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

Spirit Mountain

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Nickel, Copper, Cobalt
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. Alteration
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10067539
MRDS ID W000322
Record type Site
Current site name Spirit Mountain

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -144.26918, 61.33297 (WGS84)
Elevation 1250
Relative position 15 MILES SSE OF CHITINA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Valdez-Cordova(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Valdez B-1(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Valdez SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Valdez(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Copper River(hydrologic unit)

Copper River(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Ahtna, Incorporated(ANCSA Region)

ANCSA Region NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park(National Park)

National Park NPS(Type of land area)

NPS(Federal land areas administered by NPS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991); 1:250000 QUADRANGLE INFORMATION IS A 1900 - 1945 MAP

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Critical Primary
Copper Primary
Cobalt Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bravoite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Sphalerite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Nickel-Bearing Sulphides Occur In Highly Altered Coarse-Grained Peridotite

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Diorite, Diabase, Peridotite, Pyroxenite
    Rock description Diorite, Diabase, Peridotite, Pyroxenite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Pyroxenite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
    Rock unit name Schist, Greenstone, Gneiss, Recrystallized Limestone;Tuffaceous Slate & Conglomerate;Valdez Formation Slate & Graywacke;Unconsolidated Glacial, Fluvial & Residual Materia
    Rock description Schist, Greenstone, Gneiss, Recrystallized Limestone;Tuffaceous Slate & Conglomerate;Valdez Formation Slate & Graywacke;Unconsolidated Glacial, Fluvial & Residual Materia
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -144.26918, 61.33297
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Reg.Trends: Slightly North Of West With Local Variations Up To 40 Deg.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Several Eastward Trending Sill-Like Bodies Intrude Carboniferous Limestones.

Ore body information

  • General form POD/LENS
    Strike APPROX N. 65 W.
    Dip STEEP TO NORTH
    Width 7.62M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Concentrated In Sills.

Comments on the geologic information

  • DEPOSIT PROBABLY OF MAGMATIC ORIGIN. ; REG.COM: SEQUENCE OF METAMORPHIC ROCKS IS FAULTED AND INTENSELY FOLDED.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1907

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1966
    Total resources 30000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.7 wt-pct Nickel Major 1966
    Copper Cu 0.5 wt-pct Copper Major 1966

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • BECAUSE OF SMALL SIZE AND DIFFICULT ACCESSIBILITY OF THE DEPOSIT, IT PROBABLY CANNOT BE MINED PROFITABLY. IF FURTHER PROSPECTING IS ATTEMPTED THE MOST PROMISING LOCATION IS ALONG THE FOOTWALL OF THE LARGER BODY NEAR THE MASSIVE-SULFIDE LENSES. CORNWALL, H.R., 1966, INDICATES A SULFIDE DEPOSIT OF LESS THAN 10,000 TONS OF CONTAINED NICKEL

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: TONNAGE TOO SMALL TO BE MINED PROFITABLY EVEN IF PRICE OF NICKEL SHOULD RISE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CORNWALL, H. R., U.S.G.S. BULL. 1223, P. 39

  • Deposit

    KINGSTON, J. AND MILLER, D. J., U.S.G.S. BULL. 943-C., P. 49

  • Deposit

    OVERBECK, R. M., U.S.G.S. BULL. 712, P. 91

  • Deposit

    BUDDINGTON, A.F., 1924, ALASKAN NICKEL MINERALS: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V.19, NO.6, P.521-541

  • Deposit

    1907 DIREXPL SEVERAL TEST PITS, TWO TUNNELS DUG.

  • Deposit

    1907 GEOCHEM SAMPLE ANALYSIS DISCLOSED PRESENCE OF NI

  • Deposit

    1911 RECON U.S.G.S., MOFFITT DESCRIBED DEPOSIT.

  • Deposit

    1917 RECON U.S.G.S., OVERBECK EXAMINED DEPOSIT.

  • Deposit

    1942 RECON U.S.G.S., KINGSTON AND MILLER SPENT 5 WEEKS.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CORNWALL, H.R., 1966, U.S.G.S. BULL. 1223, P.39, MAP P.10-11

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit NICKEL DEPOSIT IS ON GLACIER-STEEPENED WEST WALL OF CANYON CREEK VALLEY
Deposit DEPOSIT PROBABLY OF MAGMATIC ORIGIN. LIQUID SULFIDES SEGREGATED FROM SILICATE MAGMA DURING ITS CRYSTALLIZATION, ONE PART FORMING MASSIVE SULFIDE IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE INTRUSIVE, AND THE OTHER PART REMAINING DISSEMINATED THROUGH THE INTRUSIVE. : UPDATE BY GLENN L. SHAFFER, 1/75

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1972 Coury, Anny B. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-1975 Shaffer, Glenn L. 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.