Dunka Road

Prospect in St. Louis county in Minnesota, United States with commodities Copper, Nickel, Platinum, Palladium, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Cobalt, Gold
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. Ownership information
  18. Reserves and resources
  19. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10097433
MRDS ID W018674
Record type Site
Current site name Dunka Road
Alternate or previous names Dunka River Area

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -91.9004, 47.6656 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

St. Louis(county)

Minnesota(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Babbitt(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)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Minnesota St. Louis

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
4th Principal 059N;060N 013W;012W 01,02;31,20,10 Minnesota

Comments on the location information

  • T59N, R13W; T60N, R12W. Located about 10 south of the town of Babbitt, MN. Location extends into additional sections of T60N, R12W. Drainage map also extends into Great Lakes Region. DEPOSIT COVERS 4 SQUARE MILES

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Nickel Critical Primary
Platinum Critical Primary
Palladium Critical Primary
Ruthenium Critical Tertiary
Rhodium Critical Tertiary
Cobalt Critical Secondary
Gold Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • HIGH PD AND AU CONTENTS MAY BE DUE TO LATE-STAGE MINERALIZING FLUIDS. PYRRHOTITE TO CHALCOPYRITE RATIO INCREASES TOWARD CONTACT WITH A HORNFELS INCLUSION AND TOWARD THE BASAL CONTACT WITH THE VIRGINIA FORMATION. SEE GEERTS AND OTHERS (1990) FOR FURTHER PGE DATA AND STATISTICAL ANALYSES. SEE MORTON AND HAUCK (1987) AND HAUCK AND BARNES (1989) FOR FURTHER PGE DATA.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Cubanite Ore
Gold Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Analcime Gangue
Apatite Gangue
Biotite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Natrolite Gangue
Olivine Gangue
Plagioclase Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Alteration Assemblage Of Chlorite, Bleached Plagioclase, Serpentine, And Uralite

Analytical data

Result HIGH GRADE AREAS CONTAIN AS MUCH AS 9.4 PPM PD AND 2.0 PPM PT. CU:NI=5.1:1. MOST OF ORE IS 2-3% SULFIDE, BUT IS LOCALLY MASSIVE. PT+PD VALUES RANGE FROM 100->2400 PPB OVER 10 FT INTERVALS. HIGH GRADE INTERSECTIONS IN FIVE DRILL HOLES RAN A MAXIMUM OF 5.64% CU, 0.64% NI, 2 PPM PT, 9.4 PPM PD, 9 PPB IR, 85 PPB RH, 20 PPB RU, 2.1 PPM AU, AND 15 PPM AG. WEIGHTED AVERAGE FOR COMBINED PT AND PD=1259 PPB, OF AG=1.22 PPM, OF AU=125 PPB, OF CU=0.71%, OF NI=0.24%. MEDIAN PT+PD=1164 PPB. A 3-FT INTERSECTION OF 50% SULFIDES RAN 8.8 PPM PD, 1.35 PPM AU, 15 PPM AG. A 17-FT INTERSECTION RAN 2.8 PPM PT. CONCENTRATES CONTAINED 1176 PPB PT AND 5245 PPB PD. CU:NI=3:1
Result PD:PT=3:1

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 Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Argillite
    Rock unit name Virginia Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro > Troctolite
    Rock unit name Partridge River Intrusion
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mesoproterozoic

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name Faulting Related To Rift Origin Of Duluth Complex
Type of structure Local
Structure description Proposed Faults Offsetting Ultramafic Subunits Trend Northeast And Dip Steeply Southeast. Northwest Trending Strike-Slip Faults
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 DISSEMINATED
    Strike N45E
    Dip 25E
    Thickness 100M
    Length 10000M
    Depth to top 0M

Comments on the ore body information

  • PYRRHOTITE AND OTHER SULFIDES MAKE UP TO 10 PERCENT OF THE ROCK. HIGH GRADE AREAS CONTAIN AS MUCH AS 9.4 PPM PD AND 2.0 PPM PT. CU:NI=5.1:1. MOST OF ORE IS 2-3% SULFIDE, BUT IS LOCALLY MASSIVE. PT+PD VALUES RANGE FROM 100->2400 PPB OVER 10 FT INTERVALS. HIGH GRADE INTERSECTIONS IN FIVE DRILL HOLES RAN A MAXIMUM OF 5.64% CU, 0.64% NI, 2 PPM PT, 9.4 PPM PD, 9 PPB IR, 85 PPB RH, 20 PPB RU, 2.1 PPM AU, AND 15 PPM AG. WEIGHTED AVERAGE FOR COMBINED PT AND PD=1259 PPB, OF AG=1.22 PPM, OF AU=125 PPB, OF CU=0.71%, OF NI=0.24%. MEDIAN PT+PD=1164 PPB. A 3-FT INTERSECTION OF 50% SULFIDES RAN 8.8 PPM PD, 1.35 PPM AU, 15 PPM AG. A 17-FT INTERSECTION RAN 2.8 PPM PT. CONCENTRATES CONTAINED 1176 PPB PT AND 5245 PPB PD. CU:NI=3:1; PD:PT=3:1. (Geerts and others, 1990; Morton and Hauck, 1989; Hauck and Barnes, 1989).

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Sulfides Segregated In Basal Troctolites Sub-Parallel To Lower Contacts. Sulfur Derived From Country Rock. Redox Boundaries Important To Deposition Of Late-Stage Mineralization
  • 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

  • BIWABIK AND VIRGINIA FORMATIONS OVERLIE OLDER GRANITE. DULUTH GABBROS EMPLACED IN RIFT-RELATED VOIDS AND GRABENS. TROCTOLITIC LAST GABBROS FORM BASAL CONTACT. ORE IS INHOMOGENEOUS INDICATING SOME CONTAMINATION FROM COUNTRY ROCK THROUGH DEVOLATILIZATION. COUNTRY ROCK XENOLITHS ARE COMMON IN HOST ROCKS. IN DUNKA ROAD AREA INTRUSION HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO FOUR MAJOR LITHOLOGIC UNITS AND SEVERAL SUBUNITS (GEERTS AND OTHERS, 1990).
  • 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. THE DULUTH COMPLEX OVERLAYS METASEDIMENTS (SLATES, ARGILLITES, AND GRAYWACKES) OF THE VIRGINIA FORMATION WHICH IN TURN OVERLAYS THE BIWABIK IRON FORMATION.
  • 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.
  • PROPOSED FAULTS OFFSETTING ULTRAMAFIC SUBUNITS TREND NORTHEAST AND DIP STEEPLY SOUTHEAST. NORTHWEST TRENDING STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS. ALTERATION ASSEMBLAGE OF CHLORITE, BLEACHED PLAGIOCLASE, SERPENTINE, AND URALITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1967
Discoverer U.S. Steel (Usx)

Mining district

District name Western Margin Duluth Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner U.S. Steel/Fleck Resources
    First year 1990
  • Type Owner
    Owner USX Corp.
    First year 1990

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Total resources 44mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.77 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
    Nickel Ni 0.24 wt-pct Nickel Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Total resources 122mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.5 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
    Nickel Ni 0.16 wt-pct Nickel Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Total resources 136mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.5 wt-pct Copper Major 1977
    Nickel Ni 0.76 wt-pct Nickel Major 1977
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Total resources 83mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Platinum Pt 0.1129 g/mt PGE Minor 1990
    Palladium Pd 0.1976 g/mt PGE Minor 1990

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. PGE RESOURCE ESTIMATE INCLUDES AN ENRICHED ZONE OF 37 MILLION TONS.
  • PGE RESOURCE ESTIMATE INCLUDES AN ENRICHED ZONE OF 37 MILLION TONS

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 1600HA
    Overall length 9144M
    Overall width 1600M

Comments on the workings information

  • DEPOSIT COVERS 4 SQUARE MILES

Comments on development

  • Prospectors first discovered copper and nickel near Ely, Minnesota about 20 miles north of NorthMet (Dunka Road) in the 1940?s. Subsequently Bear Creek Mining Company conducted a regional exploration program resulting in the discovery of the Babbitt or Minnamax deposit. US Steel (USX) started an exploration program in the Duluth Complex in the late 1960?s and over the next few years drilled 112 core holes into the NorthMet property (then called Dunka Road). In 1987 the Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) published data suggesting that a large resource of platinum group minerals (PGM?s) could be contained within the base of the Duluth Complex. In 1989, PolyMet, then known as Fleck Resources, leased the NorthMet property from USX. Since 1998, PolyMet has conducted drilling and metallurgical testing to further the project and has now contracted a pre-feasibility study.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE DUNKA ROAD DEPOSIT CONSISTS OF STRATABOUND DISSEMINATED SULFIDE ZONES WITH ASSOCIATED PGE-ENRICHED ZONES. ORE HORIZON DIPS UNDERGROUND. EXTENT UNKNOWN SO WIDTH UNDETERMINED. LENGTH ALONG SURFACE ARBITRARILY LIMITED. MOST OF ORE IS NEAR BASE OF TROCTOLITE AS DISSEMINATED GRAINS INTERSTITIAL TO SILICATES. THERE ALSO ARE SOME SULFIDE-SILICATE INTERGROWTHS. SOME THIN VEINLETS AND MASSIVE ORE PRESENT. SULFIDE MINERALS ARE FOUND TO 500 M ABOVE BASE BUT ORE GRADE IS ONLY TO 100 M ABOVE BASE. HIGH GRADE ZONES RUN 1-5% SULFIDES. PRECIOUS METALS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FRACTURED AND ALTERED HOST ROCKS; CORRELATIONS AMONG THE ELEMENTS SUGGEST THAT THE PRECIOUS METALS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CU-RICH SULFIDES. THERE WERE TWO STAGES OF SULFIDE MINERALIZATION.
Deposit SULFIDES ORIGINATED AS INTERCUMULATE IN LITHIFYING TROCTOLITE WHEN SULFUR WAS INTRODUCED INTO LIQUID FRACTION CREATING IMMISCIBLE SUFLIDE AND SILICATE LIQUIDS. HIGHER DENSITY OF SULFIDE AND BASAL INTRODUCTION OF SULFUR CREATED BASAL LOCALIZATION. VARIATION IN SULFUR SOURCE, PATHWAYS, AND FAULTING CREATED LOCAL VARIATION AND HIGHER HORIZONS. SEE MORTON AND HAUCK (1987) FOR DISCUSSION OF PGE MINERALIZATION AND NUMEROUS ANALYSES.
Deposit GRAPHITE IN THE DULUTH COMPLEX MAY HAVE DEVELOPED BY REACTION OF THE HYDROCARBONS FUMED FROM SLATE IN THE UNDERLYING METASEDIMENTS WITH THE CRYSTALLIZING TROCTOLITIC MAGMA.
Deposit FAULTS AND FOLDS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCALIZING SULFIDE MINERALIZATION AS WELL AS FOR PROVIDING CONDUITS FOR LATER SYN- TO POST-MAGMATIC HYDROTHERMAL FLUIDS. SULFIDES SEGREGATED IN BASAL TROCTOLITES SUB-PARALLEL TO LOWER CONTACTS. SULFUR DERIVED FROM COUNTRY ROCK. REDOX BOUNDARIES IMPORTANT TO DEPOSITION OF LATE-STAGE MINERALIZATION. STRIKE OF THE OREBODY IS N45E.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1984 no name U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-1991 Peterson, J.A. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-JAN-1961 Sutphin, D.M. (Cannon, W.F) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-1997 Sutphin, D.M. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 01-MAY-1997 Mason, Jr., G.T. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 25-NOV-2003 Woodruff, Laurel G. U.S. Geological Survey Work done in Filemaker
Editor 28-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.