Pork Chop

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

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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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