Green Springs Mine

The Green Springs Mine is a gold mine located in White Pine county, Nevada at an elevation of 6,594 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

Name: Green Springs Mine  

State:  Nevada

County:  White Pine

Elevation: 6,594 Feet (2,010 Meters)

Commodity: Gold

Lat, Long: 39.14139, -115.55361

Map: View on Google Maps

Satelite View

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Satelite image of the Green Springs Mine

Green Springs Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Green Springs Mine
Secondary: C orebody
Secondary: D orebody
Secondary: North C orebody


Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Iron
Tertiary: Barium-Barite


Location

State: Nevada
County: White Pine
District: White Pine 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.
Administrative Organization: BLM Ely Administration District


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Not available


Ownership

Owner Name: Dakota Mining Corp.
Info Year: 1997

Owner Name: U.S. Minerals Exploration, Inc. (USMX) during productive years
Info Year: 1997


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: DISSEMINATED
Operation Type: Surface
Year First Production: 1988
Year Last Production: 1991
Discovery Year: 1986
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

Not available


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Sediment-hosted Au


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: L
Description: In the mine area, three prominent sets of nearly vertical faults have been mapped, trending north-northeast, east-northeast, and northwest. The north-northeast set parallels the present range front, a conspicuous topographic lineament which corresponds to the main ore trend, the major fold axes, and the bonanza silver veins of the Treasure Hill mine. Northeast- and northwest- striking faults are both pre- and post-ore. Offsets on these faults generally measure only a few meters.

Type: R
Description: North-trending folds; Green Springs Thrust Fault.


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Rocks in the mine area have been silicified and argillized. Silicification in the form of bedding- controlled jasperoid is on a district scale and is not a guide to the proximity of ore. Argillization is structurally controlled and is widespread in both productive and unmineralized areas. Within the ore zones, gold grades are independent of the intensity of argillization. Argillization is comprised of 7a-halloysite, kaolinite, and sericite. Argillization postdates silicification.


Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Mississippian
Age Old: Early Mississippian


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Scorodite
Gangue: Stibiconite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Sphalerite
Gangue: Galena


Comments

Comment (Workings): The mine is developed by 3 open pits and a heap leach facility all covering approximately 115 acres. The pits are called: Area C North Pit, Area C South Pit, and Area D Pit. The UTMs given above are for the C pit, the largest of the surface workings at Green Springs.

Comment (Development): The claims were staked in 1979 by USMX, covering a 4 km long north-trending band of jasperoids. From 1980 to 1986, the property was explored by five joint venture partners using the Pilot Formation "Alligator Ridge" deposit model. Approximately 75 holes were drilled during this period, in addition to geologic mapping (1:4800) and grid soil and rock geochemistry. Results were discouraging and the joint venture was terminated. In 1986, USMX elected to explore the property without joint venture partners. The Pilot Formation-hosted model was abandoned in favor of a Chainman Formation-hosted model. The fourth hole of the June, 1986 drilling program intersected 21 meters of 1.9 grams per ton gold starting at a depth of 3 meters below the surface. Over the next 12 months, approximately 350 holes were drilled on a 15 by 30 meter grid, which delineated two orebodies and identified 3 other mineralized zones. The most successful exploration tool at Green Springs was grid soil geochemistry. The mine was operated with a stripping ratio of 2.7:1 and a cutoff grade of 0.7 grams/ton. Gold recovery of 80% was achieved using heap leach technology. Dore produced was is 84% Au, 14% Ag. Mining was completed in June 1990; heap leaching continued through 1990 and into 1991. Former owner USMX merged with Dakota Mining Corp. in May 1997, but it is uncertain if they still had Green Springs at that time.

Comment (Economic Factors): In 1988, reserves were reported to be 1.25 Million tons grading 0.06 opt Au, with an additional possible resource of 500,000 tons grading 0.036 opt Au. The mine produced from 1988 to 1991 and was reportedly mined out in 1992. Total production reported from 1988 to 1991 was 63,000 ounces of gold and 9000 ounces of silver, but silver was not reported for all years.

Comment (Geology): The majority of the ore is hosted by the lower limestone unit of the Chainman Shale.

Comment (Location): UTM is centered on C pit, the largest of the workings.

Comment (Deposit): The deposit consists of 4 separate mineralized zones. Gold occurs on limonitic fractures.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Materials: gold

Comment (Commodity): Gangue Materials: limonite, scorodite, stibiconite, barite, jarosite(?), pyrite, trace sphalerite and galena


References

Reference (Deposit): NBMG mining district file 344, numerous press clippings.

Reference (Deposit): Scoping document for US Minerals Exploration Co.'s proposed Green Springs Mine development, NBMG file White Pine general, item 63, 1987.

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, W.R., Cox, J.W., Lance, D.L., 1991, Geology and geochemistry of the Green Springs Gold Mine, White Pine County, Nevada, in Raines, G.L., et al., eds., Geology and ore deposits of the Great Basin, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 687-700.

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

Reference (Deposit): Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 p., one 3.5 inch diskette.


Nevada Gold

Gold Districts of Nevada

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.