Spruce Road deposit

Prospect in Lake county in Minnesota, United States with commodities Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Palladium, Cobalt, Gold, Silver, PGE

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Public Land Survey System information
Commodities
Materials information
Mineral occurrence model information
Host and associated rocks
Nearby scientific data
Geologic structures
Ore body information
Controls for ore emplacement
Economic information about the deposit and operations
Mining district
Ownership information
Reserves and resources
Workings at the site
Links to other databases
Bibliographic references
General comments
Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID	10038935
MRDS ID	M046425
Record type	Site
Current site name	Spruce Road deposit
Alternate or previous names	Spruce Open Pit Inco, Spruce Mine, Inco Prospect, Ely Spruce, Ely Nickel Copper

Comments on the site names

This record has combined information from original MRDS records W000707 and W800356. The site name in the other records was the Ely Nickel Copper Deposit.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-91.681, 47.82972 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lake(county)

Minnesota(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Bogberry Lake(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Ely(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Two Harbors(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Rainy Headwaters(hydrologic unit)

Rainy(hydrologic accounting unit)

Rainy(hydrologic subregion)

Souris-Red-Rainy(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Superior National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country	State	County
United States	Minnesota	Lake

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian	Township	Range	Section	Fraction	State
4th Principal	062N	011W	24,25		Minnesota

Comments on the location information

SE of Ely, MN. 3.3 miles NE of Highway 1. The location is accurate using Hauck and others (1997) map blown up to 1:24,000.

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Copper	Primary
Nickel Critical	Primary
Platinum Critical	Primary
Palladium Critical	Primary
Cobalt Critical	Secondary
Gold	Secondary
Silver	Secondary
PGE Critical	Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

PGE MINERALIZATION IS KNOWN TO OCCUR ONLY ALONG THE WESTERN CONTACT OF THE 1.1 GA DULUTH COMPLEX. PASTERIS (1984, 1985) RECOGNIZED FIVE VARIETIES OF OXIDES IN THE BABBITT AND SPRUCE ROAD DEPOSITS: 1) SPINEL AND ILMENITE RODS IN PLAGIOCLASE; 2) INDIVIDUAL ILMENITE GRAINS; 3) INDIVIDUAL MAGNETITE GRAINS; 4) GRANULAR (COMPOSITE?) ILMENITE-MAGNETITE; AND 5) LAMELLAR ILMENITE IN MAGNETITE. OTHER MINERALS FOUND INCLUDE MACKINAWITE, VALLERITE, VIOLARITE, TALNAKHITE, AND ULVOSPINEL.

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Bornite	Ore
Bravoite	Ore
Chalcocite	Ore
Copper	Ore
Cuprite	Ore
Digenite	Ore
Galena	Ore
Magnetite	Ore
Pentlandite	Ore
Pyrite	Ore
Sphalerite	Ore
Tenorite	Ore
Troilite	Ore
Olivine	Gangue
Plagioclase	Gangue
Pyroxene	Gangue
Pyrrhotite	Unknown

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code	9
USGS model code	5a
Deposit model name	Duluth Cu-Ni-PGE

Host and associated rocks

Host or associated

Host

Rock type

Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock

Rock unit name

Duluth Complex

Rock description

Duluth Complex

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Mesoproterozoic

Host or associated

Host

Rock type

Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro > Troctolite

Rock unit name

South Kawishiwi Intrusion

Rock description

South Kawishiwi Intrusion

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Mesoproterozoic

Host or associated

Associated

Rock type

Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite

Rock unit name

Giants Range Batholith

Rock description

Giants Range Batholith

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Archean

Host or associated

Associated

Rock type

Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation

Rock unit name

Biwabik Formation

Rock description

Biwabik Formation

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Paleoproterozoic

Host or associated

Associated

Rock type

Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Argillite

Rock unit name

Virginia Formation

Rock description

Virginia Formation

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Paleoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-91.681, 47.82972	ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure	Regional
Structure description	Several Ne-Trending Normal Faults Parallel The Midcontinent Rift System Near The Margin. These Faults Formed During The Opening Of The Rift And Controlled Emplacement Of The Troctolitic And Late Intrusions.

Ore body information

General form TABULAR - LENS

Thickness 91.44M
General form TABULAR - LENS

General form	TABULAR - LENS
Thickness	91.44M

General form	TABULAR - LENS

Controls for ore emplacement

Faults And Folds Were Responsible For Localizing Sulfide Mineralization As Well As For Providing Conduits For Later Syn- To Post-Magmatic Hydrothermal Fluids.

Comments on the geologic information

THE DULUTH COMPLEX IS A LARGE, COMPOSITE THOLEIITIC MAFIC INTRUSION THAT WAS EMPLACED INTO COMAGMATIC FLOOD BASALTS ALONG A PORTION OF THE MIDDLE PROTEROZOIC (1.1 GA, KEWEENAWAN) MIDCONTINENT RIFT SYSTEM. IN THE SOUTH KAWISHIWI INTRUSION, SULFIDES FORM A DISCREET ZONE UNDERLYING SULFIDE-FREE ROCKS. MOST SULFIDES OCCUR INTERSTITIALLY BETWEEN EUHEDRAL OLIVINE OR PLAGIOCLASE OR ARE INCLUDED IN THE RIMS OF SILICATES. THE SULFIDES FORMED AFTER MOST SILICATES HAD ACCUMULATED. HOST ROCK TYPE IS THE SPRUCE BRECCIA FACIES OF THE BASAL ZONE OF THE KAWISHIWI INTRUSION, A MEDIUM-COARSE GRAINED TROCTOLITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status	Prospect
Commodity type	Metallic
Significant	Yes
Discovery year	1955
Discoverer	International Nickel Company

Mining district

District name	Western Margin Duluth Complex

Ownership information

Type Owner-Operator

Owner International Nickel Co. Of Canada, Ltd. (Inco)

Type	Owner-Operator
Owner	International Nickel Co. Of Canada, Ltd. (Inco)

Comments on the ownership information

The deposit was discovered by geophysical anomaly and localized by drilling by INCO.

Reserves and resources

Type In-situ

Estimate year 1973

Total resources 12390mt commodity

Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year

Nickel nickel 0.21 wt-pct Nickel Major 1973
Type In-situ

Estimate year 1973

Total resources 37760mt commodity

Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year

Copper copper 0.64 wt-pct Copper Major 1973
Type In-situ

Estimate year 1973

Total resources 2360mt commodity

Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year

Cobalt cobalt 0.04 wt-pct Cobalt Minor 1973
Type In-situ

Estimate year 1973

Total resources 5900000mt ore

Type	In-situ
Estimate year	1973
Total resources	5900000mt ore

Comments on the reserve resource information

ALONG THE WESTERN MARGIN OF THE DULUTH COMPLEX, THE CU-NI SULFIDE RESOURCES ARE ESTIMATED AT 4.4 BILLION TONS OF 0.66 PERCENT CU WITH A CU:NI RATIO OF 3.3:1 (HAUCK AND OTHERS, 1997). OTHER MINERALIZED BODIES NEAR THE BASE OF THE DULUTH GABBRO HAVE BEEN EXPLORED NORTHEAST OF THE ELY AREA. TWO LARGE DEPOSITS, TOTALING SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION TONS OF MATERIAL, ARE REPORTED TO AVERAGE 0.75% CU AND 0.25% NI.
EST BY MINN. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR BASAL ZONE OF COMPLEX

Workings at the site

Type of workings Surface

Area 218.538HA

Overall length 2000M

Overall width 1200M

Type of workings	Surface
Area	218.538HA
Overall length	2000M
Overall width	1200M

Comments on the workings information

POTENTIAL AND PLANNED MINE - IF IT CAN GET PAST ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AS OF 1975 - THICKNESS VARIES FROM 50 - 300 FT. AN OPEN PIT MINE IS PLANNED WHICH WILL FOLLOW THE MINERALIZED ZONE DOWN TO A MAXIMUM PIT DEPTH OF 304 M.

Comments on development

DEPOSIT DISCOVERED BY GEOPHYSICAL ANOMALY, AND LOCALIZED BY DRILLING

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency	Database name	Acronym	Record ID	Notes
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	M046425

Bibliographic references

Deposit

BONNICHSEN AND TYSON, 1975, FIELD GUIDEBOOK FOR THE ELY HOYT LAKES REGION OF THE DULUTH COMPLEX, MINNESOTA, PENROSE CONFERENCE, SEPT. 1975
Commodity

BOUCHER, M. L., 1975, COPPER - NICKEL MINERALIZATION IN DRILL CORE. U.S.BUREAU OF MINES REPORT OF INVESTIGATION 8084, 55 P.
Geology

PAGE, N. J, 1986, DESCRIPTIVE MODEL OF DULUTH CU-NI-PGE, IN COX, D.P. AND SINGER, D.A., MINERAL DEPOSIT MODELS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1693, P. 16
Geology

HAUCK, S.A., SEVERSON, M.J., ZANKO, L., BARNES, S-J., MORTON, P., ALMINAS, H., FOORD, E.E., AND DAHLBERG, E.H., 1997, AN OVERVIEW OF THE GEOLOGY AND OXIDE, SULFIDE AND PLATINUM-GROUP ELEMENT MINERALIZATION ALONG THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN CONTACTS OF THE DULUTH COMPLEX: GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA SPECIAL PAPER, V. 312, PP. 137-185.
Geology

FOOSE, M.P., 1985, THE SETTING AND DISTRIBUTION OF COPPER-NICKEL SULFIDES IN THE SOUTH KAWISHIWI INTRUSION, DULUTH COMPLEX, MINNESTOA, IN KRAFT, KATHLEEN, ED., U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY RESEARCH ON MINERAL RESOURCES--1985, PROGRAM AND ABSTRACTS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 949, P. 12-13.
Commodity

BONNICHSEN, BILL., 1974, COPPER AND NICKEL RESOURCES IN THE DULUTH COMPLEX; MINNESOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY I.C.10.
Commodity

CORNWALL, H.R., 1966, NICKEL DEPOSITS OF NORTH AMERICA, U.SS. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1223, P. 43-44.
Commodity

SCHWARTZ, G.M., AND DAVIDSON, D.M., 1952, MINING ENG., VOL. 4, NO. 7, P. 699-702.
Reserve-Resource

MANIFILE, THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA FILE OF NONFERROUS METAL DEPOSITS OF THE WORLD, 1973, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA,WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, INDEX NO. A17202002.
Reserve-Resource

METAL WEEK-METALS SOURCEBOOK, 3/11/74, ITEM #B1834.
Commodity

CORNWALL, H.R., 1973, NICKEL (CHAPTER IN): U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 820, P.440.
Reserve-Resource

SKINNER, WALTER R., 1973, MINING INTERNATIONAL YEARBOOK: THE FINANCIAL TIMES, LONDON, 1973, P.316.
Reserve-Resource

INTERNATIONAL NICKEL COMPANY OF CANADA, 1972 ANNUAL REPORT.

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	DISCOVERED IN 1948 NEAR BASE OF DULUTH GABBRO COMPLEX IN LAKE COUNTY, 10 MILES SE OF ELY, MINN. THE COMPLEX IS A HUGE LOPOLITHIC STRATIFORM INTRUSIVE, EXTENDING FOR 150 MILES NE FROM DULUTH, WITH MAXIMUM THICKNESS 50,000 FEET. GABBRO, ANORTHOSITE, AND GRANOPHYRE ARE THE MAIN ROCK TYPES IN THIS HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED LAYERED PLUTON, BUT PERIDOTITE AND NORITE LAYERS ARE PRESENT IN THE LOWER PART. GRADE SAMPLES RANGE FROM 0.32% CU, AND 0.13% NI, TO 1.12% CU AND 0.38% NI. CORNWALL, 1966, INDICATES A SULFIDE DEPOSIT OF 100,000-200,000 TONS OF CONTAINED NICKEL.: UPDATE BY GLENN L. SHAFFER-1/75, RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES, GEOLOGIC DESCRIPTION. FURTHER UPDATE ON 7/75 TO SAME FIELDS
Deposit	The deposit is made up of stratiform magmatic sulfide segregatioons that are disseminated in layers and lenses.

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

DISCOVERED IN 1948 NEAR BASE OF DULUTH GABBRO COMPLEX IN LAKE COUNTY, 10 MILES SE OF ELY, MINN. THE COMPLEX IS A HUGE LOPOLITHIC STRATIFORM INTRUSIVE, EXTENDING FOR 150 MILES NE FROM DULUTH, WITH MAXIMUM THICKNESS 50,000 FEET. GABBRO, ANORTHOSITE, AND GRANOPHYRE ARE THE MAIN ROCK TYPES IN THIS HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED LAYERED PLUTON, BUT PERIDOTITE AND NORITE LAYERS ARE PRESENT IN THE LOWER PART. GRADE SAMPLES RANGE FROM 0.32% CU, AND 0.13% NI, TO 1.12% CU AND 0.38% NI. CORNWALL, 1966, INDICATES A SULFIDE DEPOSIT OF 100,000-200,000 TONS OF CONTAINED NICKEL.: UPDATE BY GLENN L. SHAFFER-1/75, RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES, GEOLOGIC DESCRIPTION. FURTHER UPDATE ON 7/75 TO SAME FIELDS

Deposit

The deposit is made up of stratiform magmatic sulfide segregatioons that are disseminated in layers and lenses.

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	01-DEC-1975	Page, Norman	U.S. Geological Survey
Updater	25-JUL-1996	Sutphin, D.M.	U.S. Geological Survey
Editor	05-JAN-1997	Mason, Jr., G.T.	U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter	01-AUG-1972	Coury, Anny	U.S. Geological Survey
Updater	07-JAN-1975	Shaffer, Glenn L.	U.S. Geological Survey
Editor	25-NOV-2003	Woodruff, Laurel G.	U.S. Geological Survey	Work done in Filemaker
Editor	24-FEB-2005	Woodruff, L.G.	U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Spruce Road deposit

Geologic information

Identification information

Comments on the site names

Geographic coordinates

Site location context

Geographic areas

Public Land Survey System information

Comments on the location information

Commodities

Comments on the commodity information

Materials information

Mineral occurrence model information

Host and associated rocks

Nearby scientific data

Economic information

Geologic structures

Ore body information

Controls for ore emplacement

Comments on the geologic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Mining district

Ownership information

Comments on the ownership information

Reserves and resources

Comments on the reserve resource information

Workings at the site

Comments on the workings information

Comments on development

Reference information

Links to other databases

Bibliographic references

Deposit

Commodity

Geology

Geology

Geology

Commodity

Commodity

Commodity

Reserve-Resource

Reserve-Resource

Commodity

Reserve-Resource

Reserve-Resource

General comments

Reporter information

Beyond USGS

Maps centered on this site