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McKinley Mine

Producer in St. Louis county in Minnesota, United States with commodities Iron, Silica
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10170736
MAS/MILS ID 0271370011
Record type Site
Current site name McKinley Mine
Alternate or previous names McKinly Mine, McKinley Group

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -92.4027, 47.5233 (WGS84)
Elevation 440
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

St. Louis(county)

Minnesota(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

McKinley(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Vermilion Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Hibbing(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

St. Louis(hydrologic unit)

St. Louis(hydrologic accounting unit)

Western Lake Superior(hydrologic subregion)

Great Lakes(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Minnesota St. Louis

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary
Silica Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Goethite Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Kaolinite Unknown
Martite Unknown
Quartz Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -92.4027, 47.5233
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N75E
    Dip 10S
    Thickness 72M
    Length 1185M
    Width 841M
    Depth to top 34M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Type of Orebody #2 OTHER
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Secondary mode of Origin CONT METASOMATIC
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N75E:10S
    Minimum Depth to Top 7.6
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 20.4
    Date of Last Modification 810831
  • Area 147HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 147
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE SHAPE OF THE OREBODY IS CHANNEL OR TROUGH LIKE THE AVERAGE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF MINERALIZATION HAS BEEN ASSUMED TO BE AT LEAST AS LARGE AS THE MAXIMUM PIT LENGTH AND WIDTH. THICKNESS IS REPRESENTATIVE ONLY FOR THE OREBODY AT THE MCKINLEY PIT. ACTUAL OREBODY DIMENSIONS ARE UNKNOWN.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Year of first production 1907

Mining district

District name Mesabi District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Ltv Steel Mining Co.
    ID 2100253
    Interest 100
    Home office Minnesota
    Year 1993

Comments on the ownership information

  • JONES & LAUGHLIN WHOLLY OWNS THE MINING OPERATION BUT LEASES ALL THE PROPERTY FROM THE U.S. STEEL CORP.

Production statistics

  • Year 1975
    Description Beneficiated Natural Iron Ore Shipped 646422 Metric Tons Per Year
  • Year 1976
    Description Beneficiated Natural Iron Ore Shipped 458143 Metric Tons Per Year
  • Year 1977
    Description Beneficiated Natural Iron Ore Shipped 247902 Metric Tons Per Year
  • Year 1978
    Description Beneficiated Natural Iron Ore Shipped 281554 Metric Tons Per Year
  • Year 1979
    Description Beneficiated Natural Iron Ore Shipped 387289 Metric Tons Per Year
  • Year 1980
    Description Beneficiated Natural Iron Ore Shipped 659238 Metric Tons Per Year

Comments on the production information

  • THE PRODUCTION TONNAGES LISTED ARE FOR THE MCKINLEY MINE ONLY AND DO NOT INCLUDE PRODUCTION FROM THE WELTON MINE.
  • THE MILL DID NOT OPERATE AT DESIGN CAPACITY IN 1980 NOR WILL IT IN 1981 OR 1982. PRIOR TO 1980 THE MILL FEED INCLUDED ORE FROM THE NEIGHBORING WELTON MINE. THE WELTON MINE RESERVE WAS EXHAUSTED IN 1979. ALL MILL FEED IN 1981 AND 1982 WILL COME FROM STOCKPILE. IN 1982, THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH ORE TO RUN THE MILL FOR A FULL SEASON.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 94HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .61
    Percent Waste Rock 28.8
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 34
    Primary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Secondary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 9.1
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 14674
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 2.59
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 145
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on other economic factors

  • IN 1980, THE PROPERTY WAS MINED AT AN INCREASED RATE TO DEPLETE ALL REMAINING RESERVES. CONSEQUENTLY, 2127738 MT OF CRUDE ORE WAS MINED. ONLY 997802 MT OF THIS MINED ORE WAS BENEFICIATED IN 1980. THE REMAINING 1129935 MT WAS STOCKPILED TO BE PROCESSED IN 1981 AND 1982.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    LEMOINE, R., J. GROSS. JONES & LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION;

  • Geology

    PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DURING FIELD VISIT, MAY 7, 1981.

  • Geology

    OPEN FILE REPORT 109-80, IRON ORE RESERVES OF THE MESABI

  • Geology

    RANGE MINNESOTA, JAN 23, 1980 PP. 12, 18, AND 44.

  • Geology

    WINTER, J.C., R.D. COTTER AND H.L. YOUNG, PETRGRAPHY AND

  • Geology

    STRATIGRAPHY OF GLACIAL DRIFT, MESABI-VERMILLION IRON

  • Geology

    RANGE AREA, NORTHEASTERN MINN. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL.

  • Geology

    1331-C, 1973, P. 8.

  • Deposit

    UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MINNESOTA MINING DIRECTORY 1980.

  • Deposit

    1980, P. 117.

  • Geology

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, MCKINLEY-A HIGH-GRADE WASH

  • Geology

    OPERATION, NOV. 1974, PP. 136-137.

  • Geology

    MARSDEN, R. W. THE MESABI RANGE, MINNESOTA, ORE DEPOSTIS OF

  • Geology

    THE U.S. 1933-1967, PP. 518-537.

  • Geology

    MOREY, G.B. MESABI RANGE, GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA: A CENTENNIAL

  • Geology

    VOLUME, 1972, PP. 204-217.

  • Ownership

    UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MINNESOTA MINING DIRECTORY 1981.

  • Ownership

    1981, PP. 22 AND 115.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING 1980, P. 197.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MESABI; IN RANGE 17W (0271370036) OF MARSDEN STUDY. HEMATITE ORE. ADIT UPDATE 1993: WILL OPERATE UNTIL 1993 FROM STOCKPILE, DISMANTLING PLANT IN 1992. ALL ORE MINED OUT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-AUG-93 Dolzani, Roger L. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 08/31/1982
MSHA mine ID2100253
Mine name (MSHA)Northwest Ore Div/Mc Kinley Group
Current operatorJones & Laughlin Steel Corp
Current controller (parent)LTV Corp
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

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