Rapid River Deposit

The Rapid River Deposit is a beryllium and fluorine-fluorite 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Rapid River Deposit

Commodity

Primary: Beryllium
Primary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc
Tertiary: Tin

Location

State: Alaska

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
Discovery Year: 1961
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: TABULAR ZONES, ELLIPTICAL PIPES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Rapid River Thrust Fault

Type: L
Description: Beds Intricately Folded And Fractured Beneath Thrust

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Early Ordovician

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLES ANALYZED FOR F CONTAINED 27.5% AND 27.6%, USGS CIRUCLAR 479, TABLE 6, P. 11.
Analytical Data: BE CONTENT OF 12 SAMPLES: 0.05%-0.38%

Materials

Ore: Chrysoberyl
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Phenacite
Ore: Bertrandite
Ore: Euclase
Ore: Cassiterite
Gangue: Mica
Gangue: Diaspore
Gangue: Tourmaline
Gangue: Hematite
Unknown: Fluorite

Comments

Comment (Geology): GRANITIC STOCK OR CUPOLA MAY UNDERLIE AREA AT DEPTH GREATER THAN 500 FT. THIN-BEDDED ARGILLACEOUS LIMESTONE OVERLAIN BY MED. TO THICK BEDDED LIMESTONE.

Comment (Deposit): THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.

Comment (Location): LARGE BODY OF SURFACE ORE ON WIDE BENCH E OF RAPID RIVER; USGS BULLETIN 1287, PLATE 4. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Development): DRILLED BY NEWMONT MINING CO., 1963.

Comment (Deposit): VEINS, VEINLETS AND PIPES OF BANDED FLUORITE-BERYLLIUM ORE IN BRECCIATED AND DOLOMITIZED ARGILLACEOUS LIMESTONE; DEPOSITS ALIGNED ALONG RAPID R. THRUST FAULT OVER 4400 FT BY 1000 FT AREA; DRILLING INDICATED A LOWER THRUST 200-300 FT BELOW THAT LOCALIZED ORE IN A TABULAR ZONE DIPPING ABOUT 20 DEGREES S; ZONES OF HIGH-GRADE FLUORITE-BERYLLIUM MINERALIZATION UP TO 25 FT WIDE FOLLOW FRACTURE ZONES ALSO CONTAINING LENTICULAR LAMPROPHYRE DIKES; SURFACE ORE (EXPLOSED IN TRENCH) CONSISTS OF FLUORITE, DIASPORE, TOURMALINE, WHITE MICA, CHRYSOBERYL AND MINOR AMOUNTS OF HEMATITE, EUCLASE, BERTRANDITE, AND PHENCITE(?); DRILL HOLES INTERCEPTED BERYLLIUM ORES AT DEPTHS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET CONTAINING GALENA, SPHALERITE, AND MINOR CASSITERITE; DEPOSIT GRADES EASTWARD INTO NEARLY BARREN F. GR. SILICA.

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS CIRCULAR 479, P. 5, 9, 11.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 1287, P. 72-74, 76-77, PLATE 4.

Reference (Deposit): USGS PROF. PAPER 933, P. 32-33.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 77-796B, P. 5, LOC. 26.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-MF-426-03

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.