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Su-Lik

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Cadmium, Barium-Barite, Barium-Barite, Cadmium
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10003158
MRDS ID A015691
Record type Deposit
Current site name Su-Lik
Alternate or previous names Wulik River

Comments on the site identification

  • Lik claim names - Lik 2020-2030, Lik 2031 Fraction, Lik 3019 Fraction, Lik 3020-3030, Lik 3030a Fraction, Lik 3031-3034, Lik 4019 Fraction, Lik 4020-4034, Lik 5023-5035, Lik 5035x, Lik 5036-5045, Lik 5045a Fraction, Lik 5046-5047, Lik 6020 Fraction, Lik 6021 Fraction, Lik 6022-6045, Lik 6045a Fraction, Lik 6046-6047, Lik 7020-7033 Su claim names - Bear Claims 1-74, Deadlock Mtn, Wul, Cal, Clam, Oak 4954-5769, Stop, Su Fraction, Rok 1-500, Tak 5050-5562, Punupkankroak Mtn, Pun, Mat, Su, Boo Claims, Boo, Jan, Who/Haw Claims, Sur 1-24, Tan 5048-5974, Jer, Mongo, Tak, Bil, Jerk, Mac, Suds 1-344, Noa 4252-5253, Cub, Suc 1-27, Dik, Cr0ak

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Centroid
Geographic coordinates: -163.205, 68.166 (WGS84)
Elevation 300
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position The Lik prospect is in the headwaters of east-flowing tributaries to Wulik River. The location is for the center of the Lik South/Su orebody, as shown on the Zazu Metals property map. Lik North is adjacent, but offset to the east by a fault. http://www.zazumetals.com/i/pdf/presentation.pdf
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Kateel River 32 N 20 W 14, 15, 22 Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Primary
Cadmium Tertiary
Barium-Barite Tertiary
Barium-Barite Secondary
Cadmium Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Boulangerite Ore
Bournonite Ore
Galena Ore
Marcasite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Barite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Dolomite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Host rocks are intensely silicified close to the sulfides.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 208
USGS model code 31a
BC deposit profile E14
Deposit model name Sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb
Mark3 model number 13

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone

Nearby scientific data

Centroid (1) -163.205, 68.166
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Map

Ore body information

  • Name of the ore body Lik South-Su
    General form tabular
    Strike NNE
    Dip 25 to 40 deg W
    Depth to bottom 200M
    Width 600M
    Length 2200M
  • Name of the ore body Lik North
    General form tabular
    Strike NE
    Dip 25-40 deg W
    Depth to bottom 300M
    Width 350M
    Length 700M

Comments on the geologic information

  • Leach et al, 2005 lists the primary deposit model as sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb, but the deposit also shows shale-hosted and carbonate replacement aspects.
  • The Lik prospect is a black, carbonaceous shale- and chert-hosted, volcanogenic exhalative, massive, Pb-Zn-Ag sulfide deposit. The deposit strikes northeast and dips about 30 degrees west. The sulfide horizons are thinly bedded, stratiform and confined to carbonaceous shale and chert. The ore consists of fine- to very fine-grained, sulfides in thin bands or massive lenses which occur discontinuously along strike for over a kilometer. The dominant sulfides are pyrite, marcasite, sphalerite and minor galena. Pyrite accounts for about 50% of the sulfides. Barite is also reported. In silver-rich zones, boulangerite and bournonite appear as exsolution blebs in galena. There are three types of sulfide mineralization in the Lik deposit. The most common type consists of thinly-banded, fine-grained sulfides in black shales that occur in the lowest portion of the section. The second type consists of lenses of massive sulfide, quartz, and barite higher in the section. The third type consists of vein and breccia sulfide deposits stratigraphically below the massive sulfide lenses. The Lik deposit is hosted by a sequence of black shales, black cherts, calcareous black shales and occasional calcareous sandstones. The sequence grades upward from the foot-wall of the deposit through the mineralized zone into an oxidized zone without any apparent depositional hiatus. The hanging-wall of the deposit consists of Permian-Triassic, thick-bedded, gray-green cherts and siliceous mudstones. The Permian-Triassic strata either grade downward into black shales or rest directly on the massive sulfides. The Permian-Triassic rocks are overlain by the severely-sheared sole of an overriding, Upper Cretaceous thrust sheet. Complex folding and disrupted bedding are commonly found in the banded sulfides. The deposit is divided into three parts, Lik North, Lik South, and Su. Lik North is adjacent but offset from Lik South by a fault. Su is the southern continuation of Lik South, but on different claims.
  • Age = Potassium-argon dating indicates that the mineralization is Late Mississippian in age.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Both metallic and non-metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1977
Discoverer GCO
Discovery method Geochemical Anomaly

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Lisburne
District name Red Dog

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner General Crude Oil Co./Noranda Exploration, Inc.
    Home office Texas
    Year 1986
  • Type Owner
    Owner Echo Bay Mines
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Moneta-Porcupine Mines, Inc.
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Cominco Alaska
    First year 1999
  • Type Owner
    Owner Zazu Metals and Teck Resources
    Year 2010

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Name Lik South
    Estimate year 2009
    Indicated 20,660,000mt
    Remarks 5% Zn cutoff grade. Ore can be recovered by open pit. http://www.zazumetals.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=380731
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver 52.8 g/mt Silver Primary 2009
    Lead 2.62 wt-pct Lead Primary 2009
    Zinc 8.08 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2009
  • Type In-situ
    Name Lik North and South
    Estimate year 2009
    Inferred 7,070,000mt
    Remarks 5% South, 7% North Zn cutoff grade. http://www.zazumetals.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=380731
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver 47.7 g/mt Silver Primary 2009
    Lead 3.03 wt-pct Lead Primary 2009
    Zinc 9.1 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2009

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Name of workings Su
    Area 55HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 100Hardness of Ore
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 10
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 3000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 180
    Unit Production Cost 17.32
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1983
  • Type of workings Surface
    Name of workings Lik
    Area 55HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 10
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 6000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 360
    Unit Production Cost 15.18
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 150
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980

Comments on the workings information

  • Discovered in 1977, the deposit was explored by more than 125 drill holes in the early 1990's. Lik South will be open-pit. Lik North will probably be developed by underground mining, access will be from the bottom of the Lik South pit.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015691
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF DL005
U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System MAS 0020180001 MRDS dep_id 10257601 merged into 10003158
U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System MAS 0020180004 MRDS dep_id 10208980 merged into 10003158

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., and Henning, M.W., 1978, Barite in Alaska: Mines and Geology Bulletin, v. 27, no. 4, p. 1-4.

  • Geology

    Leach, D., Sangster, D., Kelley, K., Large, R.R., Garven, G., Allen, C., Gutzmer, J., and Walters, S., 2005, Sediment-hosted lead-zinc deposits: A global perspective. Economic Geology, 100th Aniversary Volume. pp. 561-607. Also Appendices A, B, C, D, E, and Supplement

  • Deposit

    Grybeck, D.J., and Nokleberg, W.J., 1979, Metallogeny of the Brooks Range, Alaska, in Johnson, K.M., and Williams, J.R., Jr., The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments during 1978: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 804-B, p. B19-B22.

  • Deposit

    Forrest, K., 1983, Geologic and isotopic studies of the Lik deposit and the surrounding mineral district, DeLong Mountains, western Brooks Range, Alaska: University of Minnesota, Ph.D. dissertation, 161 p.

  • Deposit

    Eakins, G.R., Bundtzen, T.K., Robinson, M.S., Clough, J.G., Green, C.B., Clautice, K.H., and Albanese M.A., 1983, Alaska's mineral industry, 1982, Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 31, 63 p.

  • Deposit

    Sterne, E.J., Zantop, H. and Reynolds, R.C., 1984, Clay mineralogy and carbon-nitrogen geochemistry of the Lik and Competition Creek zinc-lead-silver prospects, DeLong Mountains, Alaska: Economic Geology, v. 79, p. 1406-1411.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., Mayfield, C.F., and Brosge, W.P., 1981, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral occurrences in eleven quadrangles in northern Alaska (Arctic, Baird Mountains, Chandler Lake, DeLong Mountains, Demarcation Point, Howard Pass, Misheguk Mountain, Mount Michelson, Noatak, Point Lay, and Table Mountain); Supplement to Open-File Report 75-628; Part A, Summaries of data to January 1, 1981: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-767-A, 25 p.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Sterne and others, 1984

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 12-FEB-88 DWB U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-OCT-96 CHR U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 21-DEC-99 Williams, Anita U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 12-MAR-10 Schruben, Paul U.S. Geological Survey Consolidated duplicate records and new internet sources.