Long Chance & Vanelmart Mine (Long Chance Mine; Vanelmart Mine; Last Chance Mine), Banner Ridge, Chidago District, Benton Range, Mono Co., California, USA

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A former Pb-Cu-Au-Ag mine located in the W½SE¼ sec. 33, T3S, R31E, MDM, 6.2 km (3.9 miles) SSE of Banner Ridge (coordinates of record), on National Forest land. Not to be confused with the better known Chance Mine, located just over 2 miles to the ESE. Active between 1933 and 1936. MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 1,000 meters.

NOTE: There is some confusion among the 4 apparently relevent MRDS database files. Files #10076907 & 10164127 present a T&R value of sec. 35. A check of the topo map reveals the total absence of any mine symbols in that section. Further, those 2 files use the appelation of "Long Chance & Vanelmart Mine." MRDS files #10101184 & 10237096 use the appelation of "Long Chance" and "Last Chance" and cite a T&R value indicating sec. 33. The topo map clearly reflects the "Long Chance Mine" in this section. All of the MRDS files describe the same workings, albeit in different terms. The "Chance Mine" is to the E of this locality in a totally different section.

Mineralization is in a vertical quartz vein from 6 to 12 inches thick, hosted in a mica schist. The ore body strikes N70E, NW and dips 90, 38NE at a thicknes of 0.3 meters. Gold-bearing pyrite is the chief ore mineral, with lesser galena and chalcopyrite. Local rocks include Paleozoic marine rocks, undivided, unit 3 (Eastern Sierra Nevada) and/or Mesozoic granitic rocks, unit 3 (Sierra Nevada, Death Valley area, Northern Mojave Desert and Transverse Ranges).

Workings consist of underground openings comprised of a 175 foot deep shaft with levels at 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 and 175 feet, totaling more than 1,000 feet of level workings with considerable stoping between levels. An adit connects with the 50-foot level, where a drift was driven 150 feet E and 100 feet W.. Also a 100 foot tunnel, 325 foot deep winze with the 6 levels. Stoped a length of 150 feet, where the average length (width ?) of ore is 8 inches.

Production information: Shipments aggregating 300 tons averaged 1.85 ounces Au/ton. No production record found.

Pemberton (1983) on p. 90 list Chalcopyrite from this locality.

Mineral List

Anglesite Azurite Caledonite Chalcopyrite

Chrysocolla Galena Gold Linarite

Malachite Mottramite Pyrite Quartz

Stolzite

13 entries listed. 13 valid minerals.

References