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Mineral King

Prospect, Inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Cu
Ore minerals bornite; chalcocite; chalcopyrite
Gangue minerals quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale VA
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale C-1
Latitude 61.6385
Longitude -144.0511
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy This prospect is near Queens Creek on the north side of upper Elliott Creek valley. It is immediately east of the Copper King prospect (VA027; Moffit and Maddren, 1909, p. 64) at an elevation of of about 4,500 in the NE1/4 section 1, T. 3 S., R. 7 E., of the Copper River Meridian. This prospect is approximately located, perhaps to within one-half mile. It is lincluded in locality 69 of Cobb and Matson (1972) and locality 56 of Winkler and others (1981 [OFR 80-892-B]).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

Triassic Nikolai Greenstone is cut by a shear zone that contains two, 4- to 6-foot-thick zones containing local concentrations of bornite, chalcocite, and some chalcopyrite (Moffit and Mertie, 1923). In places the bornite and chalcocite replace the greenstone. A selected sample contained 10.85 percent copper (Mendenhall and Schrader, 1903, p. 24). The shear trends N35E and dips 30 degrees south. The Nikolai Greenstone and overlying Chitistone Limestone are deformed into a large, asymmetric anticline with its axis approximately parallel to Elliot Creek. The copper mineralization is believed to be related to the regional mineralizing event that produced the rich Kennecott copper deposits in the McCarthy quadrangle (MacKevett and others, 1997).
Geologic map unit (-144.053193690979, 61.6380334165276)
Mineral deposit model Veins, disseminations, and fracture fillings in greenstone; probably related to Kennecott-type copper deposits (MacKevett and others, 1997)
Age of mineralization The copper mineralization is believed to be related to the mineralizing event that produced the rich Kennecott copper deposits in the McCarthy quadrangle to the east (MacKevett and others, 1997). This event is interpreted to have accompanied Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous deformation and metamorphism (MacKevett and others, 1997, p. 88).

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration Open cuts were probably used to explore this prospect.
Indication of production None

Additional comments

This prospect is within the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

References

MRDS Number A011512

References

Cobb, E.H., and Matson, N.A., Jr., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Valdez quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-438, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
MacKevett, E.M., Jr., Cox, D.P., Potter, R.W., III, and Silberman, M.L., 1997, Kennecott-type deposits in the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska--High-grade copper ores near a basalt-limestone contact, in Goldfarb, R.J., and Miller, L.D., eds., Mineral deposits of Alaska: Economic Geology Monograph 9, p. 66-89.
Mendenhall, W.C., and Schrader, F.C., 1903, The mineral resources of the Mount Wrangell District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 15, 71 p., 1 sheet.
Moffit, F.H., and Maddren, A.G., 1909, Mineral resources of the Kotsina-Chitina region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 374, 103 p.
Moffit, F.H., and Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1923, The Kotsina-Kuskulana district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 745, 149 p.
Winkler, G.R., Miller, R.J., MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1981, Map and summary table describing mineral deposits in the Valdez quadrangle, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-892-B, 2 sheets, scale l:250,000.
Reporters Travis L. Hudson
Last report date 12/14/2001