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Briggs Gold Mine

Plant in Inyo county in California, United States with commodities Gold, Silver
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10163869
MRDS ID M024123
MAS/MILS ID 0060270416
Record type Site
Current site name Briggs Gold Mine
Alternate or previous names Southern Homestake, Grizzly Mine, Southern Homestake Group, Southern Homestake Mine, North Briggs, Goldtooth
Related records 10036090

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -117.18619, 35.93748 (WGS84)
Elevation 579
Location accuracy 100(meters)
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Inyo

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 023 S 044 E 13 NW California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -117.18619, 35.93748
ListMap

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1989
Discovery method Other
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1996
Plant type Leach
Plant subcategory Hydromet
Milling method Heap Leach-Carbon Column-Merrill-Crowe

Comments on exploration

  • THROUGH THE END OF 1995, A TOTAL OF 192,643 FEET OF DRILLING IN 567 HOLES HAS BEEN COMPLETED AT BRIGGS FOR EXPLORATION, CONDEMNATION, METALLURGICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES. THE DEVELOPMENT DRILLING, ON APPROXIMATELY 100 FOOT CENTERS, HAS DEFINED 805,000 OUNCES OF GOLD, CONTAINED WITHIN 32.2 MILLION TONS OF MINERALIZED ROCK WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF .025 OUNCE OF GOLD PER TON, USING A CUTOFF GRADE OF .01 OUNCE OF GOLD PER TON.

Mining district

District name South Park

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Canyon Resources Corp.
    Interest 100
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1996
  • Type Operator
    Owner Cr Briggs Corp.
    Home office California
    Year 1996
  • Type Unknown
    Owner Franco-Nevada Mining (2% Nsr)
    Home office Canada
    Year 1996

Production statistics

  • Year 1996
    Description Reported Gold Production 3417 Tr Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 106,281g
  • Year 1996
    Description Reported Silver Production 654 Tr Oz
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 20,342g
  • Year 1996
    Description Reported Ore Mined @ 0.043 Opt Au 798300 St Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 879,975mt 1g/mt
  • Year 1996
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Estimated Gold Production 75000 Tr Oz/Yr Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 2118000g/mt
  • Year 1996
    Description Gold Contained In Ore On Pad 35200 T Oz Gold
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 1,094,843g
  • Year 1996
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Estimated Ore Placed On Leach Pad 920000 Tons (St)
  • Year 1997
    Description March 97 Ore On Leach Pad @ 0.036 Opt Au 1380000 St Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1,521,189mt 1g/mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Total resources 16,147,875mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.131 g/mt Gold Major 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 19,867,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.03 g/mt Gold Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1997
    Demonstrated 22,045,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 1.03 g/mt Gold Major 1997

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 10-26-96: CANYON BEGUN GOLD PRODUCTION. EST. MINEABLE RESERVES CONTAIN 731,000 OZ OF AU IN 24.3 MILLION TONS OF ORE WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 0.030 OZ OF AU/TON. DATE OF ESTIMATED RESERVES IS AS OF 01-01-97. ESTIMATED ANNUAL CAPACITY OF MINED AND CRUSHED ORE IS 3.5 MILLION ST P YR, (12000ST/D). ESTIMATED ANNUAL GOLD PRODUCTION IS BETWEEN 75,000 TO 90,000 T OZ/YR OVER A 7 YEAR LIFE. OVERALL SR OF 1.8 TO 1.0:

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT

Comments on other economic factors

  • $US24 MIL, DEVELOPMENT LOAN FROM BANQUE PARIBS, BAYERISHE VERE- INSBANK, & N.M. ROTHSCHILD. & $US10 MIL FROM CATERPILLAR FINANCE LINE OF CREDIT. SEVEN MONTH CONSTRUCTION PERIOD AT COST OF $US28 MIL. LATE 96. AT CAPACITY OF 75,000 OZ/YR FOR SEVEN YEARS.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System MAS 0060270416
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS M024123 MAS references MRDS

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    RANDOL DIRECTORY, 1993/1994, P. 163.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CANYON RESOURCES CORPORATION, 1995 FORM 10-K REPOR, P13.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SKILLINGS' MINING REVIEW. 10-26-96, P9.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CANYON RESOURCES CORPORATIONM 1996 ANNUAL REPORT, P10.

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUR. LAND MANAGMENT, DEC. 1992, PLAN OF OPERATIONS,

  • Deposit

    BRIGGS PROJECT, RIDGECREST RESOURCE AREA, RIDGECREST, CA.

  • Deposit

    THE DENVER POST, 10-1-96, P9C.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, 1993, VOL. 45, NO. 3, MARCH 1993, PP.

  • Deposit

    220, 227.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 01/05/96, P6, "FINANCING IN PLACE FOR

  • Deposit

    BRIGGS".

  • Deposit

    SOUTHWESTERN PAYDIRT, OCT. 1996, #688 P12.

  • Deposit

    THE MINING RECORD, VOL., 107, #43, OCT. 23, 1996, P1.

  • Deposit

    THE MINING RECORD, VOL., 108, #9, FEB. 26, 1997, P3.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 7/19/96, P42.

  • Deposit

    PAY DIRT, #693, MARCH, 1997, P10.

  • Deposit

    THE NORTHERN MINER, 6-9-97, P.11.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 6-9-97: PRIOR TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES WERE 21.9 MILLION TONS @ 0.030 OZ. THE STRIPPING RATIO @ BRIGGS IS 7.8-TO-1, @ GOLDTOOTH, 5.4-TO-1. THIS PROPERTY INCLUDES THE BRIGGS, NORTH BRIGGS AND GOLDTOOTH DEPOSITS. NOTE: THE OPEN PIT AND ASSOCIATED MINE OPERATIONS WILL DESTROY OLD ADITS, SHAFTS, AND PROSPECT PITS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF REDLANDS CANYON, AS SHOWN ON THE MANLY FALL 7.5-MIN. TOPO MAP. PROPERTY IS LISTED AS THE "SOUTHERN HOMESTAKE MINE" USGS-MRSD/ GSC LAT/LONG OF N355612/W1171052; LIST AS OF JUNE 94; ENTERED AS OF AUG. 95

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-OCT-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines