Frost

The Frost is a copper, zinc, and barium-barite 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: Frost

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Barium-Barite
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Kiana

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: Kipushi Cu-Pb-Zn (BC name is Carbonate-hosted Cu)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification.

Rocks

Name: Dolomite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Devonian

Name: Dolomite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Devonian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Barite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Kipushi Cu-Pb-Zn (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 32c).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Trenching followed by drilling is recommended to determine the extent and grade of the sulfide-bearing vein both along strike and down dip (Degenhart and others, 1978).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Frost prospect consists of discontinuous pods or lenses of barite in a zone 30 feet wide and 5,000 long. An iron-stained silicified zone surrounds the barite and is weakly mineralized. The silicified zone dips 25 to 45 degrees W and contains disseminated sphalerite and chalcopyrite, and sulfide-bearing quartz-calcite-barite veins. These veins trend N. 70 E. Bedrock consists entirely of Devonian, light- to dark-gray limestone and medium- to coarse-grained, stratified dolomite and marble (Degenhart and others, 1978).? An 8-pound sample of barite assayed 96% BaSO4 and 0.5% Zn. A sample from an 8-foot-wide, quartz-calcite-barite-sulfide vein assayed 0.49% Cu, 13.2% Zn and 20.7% Ba. This vein could only be traced for about 10 feet along strike before disappearing under talus (Degenhart and others, 1978). ? Analytical results from three rock samples (Schmidt and Allegro, 1988) follow: 1) sample T, a limestone boulder with disseminated sulfides contains 110 ppm As, greater than 100 ppm Cd, 230 ppm Sb, greater than 2000 ppm Zn, 1 ppm Ag, 1000 ppm Ba, 500 ppm Cu and 3000 ppm Pb; 2) sample V, a boulder with quartz-fluorite-sphalerite-galena-bornite contains 40 ppm As, greater than 100 ppm Cd, 130 ppm Sb, greater than 2000 ppm Zn, 0.7 ppm Ag, greater than 5000 ppm Ba, 500 ppm Cu, 200 ppm Pb and 5000 ppm Sr; 3) sample X, a boulder containing vein galena and fine-grained pyrite and sphalerite contains 80 ppm As, 70 ppm Cd, 170 ppm Sb, greater than 2000 ppm Zn, 5 ppm Ag, 1000 ppm Ba, 700 ppm Cu, 5 ppm Mo and 7000 ppm Pb.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The Frost deposit was discovered in 1963 by Bear Creek Exploration during a regional stream and soil sampling program. Exposure in the area is poor. Preliminary geologic mapping and sampling have been done on the occurrence. An IP survey was done in 1965 (Walters, 1969). During an investigation of the prospect by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1978, over 140 soil, silt and rock samples were collected and analyzed (Degenhart and others, 1978). Detailed mapping and sampling were done by the U. S. Geological Survey during the AMRAP program in the late 1980's (Schmidt and Allegro, 1988; Zayatz and others, 1988).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Degenhart and others, 1978

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Possible reserves estimated to be from 1 to 10 million tons of barite (Walters, 1969).

Comment (Geology): Age = Devonian.

References

Reference (Deposit): Degenhart, C.E., Griffis, R.J., McQuat, J.F., and Bigelow, C.G., 1978, Mineral studies of the western Brooks Range performed under contract to the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Contract #JO155089: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 103-78, 529 p., 11 sheets.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., Mayfield, C.F., and Brosge, W.P., 1981, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral occurrences in eleven quadrangles in northern Alaska (Arctic, Baird Mountains, Chandler Lake, DeLong Mountains, Demarcation Point, Howard Pass, Misheguk Mountain, Mount Michelson, Noatak, Point Lay, and Table Mountain); Supplement to Open-File Report 75-628; Part A, Summaries of data to January 1, 1981: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-767-A, 25 p.

Reference (Deposit): Zayatz, M.R., Thompson, W.B., Bailey, E.A., Sutley, S.J., Folger, P.F., Karl, S.M., and Schmidt, J.M., 1988, Analytical results and sample locality maps of mineralized and unmineralized rock samples from the Baird Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 88-256-A, 159 p., 2 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., 1977, Known mineral deposits of the Brooks Range, Alaska: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-166C, 41 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., and De Young, J.H., 1978, Map and tables describing mineral resource potential of the Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-1-B, 19 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Walters, R.R., 1969, Bear Creek Exploration Annual Progress Report, December 31, 1969: Bear Creek Exploration, Spokane, Washington, unpublished report, 22 p. (Report held by NANA Regional Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska).

Reference (Deposit): Schmidt, J.M., and Folger, P.F., 1986, Lead-zinc-silver mineralization in Paleozoic dolostones, Powdermilk prospect, Baird Mountains B-4 quadrangle: in Bartsch-Winkler, S., and Reed, K.M., eds., Geologic studies in Alaska by the USGS during 1985: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 978, p. 19-21.

Reference (Deposit): Schmidt, J.M., and Allegro, G.L., 1988, Map showing mineral occurrences and indicators in the Baird Mountains quadrangle, northwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1992, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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