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Hanna Nickel Mine

Past Producer in Douglas county in Oregon, United States with commodities Chromium, Cobalt, Iron, Nickel
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10201067
MRDS ID W000690
MAS/MILS ID 0410190001
Record type Site
Current site name Hanna Nickel Mine
Alternate or previous names Nickel Mountain Mine, Riddle Nickel Laterite Deposit, Riddle Nickel Mine
Related records 10067833

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -123.44336, 42.96372 (WGS84)
Elevation 1000
Location accuracy 10(meters)
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Oregon Douglas

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Willamette 030 S 006 W 17 SW Oregon

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Tertiary
Cobalt Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Nickel Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnierite Ore
Montmorillonite Gangue
Sepiolite Gangue
Chromite Unknown
Chrysoprase Unknown

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 110
USGS model code 38a
BC deposit profile B02
Deposit model name Lateritic Ni

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -123.44336, 42.96372
ListMap

Ore body information

  • Strike N45E
    Dip 35S
    Thickness 15M
    Depth to top 3M
    Width 915M
    Length 1830M
    Area 1174HA
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 LATERITE
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 SHEAR ZONE
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N45E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 3
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 840424

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1865
Mining method Strip-Hillside
Year of first production 1954
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Crush
Milling method Pyrometallurgy Unspecified

Mining district

District name Riddles Mill District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Private Lease
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights Other

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Hanna Nickel Smelting Co.
    ID 3500391
    Interest 100
    Home office Ohio
    Year 1984

Production statistics

  • Year 1966
    Material MINED ORE, WASTE ROCK AND PIT REJECT.
    Ore mined 1,534,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1534000 Do.
  • Year 1967
    Material MINED ORE, WASTE ROCK AND PIT REJECT.
    Ore mined 1,517,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1517000 Do.
  • Year 1968
    Material MINED ORE, WASTE ROCK AND PIT REJECT.
    Ore mined 1,721,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1721000 Do.
  • Year 1969
    Material MINED ORE, WASTE ROCK AND PIT REJECT.
    Ore mined 1,615,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1615000 Do.
  • Year 1970
    Material MINED ORE, WASTE ROCK AND PIT REJECT.
    Ore mined 1,938,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1938000 Do.
  • Year 1971
    Material MINED ORE, WASTE ROCK AND PIT REJECT.
    Ore mined 2,009,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Mined Ore, Waste Rock And Pit Reject. 2009000 Do.
  • Year 1972
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,439,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1439000 Do.
  • Year 1973
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,436,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1436000 Do.
  • Year 1974
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,594,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1594000 Do.
  • Year 1975
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,611,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1611000 Do.
  • Year 1976
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,561,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1561000 Do.
  • Year 1977
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,324,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1324000 Do.
  • Year 1978
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,302,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1302000 Do.
  • Year 1979
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,643,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1643000 Do.
  • Year 1980
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,686,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1686000 Do.
  • Year 1981
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 1,568,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 1568000 Do.
  • Year 1982
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 392,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Do. 392000 Do.
  • Year 1983
    Material DELIVERABLE NICKEL ORE MINED.
    Ore mined 363,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Deliverable Nickel Ore Mined. 363000 Metric Tons/Year
  • Year 1984
    Material Mine Production
    Ore mined 14,540,000mt
    Best? Y
    Description Mine Production 14540000 Mt
  • Year 1985
    Material Estimated Mine Production
    Ore mined 6,900,000mt
    Accuracy Estimate
    Best? Y
    Description Est. Mine Production 6900000 Mt

Comments on the production information

  • Some of the production for years (like 1982-3) may be concentrate. It wasn't well described in the MAS database.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • DEPOSIT REPORT. OTHER NAMES: HANNA NICKEL MINE, RIDDLE MINE, RIDDLE NICKEL MINE, RIDDLE NICKEL LATERITE DEPOSIT IN EARLY 1979, THE COMPANY INDICATED CURRENT MINE GRADE WAS 1.03 PCT.NI WITH RECOVERY OF NEARLY 88 PCT. IN 1986 - MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT (WITH POOR RESULTS), HIGH NICKEL PRICES ALLOWED MINE TO RE-OPEN MAY CLOSE IN 1-2 YEARS AS STOCKPILED ORE IS DEPLETED CO. MAY IMPORT ORE FROM NEW SEE NEXT FILE FOR PLANT DESCRIPTION
  • SOME BELIEVE THAT ABOUT 5 MILLION MT IN STOCKPILE. PRODUCTION EXPECTED LATE 1989
  • RESOURCE ESTIMATES ARE FOR JAN 1975 AND ON SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTION HISTORY REPORTED BY USBM.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 1174HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Percent Waste Rock 37
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 3
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 6
    Capacity 6500
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 6.29
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • SAPROLITE CONTAINING 1.07 PCT NI IS CURRENTLY (2-84) BEING MINED AND STOCKPILED. BENEFICIATION YIELDS SMELTER FEED GRADE OF ABOUT 1.3 PCT NI. SMELTER RECOVERY IS 86 PCT.
  • PRODUCTION COSTS ARE ACTUAL COMPANY COSTS IN JAN 1982 FOR FULL PRODUCTION LEVEL. CURRENT (2-84) ACTUAL COSTS ARE LESS (ABOUT $2.22/LB. NI) OWING TO REDUCED PRODUCTION LEVELS AND ASSOCIATED LOWER LABOR AND POWER COSTS. ONGOING CHANGES IN ORE PROCESSING AND NEGEOTIATION OF POWER RATES IN JUNE 1985 SHOULD CHANGE THE CURRENT COST PICTURE SIGNIFICANTLY. SOURCE OF COST DATA IS 1981 AND 1983 COMPANY TESTIMONY DURING BPA RATE HEARINGS. IN EARLY 1986, THE MINING, TRANSPORTATION, AND ORE PREPARATION SYSTEMS WERE BEING CHANGED. MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS AND ORE GRADE WERE BEING LOWERED, AND THE FINAL PRODUCT NOW INCLUDES ONE-HALF POUND FE-NI NUGGETS. THESE CHANGES WILL AFFECT PRESENT AND FUTURE INVESTMENT SCHEDULES.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System MAS 0410190001
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W000690 MAS references MRDS
Mine Safety and Health Administration MSHA MSHA 3500391

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CHACE AND OTHERS. APPLIED GEOLOGY AT NICKEL MOUNTAIN MINE.

  • Deposit

    ECON GEOL V64 1969 P1-16.

  • Deposit

    CLARKE F W. SOME NICKEL ORES FROM OREGON.

  • Deposit

    AM J SCI 3RD SER V35 1888 P483-488.

  • Deposit

    COLEMAN AND VENDESKY. PRODUCTION OF FERRONICKEL AT RIDDLE.

  • Deposit

    EXTRACTIVE METALLURGY OF COPPER, NICKEL, AND COBALT.

  • Deposit

    INTERSCIENCE PUBLISHERS NEW YORK 1961 P263-286.

  • Deposit

    CUMBELIDGE AND CHASE. GEOLOGY OF NICKEL MOUNTAIN MINE.

  • Deposit

    ORE DEPOSITS IN THE US V2 AIME N.Y. 1968 P165-1672.

  • Deposit

    HOTZ P E. NICKELIFEROUS LATERITES IN SW OREGON AND NW CALIF.

  • Deposit

    ECON GEOL V59 1964 P355-396.

  • Deposit

    KAY G F. NICKEL DEPOSITS OF NICKEL MOUNTAIN OREGON.

  • Deposit

    U S GEOL SURVEY BULL 315-C 1907 P120-127.

  • Deposit

    PECORA AND HOBBS. NICKEL DEPOSIT NEAR RIDDLE DOUGLAS CO OR.

  • Deposit

    U S GEOL SURVEY BULL 931-I 1942 P205-226.

  • Deposit

    PENN STATE UNIV. INVESTMENT IN THE NICKEL INDUSTRY 1950-1975

  • Deposit

    NSF REPORT RA-770022 1976 P171-175.

  • Deposit

    ROWE AND OTHERS. GEOLOGY OF NICKEL MOUNTAIN MINE.

  • Deposit

    SME-AIME MTG SEPT 1976.

  • Deposit

    RUDMAN J E. ZONAL DISTRIBUTION AND MINERALIZATION OF NICKEL

  • Deposit

    IN SAPROLITIC ORE FROM NICKEL MOUNTAIN OREGON.

  • Deposit

    MS THESIS CASE WESTERN RES UNIV 1970 73PP.

  • Deposit

    SCHOENIKE H G. GEOLOGY AND EXPLORATION OF NICKEL SILICATE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSIT AT RIDDLE OREGON, MS THESIS UNIV WIS 1952 70PP.

  • Deposit

    VAN VOORHIS AND OTHERS. OPERATIONS RESEARCH APPLIED TO ORE

  • Deposit

    RESERVES AT RIDDLE. MIN CONG J NO 9 1955 P71-76.

  • Deposit

    WEDGE AND HALTER. EVOLUTION OF RIDDLE NICKEL PROCESS.

  • Deposit

    AIME MTG FEB 1960 13PP.

  • Deposit

    DOGAMI MLR 10-0026

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SCREENED AND SORTED ORE FROM THE MINE IS SOLD BY HANNA MINING CO. TO HANNA SMELTING CO., WHICH PRODUCES THE FINAL FERRONICKEL PRODUCT, CONTAINING 52 PCT NICKEL. MINE AND SMELTHER WERE TEMPORARILY CLOSED FORM APRIL 1982 TO NOVEMBER 1983 OWING TO DEPRESSED NICKEL PRICES AND SHARPLY INCREASED PRODUCTION COSTS. REDUCTION OF ELECTRIC POWER. AND LABOR COSTS, AND CHANGES IN ORE PROCESSING TO UPGRADE SMELTER FEED, LED TO REOPENING. MINE IS CURRENTLY (2-84) OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY, SMELTER AT 62 PCT CAPACITY.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-OCT-96 Ritchey, Joseph L. U.S. Bureau of Mines