“Are these mines “abandoned,” with no legal owner, or are they “mothballed,” with an owner waiting for the market to make the mine profitable again?”
Some of them are completely abandoned, and some aren’t. There are costs involved in maintaining a claim, but an owner may hold on to it even though it’s not in production.
Thanks, Ray. One follow-up question, though…If the mine is abandoned, do the property and / or mineral rights revert to whomever manages the land, such as a private holding corporation or public entity, such as a Federal State agency or Native American government?
Sorry, but your videos are fascinating, and they just beg questions!
Eric
“One follow-up question, though…If the mine is abandoned, do the property and / or mineral rights revert to whomever manages the land, such as a private holding corporation or public entity, such as a Federal State agency or Native American government?”
As far as I know, yes. Most of the mines I visit are on public lands, owned by the federal government and usually managed by BLM (Bureau of Land Management). In these places the mineral rights would revert back to the government.
I’m no expert on this stuff, and it’s all very complicated. And there are different types of mineral rights:
"The minerals on Federal lands are divided into three categories, each subject to different laws and regulations.
Here’s a site with some basic info about mining claims:
It looks like the ‘Cole Slaw Mine’ is a current claim, or at least not abandoned, as its for sale for a shade over $40,000. Last legal working appears to be around 1990, but some illegal mining happened around 2010. Its an interesting undeveloped claim, it looks like.
Ray,
I perused that site a bit. I was actually shocked at how little you had to pay to stake and maintain a claim! The whole process seems somewhat antiquated, and yet the science of mining is so sophisticated!
Thanks again for taking the time to track this down and explain it to this layman!
Eric
El Capitan Mine, NV 2020
In this video you’ll see an interesting, abandoned mine located on a steep slope, near the top of a stony ridge.
This mine has a couple unusual features, such as a long wooden gangway from the base of the hill up to the mine.
Music:
“Dreamy”
by Waterplant
https://audiojungle.net/item/dreamy/11648294
Licensed through AudioJungle
Ray Dunakin said:
El Capitan Mine, NV 2020
In this video you’ll see an interesting, abandoned mine located on a steep slope, near the top of a stony ridge.
This mine has a couple unusual features, such as a long wooden gangway from the base of the hill up to the mine.
Music:
“Dreamy”
by Waterplant
https://audiojungle.net/item/dreamy/11648294
Licensed through AudioJungle
Another nice one. Interesting features. From Google Maps, it looks like there is more ruins on the other side of the ridge, and then to the south, a whole bunch of walls and building ruins. Definitely an interesting area.
Yeah, there are some other tungsten mines in that area. I’ve visited all (or most) of them before but I need to go back sometimes and shoot video of those other mines.
Lone Mountain Mine, NV 2020
Join me as I visit an isolated, little-known zinc mine in central Nevada. You’ll see a well-preserved headframe, core samples from test drilling, and some nice scenery too.
Music:
“Flight”
by Vinnichill
https://audiojungle.net/item/flight/3031104
Licensed through AudioJungle
Another neat mine, Ray. When you look at the satellite photos, all the debris around the building isnt on them. And that long white pile behind the building isnt in the sat photos either.
This page and supporting documents suggest there was some work there around 2017.
And if you look at the date of the Satellite photo, it is dated 5/24/2014. A lot of stuff can happen in 6 years. Still a neat video, thanks for sharing Ray
It seems the core samples and other materials must have been done sometime within the last six years. I also noticed that mine just a short distance to the southeast still has two small structures standing, in the satellite photo. Those structures were gone when I was there.
Thanks Ray !
Bob Cope said:
And if you look at the date of the Satellite photo, it is dated 5/24/2014. A lot of stuff can happen in 6 years. Still a neat video, thanks for sharing Ray
Was this on Google maps satellite view? Where did you find the date?
Looks like an interesting visit Ray, thanks for sharing.
This was on Google Earth. Imagery date, latitude, longitude, and elevation are displayed in the bottom right of the image. I don’t use Google Maps so I am not familiar of their display.
Bob Cope said:
This was on Google Earth. Imagery date, latitude, longitude, and elevation are displayed in the bottom right of the image. I don’t use Google Maps so I am not familiar of their display.
Cortez, NV 2020
Cortez is a ghost town in central Nevada with buildings and ruins spread out over a wide area. Silver was the primary ore mined here.
Music:
“Acapulco Calling”
by NC Music
https://audiojungle.net/item/acapulco-calling/6761271
Licensed through AudioJungle
Thanks for posting!
Another great video, Ray. Thanks for sharing.