The Pork Chop is a copper, zinc, arsenic, and gold 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
Elevation:
Commodity: Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Gold
Lat, Long: 63.52, -154.59300
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Pork Chop MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Pork Chop
Commodity
Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Arsenic
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Cadmium
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Antimony
Location
State: Alaska
District: McGrath
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: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericite+quartz+tourmaline+malachite.
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Tourmaline
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Regional exploration work conducted by WGM Inc. during 1975-to-1978 discovered the Pork Chop, Copenhagen Hill (MD030), and Ursus (MD033) prospects in the Mystery Mountains (Andrews, 1978). Hecla Mining Company explored and sampled the Pork Chop prospect in 1982 (Bell, 1983). From 1988 to 1990, American Copper and Nickel Inc. conducted exploration of the Pork Chop and related prospects in the Mystery Mountains, and flew a detailed airborne geophysical survey of the area. From 1991 to 1997, ASA Inc. continued to explore the Pork Chop and related deposits (DiMarchi and others, 1997). No drilling has taken place at the Pork Chop prospect. Surface samples analyzed by ASA Inc. run as high as 5,000 ppm copper and 1,000 ppb gold. Clautice and others (1993) report values as high as 141 ppm copper, 788 ppb gold, 1,870 ppm arsenic, 14.0 ppm uranium, 2.0 percent zinc, and 441 ppm cadmium from grab samples at the Pork Chop prospect.
Comment (Geology): Age = the Pork Chop prospect is believed to be Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic age of Mystery Mountains plutonic rocks (Moll and others, 1981).
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = DiMarchi and others, 1997
Comment (Exploration): Status = Active
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Pork Chop prospect is one of six mineralized zones that occur in a prominent 7 mile (11 km) long, northeast trending belt that crosses the central part of the Mystery Mountains (DiMarchi and others, 1997). This belt is marked by a central core of copper-gold soil anomalies, and a peripheral zone of lead-zinc soil anomalies (DiMarchi and others, 1997). At Pork Chop, porphyry-like mineralization consist of disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite in intensive altered tourmaline-quartz veins, vein breccias, and shears, all within several small quartz porphyry bodies that intrude Cretaceous Kuskokwim Group flysch. The Cretaceous flysch is thermally altered to biotite hornfels. Malachite is frequently observed in hairline fractures of intrusions. The strongest tourmaline alteration appears to be near the intersection of northeast trending and northwest trending faults. Most of the hydrothermal alteration is restricted to the quartz porphyry and does not invade the country rock (DiMarchi and others, 1997). The Pork Chop prospect is believed to be Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic age of Mystery Mountains plutonic rocks (Moll and others, 1981). Surface samples analyzed by ASA Inc. run as high as 5,000 ppm copper and 1,000 ppb gold. Clautice and others (1993) report values as high as 141 ppm copper, 788 ppb gold, 1,870 ppm arsenic, 14.0 ppm uranium, 2.00 percent zinc, and 441 ppm cadmium from grab samples at the Pork Chop prospect.
Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See Copenhagen Hill (MD030), Mystery Mt. East (MD028), Ursus (MD033), Tarn (MD027), and Frozen Creek (MD032) prospects. The Pork Chop prospect is on land selcted or owned by Doyon Ltd. For additional information, contact Doyon Ltd at 210 1st Ave, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99701.
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Porphyry Cu-Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model no. 22c)
References
Reference (Deposit): Andrews, Tom, 1978, Summary of Progress, Doyon Project, Mystery Mountains, (Block 10): Anchorage, Alaska, WGM Inc., 24 pages (Held by Doyon Ltd., as proprietary report 78-42).
Reference (Deposit): Bell, J.D., 1983, Mystery Mountains Area, Block 10, Doyon Region, Kuskokwim District: Hecla Mining Company Summary Report, 25 pages.
Reference (Deposit): Clautice, K.H., Bowman, N.D., Clough, J.G., Gilbert, W.G., Kline, J.T., Smith, T.E., and Blodgett, R.B., 1993, Land selection Unit 8 (Kantishna River, Ruby, and Medfra quadrangles): References, lead isotope, geochemical and major oxide data: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, 42 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): Moll, E.J., Silberman, M.L., and Patton, W.W. Jr., 1981, Chemistry, mineralogy, and K-Ar ages of igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-811C, 15 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): DiMarchi, J.J., and Frantz, P.S., 1997, Annual Report for 1997-Doyon Option Lands, Block 10: ASA Inc.-Montague Gold Joint Venture Report, Volume II: Unpublished report, 189 p. (Report held by Doyon, Limited, Fairbanks, Alaska.)
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