Dernan Property

Past Producer in Humboldt county in Nevada, United States with commodities Tungsten, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Molybdenum, Gold, Zinc, Lead, Titanium, Metal, Barium-Barite, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Nickel

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10037016
MRDS ID M030031
Record type Site
Current site name Dernan Property
Alternate or previous names Reilly Mine, NBMG Sample Site 2613
Related records 10222483

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -117.25036, 41.18071 (WGS84)
Elevation 1722
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 40 MILES NE OF WINNEMUCCA
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Humboldt

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 038N 042E 09 Nevada

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tungsten Primary
Iron Secondary
Manganese Secondary
Copper Tertiary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Gold Tertiary
Zinc Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Titanium, Metal Tertiary
Barium-Barite Tertiary
Beryllium Tertiary
Bismuth Tertiary
Cobalt Tertiary
Nickel Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • 1943-1944, 80,000 TONS ORE AVG. 0.63% WO3=50,400 UNITS WO3; 1945, 8500 TONS ORE AVG. 0.70% WO3=5950 UNITS WO3; 1952-1955, 264,600 TONS ORE AVG. 0.57% WO3 = 150,822 UNITS WO3. PRODUCTION FROM 1945 TO 1948 IS UNKNOWN, BUT IT WAS SUBSTANTIAL, AS THE RILEY MINE WAS NEVADA'S 2ND LARGEST PRODUCER OF TUNGSTEN CONCENTRATES IN 1947.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Scheelite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Garnet Gangue
Pyroxene Gangue
Wollastonite Gangue

Analytical data

Result . SAMPLE 2613 OF PALE AMBER GARNET SKARN WITH SUBHEDRAL GARNET, SCHEELITE SPECKS, CHALCOPYRITE, MOLYBDENITE, CONTA-INS +20 % FE, 1% MG, +20 % CA, 0.07 % TI, +5000 PPM MN, 2 PPM -AG, 30 PPM B, 20 PPM BA, 1.5 PPM BE, 20 PPM BI, 10 PPM CO, 100-0 PPM CU, 1000 PPM MO, 5 PPM NI, 50 PPM PB, 150 PPM SN, 1000 P-PM V, 5000 PPM W.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 42
USGS model code 14a
Deposit model name W skarn

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Preble Formation;Preble Formation;Preble Formation;Osgood Mountains Stock
    Rock description Preble Formation;Preble Formation;Preble Formation;Osgood Mountains Stock
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -117.25036, 41.18071

Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Getchell Fault Cuts S. End Of Ore Body
Local Fault Along Front Of Range

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR, ALONG IGNEOUS CONTACT
    Strike NNW
    Dip 40E
    Thickness 3.05M
    Width 243.84M
    Length 487.68M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Tactite Zone Near Granodiorite Contact

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE GRANODIORITE CONTACT TRENDS GENERALLY NORTH: THE "EAST VEIN" EXTENDS ALONG THE GRANODIORITE CONTACT FOR ABOUT 1600 FEET AT SURFACE, MINED ON BOTH RILEY AND RILEY EXTENSION PROPERTIES. THE MAIN ORE BODY WAS A TABULAR TACTITE BODY MINED FOR APPROX. 800 FT. DOWN DIP, AVERAGING 10 FT. THICK. THE SHEAR ZONE EXPOSED IN THE CUTS AT THE RILEY MINE CONTAIN SEVERAL TENS OF FEET OF MARGINAL GOLD ORE (GETCHELL-TYPE). TUNGSTEN ORE BODIES ARE LOCALIZED IN "TROUGHS" FORMED BY JOGS IN THE ATTITUDE OF THE IG NEOUS/SE DIMENTARY CONTACT. THERE ARE 4 SUCH DISTINCT ORE BODIES.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both metallic and non-metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1915
Year of first production 1942

Mining district

District name Potosi District; Getchell District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Union Carbide
    First year 1964

Production statistics

  • Year 1955
    Period 1943-1955
    Material WO3
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.53-0.7 % Wo3
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Wo3 Tungsten Tungsten 1wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • OVER 206,000 UNITS WO3 PRODUCED FROM 1943-1945 AND 1952-1955, PLUS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT PRODUCED FROM 1945-1948.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1945
    Total resources 262,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Tungsten Wo3 0.7 wt-pct Tungsten Major 1945

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTION FROM 1945 TO 1957 TOTALLED ABOUT 430000 TONS ORE YIELDING 280000 UNITS WO3, WHICH WOULD HAVE- DEPLETED MOST OF THESE RESERVES, BUT A SMALL TONNAGE OF ORE R-EMAINED UNMINED BELOW THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE MINE AND BETWEEN- THAT LEVEL WORKINGS AND THE ADJACENT RILEY EXTENSION PROPERTY- LINE

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 243.84M

Comments on the workings information

  • 8 PITS

Comments on development

  • THE PROPERTY CONSISTS OF 80 ACRES OF PATENTED GROUND THAT IS PART OF THE TOM DERNAN ESTATE. IT WAS LEASED TO MR. J-. E. RILEY OF RENO IN THE FALL OF 1942 AND WAS DEVELOPED AND -OPERATED BY HIM IN 1943-1944, YIELDING ABOUT 80000 TONS ORE AV-ERAGING 0.53 % WO3, THAT WAS SOLD TO METALS RESERVE CO FOR THE- NEARBY GETCHELL STOCKPILE. A MILL WAS BUILT ON THE PROPERTY, -IN THE WINTER OF 1944-45 AND AN ADDITIONAL 8000 TONS ORE WAS M-INED AND MILLED BEFORE THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD TO THE U. S. VANA-DIUM CORP. (LATER UNION CARBIDE CORP.) IN OCTOBER, 1945. ALL O-F THE ORE PRODUCED TO THE END OF 1945 CAME FROM 8 OPEN PITS AL-ONG THE OUTCROP. IN 1945 THE USBM EXPLORED THE DEPOSIT BY 15 D-IAMOND DRILL HOLES HAVING AN AGGREGATE LENGTH OF 2630 FT, AND -ADDED GREATLY TO THE KNOWN RESERVES. FROM LATE 1945 TO 1948 AN-D FROM 1952 TO 1957 THE PROPERTY WAS OPERATED BY U. S. VANADIU-M CORP. AND THEN UNION CARBIDE CORP, WITH A LARGE PRODUCTION O-F ORE FROM OPEN PITS AND UNDERGROUND WORKINGS.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS M030031

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    WILLDEN, R, 1964, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF HUMBOLDT CO., NEV; NEV. BUREAU OF MINES BULL. 59.

  • Deposit

    HOTZ, P.E., AND WILLDEN, R., 1964, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE OSGOOD MOUNTAINS QUAD. HUMBOLDT CO., NEV; U.S.G.S. PROF. PAPER 431.

  • Deposit

    HOBBS, SW. AND CLABAUGH, S.E., 1946, TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF THE OSGOOD RANGE, HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEV. UNIV. NEV. BULL. V. 40, NO. 5; GEOL & MIN. SER. NO. 44

  • Deposit

    HOLMES, G.H., 1946, EXPLORATION OF THE RILEY TUNGSTEN MINE, HUMBOLDT CO., NEVADA; U.S.B.M. REPT INV. 3945

  • Deposit

    STAGER, H. K., IN PREPARATION, NBMG BULLETIN ON TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF NEVADA

  • Deposit

    TINGLEY, J. V., 6 SEP 84, NBMG FIELD EXAMINATION AND SAMPLE ANALYSIS.

  • Deposit

    NBMG MINING DISTRICT FILE 136, ITEM 26, 1963, USBM UNPUBLISHED DATA.

  • Deposit

    SCHILLING, JOHN, 1968, MOLYBDENUM RESOURCES OF NEVADA; NBMG OFR 79-3

  • Production

    HOTZ, P.E., WILLDEN, R., 1964; STAGER, IN PREP.

  • Reserve-Resource

    STAGER, H. K., IN PREP

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: WWI ERA
Deposit THE PROPERTY IS ALONG THE EAST CONTACT OF THE NORTHERN LOBE OF THE OSGOOD STOCK WITH LIMESTONE AND INTERBEDDED ARG-ILLITE STRIKING N, DIP 30-60 E (BOTH BEDDING AND CONTACT). A B-AND OF TACTITE 3-20 FT THICK IS PRESENT ALONG MUCH OF THE CONT-ACT AND IN PLACES EXTENDS UP TO 40 FT OUT INTO THE LIMESTONE. -THE TACTITE EXTENDS AS MUCH AS 500 FT DOWN DIP TO THE POINT WH-ERE THE GRANODIORITE CONTACT DROPPED BELOW THE E-DIPPING LIMES-TONES. AT THE SOUTH END OF THE PROPERTY THE TACTITE LENSES ARE- CUT OFF BY THE GETCHELL FAULT. THE FOUR MAJOR OREBODIES OCCUR- ALONG A STRIKE LENGTH OF 1700 FT ALONG THE CONTACT, LOCALIZED- BY TROUGHS OF E-DIPPING FOLDS CUT BY THE CONTACT. THE ORE ZON-ES EXTENDED ONTO THE RILEY EXTENSION MINE PROPERTY TO THE NORT-H
Deposit MINE OPERATED AS OPEN PIT FROM 1942 TO 1945. SOME PRODUCTION BY U.S. VANADIUM CORP FROM 1945 TO 1948. MINE WAS REOPENED IN 1952, AND OPERATED BOTH UNDERGROUND AND OPEN PIT THROGH 1957. IN 1945, A MILL WAS ERECTED BY NORTHERN NEVADA MINING CORP, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF ORE WAS TREATED BEFORE IT WAS BOUGHT BY U.S. VANADIUM CORP. (LATER UNION CARBIDE NUCLEAR CORP.) THE AREA WAS PROSPECTED DURING WWI, BUT LITTLE, IF ANY, TUNGSTEN WAS THEN PRODUCED. RILEY AND RILEY EXTENSION MINES COMPRISE THE LARGEST SINGLE TACTITE DEPOSIT IN THE DISTRICT EARLY EXPLORATION WAS FOR SILVER ORE. THE PRESENCE OF SCHEELITE WAS KNOWN SINCE ABOUT 1917, BUT IT WAS NOT MINED UNTIL WORLD WAR II. SCHEELITE ORE WAS MINED FROM A SERIES OF EIGHT PITS ALONG THE TACTITES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1978 Theodore, Ted G. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-MAR-1986 La Pointe, D.D. (Tingley, J.V.) Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology