Green Spike

The Green Spike is a molybdenum, copper, and silver 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: Green Spike
Secondary: Firecliff

Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Tin

Location

State: Alaska
District: Valdez Creek

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 Sn

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Cassiterite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Surface sampling only.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Green Spike prospect is at the contact between a Tertiary granitic pluton and a slightly younger (Oligocene) complex of hypabyssal felsic dikes and remnants of a rhyolite flow. Both the granite and younger complex cut Jurassic to Cretaceous metamorphosed graywacke. The deposit is in the rhyolite, and consists of quartz veins containing cassiterite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite, pyrite, and sphalerite. Samples assay 0.48% copper, 819 ppm zinc, 0.4 ounce of silver per ton, 13 ppm tin, and 25 ppm molybdenum (Balen and others, 1991). The high molybdenum-tin-silver values, the evolved intrusive host-rocks, and their younger age distinguish this deposit from the copper-gold-rich deposits on the other side of the Chulitna Valley (for example, HE043).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Balen and others, 1991

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Porphyry Sn (Cox and Singer, 1986; 20a)

Comment (Geology): Age = Volcanic rocks hosting the deposit are considered Oligocene (Wilson and others, 1998).

References

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, F.H., Dover, J.H., Bradley, D.C., Weber, F.R., Bundtzen, T.K., and Haeussler, P.J., 1998, Geologic map of central (interior) Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-133, 17 p., 2 sheetsm, scale 1:500,000.

Reference (Deposit): Balen, M.D., and others, 1991, Executive summary of the Bureau of Mines investigations in the Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 43 p.

Reference (Deposit): Balen, M.D., 1990, Geochemical sampling results from the Bureau of Mines Investigations in the Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 34-90, 218 p., 2 plates, scale 1:250,000.

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