Cle Elum Iron-Nickel Deposit

Prospect in Kittitas county in Washington, United States with commodities Chromium, Iron, Nickel
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. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10180389
MAS/MILS ID 0530370003
Record type Site
Current site name Cle Elum Iron-Nickel Deposit
Alternate or previous names Balfour Guthrie Group

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -121.05259, 47.44902 (WGS84)
Elevation 880
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Kittitas(county)

Washington(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Davis Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Snoqualmie Pass(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Wenatchee(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Yakima(hydrologic unit)

Yakima(hydrologic accounting unit)

Yakima(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Okanogan-Wenatchee 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 Washington Kittitas

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Willamette 023 N 014 E 26 Washington

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary
Iron Primary
Nickel Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Boehmite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Chlorite Unknown
Cliachite Unknown
Clinozoisite Unknown
Diaspore Unknown
Dickite Unknown
Gibbsite Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Millerite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Serpentine Unknown
Spinel Unknown
Talc Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -121.05259, 47.44902

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N25E
    Dip 30W
    Thickness 5M
    Length 730M
    Width 500M
    Depth to top 90M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N25E:30W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830316
  • Area 100HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 100
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1887

Mining district

District name Cle Elum District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Burlington Northern Railroad
    Interest 100
    Home office Washington
    Year 1979

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1952
    Measured 2902000mt ore
    Demonstrated 2902000mt ore
    Total resources 2902000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.82 wt-pct Nickel Major 1952
    Iron Fe 40.75 wt-pct Iron Major 1952
    Chromium Cr2O3 2.39 wt-pct Chromium Major 1952
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1952
    Indicated 590000mt ore
    Demonstrated 590000mt ore
    Total resources 590000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.91 wt-pct Nickel Major 1952
    Iron Fe 42.12 wt-pct Iron Major 1952
    Chromium Cr2O3 2.47 wt-pct Chromium Major 1952
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1952
    Inferred 2177000mt ore
    Total resources 2177000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.86 wt-pct Nickel Major 1952
    Iron Fe 41.01 wt-pct Iron Major 1952
    Chromium Cr2O3 2.41 wt-pct Chromium Major 1952

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • PUBLISHED RESOURCES ARE: MEASURED, INDICATED, AND INFERRED CATEGORIES - PLUS - A SEPARATE TOTAL = MEASURED + INDICATED + INFERRED. FE,CR2O3 ASSAY OF TOTAL DIFFERS FROM THAT OF M1C1, ( A WEIGHTED TOTAL) PRESUME A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR (SEE B-BIB R100-R102 P60).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 5HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 52
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 5
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 1400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 489
    Unit Production Cost 4.14
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980
  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Percent Recovery 75
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NO PLANES OF WEAKNESS
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. OTHER
    Length of Inclines (m) 380
    Slope of Inclines 30
    Number of Inclines 2
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 0
    Capacity 1400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 10.72
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1980

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE ORE CANNOT BE BENEFICIATED BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN DIRECT SMELTING. RAW ORE IS CRUSHED AND SMELTED IN A PARTIAL REDUCTION FURNACE TO PRODUCE 15% FERRONICKEL. THE 15% FERRONICKEL IS RESMELTED WITH ADDITIONAL ORE IN AN OXIDATION FURNACE TO PRODUCE 70% FERRONICKEL. SLAG IS RESMELTED WITH EXCESS CARBON TO PRODUCE LOW CHROME STEEL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    RAVITZ, S.F., 1947, ELECTRIC SMELTING OF LOW-GRADE

  • Production

    NICKEL ORES, U.S.B.M. RI 4122, 39P.

  • Geology

    LUPHER, R.L., 1944, STRATIGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF THE

  • Geology

    BLEWETT-CLE ELUM IRON ORE ZONE, CHELAN AND KITTITAS

  • Geology

    COUNTIES, WA.: WASHINGTON DIV OF GEOLOGY REPORT OF

  • Geology

    INVESTIGATIONS 11, 63P.

  • Reserve-Resource

    LUCAS,J.M., 1975, THE AVAILABILITY OF NICKEL,CHROMIUM AND

  • Reserve-Resource

    SILVER IN WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIV OF GEOLOGY AND

  • Reserve-Resource

    EARTH SCIENCES: U.S.B.M. GRANT G0254002.

  • Reserve-Resource

    LAMEY,C.A.; HOTZ,P.E., 1952, THE CLE ELUM RIVER

  • Reserve-Resource

    NICKELIFEROUS IRON DEPOSITS, KITTITAS COUNTY, WA.:

  • Reserve-Resource

    U.S.G.S. BULL 978-B, P 27-67.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ZOLDOK,S.W., 1948, CLE-ELUM IRON-NICKEL DEPOSITS, KITTITAS

  • Reserve-Resource

    COUNTY, WA.: U.S.B.M. RI 4189, 8P.

  • Reserve-Resource

    NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY, 1960, MAGNETIC

  • Reserve-Resource

    RECONNAISANCE OF A POSSIBLE NORTHERLY EXTENSION OF THE

  • Reserve-Resource

    CLE ELUM NICKELIFEROUS IRON DEPOSITS: NORTHERN PACIFIC

  • Reserve-Resource

    RAILWAY CO. UNPUBISHED REPORT.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPOSIT IS SIMILAR TO LATERITES OF MAYARI DISTRICT, CUBA.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 15-NOV-94 Mkny U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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