Seattle Alaska Copper Co.

The Seattle Alaska Copper Co. is a zinc and copper mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Seattle Alaska Copper Co.

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Prince Willaim Sound

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, Cyprus

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: None reported.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Johnson, 1918; Kurtak and Jeske, 1986

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Kurtak and Jeske (1986) inferred a reserve of 2,900 tons copper in ore that contains 3% copper and 8.7ppm silver.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Cyprus massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 24a).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rock in the vicinity of the prospect is graywacke and shale of the Tertiary Orca Group (Nelson and others, 1980). The strike of the bedding is northeast and dips 70W. The mineralization consists of siliceous massive sulfides and stringers of sulfides containing predominantly pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. The mineralization varies from 18 to 66 inches in width and strikes N35 to 50E and dips 70 to 80W. Locally the mineralization is parallel to the schistosity of the country rock. Samples by the Bureau of Mines (Kurtak and Jeske, 1986) assayed up to 6.5% copper and 14 ppm silver.

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary; massive sulfides in Tertiary rocks.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = In 1914 a test shipment of 12 tons of ore that ran 0.97% copper and 1.92 ounces of silver per ton resulted in the production of 2,350 pounds of copper and 23 ounces of silver (Johnson, 1918 p. 209-210).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = There were 840 feet of underground workings driven between 1908 and 1911. In 1911 a mill was set up and run for a short while. In 1914 a test shipment of 12 tons of ore that ran 0.97% copper and 1.92 ounces of silver per ton resulted in the production of 2,350 pounds of copper and 23 ounces of silver (Johnson, 1918 p. 209-210). The prospect has tunnels at three levels and one open cut. The lower two tunnels are the most extensively developed. The lower tunnel is collapsed and reported to consists of 400 feet of workings . The middle tunnel was open in 1985 and is about 400 feet long; two drifts, 20 feet and 50 feet in length, were driven along the mineralized zone. The Bureau of Mines (Kurtak and Jeske, 1986) sampled the middle tunnel across a four foot width that contained 6.5% copper and 14 ppm silver. The 40-foot-long upper tunnel is collapsed. Martin and others (1915) reported that this tunnel was weakly mineralized. In 1976, Noranda Exploration staked the area and conducted geophysical studies.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Condon, W.H., and Cass, J.T., 1958, Map of a part of the Prince William Sound area, Alaska, showing linear geologic features on aerial photographs: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-273. 1 sheet, scale 1:125,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metalic mineral resources map of the Blying Sound quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Stuudies Map MF-440, 1 sheet, scale 1:150,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metalic mineral resources map of the Blying Sound quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-440, 1 sheet, scale 1:150,000.

Reference (Deposit): Tysdal, R.G., 1978, Mines, prospects, and occurrences map of the Seward and Blying Sound quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-880-A, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Grant, U.S., and Higgins, D.F., Jr., 1909, Notes on geology and mineral prospects in the vicinity of Seward, Kenai Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-C, p. 98-107.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Johnson, B.L., 1918, Copper deposits of the Latouche and Knight Island districts, Prince William Sound: U.S. Geological Survey BuIletin 662-C, p. 193-220.

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H. , and Fellows, R.E. , 1950, Coper deposits of the Prince William Sound district, Alaska; Geological Survey Bullentin 963-B, p. 47-80.

Reference (Deposit): Johnson, B.L., 1919, Mining on Prince William Sound: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692-C, p. 143-151.

Reference (Deposit): Martin G.C., Johnson, B.L., and Grant, U.S., 1915, Geology and mineral resources of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 587, 243 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H. and Tysdal, R.G., 1980, Summaries of data on and list of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Blying Sound and Seward quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-621, 276 p.

Reference (Deposit): Kurtak, J.M., and Jeske, R.E., 1986, Mineral investigations in the Chugach National Forest, Alaska (Islands area): U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 54-86, 302 p., 1 sheet.

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