Kirby Mine

Past Producer in Humboldt county in Nevada, United States with commodities Tungsten, Copper, Manganese

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10045081
MRDS ID M232740
Record type Site
Current site name Kirby Mine
Alternate or previous names Fayant and Blaine, Upper Kirby Pit, NBMG Sample Site 2614.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.2704, 41.17378 (WGS84)
Elevation 1920
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 17 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • NW 1/4 SEC. 17

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tungsten Primary
Copper Tertiary
Manganese Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Scheelite Ore
Garnet Gangue
Pyroxene Gangue

Analytical data

Result 0.43% WO3. NBMG SAMPLE 2614 OF GARNET SKARN WITH MINOR CU OX STAIN, SUBHEDRAL AMBER GARNET, DIOPSIDE, TREMOLITE AND SCHEEL-ITE CONTAINS 15 % FE, 1 % MG, +20 % CA, 0.07 % TI, +5000 PPM M-N, 20 PPM B, 5 PPM CO, 100 PPM CU, 100 PPM MO, 5 PPM NI, 50 PP-M PB, 30 PPM SN, 500 PPM V, 200 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 Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Osgood Mtns. Stock
    Rock description Osgood Mtns. Stock
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Preble Formation;Preble Formation
    Rock description Preble Formation;Preble Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.2704, 41.17378

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Folding

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR LENSES FOLLOW IGNEOUS CONTACT
    Strike N50E
    Dip SE

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Tactite At Contact Of Granodiorite With Sediment

Comments on the geologic information

  • MAJOR TACTITE OREBODIES LOCALIZED BY ABRUPT BENDS IN GRANODIORITE/LIMESTONE CONTACT LOCALLY, ABUNDANT SCHEELITE IN QUARTZ VEINS WHICH CUT TACTITE OF NE. PIT. LARGE TACTITE OREBODIES WERE PENDANT LIKE MASSES OF REPLACED LIMESTONE PROTRUDING DOWNWARD INTO GRANODIORITE.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year <1917
Discoverer Fayant And Blaine (Claim Holders In 1917)
Year of first production 1942

Mining district

District name Potosi District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Getchell Mine Inc.

Production statistics

  • Year 1943
    Period 1942-1943
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Ave. 0.43% Wo3
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Wo3 Ore Tungsten Tungsten 0wt-pct
  • Year 1943
    Period 1942-1943
    Material W
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Ave. 0.43% Wo3
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Wo3 Tungsten Tungsten 0wt-pct

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PITS, SHORT ADITS, TRENCHES

Comments on development

  • ACQUIRED BY GETCHELL IN 1942, MINED 1942-43, 1952-1953. DURING THE 1942-43 PRODUCTION PERIOD, GETCHELL FIRST MINED THE DEPOSIT BY TWO GLORY HOLES FROM AN ADIT 315 FT LO-NG. THE GLORY HOLES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CONNECTED TO FORM A SING-LE OPEN PIT FROM WHICH ORE WAS LOADED BY POWER SHOVEL INTO TRU-CKS. MINING IN 1952-3 WAS FROM OPEN PITS.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS M232740

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 QUADRANGLE HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEVADA; U.S.G.S. PROF. PAPER 431.

  • Deposit

    HOBBS, S.W., AND CLABAUGH, S.E., 1946, TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF THE OSGOOD RANGE, HUMBOLDT CO., NEV; NEV. U. BULL. VOL. 40, NO 5F GEOL. MIN. SER., NO. 44.

  • Deposit

    HESS, F.L. & LARSEN, E.S., 1921, CONTACT-METAMORPHIC TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES: U.S.G.S. BULL. 725-D.

  • 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 STAFF, 1985, NBMG OFR 85-3.

  • Deposit

    NBMG MINING DISTRICT FILE 136, ITEM 23; 1964, USBM UNPUBLISHED DATA.

  • Production

    HOTZ, AND WILLDEN, R., 1964.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PROPERTY WAS KNOWN AS EARLY AS 1917; WAS ACQUIRED BY GETCHELL IN 1942 AND MINED TILL SUMMER, 1943. MINING RESUMED IN 1952 AND CONTINUED UNTIL 1953, BY OPEN-PIT METHODS. FAYANI AND BLAINE HELD THE CLAIMS IN 1917, THEY WERE RELOCATED LATER BY KIRBY, AND SOLD TO GETCHELL MINE INC., IN 1942. WORKINGS CONSISTED OF 3 OPEN PITS IN 1957, AS WELL AS SHORT AIDITS AND TRENCHES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV
Deposit KIRBY OREBODY IS A TABULAR MASS OF TACTITE ON CONTACT OF OSGOOD GRANODIORITE AND PREBLE LIMESTONE. TACTITE BODY NE-ARLY PARALLELS THE HILLSLOPE, CAPPED BY A THIN LIMESTONE LAYER-. OUTCROPS ARE BROAD, BUT TACTITE IS ACTUALLY THIN, LESS THAN -60 FT BELOW SURFACE. LIMESTONE IS COMPLEXLY FOLDED AND TACTITE-PODS ARE VERY IRREGULAR LARGE MASSES OF ENDOSKARN FORMED IN GR-ANODIORITE, WITH SOME CU OXIDE STAINING. THE DEPOSIT ENDS DOWN-WARD TO THE EAST AGAINST A LOBE OF GRANODIORITE THAT CUTS ACRO-SS THE LIMESTONE BEDS. THE HAULAGE ADIT, 80 FT BENEATH THE LOW-EST OUTCROP, IS ENTIRELY IN GRANODIORITE. OTHER BODIES OF SCHE-ELITE-BEARING TACTITE OCCUR NE OF THE MINE WHERE THE CREEK CRO-SSES THE CONTACT ZONE, BUT THE TUNGSTEN CONTENT IS ONLY ABOUT -0.2 % WO3. ROCK AT THE LOWER KIRBY PIT (NEAR CREEK) DISPLAY SW-IRLS OF BIOTITE BOOKS NEAR CONTACT.

Reporter information

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