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East Canyon

Occurrence, Active

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Cu; Ni; Pd; Pt
Ore minerals native copper; pentlandite; pyrrhotite

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale MH
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale B-4
Latitude 63.3382
Longitude -145.9984
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy The East Canyon prospect is about 0.8 mile north-northwest of peak 6346 at an elevation of about 4,850 feet. It is about 4.6 miles northwest of the junction of the North Fork and West Fork of Rainy Creek, near the center of section 22, T. 18 S., R. 9 E.

Geologic setting

Geologic description

The East Canyon prospect is in the Late Triassic Rainy ultramafic-mafic complex that intrudes the Slana Spur Formation of Pennsylvanian and Permian age. The Rainy complex is up to 5,000 feet thick, dips shallowly north and is mainly serpentinized dunite with subordinate peridotite, pyroxenite, and gabbro (Nokleberg and others, 1992 [Open-File]; Nokleberg and others, 1992 [MF]; Bittenbender and others, 2007). In this area a basal layered gabbro is as much as 1,500 feet thick.
From 1995 to 1999, the prospect was explored by American Copper and Nickel Company (ACNC) working with Fort Knox Gold Resources, Inc. Their work included rock sampling, and airborne and ground geophysical surveys (W.T. Ellis, oral communication, 2001). MAN Resources held active claims through at least 2001 (W.T. Ellis, personal communication, 2001). The mineralization consists of disseminated pyrrhotite and pentlandite in a peridotite near the southern contact of the Rainy complex. A mineralized sample contained 0.187 percent nickel, 282 parts per billion (ppb) palladium, and 108 ppb platinum (W.T. Ellis, oral communication, 2001).
Bittenbender and others ((2007) examined the prospect and found little but native copper and copper-staining associated with discontinuous veinlets of serpentine, magnetite, and chrysotile or antigorite that cut serpentinized peridotite. The only metal of note in the two samples they collected was 1,905 parts per million copper in one sample.
Geologic map unit (-146.000663849535, 63.3377820868633)
Mineral deposit model Nickel-copper-PGE mineralization in a differentiated mafic-ultramafic complex.
Age of mineralization Genetically related to the emplacement of a Late Triassic mafic-ultramafic complex.
Alteration of deposit The olivine melagabbro and peridotite are variably serpentinized.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration From 1995 to 1999, the prospect was explored by American Copper and Nickel Company (ACNC) working with Fort Knox Gold Resources, Inc. Their work in the area included rock sampling, and airborne and ground geophysical surveys W.T. Ellis, oral communication, 2001). MAN Resources held active claims through at least 2001 (W.T. Ellis, personal communication, 2001). Examined and sampled by the Bureau of Land Management in the early 2000s.
Indication of production None
Reserve estimates None.
Production notes None.

References

References

Bittenbender, P.E., Bean, K.W., Kurtak, J.M., and Deininger, James Jr., 2007, Mineral assessment of the Delta River Mining District area, east-central, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Technical Report 57, 675 p.
Nokleberg, W. J., Aleinikoff, J. N., Dutro, J. T., Lanphere, M. A., Silberling, N. J., Silva, S. R., Smith, T. E., and Turner, D. L., 1992, Map, tables, and summary of fossil and isotopic age data, Mount Hayes Quadrangle, eastern Alaska range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1996-D, 43 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Nokleberg, W.J., Aleinikoff, J. N., Lange, I. M.; Silva, S. R., Miyaoka, R. T., Schwab, C. E., Zehner, R. E., Bond, G. C., Richter, D. H., Smith, T. E., and Stout, J. H., 1992, Preliminary geologic map of the Mount Hayes quadrangle, eastern Alaska Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-594, 39 p. 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Nokleberg, W.J., Lange, I.M., Roback, R.C., Yeend, Warren, and Silva, S.R., 1991, Map showing locations of metalliferous lode and placer mineral occurrences, mineral deposits, prospects, and mines, Mount Hayes quadrangle, eastern Alaska Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1996-C, 42 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reporters W.T. Ellis (Alaska Earth Sciences), C.C. Hawley (Hawley Resource Group), and W.J. Nokleberg (USGS); D.J. Grybeck (Contractor, USGS)
Last report date 5/13/2012