Metals Industrial Minerals Oil and Gas Special Publication MI-2017 Geothermal The Nevada Exploration Development Mineral Industry Mining 2017 Processing Starting in 1979, NBMG has issued annual reports that describe the mineral (precious and base metals and industrial minerals including aggregate), oil and gas, and geothermal activities and accomplishments. This report describes those accomplishments in Nevada for 2017, which includes production, reserve, and resource 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; and a directory of mines and mills. Nevada System of Higher Education 2018 Board of Regents Thom Reilly, Chancellor Patrick R. Carter Cathy McAdoo University of Nevada, Reno Donald S. McMichael Sr. Amy J. Carvalho Marc Johnson, President Carol Del Carlo John T. Moran Mark W. Doubrava Kevin J. Page, Chairman College of Science Laura E. Perkins Jason Geddes, Vice Chairman Jeffrey Thompson, Dean Trevor Hayes Rick Trachok Sam Lieberman Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology James E. Faulds, Director/State Geologist Scientific Research Staff Research and Administrative Support Staff Economic Geology, Geologic Mapping, Cartography and Publication Support and Geologic Framework Jennifer Vlcan, Cartographic/GIS Manager James E. Faulds, Professor Jack Hursh, Cartographer/Publications Specialist Christopher D. Henry, Research Geologist Rachel Micander, Analyst - GIS and Cartography John Muntean, Associate Professor-Research Irene Seelye, Cartographer/GIS Specialist Economic Geologist Sydney Wilson, Cartographer/GIS Specialist Mike Ressel, Assistant Professor-Research Economic Geologist Data Management Andrew Zuza, Assistant Professor-Structural Geologist Emily O’Dean, Geoscience Data Manager Geologic Hazards and Engineering Geology Publication Sales and Information Seth Dee, Geologic Mapping Specialist Craig M. dePolo, Supervisor Craig M. dePolo, Research Geologist David Davis, Geologic Information Specialist Rich Koehler, Assistant Professor Charlotte Stock, Sales Manager Bret Pecoraro, Development Technician Nevada Geodetic Laboratory Geoffrey Blewitt, Research Professor Administration William C. Hammond, Research Professor Alex Nesbitt, Administrative Assistant Corné W. Kreemer, Research Professor Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy Bridget Ayling, Director, Associate Professor Rozena Brecke, Administrative Assistant Steve DeOreo, Drilling Manager, Nevada Geothermal Play Fairway project Cary Lindsey, Postdoctoral Scholar Eli Mlawsky, Geoscience Data Manager Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology John Muntean, Director, Associate Professor- Research Economic Geologist Cover Photos: Suggested Citation: Steamboat Hills geothermal field (left), Washoe County, Muntean, J.L., Davis, D.A., and Ayling, B., 2018, The Nevada (photographer, Jack Hursh). Steam discharging Nevada Mineral Industry 2017 [online version]: Nevada from the wellhead separator for the 63-7 well at the Dixie Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication Valley geothermal plant (right), Churchill County, Nevada MI-2017, 212 p. (photographer, Bridget Ayling). Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication MI-2017 The Nevada Mineral Industry 2017 Contents 3 Overview by John L. Muntean 14 Metals by David A. Davis and John L. Muntean 62 Major Precious-Metal Deposits by David A. Davis and John L. Muntean 127 Other Metallic Deposits by David A. Davis and John L. Muntean 137 Industrial Minerals by David A. Davis 160 Industrial Mineral Deposits by David A. Davis 168 Geothermal Energy by Bridget Ayling 188 Oil and Gas by David A. Davis 198 Directory of Mining and Milling Operations by David A. Davis 2018 Preparation supported by the Nevada Division of Minerals http://minerals.nv.gov © Copyright 2018 The University of Nevada, Reno. All Rights Reserved 2 OVERVIEW by John L. Muntean This report highlights activities through 2017 in down from 81% in 2016. This decrease was mainly due metals, industrial minerals, geothermal energy, and to increased production from the Cresson Mine (Cripple petroleum. The value of overall mineral and energy Creek) in Colorado and the Haile Mine in South production in Nevada in 2017 was $8.49 billion, a 4.7% Carolina. The U.S. was the fourth leading gold producer increase from 2016 (table 1, fig. 1). Gold production in in the world in 2017. Nevada alone accounted for 5.6% 2017 was just over 5.64 million ounces (175 tonnes), a of world production of gold, which was approximately 3.2% increase from 2016. The average gold price in 101.3 million ounces (3,150 tonnes) in 2017. Only 2017 was $1257.12/ounce (fig. 2). The share of gold in China, Russia, and Australia produced more gold than the value of Nevada mineral and energy production the state of Nevada. decreased slightly from 85.8% in 2016 to 83.8% in The section on Metals and the tables in Major 2017. Nevada led the nation in the production of both Precious-Metal Deposits and Other Metallic Deposits gold and barite ($19.9 million). It was also the only state provide details on exploration, new deposit discoveries, that produced lithium ($39.62 million), magnesite ($7.9 new mine openings, mine closures, additions to million), and the specialty clays, sepiolite and saponite reserves, and mine expansions. As has been the case for ($11.2 million). Other commodities mined and produced many years, gold continues to be the leading commodity in Nevada in 2017, in order of value, included copper produced in Nevada. Production of gold in 2017 came ($415.5 million), aggregate (sand, gravel, and crushed mainly from 15 major mining operations that each stone) ($315 million), geothermal energy ($259.8 produced greater than 100,000 ounces (3 tonnes). The million), silver ($144.5 million), diatomite ($48.4 share of production from the Carlin trend decreased million), gypsum ($42.7 million), limestone and from 38% in 2016 to 33% in 2017. dolomite (mainly for cement, $39.6 million), silica Nevada and the U.S. have produced a significant ($20.4 million), dimension stone and landscape rock portion of the world’s gold. The U.S. Geological Survey $19.8 million), and petroleum ($12.9 million). estimates that total world gold production, since the Additional mined materials with production values less beginning of civilization, has been approximately 5.824 than $10,000,000 in 2017 were molybdenum, perlite, billion ounces (181 thousand tonnes). Total gold other clays, iron oxides, salt, and semiprecious production in Nevada through 2017 was 229.9 million gemstones (opal). Locations of many of the sites ounces (7,116.5 tonnes). Remarkably, 89% of Nevada’s mentioned in the text of this report are shown on NBMG gold production has been produced since the Carlin Open-File Report 2017-01, Nevada Active Mines and Mine began production in 1965; 87% has been produced Energy Producers, which is available at during the current boom from 1981 to the present; and http://pubs.nbmg.unr.edu/NV-active-mines-and- 24% has been produced in the last ten years. Cumulative energy-2017-p/of2017-01.htm. U.S. production, primarily since 1835, is approximately For the third year in a row, Nevada led the United 602 million ounces (18.7 thousand tonnes) or about States in terms of value of overall nonfuel (excluding 10.3% of total world gold production, and total Nevada oil, gas, coal, uranium, and geothermal) mineral production is 3.9% of cumulative world production. The production in 2017 (according to the U.S. Geological Carlin trend alone accounts for 1.5% of all the gold ever Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2018, mined in the world. By the end of 2017, cumulative http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2018/mcs2 production from the Carlin trend was 90.1 million 018.pdf). Nevada accounted for just over 10% of the ounces (2,802 tonnes), assuring its place as one of the value of domestic nonfuel mineral production. Nevada most productive gold-mining districts in the world. has led the nation eight of the last nine years. Arizona Nevada continues to be in the midst of the biggest was second and is the country’s major copper producer. gold boom in U.S. history, as the graph of historical U.S. Texas rose to third, mainly due to its booming gold production illustrates (fig. 3). The recent surge in construction industry and demand for aggregate and production in the U.S. is largely the result of discoveries cement. Alaska rose to fourth, mainly due to zinc, gold, of Carlin-type gold deposits and other deposits in which lead, and silver production, and California dropped to gold occurs primarily in grains that are too small to be fifth, with its production dominated by aggregate. The visible to the naked eye. These deposits are mostly in contributions that mining makes to the economies of Nevada. The U.S. production so far in the current boom, Nevada and the U.S. are significant in terms of jobs, the period since 1981, has been 282.6 million ounces commerce, taxes, improvements to the infrastructure, (8,790 tonnes). This is significantly greater than the total and lowering of the U.S. trade deficit. U.S. production during several past eras, including 1) Nevada's production of 5.64 million ounces (175 the California gold rush (1849 to 1859, with 29 million tonnes) of gold was valued at $7.09 billion. Nevada ounces or 900 tonnes), although some estimates of accounted for 71% of total U.S. gold production in 2017, unreported production may bring that figure up to 70 3 million ounces (2,200 tonnes); 2) the Comstock previous booms not only in terms of cumulative (Nevada) era from 1860 to 1875 with 34 million ounces production but also in terms of peak annual production (1,060 tonnes); and 3) the period from 1897 to 1920, and duration. In 1998, 11.6 million ounces (360 tonnes) when Goldfield (Nevada), the Black Hills (South were produced versus 4.8 million ounces (150 tonnes) in Dakota), Cripple Creek (Colorado), and byproduct gold 1909, 2.6 million ounces (80 tonnes) in 1866, and 3.1 production from copper mines in Arizona and Utah million ounces (96 tonnes) in 1853.