Gasquet Laterite

The Gasquet Laterite is a chromium, cobalt, magnesite, and nickel mine located in Del Norte county, California at an elevation of 328 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: Gasquet Laterite

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Primary: Cobalt
Primary: Magnesite
Primary: Nickel
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Manganese
Secondary: Zinc

Location

State: California
County: Del Norte

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

Type: Located Claim

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Cook International, Inc.
Percent: 10.00
Info Year: 1984

Owner Name: California Nickel Corp
Percent: 90.00
Home Office: California
Info Year: 1984

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Deposit Type: laterite
Plant Type: Leach
Plant Subtype: Hydromet
Operation Type: Unknown
Mining Method: Unknown
Milling Method: Hydrometallurgy Unspecified
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Chalcedony
Unknown: Talc
Unknown: Serpentine
Unknown: Montmorillonite
Unknown: Limonite
Unknown: Hematite
Unknown: Goethite
Unknown: Garnierite
Unknown: Chromite
Unknown: Wad

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THE PROPERTY NAME -GASQUET LATERITE- DESCRIBES THE LATERITE AREAS ON GASQUET MTN AND HIGH DIVIDE CONTROLLED BY CALIFORNIA NICKEL CORP. LOCATION IS POINT OF ENTRY TO PROPERTY, AT TURNOFF FROM US HIGHWAY 199, WEST OF GASQUET, CA. *** UPDATE 5/27/87 *** ACCORDING TO A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH MR. TODD LLOYD OF CAL-NICKEL, THE STATE WATER QUALITY BOARD WILL NOT ISSUE A PERMIT FOR THE PILOT PLANT. THEREFORE PLANS FOR OPENING AND OPERATING EITHER THE MINE OR MILL ARE ON HOLD. CAL-NICKEL WILL MAINTAIN THEIR CLAIMS, AND WHEN THE PRICE OF NICKEL GOES UP TO APPROPRIATE LEVELS WILL ONCE AGAIN ATTEMPT AN OPERATION AT THIS LOCATION. ***

Comment (Names): CONTAINS AREAS ON GASQUET MTN CONTROLLED BY CALIFORNIA NICKEL CORP, A SUBSID. OF NI-CAL DEVELOPMENTS LTD. SOME OF SURROUNDING LATERITES ARE: JUDY, DAN, CAM, CAM EXT., AND LOWER ELK CAMP RIDGE.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): AN ADDITIONAL 6.6 MMT RESOURCES ARE CONSIDERED POSSIBLE.

Comment (Ownership): CALIFORNIA NICKEL CORP. IS A SUBSIDIARY OF NI-CAL DEVELOPMENTS LTD. (A CANADIAN FIRM).

Comment (Economic Factors): THE AVERAGE MINE OUTPUT NEEDED TO SUPPLY THE MILL IS 3934 T/D OF SCREENED AND DRIED MATERIAL. ACTUAL RUN-OF-MINE MATERIAL TO BE STOCKPILED WILL BE 9670 T/D.

Comment (Geology): LATERITE SHOULD BE A MINERAL ENTRY; IT IS PROCESSED FOR COMMODITY CONTENT. SAPROLITE SHOULD BE A MINERAL ENTRY; IT IS PROCESSED FOR COMMODITY CONTENT. RECENT RESEARCH INDICATES MOST OF THE NICKEL (AND PRESUMABLY THE COBALT) IS INCLUDED IN THE GOETHITE LATTICE. NICKEL AND COBALT ARE RELEASED FROM THE PARENT MINERALS AND RECOMBINED IN THE IRON OXIDES. OLIVINE IS THE PROBABLE SOURCE OF NICKEL. SOURCE OF COBALT IS UNKNOWN.

Comment (Geology): UNSPEC SEDIMENTARY FOR LACK OF AN APPROPRIATE ENTRY FOR LATERITE. LATERITIC SOIL COMPOSED OF HYDROUS FE-OXIDES, CLAY MINERALS, WAD, AND POSSIBLE GARNIERITE WITH RESIDUAL SILICA AND CHROMITE. SAPROLITE, THE CLAY-RICH WEATHERED HOST ROCK, IS A SIGNIFICANT, BUT VARIABLE, PERCENTAGE OF THE RESOURCE. CANNOT BE ENTERED IN L DATA SET. THE SHAPE OF THE LATERITE AREAS IS GENERALLY TABULAR, BOTTOM IS HIGHLY IRREGULAR.

References

Reference (Deposit): THE (PORTLAND) OREGONIAN, U.S. CLOSES NICKEL-COBALT MINE, APRIL 18, 1984.

Reference (Deposit): AMERICAN METAL MARKET, PENTAGON CASH INFUSION SEEN RESURRECTING COBALT PROJECTS, MAY 3, 1984.

Reference (Deposit): E & MJ, BRITISH COLUMBIA-NI-CAL DEVELOPMENTS OF VANCOUVER, B.C..., FEB. 17, 1984, P. 8.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA MINING JOURNAL, $300 MILLION COBALT MINE TO OPEN IN CALIFORNIA, JULY, 1983, P. 38.

Reference (Deposit): MINING JOURNAL, NI-CAL PLANS DEMONSTRATION PLANT, FEB 27, 1984.

Reference (Deposit): NEW MEXICO PAVDIRT, CALIF. NICKEL-COBALT PROJECT SEEKS AIR FORCE CONTRACT, DEC., 1983, P. 24A AND 25A.

Reference (Deposit): MCKINNEY, HOWARD, U.S. BUMINES PEFR ON GASQUET LATERITE, OCT 1980.

Reference (Deposit): ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT GASQUET MTN PROJECT, DEL NORTE CO., CALIF., CALIFORNIA NICKEL CORPORATION, UNDATED.

Reference (Deposit): RICE,S.J.; NICKEL -IN- MINERAL COMMODITIES OF CALIFORNIA; CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES BULLETIN 176, P 391-399, 1957.

Reference (Deposit): COUNTY OF DEL NORTE, CALIF., AND U.S. FOREST SERVICE, DRAFT

Reference (Deposit): CONDENSED FACT SHEET, APRIL, 1983.

Reference (Deposit): APPLING,R.N.,JR; A RECONNAISSANCE OF NICKEL DEPOSITS OF SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA; USBM INTERIM REPORT, 1955.

Reference (Deposit): CAL-NICKEL CORP., REVISED OPERATIONAL MINE PLAN, GASQUET MTN PROJECT, MARCH 17, 1982.

Reference (Deposit): CAL-NICKEL CORP., THE GASQUET MTN NICKEL, COBALT, CHROMIUM PROJECT, UNPUBLISHED, 1979, 14 P.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): CALIFORNIA NICKEL CORP. (PETE STROUD); PERSONAL COMMUNICATION ON RESOURCE CALCULATIONS; JULY 24, 1979.

Reference (Production): PHILLIPS, T.A.; AN ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF A PROPOSED TECHNIQUE TO RECOVER A CHROMIUM CONCENTRATE FROM LATERITE PROCESSING RESIDUE; USBM PROCESS EVALUATION STAFF, 19 P, APRIL 1980

Reference (Geology): HOTZ, P.E.; NICKELIFEROUS LATERITES IN SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA; ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, VOL 59, NO 3, P 355-396, MAY 1964.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PERSONAL COMMUNICATION ON RESOURCE CALCULATIONS;

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.