Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication MI-2003 Metals Industrial Minerals The Nevada Oil and Gas Mineral Industry Geothermal 2003 Exploration Development Mining Processing This report, twenty-fifth of an annual series, describes mineral, oil and gas, and geothermal activities and accomplishments in Nevada in 2003: production statistics, exploration and development including drilling for petroleum and geothermal resources, discoveries of orebodies, new mines opened, and expansion and other activities of existing mines. Statistics of known gold and silver deposits, and directories of mines and mills are included. UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO University and Community College System of Nevada 2004 Board of Regents Stavros Anthony, Chair Mark Alden Thomas E. Kirkpatrick Marcia Bandera Howard Rosenberg Jill Derby Jack L. Schofield Thalia Dondero Douglas Seastrand Douglas R. Hill Steve Sisolak Linda C. Howard Bret Whipple James E. Rogers, Chancellor University of Nevada, Reno John Lilley, President Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering James Taranik, Director Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Jonathan G. Price, Director/State Geologist Scientific Research Staff Research and Administrative Support Staff Economic Geology, Geologic Mapping, Cartography, Publication Support and Geologic Framework Elizabeth Crouse, Publications Manager Stephen B. Castor, Research Geologist Christine Arritt, Cartographer John W. Erwin, Geophysicist (Emeritus) Jack Hursh, Jr., Cartographer James E. Faulds, Research Geologist Gary Johnson, Information Systems Specialist Larry J. Garside, Research Geologist Jennifer Mauldin, Cartographer Christopher D. Henry, Research Geologist Kris R. Pizarro, Cartographic Supervisor Liang-Chi Hsu, Research Mineralogist (Emeritus) Dick Meeuwig, Editor and Webmaster John Muntean, Research Economic Geologist Susan Tingley, Senior Cartographer (Emeritus) Keith Papke, Industrial Minerals Geologist (Emeritus) Analytical Laboratory Research Geologist (Emeritus) Joseph V. Tingley, Mario Desilets, Chemist/Quality Assurance Officer Bret Pecoraro, Laboratory Assistant Geologic Hazards, Engineering Geology, Information and Publication Sales and Geophysics David Davis, Geologic Information Specialist Research Engineering Geologist John W. Bell, Ron Hess, GIS Supervisor Research Professor Geoffrey Blewitt, Charlotte Stock, Sales Manager Corné W. Kreemer, Postdoctoral Scholar Hans-Peter Plag, Research Scientist Administration William C. Hammond, Research Scientist Terri M. Garside, Executive Assistant Craig M. dePolo, Research Geologist Laura Ruud, Administrative Assistant P. Kyle House, Research Geologist Martha Henson, Administrative Aide Alan R. Ramelli, Research Geologist Environmental Geology and Hydrogeology Manuscript reviewed by: Nevada Division of Minerals Paul J. Lechler, Chief Chemist/Geochemist Alan Coyner and Doug Driesner, John DeYoung, Jr., Arnold Tanner Lisa Shevenell, Research Hydrogeologist and the Minerals Information Team, USGS, Reston Science Education First edition, first printing, 2004, 200 copies Daphne D. LaPointe, Research Geologist Printed by: UNR Printing Services Cover stock: Wausau Astrobright, Galaxy Gold Editor: Dick Meeuwig Graphics: Dick Meeuwig Typography: Jack Hursh Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication MI-2003 The Nevada Mineral Industry 2003 Contents 03 Overview by Jonathan G. Price and Richard O. Meeuwig 12 Metals by Joseph V. Tingley 30 Major Precious-Metal Deposits by Joseph V. Tingley 48 Industrial Minerals by Stephen B. Castor 55 Geothermal Energy by Ronald H. Hess 62 Oil and Gas by David A. Davis 70 Directory of Mining and Milling Operations by David A. Davis 2004 1 HUMBOLDT 11 23 9 2 16 20 ELKO Winnemucca 3 10 15 13 12 2 Elko 18 13 4 8 3 8 18 20 1 PERSHING 19 6 3 5 14 7 5 9 5 6 1 4 1 WASHOE 14 2 LANDER EUREKA 3 15 Reno 6 CHURCHILL 22 10 6 7 STOREY 8 WHITE PINE 10 11 1 17 CC LYON 9 DOUGLAS 7 19 MINERAL 21 4 NYE 4 ESMERALDA 17 21 23 LINCOLN 22 12 CLARK Gold and Silver Industrial Minerals 2 16 1. Bald Mountain Mine 1. Adams Gypsum Mine Las Vegas 2. Betze-Post Mine 2. Apex Lime Plant 3 Capstone Mine 3. Argenta Barite Mine 5 4. Carlin Operations 4. Basalt Diatomite Mine 5. Coeur Rochester Mine 5. BPB Gypsum 6. Cortez/Pipeline Mines 6. Clark Diatomite Mine 7. Denton-Rawhide Mine 7. Colado Diatomite Mine 8. Florida Canyon Mine 8. Empire Gypsum Mine 9. Getchell/Turquoise Ridge Mines 9. Greystone Barite Mine Oil Fields 10. Hycroft Mine 10. Hazen Diatomite Mine 1. Blackburn Field 11. Jerritt Canyon Mine 11. Huck Salt Mine 2. Deadman Creek 12. Lone Tree Mine 12. IMV Nevada Clay 3. North Willow Creek Field 13. Marigold Mine 13. MIN-AD Dolomite Mine 4. Railroad Valley (Eagle Springs, Trap Spring, Currant, 14. McCoy/Cove Mine 14. Moltan Diatomite Mine Sand Dune, Grant Canyon, Bacon Flat, Kate Spring, 15. Meikle Mine 15. NCC Limestone Quarry Duckwater Creek, Sans Spring, and Ghost Ranch Fields) 16. Midas Mine 16. PABCO Gypsum 5. Three Bar Field 17. Mineral Ridge Mine 17. Popcorn Perlite Mine 6. Tomera Ranch Field 18. Mule Canyon Mine 18. Pilot Peak Limestone Quarry 19. Phoenix Project 19. Premier Magnesite Mine Geothermal Power Plants 20. Rain Mine 20. Rossi Barite Mine 1. Beowawe 6. Soda Lake No. 1 and No. 2 21. Round Mountain Mine 21. Silver Peak Lithium Carbonate 2. Bradys Hot Springs 7. Steamboat I, IA, II, and III 22. Ruby Hill Mine 22. Simplot Silica Products 3. Desert Peak 8. Stillwater 23. Twin Creeks Mine 23. Tenacity Perlite Mine 4. Dixie Valley 9. Wabuska 5. Empire 10. Yankee Caithness Major mines, oil fields, and geothermal plants, 2003. 2 Overview by Jonathan G. Price and Richard O. Meeuwig This report highlights activities through 2003 in metals, Nevada’s production of gold, valued at nearly $2.7 industrial minerals, geothermal energy, and petroleum. billion, was 82% of the U.S. total and helped make the Numerous graphs and charts are incorporated for rapid U.S. the second leading gold producer in the world in 2003. inspection of trends in production and price. Overall Nevada alone accounted for 9% of world production of mineral and energy production in Nevada in 2003, valued gold. Only the countries of South Africa and Australia at $3.2 billion, rose nearly 9% from the previous year, produced more gold than the State of Nevada in 2003. primarily as a result of the increase in the price of gold. Second to gold in terms of Nevada’s mineral value in 2003 Gold production steadily decreased from 8.1 million was construction aggregate, $166 million. Electrical power ounces in 2001 to 7.7 million ounces in 2002, to 7.3 million from geothermal energy production in Nevada in 2003 ounces in 2003, but 2003 was nonetheless the seventh was valued at $65 million. Silver, chiefly a by-product or highest level in history. Nevada led the nation in the co-product of gold production, ranked as the fourth leading production of gold, barite, and diatomite and was the only mineral commodity in 2003, with a value of $50 million. state that produced magnesite, lithium, and the specialty The contributions that mining makes to the clays, sepiolite and saponite. Other commodities produced economies of Nevada and the U.S. are significant in terms in Nevada in 2003 included construction aggregate (sand, of jobs, commerce, taxes, improvements to the gravel, and crushed stone), geothermal energy, lime, infrastructure, and lowering of the U.S. trade deficit. diatomite, gypsum, cement, clays, silica (industrial sand), Because of Nevada’s production, the U.S. is a net silver, dimension stone, semiprecious gemstones, perlite, exporter of gold, most of which is sold on the international salt, kalinite (potassium alum), zeolite, mercury as a by- market for jewelry and arts and some of which is sold for product of gold and silver processing, and petroleum. its superior qualities in computers and other electronics. Nevada ranked second in the United States in terms The U.S. is a net exporter of few mined commodities and of value of overall nonfuel (excluding oil, gas, coal, and a net importer of many. Among the major mined products geothermal) mineral production in 2003 (according to the in Nevada, the U.S. relies upon imports for barite (81% U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries of total U.S. consumption from imports in 2003, according 2004, http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/). to the U.S. Geological Survey, used primarily to prevent California, with its large population and commensurate blowouts in oil and gas drilling), silver (56%, used in demands for construction raw materials, was first. photographic and other applications), copper (38%, used Arizona, the nation’s leading copper producer, was third. primarily to conduct electricity), and gypsum (23%, used Texas, another populous state and major producer of in wallboard). Our exports of gold help offset the construction raw materials, was fourth. Florida, the leader staggering U.S. trade deficit (difference between imports in phosphate production was fifth. and exports of goods and services), which amounted to MINERAL, GEOTHERMAL POWER, AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTION IN NEVADA1 2002 2003 % change from 2002 to 2003 Minerals Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value (millions) (millions) Gold (thousand troy ounces) 7,732 $2,397.0 7,318 $2,660.0 -5.4 +11.0 Silver (thousand troy ounces) 13,564 61.9 10,246 50.0 -24.5 -19.2 Copper (thousand pounds) 00 00 —— Aggregate (thousand short tons) 35,300 158.9 37,000 166.5 +4.8 +4.8 Gypsum (thousand short tons) 1,850 29.6 1,865 29.9 +0.8 +1.0 Barite (thousand short tons) 377 10.9 466 13.5 +23.6 +23.9 Geothermal energy (thousand megawatt-hours) 1,251 64.0 1,176 65.0 -6.0 +1.6 Petroleum (thousand 42-gallon barrels) 553 9.9 493 12.1 -10.8 +22.2 Other minerals2 — 220.7 — 216.1 — -2.0 Total — $2,951.9 — $3,213.1 — +8.8 1 Production as measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production (including consumption by producers); compiled by the Nevada Division of Minerals and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology.