Nikolai Prospect, Nizina Mining District, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Nikolai Prospect	Prospect
Nizina Mining District	Mining District
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

The locality is in the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve.
Location: This prospect is on the north fork of Nikolai Creek (MacKevett, 1974). It is at an elevation of about 4,300 feet, 2,000 feet east-southeast of elevation 4670, and 1,500 feet west of the center of section 2, T. 5 S., R. 15 E. of the Copper River Meridian. This is locality 75 of MacKevett (1976) and it is accurately located. Cobb and MacKevett (1980) include this prospect under the name 'Nikolai'. This mine is shown on the McCarthy B-5 topographic map (1994 edition).
Geology: This prospect consists of two iron-stained quartz-calcite-epidote veins, 1 to 4 feet thick, that contain bornite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and malachite (Miller, 1946). The veins are localized in shear zones that cut Triassic Nikolai Greenstone about 150 feet below the contact with overlying Triassic Chitistone Limestone. The veins were first staked in 1899 and 7 claims were patented in 1904. About 300 feet of underground workings, completed by 1911, explored the deposits. Perhaps 1,500 tons of material that contain 25 percent or more copper were delineated (Miller, 1946). Copper mineralization is common in Nikolai Greenstone and is thought to have accompanied regional deformation and low-grade metamorphism in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (MacKevett and others, 1997).
Workings: The veins were first staked in 1899 and 7 claims were patented in 1904. About 300 feet of underground workings, completed by 1911, explored the deposits and perhaps 1,500 tons of material with 25 percent or more copper were delineated (Miller, 1946).
Age: Cretaceous? Copper mineralization is common in Nikolai Greenstone and is thought to have accompanied regional deformation and low-grade metamorphism in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (MacKevett and others, 1997).
Alteration: Oxidation.
Reserves: About 1,500 tons of material with 25 percent or more copper were delineated by underground exploration (Miller, 1946).

Commodities (Major) - Cu
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Kennecott-type copper deposit (after MacKevett and others, 1997)

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	MC136

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References