Unnamed (divide between Christy and Copeland creeks)

The Unnamed (divide between Christy and Copeland creeks) is a chromium 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: Unnamed (divide between Christy and Copeland creeks)

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Secondary: Platinum
Secondary: Nickel

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: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Podiform chromite (minor)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Serpentinization of ultramafic intrusive rocks. The serpentinite is altered to quartz-carbonate rock containing disseminated pyrite and stained with garrnierite.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chromite
Ore: Garnierite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Serpentine

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Hawley and others, 1969

Comment (Geology): Age = Chromite probably was a magmatic segregation in Upper Devonian ultramafic intrusive rocks.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = There has been surface sampling only. Samples comprising 95% chromite contain 39.5% Cr2O3 and a chromium/iron ratio of 3.1:1, along with traces of platinum group metals (principally rhenium) and 1,000 ppm nickel (Hawley and others, 1969). The platinum values in eight samples were at the lower limit of detection (Balen, 1990: OFR 34-90).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Podiform chromite (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 8a)

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks in the area of this occurrence are a tectonically mixed assembleges of Upper Devonian serpentinite, basalt, chert, and gabbro. The occurrence consists of talus blocks of serpentinite(?) containing pods of massive chromite. The blocks occur in an area underlain by serpentinite altered to quartz-carbonate rock containing disseminated pyrite and stained with garnierite. Samples comprising 95% chromite contain 39.5% Cr2O3 and a chromium/iron ratio of 3.1:1, along with traces of platinum group metals (principally rhenium) and 1,000 ppm nickel (Hawley and others, 1969). The platinum values in eight samples were at the lower limit of detection (Balen, 1990: OFR 34-90).

References

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): 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): Hawley, C.C., Clark, A.L., Herdrick, M.A., and Clark, S.H.B., 1969, Results of geological and geochemical Investigations in an area northwest of the Chulitna River, central Alaska Range: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 617, 19 p.

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.

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