Mine detail: Rat Deposit

Previously called 'Rat Pit'

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Location

Lat / long:

39.92381, -115.547

Resource(M)

Primary:	Gold
Tertiary:	Mercury
Ore:	Gold
Gangue:	Pyrite, Clay, Limonite, Quartz
Orebody form:	tabular to irregular

Production

Operation type:	Surface
Deposit type:	sediment-hosted disseminated gold
Production size:	Unknown
Development status:	Producer
Production years:	1993-1996
First production started:	1993

Geology

Host rock:	Dunderburg Shale, Hamburg Dolomite
Host type:	Siltstone,Limestone,Clastic Sedimentary Rock,Sedimentary Rock
Associated rock:	Bald Mountain Stock
Associated type:	Porphyry
Structure:	The Bald Mountain district is located in an area of thinned crust along the eastern side of the Late Proterozoic rift that split the North American craton. It is also in the west-central portion of the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Antler foreland basin, and near the eastern edge of deformation related to the late Paleozoic Humboldt orogeny To the west of the Bald Mountain district, geologic interpretations are dominated by recognition of Paleozoic deformation, whereas to the east, interpretations emphasize Mesozoic contraction and plutonism and Tertiary extension., NW-striking normal faults that dip steeply west and east, with lesser N-striking faults.
Tectonic:	The Bald Mountain district is located in an area of thinned crust along the eastern side of the Late Proterozoic rift that split the North American craton. It is also in the west-central portion of the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Antler foreland basin, and near the eastern edge of deformation related to the late Paleozoic Humboldt orogeny.
Alteration processes:	The porphyry dikes were sericitized, argillized and silicified.

References

DEP	10310446
Reference	{Deposit:: NBMG mining district files 323, press clippings}{Deposit:: NBMG, 1988, NBMG MI-1987.}{Deposit:: GSN 1985 meeting and fall field trip road log}{Deposit:: Adamson, T.J., 1987, in Bulk Mineable Precious Metal Deposits of the Western U.S., 1987 GSN, Field Trip Guidebook and Technical Volume.}{Deposit:: NBMG, 1994, MI-1993}{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:: Nutt, C.J., Hofstra, A.H., Hart, K.S., and Mortensen, J.K., 2000, Structural setting and genesis of gold deposits in the Bald Mountain-Alligator Ridge area, east-central Nevada, in Cluer, J.K., Price, J.G., Struhsacker, E.M., Hardyman, R.F., and Morris, C.L., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: The Great Basin and Beyond: Geological Society of Nevada Symposium Proceedings, May 15-18, 2000, p. 513-537.}{Deposit:: Hitchborn and others, 1996, Geology and Gold Deposits of the Bald Mountain Mining District, White Pine County, Nevada, in Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera Symposium Proceedings, eds. A. Coyner and P. Fahey.}{Deposit:: The Geological Society of Nevada 1996 Spring Field trip, Geology and Gold Deposits of Eastern Nevada, GSN Special Publication No. 23.}{Deposit:: BLM, 2004, Bald Mountain Mine Exploration Program Programmatic Environmental Assessment NV040-04-023, Case File # N78825.}
Reporter	LaPointe, D. D. , Schruben, Paul G.