Wildcat claim, Farrell Mining District, Pershing County, Nevada, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Wildcat claim | Claim |
| Farrell Mining District | Mining District |
| Pershing County | County |
| Nevada | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
40° 33' 2'' North , 118° 44' 50'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Wildcat Mine, Tag-Wildcat prospect, Hero/Tag orebody, Main orebody, Northeast orebody, Knob 32 orebody, Monarch Mines, Monarch Group, S. S. Claims, Warmoth, Big Hero claim, Little Hero claim, Wildcat claim, Jaybird claim, NBMG Sample Sites 1482, 1484, 1485, 2810, 2811, 2812
Structure: N30W 75NE shear zone and a N55E, 80NW shear zone .
Alteration: Alteration of host rocks consists of silicification, bleaching, and kaolinization.
Commodity: Ore Materials: native gold, electrum, silver sulfides Gangue Materials: quartz, iron oxides
Deposit: The Wildcat property contains a structurally controlled epithermal gold deposit. Gold and silver mineralization has been identified in four areas: Hero/Tag, Main, Northeast, and Knob 32. Gold mineralization occurs with low-temperature silica, chalcedony, and pyrite. The Main, Northeast, and Knob 32 appear to be part of the Hero/Tag deposit, though structurally displaced. The four deposits have generally similar geology and mineralization. Mineralization is spatially associated with the contact between the granodiorite and the overlying tuff. The principal low-grade zone that essentially encompassed all the mineralization is tabular and dips gently to the southeast. There appear to be two main styles of mineralization based on mapping, sampling, and statistics. There is a broad, low-grade zone surrounding higher-grade material. The principal host is the tuff in which the low-grade is represented by pervasive and intense silicification. The underlying granodiorite also contains a low-grade disseminated style of mineralization with highergrade silicified breccias occurring generally as stockwork within it. The granodiorite generally has higher grade and generally is not silicified. Any silicification is restricted to adjacent veins and veinlets, occasionally being discrete veins as were exploited historically but also producing a large-tonnage stockwork. All of the tuff is altered by the epithermal solutions, however, much of granodiorite is unaltered and fresh. Workings at the upper Wildcat shaft expose a N55E, 80NW shear zone which cuts highly kaolinized rhyolite. Rhyolitic breccias outcrop to east of mine area. Breccias exposed on peaks and ridges to the east resemble flow breccias rather than intrusive or hydrothermal breccias; all are, however, silicified. In outcrop the breccias form elongate ridges parallel to silicified shear zones. Pods of white chalcedonic quartz are seen in some breccias. Vein material at the Wildcat dump contains dark bands of fine-grained sulfides and some free gold, the vein being composed of brecciated chalcedonic quartz cemented by silica. SE of the Wildcat Shaft, old workings expose a N30W 75NE shear zone in altered granodiorite wallrock laced with randomly oriented iron-oxide stained fractures; rock is kaolinized. Flow rock seen at upper Wildcat Shaft overlies the granodiorite; the rhyolite may be plugs cutting granodiorite. One adit and dump are in the upper rhyolite breccia, and other adits are collared in granodiorite, near the contact with the overlying rhyolite. Some hornfelsed contact material has wispy lenses of free gold in a matrix of silver sulfides. Ore deposits occur in a network of veins and veinlets paralleling dikes and fissures in rhyolite. They have a general N-S trend but the vein system is crossed by faults and cross stringers. Veins consist of soft crushed material in brecciated zones filled with quartz.
Deposit type: Epithermal vein, Comstock
Development: Gold was discovered in Stonehouse Canyon in 1863 near the small town of Farrell, although there was no development until 1905. Some of the mines in the district were very rich, with the Wihuja Mine reportedly averaging $100,000/ton. The district was active between 1907 and 1962, with the years 1908-1916 having the most production. In the 1980's, several companies explored the deposit, completing about 16,000 ft of drilling. Homestake Mining Company staked claims in the area in 1982. In September 1984 Homestake and Touchstone Resources of Salt Lake City were conducting an extensive drilling program with new roads and drill pads all the way to the top of the mountain. Homestake Mining Company held the ground but was leasing it to Touchstone at the time. Lac Minerals acquired the Wildcat Project in 1992 and conducted a significant amount of exploration mapping, sampling, geophysics and the majority of the drilling on the property, and identified a large low-grade gold deposit on the property. Sagebrush Exploration worked on the project in the period of 1996-1998 completing additional drilling. Vista Gold Corp. completed the purchase of a 100% interest in the Wildcat property from three property owners in October, 2003. Resource studies were performed for Vista by Mine Development Associates of Reno, Nevada, an independent consulting firm, in October 2003 using industry-standard block modeling software on data from 1 underground channel sample, 245 reverse circulation drill holes and 11 diamond drill holes totaling 95,466 feet. Based on the studies, gold resources above a 0.010 opt gold cut-off grade for the Wildcat property are: Indicated resources of 38,108,300 short tons grading 0.018 ounces of gold per ton, for a total contained 679,800 ounces of gold. In addition, there is an inferred resource of 28,354,600 short tons grading 0.015 ounces of gold per ton, for a total contained 435,600 ounces of gold. Total endowment is 1,115,400 contained ounces of gold. The resources for the Wildcat deposit were first`calculated by Mine Development Associates (MDA) in 1994 and updated during 1998. No drilling on`the property has occurred since the 1998 resource estimate. Vista Gold says that numerous drill holes contain assay intervals up to 1.6 opt gold, indicating possible high-grade mineralization that needs to be drilled out, especially to the northwest and at depth from known mineralization.
Geology: The Seven Troughs Range is underlain by Triassic and Jurassic sedimentary rocks and has been intruded by Cretaceous granodiorite. Volcanic domes and plugs of rhyolite, quartz latite, trachyte, and andesite have been emplaced by Tertiary volcanism. Tertiary flows of pyroclastic debris, and vitrophyres of rhyolite, quartz latite, trachyte, and andesite composition blanket much of the area.
Ore(s): Ore deposition is controlled by a shear zone trending N55E, dipping 80NW.
Alteration: Alteration of host rocks consists of silicification, bleaching, and kaolinization.
Commodity: Ore Materials: native gold, electrum, silver sulfides Gangue Materials: quartz, iron oxides
Deposit: The Wildcat property contains a structurally controlled epithermal gold deposit. Gold and silver mineralization has been identified in four areas: Hero/Tag, Main, Northeast, and Knob 32. Gold mineralization occurs with low-temperature silica, chalcedony, and pyrite. The Main, Northeast, and Knob 32 appear to be part of the Hero/Tag deposit, though structurally displaced. The four deposits have generally similar geology and mineralization. Mineralization is spatially associated with the contact between the granodiorite and the overlying tuff. The principal low-grade zone that essentially encompassed all the mineralization is tabular and dips gently to the southeast. There appear to be two main styles of mineralization based on mapping, sampling, and statistics. There is a broad, low-grade zone surrounding higher-grade material. The principal host is the tuff in which the low-grade is represented by pervasive and intense silicification. The underlying granodiorite also contains a low-grade disseminated style of mineralization with highergrade silicified breccias occurring generally as stockwork within it. The granodiorite generally has higher grade and generally is not silicified. Any silicification is restricted to adjacent veins and veinlets, occasionally being discrete veins as were exploited historically but also producing a large-tonnage stockwork. All of the tuff is altered by the epithermal solutions, however, much of granodiorite is unaltered and fresh. Workings at the upper Wildcat shaft expose a N55E, 80NW shear zone which cuts highly kaolinized rhyolite. Rhyolitic breccias outcrop to east of mine area. Breccias exposed on peaks and ridges to the east resemble flow breccias rather than intrusive or hydrothermal breccias; all are, however, silicified. In outcrop the breccias form elongate ridges parallel to silicified shear zones. Pods of white chalcedonic quartz are seen in some breccias. Vein material at the Wildcat dump contains dark bands of fine-grained sulfides and some free gold, the vein being composed of brecciated chalcedonic quartz cemented by silica. SE of the Wildcat Shaft, old workings expose a N30W 75NE shear zone in altered granodiorite wallrock laced with randomly oriented iron-oxide stained fractures; rock is kaolinized. Flow rock seen at upper Wildcat Shaft overlies the granodiorite; the rhyolite may be plugs cutting granodiorite. One adit and dump are in the upper rhyolite breccia, and other adits are collared in granodiorite, near the contact with the overlying rhyolite. Some hornfelsed contact material has wispy lenses of free gold in a matrix of silver sulfides. Ore deposits occur in a network of veins and veinlets paralleling dikes and fissures in rhyolite. They have a general N-S trend but the vein system is crossed by faults and cross stringers. Veins consist of soft crushed material in brecciated zones filled with quartz.
Deposit type: Epithermal vein, Comstock
Development: Gold was discovered in Stonehouse Canyon in 1863 near the small town of Farrell, although there was no development until 1905. Some of the mines in the district were very rich, with the Wihuja Mine reportedly averaging $100,000/ton. The district was active between 1907 and 1962, with the years 1908-1916 having the most production. In the 1980's, several companies explored the deposit, completing about 16,000 ft of drilling. Homestake Mining Company staked claims in the area in 1982. In September 1984 Homestake and Touchstone Resources of Salt Lake City were conducting an extensive drilling program with new roads and drill pads all the way to the top of the mountain. Homestake Mining Company held the ground but was leasing it to Touchstone at the time. Lac Minerals acquired the Wildcat Project in 1992 and conducted a significant amount of exploration mapping, sampling, geophysics and the majority of the drilling on the property, and identified a large low-grade gold deposit on the property. Sagebrush Exploration worked on the project in the period of 1996-1998 completing additional drilling. Vista Gold Corp. completed the purchase of a 100% interest in the Wildcat property from three property owners in October, 2003. Resource studies were performed for Vista by Mine Development Associates of Reno, Nevada, an independent consulting firm, in October 2003 using industry-standard block modeling software on data from 1 underground channel sample, 245 reverse circulation drill holes and 11 diamond drill holes totaling 95,466 feet. Based on the studies, gold resources above a 0.010 opt gold cut-off grade for the Wildcat property are: Indicated resources of 38,108,300 short tons grading 0.018 ounces of gold per ton, for a total contained 679,800 ounces of gold. In addition, there is an inferred resource of 28,354,600 short tons grading 0.015 ounces of gold per ton, for a total contained 435,600 ounces of gold. Total endowment is 1,115,400 contained ounces of gold. The resources for the Wildcat deposit were first`calculated by Mine Development Associates (MDA) in 1994 and updated during 1998. No drilling on`the property has occurred since the 1998 resource estimate. Vista Gold says that numerous drill holes contain assay intervals up to 1.6 opt gold, indicating possible high-grade mineralization that needs to be drilled out, especially to the northwest and at depth from known mineralization.
Geology: The Seven Troughs Range is underlain by Triassic and Jurassic sedimentary rocks and has been intruded by Cretaceous granodiorite. Volcanic domes and plugs of rhyolite, quartz latite, trachyte, and andesite have been emplaced by Tertiary volcanism. Tertiary flows of pyroclastic debris, and vitrophyres of rhyolite, quartz latite, trachyte, and andesite composition blanket much of the area.
Ore(s): Ore deposition is controlled by a shear zone trending N55E, dipping 80NW.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
2 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au |
| ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum Formula: (Au,Ag) |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold var. Electrum | 1.AA.05 | (Au,Ag) |
| ⓘ | 1.AA.05 | Au | |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| O | Oxygen | |
|---|---|---|
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10310463 |
|---|---|
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10042429 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Auld Lang Syne BasinBasin
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Golconda-Roberts Mountain DomainDomain
- Havallah BasinBasin
- Northern Basin and RangeWide Rift
- West Nevada Permian-Triassic BasinBasin
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