| Basis for focus area |
15 km buffer around Hamme tungsten district in the eastern part of the Piedmont province, mainly in Vance County, North Carolina, but extending a few miles into Virginia. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of tungsten. |
| Production |
Between 1943-1971, the Tungsten Queen mine produced in excess of 1 million stu WO3 (Foose and others, 1980). |
| Status |
Past mining; inactive since 1971. |
| Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
| Geologic maps |
Gair (1977), scale 1:7,600; Peper and others (1996), scale 1:24,000; Horton and others (1993), scale 1:100,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate Rank 4 and 5 aeromagnetic and Rank 3 to 4 aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Quartz-huebnerite veins in phyllitic rock and albite granodiorite along and near the western margin of the Vance pluton. |
| Deposits |
Tungsten Queen mine (formerly known as the Hamme mine) (MRDS dep_id: 10151777; USMIN Site_ID: NC00033). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS; USMIN; geochemical data. |
| Geochemical evidence |
Surface samples of vein material at the Taylor prospect in Virginia show an average 2.2% WO3 (up to 10.2% WO3), with trace amounts of Pb, Cu, Ag. |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
USBM 1944-45 core drilling at Taylor prospect in Virginia identified quartz-W vein mineralization. |
| Comments |
In Virginia there is a northern extension of Hamme mining district (Vance County, North Carolina), but the resource potential is limited by Kerr Reservoir. |
| Authors |
Nora K. Foley, J. Wright Horton Jr., William L. Lassetter. |
| New data needs |
Geophysical data, geologic mapping, and geochemical analyses would be very helpful. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Detailed geologic mapping may identify other areas with tungsten-enrich veins associated with Neoproterozoic plutons in Carolina superterrane. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage may help delineate the contact of plutons with country rocks that contain veins. Aeromagnetic data may image associated structures and possibly alteration zones. Radiometric data can help with geologic mapping in vegetated terrane. Electromagnetic data may assist with imaging sulfides. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar complete or in progress. |
