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Rock Creek Project

Plant in Sanders county in Montana, United States with commodities Copper, Silver
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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. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Workings at the site
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. General comments
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10294559
MAS/MILS ID 0300890099
Record type Site
Current site name Rock Creek Project
Alternate or previous names Rock Creek, Chicago Peak Prospect, Chicago Peak
Related records 10048813

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -115.67773, 48.07937 (WGS84)
Elevation 2316
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Sanders(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Elephant Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Libby(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Kalispell(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Clark Fork(hydrologic unit)

Pend Oreille(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kootenai-Pend Oreille-Spokane(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Kootenai National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Cabinet Mountains Wilderness(Wilderness)

Wilderness FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Sanders

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 027 N 032 W 26 SWSWSE Montana

Comments on the location information

  • IN SECTION 26, AND ALSO SECTIONS 33 & 34. INSUFFICIENT DATA AS OF 1993 TO DETERMINE ROCK CREEKS STATUS.
  • Lat/long changed 9/9/2008 because to agree with duplicate record 10048813. Original coordinates were: lat/long NAD27 48-3-7N 115-41-6W (48.0519 -115.685); UTM N5322691 E597996 Z11N; PLSS line# 1: Meridian- Montana Principal, TWNSHP 027 N, RNG 032 W, Sect 26, Sect_fract SWSWSE. From the location description given in comment #2 - LOCATED BENEATH ST. PAUL PEAK AND CHICAGO PEAK, the midpoint of the line connecting the peaks gives 48.0735 -115.686, some 2.6 km N of the original location. The Point of Reference is said to be the ore body, so this conflicts with the original location. Since it is almost due north, it may be a typographical error in the latitude. Or it may relate to some idea to run an adit from non-Wilderness land into the orebody. Boleneus et all, 2005 shows an even more northerly location - NAD27 48.0795 -115.6767. The Boleneus coordinates were used for both records. The old altitude of 1710 m was replaced with that of the new location near St. Paul Peak at 2316 m.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Covellite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Pyrite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 200
USGS model code Unassigned
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Cu, Revett
Mark3 model number 64

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock type qualifier SANDSTONE (QUARTZITE)
    Rock unit name BELT SUPERGROUP - RAVALLI GROUP - REVETT FORMATION

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -115.67773, 48.07937
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name NORTH TO NORTHWEST-STRIKING MIDDLE PROTEROZOIC FAULTING

Ore body information

  • Strike N30W
    Dip 04W
    Thickness 8.2M
    Length 4000M
    Width 1850M
    Area 258HA
    Depth to top 400M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Strike And Dip N30W:04W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 258
    Date of Last Modification 980421

Controls for ore emplacement

  • FAULT-CONTROLLED

Comments on the geologic information

  • THIS IS A STRATABOUND COPPER DEPOSIT STRIKE AND DIP WERE TAKEN FROM CROSS SECTION SKETCHES AND MAY BE INACCURATE MINERALIZED UNIT IS A NORTH PUNGING ANTICLINE
  • THE LINEAR DISTRIBUTION OF DEPOSITS WITHIN THE REVETT FORMATION MOST STRONGLY SUPPORTS FAULT-CONTROLLED MINERALIZATION (LANGE AND SHERRY, 1983)

    THEORY OF FORMATION:

    SANDSTONE-TYPE DEPOSITS MAY HAVE FORMED AS A RESULT OF THE MIGRATION OF COPPER-SILVER-BEARING SOLUTIONS, POSSIBLY RELEASED DURING SEDIMENT COMPACTION AND DEWATERING, UP SYNDEPOSITIONAL NORTH- TO NORTHWEST-TRENDING BASEMENT-CONTROLLED FAULTS AND INTO PERMEABLE HORIZONS CONTAINING PYRITE AND/OR H2S. (LANGE AND SHERRY, 1983)
  • DEPOSITS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NORTH-NORTHEAST TO NORTHWEST-TRENDING FAULTS (LANGE AND SHERRY, 1983).

    NORTHWEST-PLUNGING SYNCLINE THAT IS FAULT BOUNDED ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE BY THE ROCK LAKE FAULT, AND ON THE NORTHEASTBY WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SOUTHERN EXTENSION OF THE SNOWSHOE FAULT (BURNSIDE AND THOMPSON, 1985).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1963
Mining method Open Stope - Room and Pillar
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Milling method Flotation

Comments on exploration

  • 1960?S - BEAR CREEK MINES (A KENNECOTT INC. SUBSIDIARY) STAKED ROCK CREEK CLAIMS.

    1966 TO 1973 BEAR CREEK DRILLED 10 DIAMOND DRILL HOLES ADJACENT TO THE WILDERNESS AREA.

    1973 - ASARCO ACQUIRES THE RIGHTS TO THE TROY PROJECT AND THE ROCK CREEK PROJECT AND STARTED EXPLORATION.

    1979 TO 1983 - 121 DIAMOND DRILL HOLES COMPLETED ON CLAIMS.

    DECEMBER 31, 1983 - DEADLINE FOR PROVING VALIDITY OF UNPATENTED MINING CLAIMS PER 1964 WILDERNESS ACT.

    1984 - EXPLORATION PROGRAM COMPLETED.

    1989 - PATENTS FOR MINING CLAIMS GRANTED.

    1987 - PERMITTING ACTIVITIES STARTED.

    2000 - STERLING MINING COMPANY ACQUIRES 100% OWNERSHIP OF TROY AND ROCK CREEK PROPERTIES FROM KENNECOTT MINERALS COMPANY

Mining district

District name Noxon

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Asarco (American Smelting And Refining Co.)
    Interest 100
    Home office New York
    Year 1984
    First year 1973
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Kennecott (Bear Creek Mining Co.)
    Interest 100
    Year 1984
    Last year 1973

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2001
    Total resources 130000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper CU 0.68 wt-pct Copper Major 2001
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Indicated 130417000mt ore
    Demonstrated 130417000mt ore
    Inferred 130417000mt ore
    Total resources 260834000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.68 wt-pct Copper Major 1984
    Silver Ag 56.6 g/mt Silver Minor 1984
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 130419072mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1990
    Silver Ag 68.43 g/mt Silver Minor 1990
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Demonstrated 130000000mt ore
    Total resources 130000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.8 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
    Silver Ag 75.43 g/mt Silver Minor 1992

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVES AS OF 03/89. M2C1=MINABLE RESERVES PLANNED FOR EXTRACTION. M1C1=TOTAL DEMONSTRATED RESOURCES
  • OVERALL ESTIMATED RESOURCE TONNAGE AND GRADE FOR ASARCO?S ROCK CREEK CLAIMS AND U.S. BORAX?S ROCK PEAK AND HEREFORD CLAIMS EXCEEDS 400 MILLION TONS OF 1.56 OZ/TON SILVER AND 0.69 PERCENT COPPER. (FROM MCCULLOCH AND SPEAR, 1983?)

    PROJECTED ORE FROM 75.0 MILLION TONS ORE: 1.04 BILLION POUNDS COPPER AND 127.9 MILLION OUNCES SILVER.

    ANOTHER ESTIMATE FROM DOYLE FREDRICK, THE US DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR IN MBMG FILES (1981):

    EXPLORATION DRILLING, NORTH OF ROCK CREEK, ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE WILDERNESS, IDENTIFIED 4 MILLION TONS OF INDICATED RESERVES AVERAGING 0.86 PERCENT COPPER AND 1.8 OUNCES OF SILVER PER TON; INDICATED RESOURCES ARE ABOUT 20 MILLION TONS AVERAGING 0.29 PERCENT COPPER AND 0.4 OUNCES OF SILVER PER TON. GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS AND ANALYSES OF ROCK, SOIL, AND STREAM SEDIMENTS INDICATE THAT SOME OF THE MINERALIZED ZONES EXTEND INTO THE WILDERNESS AND CONTAIN ABOUT 70 MILLION TONS OF INFERRED RESOURCES.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 8971M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Swell Factor .6
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NO PLANES OF WEAKNESS
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. OTHER
    Length of Inclines (m) 3340
    Slope of Inclines 12
    Number of Inclines 2
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 1100
    Number of Adits 2
    Capacity 9072
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 5.87
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 356
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1984

Comments on the workings information

  • PROJECT PROPOSED FOR DEVELOPMENT BY ASARCO MAY 21, 1984. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY TO BEGIN SOON. BASE LINE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK HAS STARTED. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROJECT WOULD BE STRINGENT BECAUSE THE DEPOSIT LIES WITHIN A WILDERNESS. AT ISSUE WOULD BE COMPLINANCE WITH THE 1964 WILDERNESS ACT, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT FOR GRIZZLY BEARS AND CLASS 1 AIR QUALITY DESIGNATED FOR WILDERNESS AREAS. THERE IS MAJOR CONCERN ABOUT TAILINGS CONTAINMENT AT THE PROPOSED SITE NEAR THE CLARK FORK RIVER. POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE MINE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT. ASARCO PROPOSES THAT ALL SURFACE OPERATIONS WOULD BE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE WILDERNESS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULLETIN 129, 1991,

  • Reserve-Resource

    WALLACE MINER. WALLACE, IDAHO. ROCK CREEK PROJECT. FEB.,4, 1988, PP. 10A,11A.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN SMELTING AND REFING COMPANY (ASARCO). ROCK CREEK PROJECT - PLAN OF OPERATION. SUBMITTED TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, MAY 21, 1984, 42 PP.

  • Deposit

    BALLA, J. C. ASARCO MANAGER, NORTHWESTERN EXPLORATION DIVISION. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION, 1984. AVERY, D.W. MONTANA DIRECTORY.

  • Deposit

    HAYES, T. THE RELATION BETWEEN STRATABOUND COPPER-SILVER ORE AND REVETT FORMATION SEDIMENTARY FACIES AT SPAR LAKE, MONTANA, IN MT BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. SPEC. PUBL. 90, 1984, PP. 65-67.

  • Deposit

    JAYNE, D. I., AND STEBBINS, S. A. THE TROY MINE. UNPUBL.MAS REP., WESTERN FIELD OPERATIONS CENTER, SPOKANE, WA, AUGUST 1984.

  • Deposit

    PAY DIRT MAGAZINE. ASARCO, U.S. BORAX LOOKING STRONG IN CABINET WILDERNESS WORK. INTERMOUNTAIN ED., JAN. 1984 P. 28A.

  • Deposit

    SANDERS COUNTY LEDGER. ROCK CREEK PROJECT. JUNE 21, 1984, P. 6,7.

  • Deposit

    U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. UNPUBL. DATA, 1984.

  • Deposit

    WELLS, J. D., D. A. LINDSEY, D. M. KLEINKOPF, BANISTER, D. P R. D. WELDIN, ZILKA, N. T., AND SCHMAUCH, S. W. MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE CABINET MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS, LINCOLN AND SANDERS COUNTIES, MONTANA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. OFR 78-327, 1978, 99 PP.

  • Deposit

    WESTERN MINE ENGINEERING, MINING COST SERVICE, 1984.

  • Deposit

    RM PAYDIRT, WILDERNESS MINES. FEB., 1988. P.12A.

  • Deposit

    Boleneus, D.E., Appelgate, L.M., Stewart, J.H., and Zientek, M.L., 2005, Stratabound Copper-Silver Deposits of the Mesoproterozoic Revett Formation, Montana and Idaho; USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2005?5231, cuag_deposit.txt.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SULFIDE FORMATION OCCURRED AFTER SEDIMENTATION BUT BEFORE LITHIFICATION AND THAT THE DEPOSITS ARE GENETICALLY RELATED TO SYNDEPOSITIONAL BASEMENT-CONTROLLED FAULTS (LANGE AND SHERRY, 1983). THE COPPER-BEARING SULFIDES LOCALLY REPLACE PYRITE, MAGNETITE, SILICATES, AND CARBONATES. (LANGE AND SHERRY, 1983).
Deposit (FROM THE SANDERS COUNTY LEDGER, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1984)

"THE ROCK CREEK OREBODY IS A SILVER-COPPER STRATABOUND DEPOSIT LOCATED BENEATH ST. PAUL PEAK AND CHICAGO PEAK BETWEEN THE 5,000 FOOT AND 5,600-FOOT ELEVATIONS. THE ORE ZONE IS A FLAT LYING DEPOSIT APPROXIMATELY 12,000 FEET LONG, 6,000 FEET WIDE, AND AVERAGES ABOUT 27 FEET THICK. MINERALIZATION IS SIMILAR IN GRADE AND OCCURRENCE TO THE TROY OREBODY ALTHOUGH IT OCCURS AT A LOWER STRATIGRAPHIC HORIZON. REGIONALLY THE STRATABOUND MINERALIZATION OCCURS IN THE REVETT QUARTZITE OF THE BELT SUPERGROUP. THIS NORTH-TRENDING BELT IS ABOUT 120 MILES LONG, 40 MILES WIDE, AND EXTENDS FROM COEUR D?ALENE DISTRICT IN IDAHO INTO CANADA."

"THE ASARCO ROCK CREEK PROJECT ENCOMPASSES 1,284 ACRES OF PUBLIC LAND AND 688 ACRES OF LAND THAT ASARCO HAS BOUGHT"

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 21-APR-98 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 09-SEP-08 Schruben, Paul U.S. Geological Survey Lat/long changed after duplicate record 10048813 county-lat/long conflict was resolved.

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:

  • Asarco (American Smelting And Refining Co.) — acquired by Asarco LLC, subsidiary of Grupo México (2009)
    American Smelting and Refining Co. Filed Chapter 11 in 2005; acquired out of bankruptcy by Grupo México in 2009.

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