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Late Continental Arc

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Porphyry Cu systems associated with predominantly calc-alkalic igneous rocks of post-accretionary continental magmatic arcs (Oligocene-Pliocene)
Tract ID 003pCu2005
Country Canada
Commodity Cu
Study area name British Columbia and Yukon Territory
Tectonic setting continental margin
Deposit type porphyry copper
Grade-tonnage model Canadian Cordillera Porphyry Cu±Mo±Au (Frost and others, 2011)
Geologic age
Geologic feature age Oligocene through Pliocene
Generalized age Tertiary-Neogene
Oldest rocks age 33.9Ma
Youngest rocks age 2.588Ma
Age range 31.312Ma
Identified Cu resources 220,000metric tons
Known prospects 1
Mean Cu (t/sq km) 55t/sq km
Map scales used 250K, 1M, 2M

Results of the assessment

Assessment date 2009
Estimators Abbott, Grant (YGS); Bookstrom, Arthur A.(USGS); Frost, Thomas P. (USGS); Logan, James (BCGS); Ludington, Steve (USGS); Mihalasky, Mark, J. (USGS); Panteleyev, Andre (XDM Geological Consultants)
Assessment depth 1km
Quantitative assessment Yes

Estimated number of deposits

Number of deposits Confidence level
1 50%
3 10%
4 5%
4 1%
Mean estimated deposits 1.38 ±1.36 (0.99%)
Probability of mean 0.31
Probability of no copper 0.29

Estimated deposit density

Known
deposits		 Total
deposits		 Area
(sq km)		 Deposit density
per 100,000 sq km
1 2.38 32,843 7

Mean estimated tonnage

Copper 1,800,000
Molybdenum 76,000
Gold 92
Silver 660
Ore 680

Undiscovered copper resource

Confidence level 50% 10% 5%
Tonnage 720,000 5,000,000 7,400,000

Economic analysis

Fraser country Alaska*
Fraser type 0.5%
Fraser high 0.5%
Typical cost 0.45%
High cost 0.55%
Infrastructure setting Mixed
Comments on depth skew shallow
Expected depth distribution
0 - 250m 0.35
250m - 500m 0.25
500m - 1km 0.4
Economically recoverable resources
Copper 400,000t
Molybdenum 11,000t
Gold 8t
Silver 110t
Probability no econ recoverable 0.93
Econ NPV 59x $1M
Exp dollars -7.25x $1M/100,000 sq km
Exp value class Very Low

Bibliographic references

General Mihalasky and others (2011, revised 2013)
Economic Robinson and Menzie (2012)
Mihalasky, M.J., Bookstrom, A.A., Frost, T.P., and Ludington, S., with contributions from Logan, J.M., Panteleyev, A., and Abbot, G., 2011, revised 2013, Porphyry copper assessment of British Columbia and Yukon Territory, Canada: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–C, v. 1.1, 128 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5090/c/.Robinson, G.R., Jr., and Menzie, W.D., 2012, Economic filters for evaluating porphyry copper deposit resource assessments using grade-tonnage deposit models, with examples from the U.S. Geological Survey global mineral resource assessment (ver 1.2, March 2014): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–H, 21 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5090/h/.

Deposits and prospects associated with this tract

Name Type State Country Development Details
Giant Copper AM Breccia deposit British Columbia Canada Prospect Details
Invermay deposit British Columbia Canada Prospect Details
Giant Copper No. 1 prospect British Columbia Canada Occurrence Details
Owl Creek A zone prospect British Columbia Canada Prospect Details
Owl Creek C zone prospect British Columbia Canada Prospect Details
Hannah 8, 10, 11 prospect British Columbia Canada Occurrence Details
Giant Copper Group Group British Columbia Canada Prospect Details
Owl Creek Group Group British Columbia Canada Prospect Details