Prospector, geologist, rancher and public resource advocate John Sealy Livermore was the last surviving member of three men considered the fathers of the Carlin Trend and “invisible gold” deposits.
RENO (MINEWEB) – John Livermore–the legendary American geologist who believed new gold mines could be developed from “invisible gold”—died in his sleep in his own bed Thursday after a short bout with cancer.
Guided by the ideas of U.S. Geological Survey geologist Ralph J. Roberts, Livermore and fellow Newmont geologist Alan Coope in October 1961 staked the claims that would become of one of world’s richest gold regions—the Carlin Trend. Livermore and Coope’s discovery was believed to contain 4 million ounces of gold. The entire Carlin Trend has produced well over 50 million ounces of gold.
Livermore remained with Newmont until 1970 when he returned to Nevada to form Cordex exploration. By 1970, only one other gold mine had been discovered in Nevada, the Cortez operation. However, Livermore felt a return to basic prospecting might lead to other economic gold discoveries.
He hired mining engineer Whit “Dee” DeLaMare, whose work led to the discovery of the Pinson, Preble, Sterling and Dee gold mines, as well as the development of the Getchell Trend. The Pinson Mine discovery enabled Cordex to get its capital investment back in 13 months, Livermore recalled in an oral history.
Livermore would prospect in many locales including Morocco, Turkey, Canada, Colorado, Nevada, and even adapted oilfield drilling techniques to Nevada gold mining drilling.
These successes and higher gold prices fueled a Nevada gold exploration boom during the 1980s, which made the Getchell Trend second only to the Carlin Trend in Nevada gold production. Even today new gold mines continue to be found and developed as Nevada gold production continues to expand.
However, Livermore would also invest in public service and environmental programs both in Nevada and California, as befitted the son of a pioneer California family. Born in April 1918, Livermore was one of five sons, who each achieved prominence in their chosen fields.
Although his great-grandfather and grandfather were prospectors who discovered mines in California, Livermore’s father
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