Margaret

The Margaret is a copper and molybdenum mine located in Skamania county, Washington at an elevation of 3,425 feet.

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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Margaret
Secondary: Earl Group
Secondary: Earl Nos. 1-13
Secondary: Samson Group
Secondary: Germania
Secondary: Golconda
Secondary: Polar Star Group (1-11)

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Washington
County: Skamania
District: St. Helens District - Ryan Lake Area

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Administrative Organization: In Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Holdings

Type: Located Claim
Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Teck Exploration, Inc.
Years: 1992 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Prospect
Deposit Type: porphyry Cu
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Porphyry Cu-Au
Model Name: Porphyry Cu

Orebody

Form: STOCKWORK, DISSEMINATED

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Potassic, Phyllic, Argillic, Propylitic Outward. Propylitic Can Overprint Phyllic Zone

Rocks

Name: Quartz Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SEE RESERVE ESTIMATES FOR GRADE INFORMATION

Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Copper
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Goethite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Tourmaline
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability Staff did a PEFR evaluation of this property in 1980.

Comment (Production): NOT PRODUCING. TENOR PROBABLY OVERRATED BY OWNERS. GALLAGHER THINKS AVERAGE IS 1 KG/T, AND RANGE IS 1/2 - 5 KG/T.

Comment (Deposit): POSSIBLY A MINERALIZED FAULT GOUGE

Comment (Location): ON SOUTH SLOPE OF GOAT MOUNTAIN NEAR NORTH EDGE OF BLAST ZONE FROM 1980 MOUNT ST. HELENS ERUPTION. SITE MAY BE BURIED UNDER DEBRIS FROM THE MAY 18, 1980 ERUPTION OF MOUNT ST. HELENS. PROPERTY CONSISTS OF 13 PATENTED CLAIMS.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): TOTAL AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL ORE IS 750 MILLION TONS TO DEPTH OF 1,000 FT WITH 0.6% EQUIVALENT CU.

Comment (Development): INITIAL EXPLORATION WORK DONE BETWEEN 1900 AND 1904 BY MOUNT ST. HELENS CONSOLIDATED MINING CO. IN 1979, THE DUVAL CORP WAS DEVELOPING PROPERTY AS PART OF ITS MARGARET MINE PROJECT. IT DRILLED 105 HOLES TOTALING 68,010 FT. TECK EXPLORATION APPLIED FOR PROSPECTING PERMIT IN 1992

Comment (Workings): 8 ADIT,S 20-475 FT LONG - MOST ADITS CAVED AT PORTALS

Comment (Deposit): MOST MINERALIZATION CONFINED TO CLOSELY SPACED FRACTURES THAT FORM STOCKWORKS. ORE GRADES ARE MOSTLY IN OUTER POTASSIC AND INNER PHYLLIC ZONE. DEPOSIT SHOWS CONCENTRIC ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION PATTERNS

Comment (Location): The outline of the Margaret Mine project of Duval is shown on p. 20, Figure 11 (Moen, 1977). The project includes parts of sections 7, 8, 9, 16-20, T. 10 N. R. 8 E. and a very small part of sections 12 and 13, T. 10 N. R. 5. E, Willamette Meridian.

Comment (Geology): From Derkey and others, 1990, p. 338) The Spirit Lake pluton was emplaced along a series of north-trending Tertiary dikes, plugs, and plutons. The pluton is also on the southwest extension of a pronounced topographic linear that extends from Bumping Lake through Packwood. The Margaret deposit is a classic porphyry copper deposit emplaced in quartz diorite of the Spirit Lake pluton. The quartz diorite was dated by K-Ar methods at 20.6-22 m.y. The deposit is located near the contact of a quartz monzonite phase of the Spirit Lake pluton. Fracture systems, stockworks, and veinlets have localized the deposit. Brecciation is minor. The Margaret deposit exhibits concentric patterns of alteration and mineralization. There is a low-grade core of potassic-alteration surrounded by a phyllic-altered copper-molybdenum zone, then a phyllic-altered copper zone, and then an outer zone of propylitic-alteration. The phyllic-altered copper zone contains tourmaline bearing veinlets and breccia.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): From Derkey and others (1990, p. 338) The deposit is 3,000 ft wide, 5,000 ft long, and open at depth. Proven and probable reserves have been calculated at 577 million tons grading 0.36% Cu, 0.011% Mo, 0.007 oz/ton Au, and 0.046 oz/ton Ag. For a proposed 82,000 ton/per day operation, the overall stripping ratio would be 1:1.8. The higher grade portion contains drill-indicated reserves of 221 million tons at 0.434% Cu, 0.015% Mo, 0.008 oz/ton Au, and 0.056 oz/ton Ag. A smaller scale operation was also considered; it would use open pit and block caving methods. Average ore grade would be 0.9% Cu for this 16,000 ton/per day operation. The total amount of potential ore is 750 million tons to a depth of 1,000 ft, which contains 0.6% equivalent Cu.

Comment (Workings): From Derkey and others (1990, p. 338) Adits were driven on the property in about 1900. No work had been done on the property until Duval Corporation acquired the claims in 1969. The deposit has been outlined by 105 diamond drill holes totalling 68,010 ft. The drilling was conducted by Duval Corp. from 1969 through 1979. In 1980 the Margaret property consisted of the Earl (Samson), Index, and Germania group of patented claims (36 total), as well as 237 unpatented Duval claims. The Margaret property is within the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

References

Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E., JOSEPH, N.L., AND LASMANIS, RAYMOND, 1991, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON - PRELIMINARY REPORT: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, P. 338-339.

Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E., GULICK, C.W., AND LINGLEY, W.S., JR., 1993, WASHINGTON'S MINERAL INDUSTRY - 1992: WASHINGTON GEOLOGY, V. 21, NO. 1, P. 3-25.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): DERKEY AND OTHERS (1990) CITING DUVAL DATA

Reference (Deposit): HOLLISTER, V.F., 1979, PORPHYRY COPPER-TYPE DEPOSITS OF THE CASCADE VOLCANIC ARC, WASHINGTON: MINERALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, V. 11, P. 23-25.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 78.

Reference (Deposit): LANDES, HENRY, THYNG, W.S., LYON, D.A., AND ROBERTS, MILNOR, 1902, THE METALLIFEROUS RESOURCES OF WASHINGTON, EXCEPT IRON: WASHINGTON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1901, V.I, PT. 2, P. 134.

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1977, ST. HELENS AND WASHOUGAL MINING DISTRICTS OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 60, P. 17, 25.

Reference (Deposit): MCFARLAND, C.R., MCLUCAS, G.B., RIGBY, J.R, AND STOFFEL, K.L., 1980, DIRECTORY OF WASHINGTON MINING OPERATIONS, 1979: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES INFORMATION CURCULAR 69, P. 9.

Reference (Geology): Phillips, W. M., compiler, 1987, Geologic map of the Mount St. Helens quadrangle, Washington and Oregon: Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources Open File Report 87-4, 59 p., 1 plate.

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