Nelson and Tift

The Nelson and Tift is a silver, gold, lead, 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: Nelson and Tift

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Ketchikan

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: Skarn Cu

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Probably Cretaceous or younger.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The deposit was discovered in 1935 and developed by an opencut and several small pits and trenches. During 1936, 4 diamond-drill holes, up to 90 feet deep, were drilled, but did not intersect ore. About 1300 tons of ore were shipped to a smelter in the mid-late 1930s; gold, silver, some copper, and a little lead were recovered. Precious metal content of seven channel samples taken from the mine in the mid-1930s ranged from 0.12 to 2.08 oz Au and 0.05 to 0.40 oz Ag per ton.

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = calc-silicate minerals

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

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = MacKevett, 1963

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Ore body was mined out.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = About 1300 tons of ore were shipped to a smelter in the mid-late 1930s, with recovery of gold, silver, some copper, and a little lead.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The rocks in the area of the Nelson and Tift mine (MacKevett, 1963, pl. 1) consist of a Cretaceous quartz diorite stock; thin roof pendants of Devonian(?) marble and calc-silicate rock; and numerous Tertiary andesite or dacite dikes that cut both the stock and the roof pendants. ? the deposit (MacKevett, 1963, p. 99-100), which has been mined out, consisted of a sulfide lens 75 ft long, 30 ft deep, and 9 ft wide, in a steep, 20- to 40-ft wide roof pendant of marble that has been intruded by quartz diorite. Near the intrusive contacts, parts of the pendant have been converted to calc-hornfels. The ore consisted largely of auriferous pyrite, accompanied by small amounts of chalcopyrite and bornite. A few pyrite-bearing quartz veins up to 6 inches thick that cut the pendant probably contain small amounts of gold. Pyrite and a little magnetite are disseminated in parts of the marble.? the deposit was discovered in 1935 and developed by an opencut and several small pits and trenches. During 1936, 4 diamond-drill holes, up to 90 feet deep, were drilled, but did not intersect ore. About 1300 tons of ore were shipped to a smelter in the mid-late 1930s; gold, silver, some copper, and a little lead were recovered. Precious metal content of seven channel samples taken from the mine in the mid-1930s ranged from 0.12 to 2.08 oz Au and 0.05 to 0.40 oz Ag per ton.

References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., and Elliott, R.L., 1980, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Ketchikan and Prince Rupert quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-1053, 154 p.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., 1963, Geology and ore deposits of the Bokan Mountain uranium-thorium area, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1154, 125 p.

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