Copper Mountain

The Copper Mountain is a zinc and 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: Copper Mountain

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Cobalt

Location

State: Alaska
District: Copper River

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: Massive sulfide, Cyprus

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Probably Tertiary based on the age of the host rocks.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Jansons and others, 1984

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = One 20-foot adit was sampled in the early 1980s (Jansons and others, 1984). A chip sample contained 1.87% Cu, 800 ppm Zn, and 10.9 ppm Ag; one grab sample contained 11.7% Cu, 0.35% Zn, 43.5 ppm Ag, and 770 ppm Co.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks at this prospect are mafic volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary Orca Group (Nelson and others, 1985). The deposit consists of quartz and chalcopyrite in a 6-inch-wide shear zone cutting mafic volcanic rock (Jansons and others, 1984). One 20-foot adit was sampled in the early 1980s (Jansons and others, 1984). A chip sample contained 1.87% Cu, 800 ppm Zn, and 10.9 ppm Ag; one grab sample contained 11.7% Cu, 0.35% Zn, 43.5 ppm Ag, and 770 ppm Co.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Nelson and others (1985) interpret the country rocks as accreted ocean crust. Crowe and others (1992; 1993) and Sainsbury (1993) discuss the genesis of the volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in this area. Chugach Alaska Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska has control of these lands.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Inferred reserves of 300 tons @ 1.87% Cu (Jansons and others, 1984).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Cyprus massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 24a)

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Jansons, Uldis, Hoekzema, R.B., Kurtak, J.M., and Fechner, S.A., 1984, Mineral occurrences in the Chugach National Forest, Southcentral Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 5-84, 218 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Nelson, S.W., Dumoulin, J. A., and Miller, M.L., 1985, Geologic map of the Chugach National Forest, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1645-B, 16 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Sainsbury, C.L., 1993, Geology and geochemistry of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and related igneous rocks, Prince William Sound, south-central Alaska, A discussion: Economic Geology, v. 88, p. 1284-1285.

Reference (Deposit): Crowe, D.E., Nelson, S.W., Brown, P.E., Shanks III, W.C., and Valley, J.W., 1993, Geology and geochemistry of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and related igneous rocks, Prince William Sound, south-central Alaska-A reply: Economic Geology, v. 88, p. 1285-1288.

Reference (Deposit): Crowe, D.E., Nelson, S.W., Brown, P.E., Shanks III, W.C., and Valley, J.W., 1992, Geology and geochemistry of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and related igneous rocks, Prince William Sound, south-central Alaska: Economic Geology, v. 87, p. 1722-1746.

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