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Copper Mountain

Prospect, Inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Cu; Zn
Other commodities Ag; Co
Ore minerals chalcopyrite
Gangue minerals quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale CV
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale D-7
Latitude 60.897
Longitude -146.596
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy This prospect is at an elevation of about 1500 feet on the west side of Vesuvius Valley, approximately one mile southwest of Millard Lake. It is in S1/2 sec. 23, T. 11 S., R. 8 W., of the Copper River Meridian. The location is accurate to within 1000 ft. This prospect is shown as C-84 in Jansons and others (1984).

Geologic setting

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.
Geologic map unit (-146.598004731555, 60.8964556326832)
Mineral deposit model Cyprus massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 24a)
Mineral deposit model number 24a
Age of mineralization Probably Tertiary based on the age of the host rocks.

Production and reserves

Workings or 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.
Indication of production None
Reserve estimates Inferred reserves of 300 tons @ 1.87% Cu (Jansons and others, 1984).

Additional 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.

References

References

Crowe, D.E., Nelson, S.W., Brown, P.E., Valley, J.W., and Shanks, W.C., III, 1992, Geology and geochemistry of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and related igneous rocks, Prince William Sound region, south-central Alaska: Economic Geology, v. 87, no. 7, p. 1722-1746.
Crowe, D.E., Nelson, S.W., Brown, P.E., Valley, J.W., and Shanks, W.C., III, 1993, Geology and geochemistry of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and related igneous rocks, Prince William Sound, south-central Alaska--Reply: Economic Geology, v. 88, p. 1285-1288.
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 Mineral Land Assessment 5-84, 218 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
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.
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.
Reporters S.W. Nelson, Anchorage, AK
Last report date 6/10/2000