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

Glacier Peak

Prospect in Snohomish county in Washington, United States with commodities Copper, Molybdenum, Gold, Silver, Tungsten
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
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. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Mineral rights holdings
  18. Land status
  19. Ownership information
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. General comments
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10008495
MRDS ID D000686
MAS/MILS ID 0530610001
Record type Deposit
Current site name Glacier Peak
Alternate or previous names Miners Ridge, Calumet

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -120.98037, 48.1976 (WGS84)
Elevation 1753
Relative position ABOUT 0.7 MI SOUTHWEST OF SUMMIT OF PLUMMER MOUNTAIN

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Snohomish(county)

Washington(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Suiattle Pass(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Twisp(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Concrete(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Sauk(hydrologic unit)

Puget Sound(hydrologic accounting unit)

Puget Sound(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Glacier Peak Wilderness(Wilderness)

Wilderness FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Washington Snohomish

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Willamette 031N 015E 10,09,11 CENTER OF (10) Washington

Comments on the location information

  • UNSURVEYED. ON STEEP RIDGE OF PLUMMER MOUNTAIN ON NORTH SIDE OF MINERS CREEK

Commodities

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

Comments on the commodity information

  • GEOCHEMICAL SIGNATURE INCLUDES STRONG ANOMALIES FOR AG, AS, BI, CU, MO, PB, AND W, MODERATE ANOMALIES FOR AU, IN, K, RB, TI, AND ZN, AND NEGATIVE ANOMALIES FOR AL, CA, NA, NI, AND SR.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Covellite Ore
Cuprite Ore
Enargite Ore
Galena Ore
Malachite Ore
Marcasite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Scheelite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tennantite Ore
Azurite Ore
Copper Ore
Gold Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Mica Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Realgar Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Talc Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue
Arsenopyrite Gangue
Calcite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Potassic
  • (Local) Phyllic
  • (Local) Propylitic

Analytical data

Result CU AVERAGE GRADE = 0.6-1%
Result MOS2 AVERAGE GRADE = 0.03-0.1%

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 79
USGS model code 21a
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu-Mo
Mark3 model number 2

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Cloudy Pass Pluton;Totem Pass Migmatite;Cloudy Pass Pluton
    Rock description Cloudy Pass Pluton;Totem Pass Migmatite;Cloudy Pass Pluton
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid
    Rock unit name Cloudy Pass Pluton
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Miocene

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) Pre-Upper Jurassic gneiss
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name shear zone
Structure description Major East-Northeast Trending Shear Zone
Type of structure Regional
Structure name Entiat Fault
Structure description Northwest Projection Of Entiat Fault

Ore body information

  • General form VEINLET STOCKWORK, DISSEMINATED
    Thickness 106.68M
    Length 182.88M
    Width 121.92M

Comments on the ore body information

  • Derkey and others (1990, p. 347) The Glacier Peak stockwork porphyry copper-molybdenum system consists of three deposits known as the main deposit, the northeast deposit, and the eastern area. These deposits are localized in a major shear zone cutting the Cloudy Pass granodiorite. The mineralized zone is 10,000 ft long and 2,000 ft wide and averages 1,200 ft thick. It contains 1.9 billion tons of rock averaging 0.334% Cu and 0.015% MoS2. A quartz diorite plug intruded into the shear zone in the main deposit. Both the surrounding granodiorite and the younger quartz diorite were fractured and then mineralized. In the northeast part of the main deposit there is a quartz plug 130 ft in diameter. At a depth of 630 ft, it splays out into a series of quartz veins. The main deposit contains a higher-grade core of 25.4 million tons averaging 0.735% Cu and 0.036% MoS2 or 56.0 million tons averaging 0.45% Cu and 0.025% MoS2. The adjoining tabular northeast deposit contains 16.0 million tons grading 0.67% Cu and 0.062% MoS2. On the basis of data from 13 drill holes, the eastern area contains 800 million tons averaging 0.10% Cu equivalent (October 1980 prices). (See Stotelmeyer, 1981, p. 84-105.)

Controls for ore emplacement

  • fractures

Comments on the geologic information

  • Derkey and others (1990, p. 347) The Cloudy Pass batholith granodiorite was sheared and then intruded by a quartz diorite plug aproximately 400 ft south of the gneiss contact. Fracturing, stockwork systems, and veining developed in the quartz diorite and adjacent granodiorite. Mineralization flooded the fracture systems; the majority of the ore is in quartz diorite; lesser amounts of ore are in granodiorite, and ore extends locally into the gneiss. Mineral zonation and alteration are consistent with porphyry copper-type models.
  • Derkey and others (1990, p. 347) The deposits occur on the northwest projection of the Entiat fault that was intruded by the Cloudy Pass Pluton. A post-Cloudy Pass quartz diorite plug and associated mineralization were emplaced into a major shear zone. This shear zone trends east to northeast and is located 400 ft south of the gneiss-Cloudy Pass granodiorite contact. The stockwork porphyry deposits are spatially related to fracturing intensity and east-west sheeted fissures.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1900

Mining district

District name Sampson District
District name Glacier Peak

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category National Wilderness
Area name In Glacier Peak Wilderness in Mount Baker National Forest
Ownership category Private
Area name Patented claims

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Sampson Mining
    First year 1900
    Last year 1907
  • Type Operator
    Owner Vogelsang Brothers (Mineral Separation Co.)
    First year 1917
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Kennecott Copper Corp.
    Interest 100
    Year 1980
    First year 1970
  • Type Operator
    Owner America Metals Co.
    First year 1917
    Last year 1918
  • Type Operator
    Owner International Smelting And Refining Co.
    First year 1943
  • Type Unknown
    Owner Hanna Coal And Ore Corp.
    Home office Ohio
    First year 1937
    Last year 1952
  • Type Operator
    Owner Bear Creek Mining Co.
    Home office Washington
    First year 1953
  • Type Owner
    Owner Glacier Peak Mining and Smelting
    First year 1907
    Last year 1959

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Total resources 54421000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Molybdenum Mo 0.03 wt-pct Molybdenum Minor 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1968
    Measured 5050000mt ore
    Indicated 5050000mt ore
    Inferred 5050000mt ore
    Total resources 15150000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Molybdenum MoS2 0.029 wt-pct Molybdenum Secondary 1968
    Copper Cu 0.54 wt-pct Copper Primary 1968
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1967
    Measured 17900000mt ore
    Indicated 17900000mt ore
    Inferred 45750000mt ore
    Total resources 81550000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold 0.068 g/mt Gold Secondary 1967
    Molybdenum MoS2 0.038 wt-pct Molybdenum Secondary 1967
    Tungsten WO3 0.027 wt-pct Tungsten Tertiary 1967
    Copper Cu 0.79 wt-pct Copper Primary 1967
    Silver 8.23 g/mt Silver Tertiary 1967
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1943
    Total resources 19200000mt ore
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1968
    Inferred 50800000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Molybdenum MoS2 0.025 wt-pct Molybdenum Secondary 1968
    Copper Cu 0.45 wt-pct Copper Primary 1968
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1967
    Indicated 14880000mt ore
    Inferred 14880000mt ore
    Total resources 29760000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Silver Ag 11.3199 g/mt Silver Secondary 1967
    Molybdenum MoS2 0.062 wt-pct Molybdenum Secondary 1967
    Copper Cu 0.67 wt-pct Copper Primary 1967

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • SEE DERKEY FOR ESTMATED TONNAGES AND GRADES OF INDIVIDUAL ORE BODIES. UNSUBSTANTIATED RESERVES OF 100 MILLION TONS AT 0.5% CU (HOLLISTER, 1979). LAST TWO ENTRIES ARE FOR MEASURED RESTRICTED RESERVES AND TOTAL IDENTIFIED RESOURCES
  • THIS RECORD REPLACES THE RECORD WITH U.S. Bureau of Mines MAS database SEQ # 0530610748 RESOURCES IN PLACE INSIDE GLACIER PEAK WILDERNESS. RIDGE MINING CO OWNS THE 18 PATENTED LODE MINING CLAIMS. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS DROPPED. NO DEVELOPMENT OR DRILLING PLANNED. Bureau of Mines comment. Refers to 1967-1968 resources.
  • THE 14.5 MILLION TONNES IN THE 3 TABULAR DEPOSITS ARE PROBABLY UNECONOMIC AT CURRENT PRICES BECAUSE OF HIGH UNDERGROUND COSTS AND LOW GRADE (ONLY 7.5 PERCENT HIGHER IN CU,MO THAN THE MAIN DEPOSIT). Bureau of Mines comment. Refers to 1967-1968 resources.

Comments on the workings information

  • 6 ADITS, OPEN CUT

Comments on development

  • 56,472 FT OF DIAMOND DRILLING IN 78 DRILL HOLES

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PURDY, C.P. JR., 1954, MOLYBDENUM OCCURRENCES OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY REPORT OF INVESTIGATION 18, P. 63-64.

  • Workings

    KAISER ENGINEERS, 1967, GLACIER PEAK PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY STUDY: PRIVATE REPORT PREPARED FOR KENNECOTT COPPER

  • Geology

    BEAR CREEK MINING COMPANY, 1957, FINAL REPORT GLACIER PEAK PROJECT SNOHOMISH COUNTY, WASHINGTON: PRIVATE COMPANY REPORT, 36 P.

  • Ownership

    ANDERSON, C. F., 1963, REPORT OF MINERAL EXAMINATION: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PATENT APPLICATION NO. W-04504, 9 P.

  • Production

    KAISER ENGINEERS, 1967, GLACIER PEAK PROJECT SITE SELECTION STUDIES: PRIVATE REPORT PREPARED FOR KENNECOTT COPPER CORPORATION.

  • Deposit

    HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 84.

  • Workings

    KENNECOTT COPPER CORPORATION, 1966, ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE GLACIER PEAK DEPOSIT: PRIVATE COMPANY REPORT.

  • Reserve-Resource

    Stotelmeyer, R. B., Johnson, F.L. McHugh, E.L., Federspiel, F.E., Denton, D.K., Jr., and Stebbins, S.A., 1981, Mineral resources of the Glacier Peak Wilderness and adjacent areas, Chelan, Skagit, and Snohomish counties, Washington: U.S. Bureau of Mines unpublished report, 368 p., 3 plates, 27 figures. This report is in the Washington Department of Geology and Earth Resources library.

  • Deposit

    DERKEY, R.E., JOSEPH, N.L., AND LASMANIS, RAYMOND, 1990, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON - PRELIMINARY REPORT: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, P. 347-348.

  • Reserve-Resource

    REED, G. C., 1968, ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT GLACIER PEAK PROJECT: PRIVATE COMPANY REPORT, BEAR CREEK MINING COMPANY, 5 P.

  • Deposit

    HOLLISTER, V.F., 1979, PORPHYRY COPPER-TYPE DEPOSITS OF THE CASCADE VOLCANIC ARC, WASHINGTON: MINERALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, V. 11, P. 28-29.

  • Deposit

    GRANT, A.R., 1969, CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROLS FOR BASE METAL DEPOSITION IN THE CASCADE RANGE OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 58, P. 71-74.

  • Deposit

    GRANT, A.R., 1976, REPORT OF EVALUATION, MINERAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS STUDY ON UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE LAND, STATE OF WASHINGTON: PREPARED FOR U.S. FOREST SERVICE - REGION 6, CONTRACT NO. 004724N, P. 27,

  • Deposit

    GRANT, A.R., 1982, SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY DATA FOR THE GLACEIR PEAK WILDERNESS, CHELAN, SNOHOMISH, AND SKAGIT COUNTIES, WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 82-408, P. 16-18.

  • Deposit

    STOTELMEYER, R.B., JOHNSON, F.L., MCHUGH, E.L., FEDERSPIEL, F.E., DENTON, D.K., JR., AND STEBBINS, S.A., 1982, MINERAL INVESTIGATION OF THE GLACKER PEAK WILDERNESS AND ADJACENT AREAS, CHELAN, SKAGIT, AND SNOHOMISH COUNTIES, WASHIGTON: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES OPEN-FILE REPORT MLA 89-82, P. 16.

  • Deposit

    1917 DIREXPL AMERICAN METALS

  • Deposit

    1937 DIREXPL M.A. HANNA CO.

  • Deposit

    1943 DIREXPL INTERNAT'L SMELT. & REFIN. CO.

  • Deposit

    U.S. FOREST SERVICE, 1967, MINING IN THE GLACIER PEAK WILDERNESS: FACT SHEET, 3 P.

  • Reserve-Resource

    REED, G. C., 1967, ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT GLACIER PEAK PROJECT: PRIVATE COMPANY REPORT, BEAR CREEK MINING COMPANY, 7 P.

  • Deposit

    COLLINS, J. J., SCHOLZ, E. A., 1943, REPORT ON THE GLACIER PEAK COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM PROSPECT: U.S. GEOLOGIC SURVEY WAR MINERALS INVESTIGATION, 64 P.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DIMENSIONS ARE OF MAIN ORE BODY. THERE ARE TWO OTHER ORE BODIES. ENTIRE MINERALIZED ZONE IS 10,000 X 2000 X 1200 FT. SYSTEM IS ACCOMPANIED BY BRECCIA PIPES
General Derkey and others (1990, p. 348) The deposits have been outlined by 78 drill holes totaling 56,472 ft and six adits totaling 900 ft. In 1968 Ridge Mining Corp. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Kennecott Copper Corp.) controlled 18 patented claims, 98 unpatented lode claims, and 180 mill site and placer claims. Since the creation of the Glacier Peak Wilderness area, Ridge Mining Corp. has retained ownership of the 18 patented claims only. Prior to Bear Creek's option (1954), the following groups explored the property: Sampson Mining Co. (1900); Glacier Peak Mining and Smelting Co. (1907-1959) as owners; Minerals Seperation Co. or Vogelsang Bros. (1917-1918); Hanna Coal and Ore Corp. (1937-1951); International Smelting and Refining Co., a subsidiary of The Anaconda Co. (1942-1943); Earl B. Crane (1952-1954); and Bear Creek Mining Co. until 1959 when Ridge Mining Corp. (Kennecott Copper Corp.) purchased the property.
Deposit MRDS RECORDS US53008, W002695, W017895 HAVE BEEN MERGED WITH THIS RECORD AND DELETED

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-74 King, Robert U. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-91 Peterson, Jocelyn A. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-FEB-91 Berger, Mary A. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 15-OCT-96 Jayne, Doug U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 28-AUG-09 Causey, J. Douglas U.S. Geological Survey

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:

  • Kennecott Copper Corp. — acquired by Subsidiary of Rio Tinto (1989)
    Acquired by RTZ (now Rio Tinto) in 1989. Continues to operate the Bingham Canyon mine and other assets under the Kennecott name.

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.

External references

Maps centered on this site