Metal Creek

The Metal Creek is a gold and tungsten 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: Metal Creek
Secondary: Sumner and Andrulli

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Tungsten
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Platinum

Location

State: Alaska
District: Anchorage

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Platinum
Ore: Scheelite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Placer gold was discovered in 1906 and has been mined on a small scale intermittently since that time. The total production probably not worth more than a few thousand dollars. Platinum, pyrite, zircon, copper, native silver, and fairly abundant scheelite are present in many concentrate samples. Placer gold in amounts amendable to mining are present in the lower section of Metal River.

Comment (Geology): Age = Placer deposits are Quaternary.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Small scale placer mining for gold should be economically feasible along Metal Creek south from Paradise Creek to junction with Glacier Fork. This area was previously explored and mined by Douglas Sumner and James Andrulli of Eagle River, Alaska. Abundance of scheelite in concentrates is enough to warrant prospecting of the area between Metal Creek and Glacier Fork (Richter, 1967).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active?

Comment (Production): Production Notes = The total production of gold probably not worth more than a few thousand dollars (Richter, 1967).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = A raised terrace of clay and glacial deposits extends up Metal Creek and glacial debris cover most of the high valleys. Placer gold is largely restricted to lower half of Metal Creek and is probably derived from source in basin such as small quartz veins. The gold apparently was deposited in a glacial lake and is currently being reworked by present stream action. Generally, gold is well rounded and less than 1 mm in diameter. The maximum gold content occurs below 600 ft elevation, thus corresponding roughly to the height of the old glacial lake terrace surrounding the lower course of the creek (Richter, 1967). Platinum, pyrite, zircon, copper, native silver, and fairly abundant scheelite are present in many concentrate samples. Country rock along Metal Creek is Valdez Group interbedded slate, siltstone, and graywacke of Late Cretaceous age that have been metamorphosed to phyllite and quartz mica schist. These rocks are tightly folded, exhibit strong foliation, strike N 10-30 E, and dip nearly vertical. At the headwaters of Metal Creek and Glacial Fork, greenstone containing discontinous dikes and one stock of quartz diorite are present (Lande, 1927). Quartz veins with pyrite and chlorite are common in the area.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Richter, 1967

References

Reference (Deposit): Paige, Sidney, and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska, with notes on the placers of the adjacent regions: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314-F, p. 104-125.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials in the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1095, 184 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1911, The mining industry in 1910, in Brooks, A.K., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1910: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480-B p. 21-43.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Tungsten occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Resource Map MR-66, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Richter, D.H., 1967, Geological and geochemical investigations in the Metal Creek area, Chugach Mountains: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 25, 17 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810-A, p. 1-64.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813-A, p. 1-72.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H., 1927, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1925: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-A, p. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): Landes, K.K., 1927, Geology of the Knik-Matanuska District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-B, p. 51-72.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1923, The Alaska mining industry in 1921: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1910, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1909: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 426 p.

Reference (Deposit): Paige, Sidney and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska, with notes on the placers of the adjacent regions: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 104-125.

Reference (Deposit): Paige, Sidney, and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Geologic reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 327, 71 p.

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