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

South Pit

Past Producer in Polk county in Tennessee, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Sulfur-Pyrite, Lead, Silver, Sulfur, Zinc
Map
XML
JSON
KML
B
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. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10129370
MAS/MILS ID 0471390016
Record type Site
Current site name South Pit
Alternate or previous names Cherokee Open Pit

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Trench
Geographic coordinates: -84.39662, 35.00901 (WGS84)
Elevation 464
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Polk(county)

Tennessee(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ducktown(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cleveland(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Chattanooga(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Ocoee(hydrologic unit)

Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee(hydrologic accounting unit)

Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee(hydrologic subregion)

Tennessee(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Tennessee Polk

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Tertiary
Sulfur-Pyrite Secondary
Lead Tertiary
Silver Tertiary
Sulfur Secondary
Zinc Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Actinolite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Gold Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Silver Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown
Tremolite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Trench (1) -84.39662, 35.00901
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N35E
    Dip 45E
    Thickness 15M
    Length 443M
    Width 192M
    Area 13055HA
    Depth to top 72M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Shape of Orebody #3 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 PYRITIZATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 INTERM ARGILLIC
    Strike And Dip N35E:45E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 7.6
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 6
    Total Surface Area (HA) 13055
    Date of Last Modification 810303

Comments on the geologic information

  • PERCENTAGES OF MINERALS ARE FOR DUCKTOWN DISTRICT GENERALLY AND VARY WIDELY GANGUE MINERALS ARE 005, 090, 496, 412, OTHERS ARE ORE
  • THE INSITU ROCK DENSITY IS OBTAINED BY DIVIDING THE PUBLISHED FIGURE FOR TOTAL TONS OF ORE CONTAINED IN THE BURRA BURRA DEPOSIT (17.3 MILLION METRIC TONS) BY THE KNOWN VOLUME OF THE DEPOSIT (4.67 MILLION CUBIC METERS). THE ROCK TYPES ARE METAMORPHOSED GRAYWACKES AND GRAYWACKE AT LEAST 3 DEFORMATIONS, YOUNGEST IN LATE PALEOZOIC. PALEOZOIC REMOBILIZED ORE. HYDROTHERMAL SOLUTIONS INTRODUCED SULFIDES DURING THE DEVONIAN DEFORMATION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant No
Discovery year 1847
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1977
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Ducktown District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Tennessee Chemical Corp
    ID 4002074
    Interest 100
    Home office Georgia
    Year 1982

Comments on the ownership information

  • PERCENTAGES OF MINERALS ARE FOR DUCKTOWN DISTRICT GENERALLY AND VARY WIDELY GANGUE MINERALS ARE 005, 090, 496, 412, OTHERS ARE ORE. TENNESSEE CHEMICAL CORP. ADDRESS: 3475 LENOX RD N.E, SUITE 670, ATLANTA, GA 30326 TENNESSEE CHEMICAL PURCHASED ALL PROPERTIES IN THE COPPERHILL DISTRICT FROM CITIES SERVICE CORP IN SEPT 1982 FOR AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT.

Comments on the production information

  • MINE PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN 1982

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • M9C4 = M1C1. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY LEVEL USED IS 90 PERCENT SINCE THE DEPOSIT SEGMENT IN QUESTION IS REGULAR IN SHAPE. MATRIX RECORD/RESOURCES DERIVED FROM PIT DIMENSIONS

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 13.2HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 76
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 7.6
    Primary Material Cover HARDPAN
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 6.1
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 2155
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 1007
    Unit Production Cost 4.1
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1977

Comments on the workings information

  • THE MAXIMUM SURFACE AREA DISTURBED IS ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 4.75 HECTARES (359 METERS X 184 METERS) FOR THE ORE BODY AND PIT AND .60 HECTARES (600 METERS X 10 METER FOR ACCESS ROADS, FOR A TOTAL OF 5.35 HECTARES.

Comments on other economic factors

  • OPERATING MINE.
  • ORE FROM THE NORTH PIT IS HAULED TO THE LONDON FLOTATION PLANT BY THE TENNESSEE COPPER COMPANY RAILROAD. THE COPPER AND IRON CONCENTRATES PRODUCED IN THE LONDON FLOTATION PLANT ARE SENT TO THE COPPERHILL SMELTERS, WHILE THE ZINC CONCENTRATE IS SOLD DIRECTLY TO OFFSITE SMELTERS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    CITIES SERVICE COMPANY, OCTOBER 1976, TOPICS:

  • Reserve-Resource

    V. 7, NO. 7, P. 4.

  • Deposit

    BEALL, J. W., 1973, COPPER IN THE U. S. -- A POSITION SURVEY

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING: SOC. MINING ENGINEERS, V. 25, NO. 4, P.

  • Deposit

    CITIES SERVICE COMPANY, APRIL 1976, TOPICS: V. 7, NO. 1, P.

  • Deposit

    CITIES SERVICE COMPANY, OCTOBER 1976, TOPICS: V. 7, NO. 7, P

  • Deposit

    EMMONS, W. H., AND LANEY, F. B., 1926, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOS

  • Deposit

    THE DUCKTOWN MINING DISTRICT, TENNESSEE: U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

  • Deposit

    PAPER 139, PP.30-32, P. 107

  • Deposit

    MAGEE, MAURICE, 1968, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE DUCKTO

  • Deposit

    DISTRICT, TENNESSEE IN ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, 19

  • Deposit

    1967: AM. INST. MINING, METALL., AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, V.

  • Deposit

    P. 207-241.

  • Deposit

    MAHER, S. W., 1966, THE COPPER-SULFURIC ACID INDUSTRY IN TEN

  • Deposit

    TENNESSEE DIV. GEOLOGY INF. CIRC. 14, 28 P.

  • Deposit

    ROSS, C. S., 1935, ORIGIN OF THE COPPER DEPOSITS OF THE DUCK

  • Deposit

    TYPE IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION: U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

  • Deposit

    PAPER 179, PP. 94-97

  • Deposit

    SAFFORD, J. M., 1869, GEOLOGY OF TENNESSEE: NASHVILLE, S. J.

  • Deposit

    MERCER, P. 470-482.

  • Deposit

    TENNESSEE COPPER COMPANY DIVISION, 1966, THE TCC STORY: COPP

  • Deposit

    TENN., 3RD ED., PP. 12,13

  • Deposit

    MSHA LIST, 7/26/78.

  • Deposit

    MSHA INSPECTION REPORT, 5/13-16/80.

  • Deposit

    E.F.O.C.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit CONTRACT NO. G0166176 ENTERED 1977. MOST OF THE COPPPER OCCURS AS COPPER SULFIDE. THE IRON OCCURS AS IRON SULFIDE AND MAGNETITE. THE SULFUR IS RECOVERE THE SMELTING PROCESS AS SULFUR DIOXIDE GAS AND IS USED IN MA SULFURIC ACID. THE ZINC OCCURS AS ZINC SULFIDE. THE GOLD AND ARE RECOVERED AS BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE ELECTROLYTIC REFINING BLISTER COPPER PRODUCED IN THE SMELTING PROCESS AND THE PIER SMITH CONVERTER. THE LEAD OCCURS AS LEAD SULFIDE. REC 151-3/% RECOVERY FROM TENN. GEOL. SURVEY VISIT TO PLANT THE DEPOSIT REVIEWED 11/78 BY DAVIS. PROPERTY UPDATED SEP 1987

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-APR-1993 Brocoum, A. 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 11/03/1987
MSHA mine ID4002074
Mine name (MSHA)Cherokee Open Pit
Current operatorTennessee Chemical Company
Current controller (parent)Davis Bruce D
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.

Maps centered on this site