Ellamar

The Ellamar is a copper and zinc 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: Ellamar
Secondary: Gladhaugh

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold

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: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, Besshi (Japanese deposits)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Cubanite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Production): Production Notes = 15,761,337 lbs. Cu, 51,305 oz. Au, and 191,615 oz. Ag were recoverd from 301,835 tons of ore (Jansons and others, 1984).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

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 = Indicated reserves: 36,000 tons @ 2% Cu, 0.1 oz. Au/ton, and 0.5 oz. Ag/ton. Inferred reserves: 500,000 tons @ 0.5% Cu, 0.085 oz. Au/ton, and 0.75 oz. Ag/ton (Jansons and others, 1984).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks at the Ellamar mine are mafic volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary Orca Group (Nelson and others, 1985). The deposit is associated with pillow basalt and a diabase dike, and consists of steeply-pitching stratabound lenticular sulfide ore bodies in folded and sheared graywacke and slate (argillite). The ore bodies consist chiefly of masses of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, cubanite, bornite and sphalerite that form lenses up to 240 ft. wide and 500 ft. long. Gangue minerals are calcite, epidote, and quartz. One 35-foot-thick lens of pyrite overlies and is parallel to lenses of other sulfides (Moffit, 1954). Three core holes were drilled in 1955-1956. Hole no. 2 cut 10 ft. of ore containing 0.02% Cu, 0.02 oz. Au/ton, and 0.02 oz. Ag/ton; hole no. 3 cut 28 ft. of pyrite which contained 0.5% Cu, 0.085 oz. Au/ton, and 0.75 oz. Ag/ton (Jansons and others, 1984). Jansons and others (1984) sampled the property in the 1980s. A chip sample assayed 5.4% Cu, and 0.10 oz. Au/ton. A grab sample from the dump contained 50 ppm Cu, 0.006 oz. Au/ton, and 0.2 oz. Ag/ton.

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

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Jansons, 1984

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

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The Ellamar mine was developed by about 9300 feet of underground workings on eight levels, with connecting stopes between the levels. It was mined from about 1897 to 1920 when the workings flooded. Three core holes were drilled in 1955-1956. Hole no. 2 cut 10 ft. of ore containing 0.02% Cu, 0.02 oz. Au/ton, and 0.02 oz. Ag/ton; hole no. 3 cut 28 ft. of pyrite which contained 0.5% Cu, 0.085 oz. Au/ton, and 0.75 oz. Ag/ton (Jansons and others, 1984). Jansons and others (1984) sampled the property in the 1980s. A chip sample assayed 5.4% Cu, and 0.10 oz. Au/ton. A grab sample from the dump contained 50 ppm Cu, 0.006 oz. Au/ton and 0.2 oz. Ag/ton.

References

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): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Cordova quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-392, 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.

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H., 1954, Geology of the eastern part of the Alaska Range and adjacent area: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 989-D, p. 63-218.

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.

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