Unnamed (northwest of Smith Lake)

The Unnamed (northwest of Smith Lake) is a copper 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: Unnamed (northwest of Smith Lake)

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Cobalt

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: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Noril'sk Cu-Ni-PGE
Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: None.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Clinopyroxene
Gangue: Olivine
Gangue: Amphibole

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Magmatic sulfide Cu-Ni-Co or polymetallic replacement (Cox and Singer, 1986; models 5b or 22c).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See also Roberts PGM (MG030), Unnamed (MG045), and Chip-Loy (MG032) prospects and deposits.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = This unnamed occurrence consists of disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in a medium grained, phaneritic, gabbro sill thought to be a feeding system for Triassic volcanism in the Tatina River Volcanics, a unit of the Mystic subterrane (Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982). An alternative hypothesis offered by Foley (1987) is that the mafic igneous rocks that host the occurrence are flows or feeders of the Paleocene to Eocene Sheep Creek Volcanic Field as defined by Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert (1997). Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert (1997) believe that unnamed and related occurrences constitute magmatic-disseminated sulfide Cu-Ni-Co-Fe mineralization similar to deposit model 5b of Cox and Singer (1986). Selected samples of the gabbro sills in the prospect area contain up to 540 ppm copper, 190 ppm nickel, 63 ppm cobalt, and 450 ppm zinc (Foley, 1987).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The gabbro feeders were mapped by the reporter in 1981 (Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982). Selected samples of the gabbro sills in the prospect area contain up to 540 ppm copper, 190 ppm nickel, and 450 ppm zinc (Foley, 1987).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Foley, 1987

Comment (Geology): Age = Undated; inferred to be either Late Triassic or early Tertiary, based on isotopic age dates of Tatina River Volcanics and Sheep Creek Volcanic Field respectively (Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997).

References

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Harris, E.E., and Gilbert, W.G., 1997, Geologic Map of the eastern McGrath quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 97-14, 34 pages, one sheet, scale 1:125,000.

Reference (Deposit): Foley, J.Y., 1987, Reconnaissance strategic and critical mineral investigations in the McGrath A-3 and B-2 quadrangles, southwest Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Field Report, 26 pages.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Kline, J.T., and Clough, J.G., 1982, Preliminary geologic map of the McGrath B-2 quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File report 149, 22 pages, one sheet, scale 1:63,360.

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