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Spirit Mountain Prospect

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, Silver, Platinum, Zinc
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10000849
MRDS ID A011502
Record type Site
Current site name Spirit Mountain Prospect
Alternate or previous names Canyon Creek
Related records 10209859

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -144.26307, 61.30908 (WGS84)
Relative position 1 MI S OF RIGHT ANGLE BEND IN CANYON CR.; ON W SIDE, 350 TO 750 FT ABOVE CREEK
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • BEST LOCATION: ADGGS GR 40, FIG. 3. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Primary
Copper Primary
Cobalt Tertiary
Silver Tertiary
Platinum Tertiary
Zinc Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • AS ABUNDANT IN SOME SAMPLES; MINOR ANOMALOUS CO, AG AND PT GROUP ELEMENTS, ESPECIALLY PD, DETECTED IN ANALYSIS; UP TO 20 PPM AG PRESENT INSOME SAMPLES

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bravoite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Antigorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Talc Gangue
Tremolite Gangue

Analytical data

Result 0.09 TO 7.61% NI, 0.06 TO 1.56% CU, 0.18% CO IN ONE SAMPLE, USGS BULL 943, P. 56
Result 0.88% NI, 0.89% CU IN DISSEMINATED ORE FROM OPEN CUT ON PERIDOTITE BODY, ADGGS GR40, P. 6

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
    Rock unit name Strelna Formation;Strelna Formation
    Rock description Strelna Formation;Strelna Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Pyroxenite
    Chronological age 123
    Uncertainty 4
    Dating method K-Ar
    Type of media Biotite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

(1) -144.26307, 61.30908
ListMap

Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Spirit Mountain Thrust Fault
Local Major Fault At N40e With Dip Of 45 Nw; Cut By Set Of Smaller Perpendicular Faults

Ore body information

  • General form LENTICULAR
    Thickness 0.91M
    Length 3.66M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Basic And Ultrabasic Dikes And Sills Along Trend Of Major Thrust Zone

Comments on the geologic information

  • BELT OF SMALL BASIC AND ULTRABASIC SILLS CUT AMPHIBOLITE FACIES AND RETROGRADE GREENSCHIST FACIES SCHISTS AND LIMESTONES OF MISSISSIPPIAN STRELNA FORMATION ALONG A MAJOR N DIPPING THRUST ZONE; INTRUSIVES RANGE IN COMPOSITION FROM MAFIC QUARTZ DIORITE TO HORNBLENDITE, PERIDOTITE AND PYROXENITE. STRELNA FORMATION (MISS): METAMORPHOSED SCHIST AND LIMESTONE INTRUDED BY BASIC AND ULTRABASIC SILLS. AGE OF PERIDOTITE AND PYROXENITE CRET (K/AR, 123+/-4 M. Y. , BIOTITE HORNFELS ADJACENT TO PERIDOTITE), USGS OFR 80-892A.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1907

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1945
    Total resources 340,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.22 wt-pct Nickel Major 1945
    Copper Cu 0.12 wt-pct Copper Major 1945
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1945
    Total resources 7,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 7.61 wt-pct Nickel Major 1945
    Copper Cu 1.56 wt-pct Copper Major 1945
    Cobalt Co 0.18 wt-pct Cobalt Trace 1945
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1945
    Total resources 2,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.88 wt-pct Nickel Major 1945
    Copper Cu 0.89 wt-pct Copper Major 1945
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1945
    Total resources 30,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 1.03 wt-pct Nickel Major 1945
    Copper Cu 1.42 wt-pct Copper Major 1945

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • USGS BULL 1223, P. 39 LISTS RESERVES AS APPROXIMATELY 6500 TONS OF ORE WITH 0.7% NI AND 0.5% CU

Comments on the workings information

  • EXPLORED BY SHALLOW PITS AND A SHORT ADIT DRIVEN BEFORE 1917

Comments on development

  • WELL EXPLORED PROSPECT; DEVELOPED ON SMALL SCALE AS A COPPER PROSPECT BETWEEN 1907 AND 1917; RE EXAMINED IN 1942 BY USGS AS NI PROSPECT; 6 CLAIMS RELOCATED BY PROSPECTORS IN 19654; DRILLED BY INDUSTRY IN 1960S, RESULTS UNKNOWN

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A011502

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 576, P. 52-53

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 712, P. 91-98

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 943, P. 49-57

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 1223, P. 13,39

  • Deposit

    USGS MF-438, LOC. 61

  • Deposit

    USGS OFR 80-892B, LOC. 52

  • Deposit

    USBM RI 3913

  • Deposit

    ADGGS GR 40

  • Deposit

    ADGGS SR 33

  • Other Database

    BAG-OFR-80-892B-52

  • Reserve-Resource

    USGS BULL 943-C, P. 55-56; ADGGS GR 40, P. 6

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit NICKEL AND COPPER-BEARING SULFIDES IN DISSEMINATED INTERSTITIAL GRAINS AND SMALL MASSIVE LENSES; HOSTED IN DISCONTINUOUS SILL-LIKE BODIESOF ALTERED PERIDOTITE AND PYROXENITE; MASSIVE SULFIDES IN STRINGERS ANDLENSES RANGING FROM LESS THAN 1 IN TO A FEW FT IN THICKNESS; LARGEST LENS REPORTED 3 FT BY 12 FT
Deposit LISTED AS MAJOR ALASKAN PROSPECT IN ADGGS SR33 ALTHOUGH TO DATE KNOWN DEPOSIT IS TOO SMALL AND TOO LOW GRADE TO BE CONSIDERED ECONOMIC ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-1985 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Elliott, R. L.) U.S. Geological Survey PARSED DATA INTO WORKINGS AND ORE BODY MULTIVALUED FIELDS
Editor 14-APR-1994 Mosier, Dan U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 30-MAY-1995 Waller, Nichelle (Mosier, Dan) U.S. Geological Survey