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Red Dog mine

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Barium-Barite, Copper, Gold, Barium-Barite
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Mineral rights holdings
  18. Land status
  19. Ownership information
  20. Production statistics
  21. Reserves and resources
  22. Workings at the site
  23. Links to other databases
  24. Bibliographic references
  25. General comments
  26. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10003157
MRDS ID A015690
Record type Deposit
Current site name Red Dog mine
Alternate or previous names Qanaiyaq (Hilltop), Aqqaluk, Paalaaq, Main

Comments on the site identification

  • Claims names - Mac 5546-5553, Mac 5646-5653, Mac 5336-5353, Mac 5246-5253, Mac 5446-5453

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Centroid
Geographic coordinates: -162.83, 68.07 (WGS84)
Elevation 270
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position This record describes the Main Red Dog deposit, and the nearby Qanaiyaq (Hilltop), Aqqaluk, and Paalaaq deposits. The Main deposit is centered two miles northwest of Deadlock Mountain in section 20, T. 31 N., R. 18 W., of the Kateel River Meridian. The Qanaiyaq deposit is 700m (edge to edge) south of the Main deposit in section 29, T. 31 N., R. 18 W. Aqqaluk is adjacent to the Main deposit on the north side, and Paalaaq is adjacent to Aqqaluk on its northeast side, in sections 20, 17, T. 31 N., R. 18 W.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Northwest Arctic(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

De Long Mountains A-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

De Long Mountains SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

De Long Mountains(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Noatak River(hydrologic unit)

Noatak River-Lisburne Peninsula(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

NANA Regional Corporation, Incorporated(ANCSA Region)

ANCSA Region NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Kateel River 031 N 018 W 17, 20, 29 Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Gold Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Barite Ore
Boulangerite Ore
Galena Ore
Marcasite Ore
Polybasite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Polybasite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification of host black shale.

Mineral occurrence model information

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

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale > Black Shale
    Rock unit name Kuna Formation
    Rock description Kuna Formation;Kuna Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert
    Rock unit name Kuna Formation

Nearby scientific data

Centroid (1) -162.83, 68.07
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name Thrust faulting important

Ore body information

  • Thickness 86M
    Length 853M
    Width 305M
    Area 336HA
    Depth to top 10M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATABOUND
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 BRECCIA FILL
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #3 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #3 MASSIVE
    Primary mode of Origin subseafloor replacement Primary Ore Control : LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. moderate Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 : SILICIFICATION
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 10
    Total Surface Area (HA) 336
    Date of Last Modification 970519
  • General form TABULAR
    Dip NEARLY FLAT LYING
    Thickness 30M
    Length 1340M
    Width 425M
    Depth to top 0M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • stratabound

Comments on the geologic information

  • The DeLong Mountains are characterized by stacked and folded, thrust allochthons. The structurally lower allochthons are composed of Devonian through Cretaceous clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks. The two uppermost allochthons contain Jurassic or older mafic and ultramafic igneous sequences. Minor igneous rocks of basic composition are exposed 0.6 mile northeast of Red Dog (Kulas, 1992). The Red Dog deposit complex comprises multiple, superimposed thrust fault slices of stratabound, massive sulfides and barren mudstones. It occurs in black, siliceous shale and chert of the Mississippian to Pennsylvanian Kuna Formation.

    The Kivalina unit, an interbedded calcarenite and calcareous shale, is the footwall of the deposit. Most Zn-Pb mineralization formed by subseafloor replacement of syngenetic barite, together with lesser planar veins in the shallow footwall. Only a small portion of the Zn-Pb ore is truly syngenitic (Kelley et al., 2004a, b). Silicification occurs within and peripheral to the main mass of sulfides. A barite facies is concentrated toward the top and periphery of the deposit. Major sulfides in decreasing order of abundance are sphalerite, pyrite, marcasite, and galena. Rare disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite occur in sphalerite. The ore textures are massive, fragmental, chaotic, and veined; they rarely show typical sedimentary layering.

    The upper portion of the ore body is oxidized. The deposit is weakly enriched upward in lead relative to zinc. The Main deposit is composed of two major mineralized thrust fault slices and one lesser mineralized fault slice. It extends 1,600 meters in a northwest direction and varies in width from 150 to 975 meters. High-grade portions of the deposit are 135 meters thick. The base of the Main deposit is a tectonic melange zone which separates it from the Cretaceous Okpikruak Formation.

    The Qanaiyaq (Hilltop) occurrence is a flat-lying klippe of the same ore body as the Main deposit (Moore and others, 1986). The mineralized zone is 490 meters long by 245 meters wide and the mineralized package is less than 100 meters thick. The mineral assemblage is similar to that at the Main deposit except that copper sulfides occur at Qanaiyaq (Hilltop). Significant amounts of chalcopyrite, covellite, and bornite occur locally. The deposit contains 0.3% Cu, along with gold values of about 1 gram per ton. The presence of copper and gold may indicate that this deposit formed near a vent (Kulas, 1992).

    The Aqqaluk deposit was discovered during a drilling program in 1995. The ore is similar to that at the Main deposit. Sphalerite and galena occur in silica rock, barite and shale. Sulfides are disseminated, semi-massive to massive, and rarely laminated. Late crosscutting sulfide veins and stringers occur in the host shale and occasionally in the mineralized rock.(Phelps, 1998). The Paalaaq deposit is the newest and deepest exploration target in the Red Dog complex.
  • Age = Mississippian to Permian.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1968
Discoverer I.L. (Irv) Tailleur, USGS, and Bob Baker, aviator
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1989
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation
Production years 1989 to present

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Lisburne

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Teck Cominco (now Teck Resources)
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Nana Regional Corp.
    Interest 100
    Home office Alaska
    Year 1980

Production statistics

  • Year 1990
    Material Zn, Pb, ISF (Imperial Smelting Furnace) concentrates shipped
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major ZnPb concentrates Zinc Zinc 290299mt
  • Year 1991
    Material Zn, Pb, and ISF (Imperial Smelter Furnace) concentrates shipped
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary ZnPb concentrates Zinc Zinc 473551mt
  • Year 1992
    Material Zn, Pb, and ISF (Imperial Smelter Furnace) concentrates shipped
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary ZnPb concentrates Zinc Zinc 430800mt

Comments on the production information

  • 2009
    Red Dog produced a record 582,500 mt Zn and 131,500 mt Pb. Main orebody expected to be exhausted by mid 2011. Expecting formal approval for Aqqaluk deposit which would maintain production at current levels until 2031.

    1999
    The mine processed 2.5 million metric tons of ore which produced 100,000 metric tons of lead and 650,000 metric tons of zinc concentrate. After the 1999 expansion program, the mine was projected to produce 175,000 metric tons of lead and 975,000 metric tons of zinc concentrate from 3.2 million metric tons of ore (Phelps, 1998). Stripping ratio less than 1:1.

    1997
    Production was 3.1 million metric tons ore.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2008
    Proved 9200000mt
    Remarks Teck Annual Information Form, March 13, 2009, P. 36.\nCIM definitions.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead 5.4 wt-pct Lead Primary 2008
    Zinc 20 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Name Red Dog Main, Qanaiyaq, Aqqaluk, and Paalaaq
    Estimate year 2002
    Total resources 140600000mt
    Remarks Jennings and King, 2002
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead 4.6 wt-pct Lead Primary 2002
    Zinc 16.6 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2002
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 77000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 77000000mt ore
    Total resources 77000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 75 g/mt Silver Major 1986
    Lead Pb 5 wt-pct Lead Major 1986
    Zinc Zn 17.1 wt-pct Zinc Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2008
    Probable 52200000MT
    Remarks Teck Annual Information Form March 13, 2009, P. 36.\nCIM definitions.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead 4.4 wt-pct Lead Primary 2008
    Zinc 16.6 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Measured 57600000mt ore
    Demonstrated 57600000mt ore
    Inferred 14500000mt ore
    Total resources 75000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 82 g/mt Silver Major 1992
    Lead Pb 5.4 wt-pct Lead Major 1992
    Zinc Zn 18.5 wt-pct Zinc Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2008
    Reserves 61400000mt
    Remarks Teck Annual Information Form March 13, 2009, P. 36. CIM definitions.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead 4.5 wt-pct Lead Primary 2008
    Zinc 17.1 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 9600000mt ore
    Total resources 9600000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 117 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Lead Pb 5.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 17.8 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2008
    Indicated 5900000MT
    Remarks Teck Annual Information Form March 13, 2009, P. 38. CIM definitions.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead 6.6 wt-pct Lead Primary 2008
    Zinc 20 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 7000000mt ore
    Total resources 7000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 100 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Lead Pb 3 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 16 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2008
    Inferred 3100000MT
    Remarks Teck Annual Information Form March 13, 2009, P. 38. \nCIM definitions.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead 4 wt-pct Lead Primary 2008
    Zinc 11 wt-pct Zinc Primary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 76000000mt ore
    Total resources 76000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 66 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Lead Pb 3.6 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 13.7 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Inferred 76000000mt ore
    Total resources 76000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 66 g/mt Silver Major 1995
    Lead Pb 3.6 wt-pct Lead Major 1995
    Zinc Zn 13.7 wt-pct Zinc Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1995
    Total resources 128200000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 86 g/mt Silver Major 1995
    Lead Pb 4.61 wt-pct Lead Major 1995
    Zinc Zn 17.13 wt-pct Zinc Major 1995
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Inferred 76000000mt ore
    Total resources 76000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 3.6 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 13.7 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 50100000mt ore
    Inferred 76000000mt ore
    Total resources 126100000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 79.6 g/mt Silver Major 1996
    Lead Pb 4.28 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
    Zinc Zn 16.02 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 1998
    Reserves total 146 million metric tons grading 16.1% zinc, 4.3% lead and 2.6 ounces silver per metric ton. Specifically, the Main deposit contains indicated reserves of 50.6 million metric tons grading 19.5 % Zn, 5.2% Pb and 3 ounces silver per ton.
    The Aqqaluk has inferred reserves of 72.9 million metric tons grading 13.7% Zn, 3.6% Pb and 2 ounces silver per ton. The reddogalaska.com website states it as 51.6 Mt reserves at 16.7% Zn, 4.4% Pb.

    Qanaiyaq (Hilltop) holds probable reserves of 9.6 million tons grading 17.8% Zn, 5.5 % Pb and 3.6 ounces silver per ton.

    Paalaaq has possible underground resources of 13 million tons grading 15% Zn, 4.3% Pb and 2.8 ounces silver per ton.

    1989
    The Main Red Dog ore body reserves were 85 million short tons of ore grading 17.1% zinc, 5.6% lead and 2.2 ounces of silver per ton.
  • 86 BROOK-HUNT & ILZSG DATA/PAH REPORT.
  • 2008 reserves notes: Reserve changes at Red Dog are consistent with normal mining depletion. Mine production removed 3 million tonnes of reserves from the main pit in 2008. Proven reserves have been drill defined at 30 metre centres, probable reserves at 60 metre centres and indicated resources at greater than 60 metre centres. All mineral reserves and indicated resources are mineable by open pit methods and assume a US$0.75/lb zinc and US$0.40/lb lead price.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 26HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .33
    Percent Waste Rock 50
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 10
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 7.6
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 35
    Capacity 5443
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 460
    Unit Production Cost 8.32
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1992

Comments on the workings information

  • The first reported visit to the Red Dog area was in 1968 by the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1975, the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral examination of the Red Dog site. Active exploration of the site and adjacent area began in 1975 and the first claims were staked in 1978. In 1980, Cominco Alaska drilled 9 holes that totaled 915 meters, to determine the size of the deposit. Geologic mapping at a scale of 1:12000 was done in the region from 1977 to 1984. The Red Dog deposit was mapped at a scale of 1:2400 in 1982 and 83. One hundred core holes were drilled from 1981 to 1984 for a total of 9800 meters. This provided a 30-meter drill spacing for the first five years of production. It also provided information for metallurgical testing. Geophysical methods used at Red Dog include CS-ATM, Input, Induced Polarization, and Gravity (Young, 1989). An open pit mine and associated facilities were designed and constructed; the first ore was processed by the mill in late 1989.
  • Mining at the Main deposit is by open pit with a stripping ratio of 1:1. Paalaak will likely be underground.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Young, 1989; Kulas, 1992; Phelps, 1998

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit When considered as a single deposit, the Red Dog Main, Qanaiyaq (Hilltop), Aqqaluk, and Paalaak orebodies constitute the world's second or third largest lead-zinc deposit, exceeded only by Broken Hill, Australia and perhaps Howards Pass, Canada. Red Dog annual zinc production is the largest in the world (2002) and often accounts for 80% of US zinc production.
Red Dog went into production in 1990 at 3,000 metric tons per day. In 1999, reserves and mining plans gave it a 50+ year mine life.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-84 Elliott, R. L. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 13-APR-94 Mosier, Dan U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 25-JUL-97 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines MAS_ID 0020180002
Reporter 21-DEC-99 Williams, Anita (Travis L. Hudson, Applied Geology, Inc.) U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 12-MAR-10 Schruben, Paul (Lipin, B. and Slack, J.F.) U.S. Geological Survey Blended duplicate records and new internet sources.

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.