Copper King

The Copper King is a copper, gold, and silver 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: Copper King
Secondary: Hector Group

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Zinc

Location

State: Alaska
District: Valdez Creek

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Skarn Cu

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Skarn zones contain diopside, epidote, sericite, and anhydrite.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Workings include soil grids, 1,500 feet of trenching and 9 drill holes with over 1,700 feet completed. A limited, ground-based TEM survey has also been used to outline skarn zones. Samples taken at various times contain as much as 7.34% copper, 4.9 ounces of silver per ton, and 0.22 ounce of gold per ton (Cobb, 1978: OFR 78-1062).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Copper King is primarily a skarn prospect. The country rocks are hornfelsed Permo-Triassic calcareous siltstone and conglomerate that are intruded by Upper Cretaceous(?) quartz porphyry dikes. The deposit consists chiefly of massive chalcopyrite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite in a skarn zone 20 to 40 feet thick exposed for about 200 feet at the surface. Subsidary zones of quartz stockwork veining and of sulfide disseminations also occur (unpublished report by Addwest Minerals International Ltd., 1997). The pattern of mineralization suggests a zonal distribution of Cu around quartz porphyry intrusions. This is the only prospect in the district explored primarily for copper, and is also the only prospect in the area where arsenopyrite has not been found (Hawley and Clark, 1974). In addition, molybdenite is more abundant here than at the other prospects. Samples taken at various times contain as much as 7.34% copper, 4.9 ounces of silver per ton, and 0.22 ounce of gold per ton (Cobb, 1978: OFR 78-1062).

Comment (Geology): Age = Late Cretaceous.

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = skarn minerals

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Cu skarn (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 18b)

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Hawley and Clark, 1974

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active

References

Reference (Deposit): Hawley, C.C., and Clark, A.L., 1968, Occurence of gold and other metals in the upper Chulitna district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 564, 21 p.

Reference (Deposit): Hawley, C.C., and Clark, A.L., 1974, Geology and mineral deposits of the upper Chulitna district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 758-B, p. 1-47, 2 sheets, scale 1:12,000 and 1:48,000.

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

Reference (Deposit): Ross, C.P., 1933, The Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849, p. 289-467.

Reference (Deposit): Balen, M.D., 1990, Geochemical sampling results from the Bureau of Mines investigations in the Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 34-90, 218 p., 2 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Healy quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-1062, 113 p.

Reference (Deposit): Kurtak, J.M., Southworth, D.D., Balen, M.D., and Clautice, K.H., 1992, Mineral investigations in the Valdez Creek mining district, south-central Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 1-92, 659 p., 2 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Balen, M.D., 1990, Geochemical sampling results from the Bureau of Mines Investigations in the Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 34-90, 218 p., 2 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Clark, A.L., and Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Healy quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-394, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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