1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Contention Mine

Past Producer in Lander county in Nevada, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Silver
Map
XML
JSON
KML
B

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10044001
MRDS ID M231315
Record type Site
Current site name Contention Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.04066, 40.61296 (WGS84)
Elevation 1722
Relative position 7 MILES WEST OF TOWN OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Lander

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 032N 044E 29 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • 3/4 MILE NNE OF COPPER BASIN TOWNSITE

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Secondary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Malachite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Intense Hydrothermal, Argillic

Analytical data

Result 1927 AND 1928 ORE SHIPMENTS CONTAINED 19.55% AND 12.81% CU RESPECTIVELY

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation
    Rock description Harmony Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.04066, 40.61296
ListMap

Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Dewitt Thrust Fault
Local "Pebble Dikes" Containing Fragments Of Both Quartz Monzonite Porphyry And Argillite; Displacement Oby Faults (Contention, Dewitt, Kelly And Middleton Faults

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Strike N60W
    Dip 35 TO 50 NE
    Thickness 24.38M
    Width 609.6M
    Length 914.4M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Kelly & Middleton Faults, Contention Fault Contention Fault Contains Abundant Gouge And Has Had An Important Effect On The Localization Of The Contention Ore Deposit. By Restricting The Downward Movement Of Migrating Copper Solutions-Sayers, Et.A. Fracturing Controlled Downward Movement Of Copper. Bearing Solutions, And Favorable Beds (Sandstone) Intersected By Strong Fracture Patterns Were Loci For High Ore Concentrations.

Comments on the geologic information

  • 1947-ORE-CHALCOCITE INVEINLETS AND DISSEMINTATED THRU' HORNFELS AND SANDSTONE

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year <1927
Year of first production <1927

Mining district

District name Battle Mountain District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Comments on the production information

  • 1927-1954 TOTAL PRODUCTION, 8078 TONS ORE AVERAGING 0.11 OZ./TON AU; 0.36 OZ/TON AG; 7.38% CU; WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF $130,332.

Comments on development

  • RANKED 3RD OF THE COPPER BASING MINES IN PRODUCTION, (PRIOR TO DUVAL'S OPEN PITS) THIS AREA IS NOW ENCOMPASSED BY DUVAL CO.'S COPPER BASIN OPEN PIT. NO RECORD OF PRE-1927 PRODUCTION

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS M231315

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    STEWART, J.H., MCKEE, E.H., AND STAGER, H.K., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA; NEV. BUREAU OF MINES BULL. 88

  • Deposit

    ROBERTS, R.J., AND ARNOLD, D.C., 1965, ORE DEPOSITS OF THE ANTLER PEAK QUADRANGLE, HUMBOLDT AND LANDER COUNTIES, NEVADAD U.S.G.S. PROF PAPER 459-B

  • Deposit

    SAYERS, R.W., TIPPETT, M.C. AND FIELDS, E.D., 1968, THE ORE DEPOSITS AT COPPER CANYON AND COPPER BASIN LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL AIME MEETING, N.Y.C.

  • Production

    STEWART, MCKEE, AND STAGER, 1977

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit CHALCOCITE IN VEINLETS AND DISSEMINTATED; SECONDARILY ENRICHED
Deposit RANKED 3RD IN PRODUCTION OF THE COPPER BASIN MINES (BEFORE DUVAL'S OPEN PITS) THIS AREA IS NOW ENCOMPASSED BY DUVAL'S OPERATION. NO RECORD OF PRE-1927 PRODUCTION ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1980 La Pointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology