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Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine Area

Past Producer in Lander county in Nevada, United States with commodities Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver, Iron
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10310304
MRDS ID M231296
Record type Site
Current site name Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine Area
Alternate or previous names Bailey Day Claim Group, Angela claim group
Related records 10043983

Comments on the site identification

  • This prospect encompasses the historic Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine areas, described in earlier MRDS records # M231296, RE00049, and MRDS #M231376 from which all material has been incorporated into this record and additional new material has been added.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.02872, 40.63129 (WGS84)
Elevation 1570
Relative position The Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine area is located about 5 miles west of the town of Battle Mountain, Nevada.
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Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Lander

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 032N 044E 21 28 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • The Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine area is located about 5 miles west of the town of Battle Mountain, in the Copper Basin area of Battle Mountain, about a mile north of the Copper King Mine. The Labrador orebody is located approximately 2000 feet west of the Surprise Deposit.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary
Silver Secondary
Iron Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Materials: Free gold, auriferous pyrite, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, malachite, azurite, tenorite, limonite, hematite
  • Gangue Materials: Chlorite, quartz, calcite, epidote, garnet, diopside, iron oxides, clay minerals, goethite

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Malachite Ore
Azurite Ore
Tenorite Ore
Limonite Ore
Hematite Ore
Chlorite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Diopside Gangue
Clay Gangue
Goethite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Alteration that has affected all rocks in the mine area are strong silicification, prograde garnet+diopside skarn that has been partially replaced by a retrograde assemblage of chlorite, quartz, calcite, and minor epidote.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46
Model code 64
USGS model code 18f
Deposit model name Skarn Au
Mark3 model number 82

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Skarn (Tactite)
    Rock type qualifier garnet
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate
    Rock unit name Battle Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock type qualifier calcareous
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock type qualifier calcareous
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Hornfels
    Rock type qualifier calc-silicate and siliceous
    Rock unit name Battle Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock unit name Antler Peak Limestone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Permian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate
    Rock type qualifier conglomerate
    Rock unit name Battle Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Middle Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock type qualifier limestone
    Rock unit name Antler Peak Limestone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Permian
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Porphyry
    Rock type qualifier quartz-feldspar dikes
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granodiorite
    Rock type qualifier granodiorite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.02872, 40.63129
ListMap

Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Numerous regional scale thrust faults are present in the mine area, in particular along the contact between the Harmony and Battle Formations
Local The NNE-striking Copper King fault zone and the WNW-striking Surprise fault.

Ore body information

  • General form tabular

Controls for ore emplacement

  • There is strong structural and lithologic control of ore formation, being affected by WNW-trending high angle normal faults, the Surprise fault, and location of calcareous sediments.

Comments on the geologic information

  • A quartz-feldspar porphyry dike in the pit is cut by garnet+pyroxene veinlets. This dike has characteristics of other Tertiary dikes in the area.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year <1934
Year of first production 1934
Year of last production 2004
Production years 1937, 1938, 1941, 1945, 1947, 1954, 1987-1993

Mining district

District name Battle Mountain District

Land status

Ownership category Private
Area name Battle Mountain BLM Administrative District
Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Newmont Mining Corp.
    Year 2004

Comments on the workings information

  • The Surprise, Labrador, and Bailey Day historic mines were developed by underground workings in the early days, replaced in later years by open pit mines. Historic underground workings consisted of a 465-foot-long adit and connecting workings. Production beginning in 1987 was by open pit on the site of the historic underground workings. Early Bailey Day mine workings consisted of 2 adits totaling 320 feet and a 150-foot inclined shaft, with connected workings.

Comments on other economic factors

  • Early ore production was not recorded. In 1996, the total endowment for the Bailey Day (1934-1984 production and 1993 reserves) were reported at: 11,981 ounces of gold 17,446 ounces of silver, and 54,974 pounds of copper. In 1996, the total endowment for the Labrador (1987-1993 production and 1993 reserves) were reported at 96,180 ounces of gold and 276,699 ounces of silver. In 1996, the total endowment for the Surprise (1937-1954 & 1987-1993 production and 1996 reserves) were reported at 155,554 ounces of gold, 1,279,053 ounces of silver, and 32,505 pounds of copper. The total endowment, production and reserves, for the combined Surprise, Labrador, Bailey Day Mine area orebodies is 263,715 ounces of gold, 1,573,198 ounces of silver, and 1,660,177 pounds of copper. This is probably a low threshold of actual endowment.

Comments on development

  • Underground production occurred in 1937, 1938, 1941, 1945, 1947, and 1954. The open pit operated from 1987 to 1993. Exploration for precious metals by numerous companies at the site of the historic copper mines began in the district in the 1980s, and through 1986, 114 drill holes had been completed in the Surprise mine area indicating an in place gold resource of 150,000 ounces. Pre-mining stripping began in April, 1987, involving about 2 million tons of overburden. Production of mill grade ore began in August 1987. In 1988, plans for a heap leach facility were postponed for at least one year. Gold recovery using heap leaching was expected to average about 60%. Mill grade ore was be treated at the Fortitude mill.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Stewart, J. H., Mc Kee, E. H., and Stager, H. K., 1977, Geology and Mineral Deposits of Lander County, Nevada; NBMG Bull. 88

  • Deposit

    Roberts, R. J. and Arnold, D. C., 1965, Ore Deposits of the Antler Peak Quadrangle, Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada: U.S.G.S. Prof. Paper 459-B.

  • Deposit

    Schmidt, K. W., Wotruba, P. R., and Johnson, S. D., 1988, Gold-Copper Skarn and Related Mineralization at Copper Basin, Nevada, in Gold Deposits of North Central Nevada, Special Publication #8, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno.

  • Deposit

    Battle Mountain Gold Company, 1988, Annual Report for 1987.

  • Deposit

    NBMG Mining District File 147, numerous press clippings.

  • Deposit

    Bulk-Mineable Precious Metal Deposits and Prospects in Nevada, NBMG Map 91.

  • Deposit

    NBMG, 1988, The Nevada Mineral Industry - 1987, NBMG Special Publication MI-1986-MI-1993.

  • Deposit

    Buffa, R. and Schafer, R., eds., 1988, Fall Field Trip Guidebook, the Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, p. 271-276.

  • Deposit

    USGS PP 459B

  • Deposit

    Doebrich and Theodore, 1996

  • Deposit

    Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 p., one 3.5 inch diskette.

  • Deposit

    Geological Society of Nevada, 1999, Geology and Gold Mineralization of the Buffalo Valley Area, Northwestern Battle Mountain Trend; GSN Special Publication No. 31, 1999 Fall field trip Guidebook.

  • Deposit

    Wendt, Clancy, 2004, Technical Report on the? ICBM/COPPER BASIN Property, Lander and Humboldt Counties, Nevada, Staccato Gold website, : http://www.staccatogold.com/i/pdf/icbm-43-101.pdf

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit The Bailey Day deposit formed as a vein associated with a fault zone in a sandstone bed bounded by bedding-plane fault. Ore is associated with disseminated and fracture controlled oxidized pyrite in garnet skarn of the Harmony Formation and in lens-shaped calc-silicate horizons of the Battle Formation adjacent to mineralized structures. Ore at the Labrador and Surprise orebodies is principally localized along 2 faults: the NNE-striking Copper King fault zone and the WNW-striking Surprise fault. Most of the Bailey Day ore came from a sandstone bed bounded by bedding-plane faults and impregnated with secondary copper minerals. Model name could also be gold-or copper-bearing skarn. There are two other types of gold deposits. The gold-bearing skarns which may be related to mid-Oligocene intrusive activity and an example of this type is the Labrador deposit, which occurs in the northeast portion of Copper Basin. The other type is a silica-pyrite body with a lack of skarn and calc-silicate assemblage minerals. This deposit type develops in calcareous siltstones and sandstones of the Harmony Formation (Schmidt et al., 1988). The Surprise deposit ore primarily occurs within the Harmony Formation. It consists of strongly oxidized and retrograde altered garnet skarn developed within interbedded limestone, calcareous siltstone and sandstone. Two main faults have acted as conduits: the Copper King fault zone strikes northeast and dips 70-80? east; the Surprise fault strikes west-northwest and dips 85? north. Both faults show post-mineral offset (Schmidt et al., 1988). The Labrador deposit ore occurs in the garnet skarn of the Harmony Formation and also in the calc-silicate and siliceous hornfels of the lower Battle Formation. North-northeast and west-northwest high-angle normal faults localize mineralization (Schmidt et al., 1988)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-2005 LaPointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Editor 01-SEP-2007 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey Converted from S&A FileMaker format to Oracle. Edit checks on rocks, units, and ages with Geolex search, and other fields.