ASARCO

The ASARCO is a molybdenum 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: ASARCO
Secondary: Tok
Secondary: Dennis

Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Fortymile

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: Porphyry Cu-Mo

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Alteration types include severe silicification and leaching of the hypabyssal intrusive (Singer and others, 1976).

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Molybdenite

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Surface sampling, some sampling and drilling in 1970 and 1971.

Comment (Geology): Age = Early Tertiary (55-60 Ma), based on the prospect's similarity to the Taurus prospect (TC027) and the Pushbush prospect (TC024) nearby, as well as a radiometric date on a rhyolite flow near the prospect (Newberry and others, 1996).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The ASARCO prospect consists of silicified and deeply leached Tertiary quartz porphyry hypabyssal intrusive and extrusive rocks that contain disseminated molybdenite and copper sulfide minerals (Singer and others, 1976). The regional geology of the prospect consists of Tertiary felsic volcanics surrounded by undivided granitic rocks (Foster, 1970). The prospect lies within the eastern Yukon-Tanana Y1 subterrane of Foster and Keith (1994). Cities Services Mineral Corp. drilled three holes in the prospect in 1971, and then dropped the project (David Hedderly-Smith, oral communication, 1998). A rhyolite flow near the ASARCO prospect yielded an age of 55-60 Ma (Newberry and others, 1996).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Porphyry Cu deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 21a)

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Singer and others, 1976

References

Reference (Deposit): Foster, H.L., 1970, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Tanacross quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geological Investigations Map I-593, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Gill, R., 1977, Geology and mineral deposits of the southwest quarter of the Tanacross D-1 quadrangle, Alaska: Golden, Colorado School of Mines, M.Sc. thesis, 129 p.

Reference (Deposit): Newberry, R.J., Layer, P.W., Burleigh, R.E., and Solie, D.N., 1996, New 40Ar/39Ar dates for intrusions and mineral prospects in the eastern Yukon-Tanana terrane, Alaska - Regional patterns and significance, in Gray, J.E., and Riehle, J.R., eds., Geological Studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1996: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1595, p. 131-159.

Reference (Deposit): Eberlein, G.D., Chapman, R.M., Foster, H.L., and Gassaway, J.S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168-D, 132 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Singer, D.A., Csejtey, Bela, Jr., and Miller, R.J., 1978, Map and discussion of the metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral resources of the Talkeetna Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 78-588-Q, 33 p., 1 plate, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., and Eberlein, G.D., 1980, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Big Delta and Tanacross quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-1086, 77 p.

Reference (Deposit): Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

Reference (Deposit): Foster, H.L., and Keith, T.E.C., 1994, Geology of the Yukon-Tanana area of east-central Alaska: in Plafker, G. and Berg, H.C., eds, The geology of North America, vol. G-1, The geology of Alaska: Geological Society of America, p. 205-240.

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