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Mike

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Molybdenum, Copper, Lead, Zinc
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10001677
MRDS ID A012456
MAS/MILS ID 10185698
Record type Site
Current site name Mike

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -157.23748, 57.05321 (WGS84)
Relative position The Mike prospect is located approximately 9 miles south of Mother Goose Lake in sec. 24, T. 36 S., R. 50 W., of the Seward Meridian (Church and others, 1989: MF-1593I, locality 1; Nokleberg and others, 1987, locality AP 14; MacKevett and Holloway, 1977, locality 1). Site location is accurate to within 1/2 mile.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lake and Peninsula(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ugashik A-4(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Ugashik S(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Ugashik(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Ugashik Bay(hydrologic unit)

Kvichak-Port Heiden(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge(National Wildlife Refuge)

National Wildlife Refuge FWS(Type of land area)

FWS(Federal land areas administered by FWS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Seward 036 S 050 W 24 Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Molybdenum Primary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Hematite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Barite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) The silica-flooded zone in the rhyolite stock is in part surrounded and overlapped by intense sericitic and phyllic alteration. Beyond this zone the rocks have been propylized.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 80
USGS model code 21b
Deposit model name Porphyry Mo, low-F

Nearby scientific data

(1) -157.23748, 57.05321
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Mike prospect is marked by a large color anomaly and by a large copper-molybdenum anomaly shown by stream sediment analyses (Church and others, 1989: MF-1539I). The area of this site consists of dikes, sills, and stocks which have intruded sandstones and siltstones of the Jurassic Naknek Formation (Detterman and others, 1987). The main area of mineralization occurs in a zone of silica flooding around and within a rhyolite porphyry stock. The stock is bordered to the north and west by numerous dacitic dikes. A small quartz monzonite stock has intruded the rhyolite stock on its east side and another cuts sedimentary rocks approximately 1 mile north-northeast of the rhyolite. A breccia pipe measuring 400 by 700 feet occurs near the latter quartz monzonite stock. Late-stage quartz veins trending northeast and northwest cut the rhyolite stock. Some if these are traceable for up to 10,000 feet. Potassium-argon dating of the intrusives indicates they are of Pliocene age (Wilson and Shew, 1992).? Sulfides (mostly pyrite) are present in amounts of 5 to 10 percent over an area of 1 square mile. Sulfide content grades outward to 1 to 2 percent over an area of 3 square miles. Northwest of the porphyry stock magnetite is present in veins, breccias, and as disseminations in quartzite and siltstone (Hedderly-Smith, 1977).? Within the rhyolite porphyry, fine-grained molybdenite occurs within a stockwork of small quartz-filled fractures. The mineralized area measures approximately 3600 by 4300 feet as defined by values of greater than 40 ppm molybdenum. Locally, molybdenite may occur in larger, coarsely crystalline quartz veins. Lesser amounts of it are present sporadically in the hornfelsed sedimentary rocks surrounding the stock. The average molybdenum content of surface rock samples from the main mineralized area averaged 130 ppm (Church and others, 1989: B-1858). Grades of up to 0.21 percent molybdenum have been reported (Eakins and others, 1984). Within the mineralized zone copper (10-50 ppm), lead, zinc, and silver values are generally low. This zone also contains some tin and tungsten anomalies and has a fluorine content averaging 710 ppm with values up to 2100 ppm. Fluorine and molybdenum values show a strong correlation. ? In 1977 Bear Creek Mining Company drilled 3 holes for a total of 258 feet. The drill cut silicified rhyolite stock, rhyolitic sill, and silicified sedimentary rock. Average molybdenum values for the holes ranged from 10 to 125 ppm (Church and others, 1989: B-1858). The bottom 7 feet of hole 77-3 averaged 253 ppm molybdenum.? A second stockwork occurs on the east side of the rhyolite porphyry, apparently in the quartz monzonite (Hedderly-Smith, 1977). Chalcopyrite is present as disseminations and fracture fillings. Samples of mineralized quartz monzonite are reported to contain 500 to 1000 ppm copper and 10 to 20 ppm molybdenum (Church and others, 1989: B1858). A sample of skarn adjacent to a dacite dike contained 3450 ppm copper and a grab sample of the breccia pipe contained 160 ppm molybdenum.? the molybdenum stockwork and area of silica flooding is surrounded in part and overlapped by intense sericitic and phyllic alteration. Beyond this zone the rocks have been propylized. The alteration has been dated as Pliocene (Wilson and Shew, 1992).
  • Age = Pliocene or younger.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Alaska Peninsula

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = This prospect was originally identified in 1975 by Resource Associates of Alaska on the basis of the color anomaly and a stream-sediment survey (Hedderly-Smith, 1977). In 1977 Bear Creek Mining Company did detailed mapping and sampling and drilled 3 short holes at this prospect. Average molybdenum values for the holes ranged from 10 to 125 ppm with the lower 7 feet of one hole containing 253 ppm. An average value of the surface of the main mineralized zone is stated at 130 ppm molybdenum (Church and others, 1989: B-1858). Grades of up to 0.21 percent molybdenum have been reported (Eakins and others, 1984). In the 1980's the U.S. Geological Survey did geochemical sampling of the prospect and of the surrounding area (Church and others, 1989: B-1858).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1980, Summaries of data and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in fifteen quadrangles in southwestern and west-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-909, 103 p.

  • Deposit

    Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

  • Deposit

    Church, S.E., Detterman, R.L., and Wilson, F.H., 1989, Mineral and energy resource assessment maps of the Ugashik, Bristol Bay, and western Karluk quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF 1539-I, 2 map sheets, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Church, S.E., Frisken J.G., Wilson, F.H., 1989, Interpretation of exploration geochemical data from Ugashik, Bristol Bay, and western Karluk quadrangles, Alaska: U.S Geological Survey Bulletin 1858, 45 p.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., and Shew, N., 1992, Map and tables showing geochronology and whole rock geochemistry of selected samples from Ugashik, Bristol Bay, and part of Karluk quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Map MF-1539-E, 34 p., 1 map sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    Hedderly-Smith, D.A., 1977, 1977 Annual report, Alaska search, Koniag Inc. region: Bear Creek Mining Company, Spokane Office, 23 p. (Report held by Kennecott Alaska, Anchorage).

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Church and others, 1989 (B-1858)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Porphyry Mo (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 21b)
Deposit Other Comments = This prospect is located on land selected by the Koniag Native Corporation.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-00 S.H. Pilcher U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-11 Causey, J Douglas U.S. Geological Survey Added data from MAS record 0021290008 (dep_ID 10185698) and deleted that record.

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.