Basis for focus area |
Deposit types are metallic-lode deposits including intrusive complexes, carbonate replacements, veins in igneous rocks, skarns, disseminated deposits hosted by intrusives. Historical production was from Au-Ag telluride quartz veins. |
Identified resources |
Identified resources for gold. Historical production of gold, silver, and base metals. |
Production |
Unknown. |
Status |
Past mining. |
Estimated resources |
Gies mine (1990): Demonstrated reserves of 43,545 mt of ore with a grade of 9.3g/mt Au. |
Geologic maps |
Goddard (1988), scale 1:31,680. |
Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
Favorable rocks and structures |
Intrusive rocks associated with the gold telluride veins. Alkali-calcic suite: quartz monzonite, monzonite, quartz diorite, diorite, syenite and rhyolite. Alkaline suite: alkali gabbro, syenite, ijolitic rocks, gray tinguaite, green tinguaite, carbonatite (?) with associated fenite and alkali granite. |
Deposits |
Gies mine (MRDS dep_id: 10196569), Spotted Horse mine (MRDS dep_id: 10071386), Maginnis mine (MRDS dep_id: 10071340). |
Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS. |
Geochemical evidence |
Minor Te, V, and Zn which are known to occur in gold telluride veins in the focus area. |
Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
Evidence from other sources |
None. |
Comments |
A variety of telluride minerals are found in the gold veins. In other districts Te is recovered as a byproduct of gold mining. The intrusions could also be a source for other critical minerals. Even though critical minerals were not produced there is a possibility that the intrusions associated with the gold telluride veins could be a source of critical minerals. The remaining gold-telluride veins could be a source for Te and V. Deposit type tentatively classified as low sulfidation on the basis of V and F occurrences in the focus area. Occurrence of Bi, Ga, Ge, and In are possible in this mineral system/deposit type table (Hofstra and Kreiner, 2020), but more information is required to determine their abundances in this focus area. |
Cover thickness and description |
Exposed at the surface. |
Authors |
Stanley L. Korzeb, Kaleb C. Scarberry, Jay A. Gunderson, Joshua M. Rosera, Allen K. Andersen. |
New data needs |
High resolution geophysics, whole-rock geochemistry for all critical minerals, geologic mapping, lidar. |
Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
1:24,000 scale geologic mapping. |
Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar in progress only over western third; rest has no lidar coverage. |