Polaris

Producer in Northwest Territories, Canada with commodities Lead, Silver, Zinc
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10303302
MAS/MILS ID 1220300015
Record type Site
Current site name Polaris

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -96.93427, 75.39572 (WGS84)
Elevation 76

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Canada Northwest Territories

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Lead Primary
Silver Secondary
Zinc Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Unknown
Marcasite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -96.93427, 75.39572

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 70M
    Length 650M
    Width 220M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 MASS SULFIDE
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin UNKNOWN
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 830714

Comments on the geologic information

  • STRIKE AND DIP: N00E:15E

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1960
Mining method Filled Stopes - Other Filled Stope Methods
Year of first production 1982
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Northwest Territory

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Cominco Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1981
  • Type Operator
    Owner Arvik Mines Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1981

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION OUTPUT CHANGE FOR YEARS 1987-2009 TO: PA=548 MT, PB=128 MT.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Measured 83015000mt ore
    Indicated 19050000mt ore
    Demonstrated 102065000mt ore
    Total resources 102065000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 14.3 wt-pct Zinc Major 1986
    Lead Pb 3.8 wt-pct Lead Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 21735000mt ore
    Demonstrated 21735000mt ore
    Inferred 4264000mt ore
    Total resources 25999000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 10.6999 wt-pct Zinc Major 1986
    Lead Pb 2.1 wt-pct Lead Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 9500000mt ore
    Total resources 9500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 13.9 wt-pct Zinc Major 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Demonstrated 5800000mt ore
    Total resources 5800000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 13.8 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996
    Lead Pb 3.5 wt-pct Lead Major 1996
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1996
    Indicated 4400000mt ore
    Demonstrated 4400000mt ore
    Total resources 4400000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 13.9 wt-pct Zinc Major 1996
    Lead Pb 4 wt-pct Lead Major 1996

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LITTLE CORNWALLIS ISLAND. OPERATOR: ARVICK MN. ORIGINALLY FUNDED IN 1981. TOTAL CAPITAL = $200 MILLION 1994 TECK DISCLOSURE REPORTS HEAD GRADE OF 13 PCT ZN AND 3.5 PCT LEAD. 97 PCT MILL REC OF ZN AND 91 PCT RECOV OF PB
  • NEW MINE OPENED EARLY 1982 (ZN = +100K, PB = +30K) 19,050,000 MT RESERVES 1-86 PAH-REPORT-1988 REPORT.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Mine Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Length of Inclines (m) 700
    Slope of Inclines 9
    Number of Inclines 1
    1st Condition of Workings UNKNOWN
    Capacity 2400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 34.7
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 312
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    CANADIAN MINES HANDBOOK 1979-80, NORTHERN MINER PRESS LTD.,

  • Reserve-Resource

    1979, P.30.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CRANSTONE, D.A. AND R.T. WHILLANS, CANADIAN RESERVES OF

  • Reserve-Resource

    COPPER, NICKEL, LEAD, ZINC, MOLYBDENUM, SILVER AND GOLD

  • Reserve-Resource

    AS OF JAN. 1, 1978, EMR CANADA, MINERALS, MR 185, 1979,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P.27.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUNE 1993,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P. 43, 48.

  • Reserve-Resource

    1995 RIO ALGOM ANNUAL REPORT PP. 6-7-ALSO ADIT

  • Deposit

    JOWETT, E.C., NATURE OF THE ORE-FORMING FLUIDS OF THE

  • Deposit

    POLARIS LEAD-ZINC DEPOSIT, LITTLE CORNWALLIS ISLAND,

  • Deposit

    N.W.T., FROM FLUID INCLUSION STUDIES; CIM BULL.,

  • Deposit

    MARCH, 1975, P.124-129.

  • Deposit

    WESTERN MINER, POLARIS MINE IN HIGH ARCTIC SHIPS FIRST ORE

  • Deposit

    FOR TESTING; SEPT., 1973, P.54.

  • Deposit

    ANNIS, R.C., D.A. CRANSTONE AND M. VALLEE, A SURVEY OF KNOWN

  • Deposit

    MINERAL DEPOSITS IN CANADA THAT ARE NOT BEING MINED;

  • Deposit

    ENERGY,MINES AND RESOURCES CANADA, MINERALS, MR 181,1978,

  • Deposit

    P.51.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, ARVIK SINKS DECLINE ON LITTLE CORNWALLIS AND

  • Deposit

    DRILLS 36 MORE HOLES, DEC., 1972, P.33.

  • Deposit

    NORTHERN MINER, COMINCO MAY ACQUIRE ARVIK ASSETS BY PAYING

  • Deposit

    BANKENO $5 MILLION FOR 25%; OCT.25, 1979, P.1,2.

  • Deposit

    COMINCO LTD., ANN. RPTS., 1972-79.

  • Deposit

    COMINCO ARRANGES $180 MILLION LINE OF BANK CREDIT, THE

  • Deposit

    NORTHERN MINER, 6-26=80, P. 22.

  • Deposit

    COMINCO IN THE 80'S, MINING JOUR. 4-11-80.

  • Deposit

    COMINCO TO GO ON ARTIC PROJECT, THE NORTHERN MINER, 11-8-79,

  • Deposit

    P. 1, 11.

  • Deposit

    DEPT. PF INDIAN AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS, MINERAL INDUSTRY RPT.-

  • Deposit

    NORTH OF 60, N.W. TERR., 1975, PP. 25-27.

  • Deposit

    DEVELOPMENT OF NW TERRITORIES PB-ZN MINE, MINING MAGAZINE,

  • Deposit

    DEC. 1979, P. 555.

  • Deposit

    EHRLICH,R.P., COMINCO'S POLARIS PROJECT LESSON IN INNOVATION

  • Deposit

    THE NORTHERN MINER, 11-27-80, P. C9-C10.

  • Deposit

    FLOATING PROCESSING PLANT READIED FOR COMINCO'S POLARIS

  • Deposit

    MINE, CAN. MINING JOUR., OCT. 1980, P. 37.

  • Deposit

    MAJOR EXPANSION UNDERWAY, MINING JOUR., FEB. 15, 1980,P. 123

  • Deposit

    MINERAL POLICY SECTOR, DEPT. OF ENERGY, MINES AND RESOURCES,

  • Deposit

    "POLARIS", OTTAWA, 1980.

  • Deposit

    MUNRO, HON. JOHN, MANY ADVANCED PROJECTS IN THE YUKON AND

  • Deposit

    N.W.T., THE NORTHERN MINER, NOV. 27, 1980, PP. E1, E3.

  • Deposit

    OPENING THE DOOR TO POLARIS, BECHTEL BRIEFS, JULY/AUG., 1980

  • Deposit

    PP. 10-13.

  • Deposit

    POLARIS MINE DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS FAR ABOVE THE ARTIC

  • Deposit

    CIRCLE, WESTERN MINER, OCT. 1980, PP. 14-18.

  • Deposit

    ZEROING IN ON POLARIS, E/MJ, SEPT. 1973, PP. 78-79.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 25-JUL-1997 Eastern Field Operations Center (EFOC) U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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