1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Union Bay

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Chromium, Iron, PGE, Vanadium
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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. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10258360
MRDS ID M045363
MAS/MILS ID 0021190112
Record type Site
Current site name Union Bay
Alternate or previous names Columbia Iron Mng. Co., Union Bay Iron Deposit, Edmund Lane, M. D. Okerland, Herschel B. Fryberger, Jr., Black Bear Creek, James A. Noble, Red Bird Nos. 1-25, Ernest Nos. 1-74, George C. Sally S. Kennedy, C.A. Zaruba, H.E. Reese, Irving F. Moore, Red River Broadcasting, Cleveland Peninsula, Don Ross, Fortchunatas, Doris Group, Sydney P. Clark, John C. and Jane D. Ruckmick, John P. McKee, U.S. Steel, Alcan Exploration, Inc., Rober Kase, Moira Nos. 1-4, R.D. Alworth, Jr., Warren S. Moore, Hubert A. Nelson, Russell C. Moore, Hugh M. Roberts, Helen F. Moore, Owen Ore Co., Canal Iron Co., Doris Nos. 1-14, Black Nos. 1-12, Red Nos. 1-26, White Nos. 1-9, Hofstad Creek, Sunshine Island, Totem Exploration Co. Inc., F.G. Wayne, Magnetic Point
Related records 10038086

Comments on the site names

  • NUMEROUS OTHER NAMES INCL. DORIS GROUP, ERNEST NOS.1-74, MOIRA NOS.1-4, UNION BAY IRON DEPOSIT, OWEN ORE CO., DORIS NOS. 1-14 AND OTHERS.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -132.15181, 55.77644 (WGS84)
Elevation 579
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Wade Hampton(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Craig D-1(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Craig NE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Craig(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Southern Southeast Alaska(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southeast Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Tongass National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Copper River 070 S 086 E 25 SWNENE Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary
Iron Primary
PGE Critical Tertiary
Vanadium Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Augite Unknown
Chromite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Olivine Unknown
Serpentine Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -132.15181, 55.77644
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #2 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Date of Last Modification 880217

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes

Mining district

District name Ketchikan District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category State

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner U.S. Steel Corp.
    ID 5000050
    Year 1984
    First year 1984

Comments on the ownership information

  • COLUMBIA IRON MINING CO.,U.S. STEEL, ALCON EXPLORATION INC.,

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1946
    Indicated 23mt ore
    Demonstrated 23mt ore
    Total resources 23mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Chromium Cr2O3 27.01 wt-pct Chromium Major 1946
    Iron FeO 37.37 wt-pct Iron Major 1946

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MULTIPLE DEPOSITS OF HIGH-IRON CHROMITE. ONE OUTCROP IS ESTIMATED TO CONTAIN 25 TONS CHROMITE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • BIBLIOGRAPHY: MOST RECENT IS COBB, USGS OF 78-869, PP.212, 213,1978. USGS CRIB M045363 USGS CRIB D000229 USGS CRIB W016529

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 23-FEB-1995 Wlg U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • U.S. Steel Corp. — now part of United States Steel Corporation (2024)
    Mining operations largely divested over the late 20th century; the broader U.S. Steel entity was acquired by Nippon Steel in 2024 (mining footprint is now minimal).

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

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.