Dixie Comstock Mine, Dixie Valley Mining District, Churchill County, Nevada, USAi

Regional Level Types
Dixie Comstock Mine	Mine
Dixie Valley Mining District	Mining District
Churchill County	County
Nevada	State
USA	Country

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Silver Gold
Structure: Mineralization occurs adjacent to an igneous contact. A roughly N-S-trending high-angle range-front fault cuts the host rocks near the mine area.

Alteration: Intense multiple phase silicification has occurred with minor adularization of the host rocks.

Commodity: Ore Materials: electrum; native silver; copper and lead sulfides Gangue Materials: Quartz, adularia, chloritoid

Deposit: Mineralization at the mine consists of well-developed stockworks transitional to hydrothermal breccias developed in the Stillwater Gabbro of Jurassic age. Mineralization is associated with intense multiple phase silicification with minor adularization, and consists of variable amounts of sulfides and gold. Mineralization may be genetically related to an adjacent igneous contact. Gold occurs as free grains of electrum ranging in size from 5-100 microns or larger. Minor amounts of native silver have also been reported. Sulfides occur as minor accessory minerals, but gold shows no strong correlation with such accessory sulfides and often appears to be very late in the paragenetic sequence. Assignment of USGS model based on mineralogy and stockwork nature of veining and ignoring the mafic intrusive host rock type.

Deposit type: Hot-spring Au-Ag

Development: Clyde Garrett discovered gold at Dixie Comstock in April 1934. Underground mining at that time was hindered by the intense heat and large volume of hot water intersected in the mine workings at less than 75 ft. depth. Through 1938, 8000 tons of gold ore had been treated with recovery of over $145,000. By 1940, a total of 1500 ft. of underground workings had been developed. Production continued to October 8, 1942 when the War Production Board issued its limitation order L-208. Cumulative production totaled 17,880 tons of Au-Ag ore for a combined value of $293,304. The Au:Ag ratio was 2:3 with a gold equivalent grade of 0.793 opt gold. During the period 1955-1970, various operators conducted trenching, drilling, and soil sampling programs. In 1970, the Mexican Gold and Silver Mining Company began open pit mining and removed 5000 yards of gravel overburden by year?s end. In September 1975, the first ore was shipped from this open pit operation. Approximately 86 short tons grading 2.26 opt Au and 2.43 opt Ag were trucked to the Southern Pacific railhead at Luning. Asarco Inc. leased the property 1983-1984 but dropped the lease because of the small size of the deposit and the strip ratio. Santa Fe Mining, Inc. leased the property in 1986 and completed 65 reverse circulation drill holes which largely defined the present orebody. In 1990, Horizon Gold Corporation purchased the Dixie Comstock lease agreement from Santa Fe Mining, Inc. and began feasibility studies for an open pit operation. Plans for this pit include a strip ratio of 2.4:1 and a production rate of 8000 tons of ore per day. Dore product was expected to consist of approx. 50% Au and 50% Ag. In 1995, Atlas entered into an option on the Dixie Comstock project with Horizon Resources Corp. No new production has resulted from the deposit since its delineation in 1990.

Geology: Mineralization at the mine consists of well-developed stockworks transitional to hydrothermal breccias in the Stillwater Gabbro of Jurassic age. The host rock has been subjected to intense multiple phase silicification with minor adularization, and contains variable amounts of sulfides and gold.

Ore(s): Mineralization occurs adjacent to an igneous contact to which it may be genetically related.

Mineral List

15 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded