Miners River

The Miners River is a nickel, copper, and cobalt 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: Miners River
Secondary: Miners River Nickel
Secondary: Miners Bay

Commodity

Primary: Nickel
Primary: Copper
Primary: Cobalt

Location

State: Alaska
District: Prince William Sound

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

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Pyritization of diorite country rock.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pentlandite
Ore: Pyrrhotite

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Hoekzema, 1984

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Webber and Rutledge (1944) stated that inferred reserves are 11,000 tons at 0.2 percent Ni and 0.2 percent Cu.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Cobb (1972) located this site north of Miners Lake, however Grant (1906) whom serves as Cobb primary references, indicate that it is where Miners River enters into Miners Bay.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = A 'vein' or zone that has no sharply defined walls in the diorite country rock has been pyrrhotitized in a zone 10-20 ft wide. This sulfide-bearing rock is iron-stained and contains pegmatitic veins which also carry pyrrhotite. These veins are 0.25 to 2 inches in width and are not sharply defined (Grant, 1906). The pyrrhotite disseminated in the pegmatitic veins carry nickel, cobalt, and copper (Hoekzema and Fechner, 1986).? Chip samples contained from 400 ppm to 2,000 ppm Ni, 93 ppm to 2,000 ppm Co, and 100 ppm to 2,000 ppm Cu. Grab samples contained from 20 ppm to 2,000 ppm Ni, 36 to 800 ppm Co, and 20 ppm to 1,000 ppm Cu. A 260 lb bulk sample contained 2,500 ppm Ni, 200 ppm Co, and 3,100 ppm Cu (Hoekzema, 1984).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Exploration consists of an 8 ft and an 218 ft adit. Chip samples contained from 400 ppm to 2,000 ppm Ni, 93 ppm to 2,000 ppm Co, and 100 ppm to 2,000 ppm Cu. Grab samples contained from 20 ppm to 2,000 ppm Ni, 36 to 800 ppm Co, and 20 ppm to 1,000 ppm Cu. A 260 lb bulk sample contained 2,500 ppm Ni, 200 ppm Co, and 3,100 ppm Cu. These results indicate low mineral potential (Hoekzema, 1984).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary or younger.

References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Grant, U.S., and Higgins, D.F., Jr., 1910, Reconnaissance of the geology and mineral resources of Prince William Sound, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 443, 89 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials in the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1095, 184 p.

Reference (Deposit): Grant, U.S., and Higgins, D.F., 1910, Reconnaissance of the geology and mineral resources of Prince William Sound, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 443, 89 p.

Reference (Deposit): Hoekzema, R.B., and Fechner, S.A., 1986, Placer Gold sampling in and near the Chugach National Forest, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9091, 42 p.

Reference (Deposit): Webber, B.S., and Rutledge, F.A., 1944, Horseshoe Bay deposits, Latouche Island, Prince William Sound, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines unpublished War Minerals Report.

Reference (Deposit): Grant, U.S., 1906, Copper and other mineral resources of Prince William Sound: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 284, p. 78-87.

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): Hoekzema, R.B., 1984, Strategic and critical mineral development potential of the Chugach National Forest, southcentral Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 215-84, 64 p., 1 sheet.

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): Jansons, Uldis, Hoekzema, R.B., Kurtak, J.M., and Fechner, S.A., 1984, Mineral occurrences in the Chugach National Forest, Southcentral Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 5-84, 218 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

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