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Metal Creek

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Tungsten, Silver, Copper, Platinum
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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. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308771
MRDS ID A011679
Record type Site
Current site name Metal Creek
Alternate or previous names Sumner and Andrulli
Related records 10001008

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -148.40264, 61.49957 (WGS84)
Relative position Locations reported include the lower and upper sections of Metal Creek from headwaters at Metal Creek Glacier to the Glacier Fork of Knik River confluence. Mineral occurrences span a distance greater than 15 miles, including Anchorage 1:63,360 scale C-4, B-4, and B-5 topographic maps. Includes localities 95-109 of Cobb (1972) and locality 64 and 65 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Matanuska-Susitna(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Anchorage B-4(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Anchorage SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Anchorage C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Matanuska(hydrologic unit)

Knik Arm(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Tungsten Critical Primary
Silver Secondary
Copper Secondary
Platinum Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Platinum Ore
Scheelite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Nearby scientific data

(1) -148.40264, 61.49957
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = A raised terrace of clay and glacial deposits extends up Metal Creek and glacial debris cover most of the high valleys. Placer gold is largely restricted to lower half of Metal Creek and is probably derived from source in basin such as small quartz veins. The gold apparently was deposited in a glacial lake and is currently being reworked by present stream action. Generally, gold is well rounded and less than 1 mm in diameter. The maximum gold content occurs below 600 ft elevation, thus corresponding roughly to the height of the old glacial lake terrace surrounding the lower course of the creek (Richter, 1967). Platinum, pyrite, zircon, copper, native silver, and fairly abundant scheelite are present in many concentrate samples. Country rock along Metal Creek is Valdez Group interbedded slate, siltstone, and graywacke of Late Cretaceous age that have been metamorphosed to phyllite and quartz mica schist. These rocks are tightly folded, exhibit strong foliation, strike N 10-30 E, and dip nearly vertical. At the headwaters of Metal Creek and Glacial Fork, greenstone containing discontinous dikes and one stock of quartz diorite are present (Lande, 1927). Quartz veins with pyrite and chlorite are common in the area.
  • Age = Placer deposits are Quaternary.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active?

Mining district

District name Anchorage

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = The total production of gold probably not worth more than a few thousand dollars (Richter, 1967).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Placer gold was discovered in 1906 and has been mined on a small scale intermittently since that time. The total production probably not worth more than a few thousand dollars. Platinum, pyrite, zircon, copper, native silver, and fairly abundant scheelite are present in many concentrate samples. Placer gold in amounts amendable to mining are present in the lower section of Metal River.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Richter, 1967

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Deposit Other Comments = Small scale placer mining for gold should be economically feasible along Metal Creek south from Paradise Creek to junction with Glacier Fork. This area was previously explored and mined by Douglas Sumner and James Andrulli of Eagle River, Alaska. Abundance of scheelite in concentrates is enough to warrant prospecting of the area between Metal Creek and Glacier Fork (Richter, 1967).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 30-JUL-1998 D.P. Bickerstaff; S.W. Huss U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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.