Sediment-Hosted Gold Deposits of the Getchell District, Nevada

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Geological Society of Nevada’s 2005 Symposium Field Trip which will visit active mines and projects of the Getchell District including:
Turquoise Ridge and Getchell Underground Mines, Getchell property on day one;
The Twin Creeks Mine on day two; and
The Pinson and the Preble properties on day three.
Together these are the principle deposits of the emerging Getchell gold district that has become the third largest of Nevada’s Gold districts behind Carlin and Cortez.
The deposits are varieties of epigenetic, sediment-hosted, micron gold, Carlin-type deposits. Gold exhibits structural (mineralized faults, faulted folds) and stratabound ore controls in a variety of geologic settings that range from the contact zone of the Jurassic-age Getchell stock at Pinson and the Getchell Underground Mine, to deposits well away from the stock at the Turquoise Ridge underground mine, the Twin Creeks Mine, and the inactive Preble open pit.
On this field trip we will get field qualified summaries of the mines and deposit geology, ore controls, and an update on the latest mining and exploration activities and results in the district.
The field trip will begin in Reno on Wednesday morning, May 11, with a three-hour drive to Getchell and our first mine tour. Road logs provide geologic, mining and exploration commentary along the way. There are three papers within this guidebook which provide summaries for mines and deposits, historical notes and some excellent detailed geologic information on the ore controls and mineralization. We will be staying overnight in the mining and ranching town of Winnemucca, situated about an hour from the mines we’ll visit.
A highlight of the trip will be after dinner accounts of the early discovery histories of Preble, Pinson, Getchell Underground and Turquoise Ridge, Chimney Creek, Rabbit Creek deposits by key exploration geologists who were involved on the ground with the discoveries. Their presentations will be informal and focus on questions and events that eventually lead to the discovery outcrops and drill holes. There should be plenty of room for questions and discussion. Presenters will include:
Andy Wallace, Cordex Exploration, Inc., the Pinson and Preble discoveries
Steve Brown, Nevada Pacific Gold, Chimney Creek deposit discovery
Ron Parratt, Rabbit Creek deposit discovery
Mike Baumann, Newmont Mining Corporation, Getchell Underground Turquoise Ridge deosit discoveries
Bill Howald, Vic Chevillon Placer Dome Exploration, Inc., Turquoise Ridge Underground extensions.