern Homestake Mine
Secondary: North Briggs
Secondary: Goldtooth

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: California
County: Inyo
District: South Park

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

Type: Located Claim

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Franco-Nevada Mining (2% Nsr)
Home Office: Canada
Info Year: 1996

Owner Name: Cr Briggs Corp.
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1996

Owner Name: Canyon Resources Corp.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1996

Production

Year: 1996
Description: Estimated Ore Placed On Leach Pad 920000 Tons (St)
Year: 1996
Description: Gold Contained In Ore On Pad 35200 T Oz Gold
Year: 1996
Description: Estimated Gold Production 75000 Tr Oz/Yr Gold
Year: 1996
Description: Reported Ore Mined @ 0.043 Opt Au 798300 St Ore
Year: 1996
Description: Reported Silver Production 654 Tr Oz
Year: 1996
Description: Reported Gold Production 3417 Tr Oz
Year: 1997
Description: March 97 Ore On Leach Pad @ 0.036 Opt Au 1380000 St Ore

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Plant Type: Leach
Plant Subtype: Hydromet
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Heap Leach-Carbon Column-Merrill-Crowe
Year First Production: 1996
Discovery Year: 1989
Discovery Method: Other
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Great Basin

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): 6-9-97: PRIOR TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES WERE 21.9 MILLION TONS @ 0.030 OZ. THE STRIPPING RATIO @ BRIGGS IS 7.8-TO-1, @ GOLDTOOTH, 5.4-TO-1. THIS PROPERTY INCLUDES THE BRIGGS, NORTH BRIGGS AND GOLDTOOTH DEPOSITS. NOTE: THE OPEN PIT AND ASSOCIATED MINE OPERATIONS WILL DESTROY OLD ADITS, SHAFTS, AND PROSPECT PITS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF REDLANDS CANYON, AS SHOWN ON THE MANLY FALL 7.5-MIN. TOPO MAP. PROPERTY IS LISTED AS THE "SOUTHERN HOMESTAKE MINE" USGS-MRSD/ GSC LAT/LONG OF N355612/W1171052; LIST AS OF JUNE 94; ENTERED AS OF AUG. 95

Comment (Reserve-Resource): 10-26-96: CANYON BEGUN GOLD PRODUCTION. EST. MINEABLE RESERVES CONTAIN 731,000 OZ OF AU IN 24.3 MILLION TONS OF ORE WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 0.030 OZ OF AU/TON. DATE OF ESTIMATED RESERVES IS AS OF 01-01-97. ESTIMATED ANNUAL CAPACITY OF MINED AND CRUSHED ORE IS 3.5 MILLION ST P YR, (12000ST/D). ESTIMATED ANNUAL GOLD PRODUCTION IS BETWEEN 75,000 TO 90,000 T OZ/YR OVER A 7 YEAR LIFE. OVERALL SR OF 1.8 TO 1.0:

Comment (Economic Factors): $US24 MIL, DEVELOPMENT LOAN FROM BANQUE PARIBS, BAYERISHE VERE- INSBANK, & N.M. ROTHSCHILD. & $US10 MIL FROM CATERPILLAR FINANCE LINE OF CREDIT. SEVEN MONTH CONSTRUCTION PERIOD AT COST OF $US28 MIL. LATE 96. AT CAPACITY OF 75,000 OZ/YR FOR SEVEN YEARS.

Comment (Exploration): THROUGH THE END OF 1995, A TOTAL OF 192,643 FEET OF DRILLING IN 567 HOLES HAS BEEN COMPLETED AT BRIGGS FOR EXPLORATION, CONDEMNATION, METALLURGICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES. THE DEVELOPMENT DRILLING, ON APPROXIMATELY 100 FOOT CENTERS, HAS DEFINED 805,000 OUNCES OF GOLD, CONTAINED WITHIN 32.2 MILLION TONS OF MINERALIZED ROCK WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF .025 OUNCE OF GOLD PER TON, USING A CUTOFF GRADE OF .01 OUNCE OF GOLD PER TON.

References

Reference (Deposit): SOUTHWESTERN PAYDIRT, OCT. 1996, #688 P12.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL., 107, #43, OCT. 23, 1996, P1.

Reference (Deposit): THE MINING RECORD, VOL., 108, #9, FEB. 26, 1997, P3.

Reference (Deposit): MINING JOURNAL, 7/19/96, P42.

Reference (Deposit): PAY DIRT, #693, MARCH, 1997, P10.

Reference (Deposit): THE NORTHERN MINER, 6-9-97, P.11.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): CANYON RESOURCES CORPORATIONM 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, P10.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. BUR. LAND MANAGMENT, DEC. 1992, PLAN OF OPERATIONS,

Reference (Deposit): BRIGGS PROJECT, RIDGECREST RESOURCE AREA, RIDGECREST, CA.

Reference (Deposit): THE DENVER POST, 10-1-96, P9C.

Reference (Deposit): MINING ENGINEERING, 1993, VOL. 45, NO. 3, MARCH 1993, PP.

Reference (Deposit): 220, 227.

Reference (Deposit): MINING JOURNAL, 01/05/96, P6, "FINANCING IN PLACE FOR

Reference (Deposit): BRIGGS".

Reference (Reserve-Resource): CANYON RESOURCES CORPORATION, 1995 FORM 10-K REPOR, P13.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): SKILLINGS' MINING REVIEW. 10-26-96, P9.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): RANDOL DIRECTORY, 1993/1994, P. 163.

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.