The Silver Creek is a molybdenum and copper mine located in Park county, Wyoming.
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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Silver Creek MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Silver Creek
Secondary: Ned Claims
Commodity
Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Copper
Location
State: Wyoming
County: Park
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: U.S. Forest Service
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Prospect
Deposit Type: Porphyry Cu
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: HYDROTHERMAL STOCK, DISSEMINATED AND VEINS
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration: MAGNETITE
Alteration Type: L
Alteration: PHYLLIC, POTASSIC, PROPYLITIC
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: MAXIMUM CONCENTRATIONS IN PPM, 20000 CU, 150 MO, 440 PB, 2000 ZN, 20 AG, 0.8 AU ( FISHER AND OTHERS, 1977.)
Materials
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Bornite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Feldspar
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Muscovite
Comments
Comment (Ownership): Possible ownership incorrectly mentioned in the References section of deleted record 10303561 (0560070173)
Comment (Geology): TWO PORPHYRITIC INTRUSIVE PHASE, DACITE-RHYOLITE (MOST MINERALIZED) AND A DACITE. WELL DEVELOPED ALTERATION AND METAL ZONING. METALLIZATION OCCURRED AFTER ALTERATION.
Comment (Location): Located within the Washakie Wilderness Area of the Shoshone National Forest
Comment (Identification): Record in Metals Economics Group database (www.metalseconomics.com, subscription only access) suggests that the Ned Claims are in this area and are likely included in this record.
Comment (Geology): The following is summarized from Hausel, (1997) In the Silver Creek area two intrusive phases are emplaced in Tertiary extrusive volcanic rocks of the Wapiti, Trout Peak Trachyandesite, and Wiggins Formations. These consist of basalt flows, volcanic breccias, and flow breccisa. The intrusive complex is mainly dacites and rhyodacites in composition. The volcanic host rocks and the intrusive are intensely hydrothermally altered. The intrusive complex consists of two phases. The larger and more mineralized stock is a dacite-rhyodacite porphyry that contains copper and molybdenum mineralization with high amounts of magnetite. The other smaller and less mineralized stock is a dacite porphyry. Alteration in the outer zone is perdominantly propylitic which grades inward to localized phyllic and potassic alteration and sericitic at the intrusive center. The major sulfides (chalcopyrite, bornite, molybdenite) are localized within the phyllic, potassic and sericitic zones.
Comment (Deposit): MOSTLY DISSEMINATED PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE. WELL DEVELOPED ZONING, PYRITE IN CENTER WITH CHALCOPYRITE INCREASING OUTWARDS. GALENA AND SPHALERITE ALSO ON THE PERIPHYRY. ALTERATION IS PROPYLITIC (CHLORITE, EPIDOTE, CALCITE) ON MARGINS WITH PHYLLIC ALTERATION (QUARTZ, SERICITE, PYRITE) IN CENTER. PATCHY QUARTZ K-SPAR, AND SECONDARY BIOTITE AND MAGNETITE IN IRREGULAR ZONES IN CENTER. CENTRAL ZONE CONTAINS HIGHEST COPPER AND MO.
Comment (Deposit): The following is summarized from Hausel, (1997) and Fisher and others (1977) At the Silver Creek Porphyry a well developed pyrite halo is localized in the phyllic zone and encloses a highly mineralized 2000 by 1000 ft. stockwork complex near the center of the intrusive complex. This mineralized zone contains disseminated malachite, chalcopyrite, bornite, and minor molybdenite, along with chalcopyrite-pyrite-magnetite-quartz veinlets. Fractures in the stockwork trend N35W to N80W and dip steeply. The total sulfide content is as high 2% in the phyllic zone and as much as .5% in the potassium-silicate zone. The highest copper grades occur in the potassium-silicate zone. Analytical results of surface samples (Fisher and others, 19770 show highy anomalous concentrations of copper, smaller but anomalous concentrations of lead, zinc, molybdenum, silver, and gold. Surface values of molybdenum do not exceed .01% (Hanbury, 1982). Drillhole data from a 280 ft hole show molybdenite and chalcopyrite throughout the entire length of the hole. Estimates of resources of the Silver Creek porphyry from sparse drilling suggest an orebody of at least 27 million tons of .5% Cu.
References
Reference (Deposit): Hanbury, J., 1982 Hydrothermal alteration and mineralization of the Silver Creek porphyry copper deposit, Park County, Wyoming: M.S. thesis Washington State Univ. Pullman, 44 p.
Reference (Geology): Hausel, 1997, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Molybdenum, and Associated Metal Deposits Of Wyoming: WYoming State Geological Survey Bull 70, P. 23-34.
Reference (Deposit): Fisher, F., Antweiler, J., and Welsch, E. 1977, Preliminary geological and geochemical results from the Silver Creek and Yellow Ridge mineralized areas in the Washakie Wilderness, Wyoming, USGS OF77-225
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