Technicalreport07 3

Porphyry and Other Molybdenum
Deposits of Idaho and Montana
Joseph E. Worthington
Idaho Geological Survey

University of Idaho Technical Report 07-3
Moscow, Idaho ISBN 1-55765-515-4
CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................................................ 1
Molybdenum Vein Deposits ...................................................................... 2
Tertiary Molybdenum Deposits ................................................................. 2
Little Falls—1 ............................................................................. 3
CUMO—2 .................................................................................. 3
Red Mountain Prospect—45 ...................................................... 3
Rocky Bar District—43 .............................................................. 3
West Eight Mile—37 .................................................................. 3
Devil’s Creek Prospect—46 ....................................................... 3
Walton—8 .................................................................................. 4
Ima—3 ........................................................................................ 4
Liver Peak (a.k.a. Goat Creek)—4 ............................................. 4
Bald Butte—5 ............................................................................. 5
Big Ben—6 ................................................................................. 6
Emigrant Gulch—7 .................................................................... 6
Sawtooth Batholith—40 ............................................................. 6
Laramide Molybdenum Deposits ............................................................... 7
Intrusion-Hosted Deposits .................................................................. 7
Kaniksu Batholith Cluster—42 .................................................. 7
International Molybdenum Company—42a ....................... 7
American Girl—42b ........................................................... 7
Hotchkiss (Hines)—42c ..................................................... 7
Spring Creek—36 ....................................................................... 7
Bentz—9 ..................................................................................... 8
Miners Gulch—10 ...................................................................... 8
Henderson Gulch—11 ................................................................ 8
Black Pine Mine—12 ................................................................. 8
North Flint Creek Molybdenum Cluster—13, 14, and 15 .......... 8
Tunstill—13 ........................................................................ 8
Tolean Lake—14 ................................................................ 8
East Goat Mountain—15 .................................................... 8
Black Lion Mountain—16 .......................................................... 8
Hecla District—41 ...................................................................... 9
Elkhorn Mine—17 ...................................................................... 9
Monaghan—39 ........................................................................... 9
Thompson Park—18 ................................................................... 9
Golden Sunlight—19 .................................................................. 9
Turnley Ridge—20 ..................................................................... 9
Granite Peak—21 ..................................................................... 10
iii
Gold Bug-Hawkeye—22 .......................................................... 10
Judith Peak-Red Mountain—23 ............................................... 10
Sediment-Hosted Deposits ............................................................... 10
Cannivan Gulch—26 ................................................................ 10
Stewart Gulch—27 ................................................................... 10
Belt Terrane Molybdenum Deposits ................................................ 11
Stonehorse—28 ........................................................................ 11
Armor Creek (a.k.a. Odell Mountain)—29 .............................. 11
Tim Creek—30 ......................................................................... 11
Black Pine Prospect—31 .......................................................... 11
Ramona Creek—32 .................................................................. 11
Eight Mile Creek—33 .............................................................. 11
Chilco Mountain (a.k.a. Pyrite Creek)—34 ............................. 11
Pre-Laramide Molybdenum Deposits ...................................................... 12
Thompson Creek—35 .............................................................. 12
Little Boulder Creek (a.k.a. White Cloud Peak)—24 .............. 14
Ramey Creek—25 .................................................................... 14
Cabin Creek Prospect—44 ....................................................... 14
Virginia-Beth—38 .................................................................... 14
General Discussion .................................................................................. 15
Evaluation of Outcrops .................................................................... 15
Classification of Molybdenum Deposits .......................................... 15
Ages of Molybdenum Deposits ........................................................ 15
Tertiary ..................................................................................... 15
Laramide ................................................................................... 16
Pre-Laramide ............................................................................ 17
Conclusions and Exploration Priorities ................................................... 17
Acknowledgments .................................................................................... 18
References ................................................................................................ 18
Table 1. Molybdenum Deposits of Idaho and Montana ............................ 2
Figure 1. Porphyry molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana ............. 4

Figure 2. Porphyry molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana,
showing deposit types ........................................................................ 5
iv
Porphyry and Other Molybdenum
Deposits of Idaho and Montana
Joseph E. Worthington1
INTRODUCTION rences, such as the older (Jurassic) occurrences of

Washington and Adams counties of Idaho, are excluded,
even though they may contain molybdenum. The term
The present review is the result of about forty years of
porphyry deposit in this discussion refers to a general type
intermittent association with, study of, and exploration for,
of large, bulk minable deposit, following usage in the
porphyry molybdenum deposits. Although the subject has
A.I.M.E. Porphyry Copper Volume (Parsons, 1933, p.
been of little interest for the past decade or so, price
338-340). Parsons explains that the word “porphyry” as a
increases since mid-2004 have greatly renewed interest in
deposit name came from the first four deposits that were
molybdenum. No attempt has been made at an exhaustive
developed, which all contained prominent porphyritic
library search, nor has there been any comprehensive
rocks. Several that were developed later contained the
attempt to collect data on all current or recent programs.
bulk of their mineralization in wall rock, but the term
“porphyry” was retained. It is well recognized that all so-
The area under review includes the batholithic terrane called porphyry deposits do not contain porphyritic rocks,
of central Idaho and Montana, and comprises, perhaps, and many in this discussion certainly do not. Many, in
100,000 square miles. It would be delimited by the inter- fact, are listed merely as occurrences that could be
national boundary to the north, the Cenozoic volcanics of examined further. Discoveries have been made in this
the Columbia River, the Snake River, and the Yellowstone manner, as will be discussed subsequently.
Plateau on the west and south, and the Rocky Mountain
thrust front and nearby plutons to the east. The area is Nearly fifty molybdenum deposits are described with
made up of the Idaho batholith and younger plutons in locations, ages (if available), brief details on rock
Idaho and the Boulder, Pioneer, and other large plutons composition, and literature references. Deposits are listed
plus smaller and younger plutons in Montana. The hosts to in Table 1, each with a location number that, in turn, is
these plutons are folded and thrust faulted late- repeated in its heading in the text and corresponds to the
Precambrian and Phanerozoic sediments with lesser location number on Figures 1 and 2. The ages are taken
exposures of older Precambrian basement. There are also from research sources, and most are K/Ar dates. Where no
areas of Tertiary and recent cover, including volcanics and dates are available, a stratigraphic age may be assigned, if
sediments, in both states. Much of the region is underlain it is obvious, or an analogy to a nearby date may be cited.
by the late Precambrian Belt sedimentary basin. The Many of the deposits considered are of porphyry
molybdenum deposits appear to be restricted in age from affiliation, using criteria cited above, and others are only
Late Cretaceous to Eocene (98 m.y. to 36 m.y. using data quartz veins in granitic rocks. These will be divided into
from the Elsevier Geologic Time Table, Haq and Eysinga, meaningful temporal and geologic groups, and those with
1987). Older and younger molybdenum deposits are more nearly favorable economics will be noted. The only
known elsewhere in North America. molybdenite deposit in the region that has achieved
significant production is the Thompson Creek deposit in
The present discussion is largely restricted to Custer County, Idaho.
molybdenum-dominant mineralized systems where molyb-
denum is the principal potentially economic product. Though molybdenite does occur in some veins, these
Some systems may contain minor copper, but most do not deposits will be considered only briefly, as they are not the
have significant amounts. Copper-dominated systems, principal focus of this report. Molybdenum deposits occur
typified by Butte, Montana, and numerous other occur- widely in the region with the most important being a
1
Consulting geologist, Evergreen, Colorado
Worthington—Porphyry and Other Molybdenum Deposits of Idaho and Montana
Table 1. Molybdenum Deposits of Idaho and Montana. porphyry type in differentiated intrusive systems or in
See Figures 1 and 2 for the locations of deposits. large skarns. In some places having a single age and
geologic environment, a closely spaced group of deposits
Prospect Location
Name State Number
may be considered a deposit cluster. A few are noted
Tertiary Deposits
below. All molybdenum values will be reported as %Mo.
Little Falls Idaho 1 Values reported as MoS2 are recalculated as Mo.
CUMO Idaho 2
Ima Idaho 3
Liver Peak Montana 4 MOLYBDENUM VEIN DEPOSITS
Bald Butte Montana 5
Big Ben Montana 6
Emigrant Gulch Montana 7 Large molybdenum vein systems are not always part
Walton Idaho 8 of molybdenum porphyry systems, but they are mentioned
West Eight Mile Idaho 37 in the (particularly older) literature, so are briefly
Sawtooth Batholith Idaho 40 considered here. Most early known prospects were on
Rocky Bar Idaho 43
molybdenum veins, and a few had small production. Three
Red Mountain Idaho 45
Devil’s Creek Idaho 46 known prospects in northern Idaho are associated with the
Laramide Deposits Kaniksu batholith (Kirkham and Ellis, 1926; King, 1964,
Bentz Montana 9 p. 135). The International Molybdenum Company
Miner’s Gulch Montana 10 produced about 1,000 pounds of molybdenite in 1938
Henderson Gulch Montana 11 from a pegmatitic quartz vein. Molybdenum veins also
Black Pine Mine Montana 12
occur in the lower levels of the Ima mine, and King (1964)
North Flint Creek
Tunstill Montana 13 regarded the Walton prospect as a vein prospect.
Tolean Lake Montana 14 Numerous veins of varying sizes are described in the
East Goat Montana 15 literature, but few have achieved significant production.
Black Lion Mountain Montana 16
Elkhorn Mine Montana 17 The principal interest in molybdenum veins is that
Thompson Park Montana 18
Golden Sunlight Montana 19
they may be pathfinders to a major deposit. The best
Turnley Ridge Montana 20 example is probably the Endako mine in British Columbia,
Granite Peak Montana 21 which was known as an area of molybdenite veins as early
Gold Bug-Hawkeye Montana 22 as 1927 (Kimura and others, 1969, p. 699). Veins in the
Judith Peak-Red Montana 23 same area were also described by Armstrong (1949, p.
Cannivan Gulch Montana 26
134). These veins were examined many times until 1952.
Stewart Gulch Montana 27
Belt Terrane Deposits Over the next 10 years, the prospect was further explored
Stonehorse Montana 28 by several interests and was drilled by R & P Metals in
Armor Creek Montana 29 1962. Substantial disseminated mineralization around the
Tim Creek Montana 30 veins was recognized, and the property was acquired by
Black Pine Montana 31 Placer Development in 1962. The history is described in
Ramona Creek Montana 32
Eight Mile Creek Montana 33
detail in Rotherham and Kimura (1991). The prospect was
Chilco Mountain Idaho 34 then developed into a large disseminated molybdenum
Spring Creek Idaho 36 orebody beginning in 1964. Production continues today.
Monaghan Montana 39 Other examples could be cited, but disseminated and
Hecla District Montana 41 stockwork mineralization must be recognized and
Kaniksu Batholith Idaho 42
evaluated, if it occurs around a vein.
International Moly. Idaho 42a
American Girl Idaho 42b
Hotchkiss Idaho 42c
Pre-Laramide Deposits TERTIARY MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS
Little Boulder Creek Idaho 24
Ramey Creek Idaho 25 The Tertiary molybdenum deposits are post-
Thompson Creek Idaho 35 Laramide, upper Paleocene to Eocene in age, or about 55
Virginia-Beth Idaho 38 m.y. to 36 m.y. (Haq and Van Eysinga, 1987). A large
Cabin Creek Idaho 44 area is also included with the Tertiary deposits, which
2
consists of the Sawtooth batholith, even though it is Red Mountain Prospect—45

withdrawn from mineral entry. It contains potential for
several deposits. There are also two deposits, Little Falls Location: Idaho, Custer County, sec. 3, T. 19 N., R. 8 E.,
and CUMO, in the Idaho porphyry belt (which has other about 3 miles north of Yellow Pine.
similar names). It is a northeast-trending linear zone of
Age: Eocene.
siliceous rhyolite dikes, mostly within the Idaho batholith,
although it has been projected farther to the northeast. This Geology: Quartz vein stockworks contain molybdenite in
will be discussed further. Number following the deposit probable Eocene granite. The prospect was also explored
name corresponds to its location in Figures 1 and 2. for gold in the early 1990s.
Little Falls—1 Reference: Kiilsgaard and Bennett (1995, p. 131).
Location: Idaho, Boise County, sec. 33, T. 9 N., R. 6 E. Rocky Bar District—43
Age: 41-42 m.y. Location: Idaho, Elmore County, on Roaring River, a
Geology: Tertiary, northeast-trending rhyolite dikes of the south tributary to the Middle Fork of the Boise River,
Idaho porphyry belt cut the Idaho batholith with siliceous T. 4 N., R. 8 E.
pyritic zones containing molybdenite. There is a weather- Age: in granite mapped as Eocene.
ed surface of supergene argillic alteration with a molyb-
denum in soil anomaly. It is low grade. Geology: Veins contain molybdenite, pyrite, and gold and
silver credits in aplitic veins in probable Eocene granite.
References: Rostad (1967, 1978); Anderson (1947, plate
14). Reference: Schrader (1924).
CUMO—2 West Eight Mile—37

Location: Idaho, Boise County, secs. 17 and 18, T. 8 N., Location: Idaho, Lemhi County, sec. 11, T. 15 N., R. 24 E.
R. 6 E. (approximate), headwaters of Big Eight Mile Creek.
Age: 44 m.y. Livingston (1919) reports it south of the Big Eight Mile
Creek road about 3 miles south of the Bohannon Ranch,
Geology: Tertiary, northeast-trending rhyolite dikes of the which may be at the junction of the Blue Jay mine road.
Idaho porphyry belt cut the Idaho batholith with siliceous
pyritic zones containing molybdenite. The weathered Age: Eocene(?) probable age based on nearby Ima and
surface consists of supergene argillic alteration with a Blue Jay stocks.
strong copper and molybdenum soil anomaly. The CUMO Geology: Molybdenite was reported in a pegmatite
property was a geochemical discovery, drilled by AMAX chimney in granite. Several hundred pounds of molyb-
and partners from 1968 through 1982. A recent notice in denite was reported shipped. The prospect is west of the
the George Cross Newsletter reports 26 drill holes Blue Jay mine.
defining 1.387 billion tons, grading 0.056% Mo. The large
tonnage includes a smaller tonnage of better grade (444 References: King (1964, p. 138); Livingston (1919).
million tons grading 0.08% Mo). There are also reported
credits in copper and silver. CUMO has recently been Devil’s Creek Prospect—46
acquired by Kobex Resources (TSX Venture) from
Mosquito Resources (BIG Mining Publications, 2006). Location: Idaho, Elmore County, large area centered on
sec. 19, T. 4 N., R. 8 E.
Kobex drilled two holes totaling 1,085 meters,
confirming thickness and grade indicated previously. Age: Tertiary late phase of the Twin Springs pluton, 38-39
Mosquito Resources resumed control of the property in m.y.
October 2006.
Geology: The quartz monzonite of the Twin Springs
References: Shannon (1971); Anderson (1947, plate 14); pluton is intruded by quartz porphyry. The prospect was
Rostad (1978); BIG Mining Publications (2006, p. 262); staked and explored by Inspiration in 1981. Geochemical
Gillerman and others (2007). values in soils and rocks ranged from 8 ppm to as high as
3
Figure 1. Porphyry molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana.
90 ppm. The property was not drilled as of 1984. No Age: 41.3 m.y.; 48 m.y. Both ages are cited by Mutschler
further information is available. and others (1981, p. 878). The older age is consistent with
other Tertiary deposits away from the Idaho porphyry belt
Reference: none except personal communication. and may be preferable.
Walton—8 Geology: A series of northwest-trending quartz huebner-

ite veins occurs in a system zoned outwardly to a
Location: Idaho, Custer County, sec. 7, T. 6 N., R. 19 E. polymetallic vein system. The veins cut Proterozoic
Age: Mapped as occurring in Eocene granite. metamorphosed Belt equivalent quartzites. Molybdenite
increases with depth in the veins, and a molybdenite-
Geology: Quartz molybdenite veins are in quartz mon- bearing stock is exposed in deepest workings and appears
zonite. Most are small, but some samples grade 0.12% to in a few drill holes. The stock contains sericitic alteration.
0.36% Mo. Zones of veins may create the impression of Grade is in the range of 0.054% Mo.
dissemination. The White Mountain prospect is similar
and occupies the same small stock as the Walton. It is References: Armstrong and others (1979); Rostad (1971);
about 2 miles south. Joralemon (1973); Callaghan and Lemmon (1941);
Mitchell (1999).
Reference: Kirkemo and others (1965, p. 55-58); Worl and
others (1995, part A, plate 1). Liver Peak (a.k.a. Goat Creek)—4
Ima—3 Location: Montana, Sanders County, 5 miles northeast of

Thompson Falls.
Location: Idaho, Lemhi County, Blue Wing mining dis-
trict, sec. 23, T. 14 N., R. 23 E. Age: 49.7 m.y., rock biotite; 38.6 m.y., sericite from vein.
4
Figure 2. Porphyry molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana, showing deposit types.
Geology: Skarn mineralization, including tungsten, and a Bald Butte—5

geochemical anomaly occur in Belt strata (Wallace
Formation) at the surface. It was discovered by Bear Location: Montana, Lewis and Clark County, Marysvale
Creek in 1967 as a stream sediment anomaly. The mining district, sec. 10, T. 11 N., R. 6 W.
anomaly was staked by Bear Creek and, independently, Age: 48 m.y.
by local prospectors in 1969. A small claim group was
leased by ASARCO later in 1969 who drilled 6,000 feet Geology: Contact metamorphosed Belt series (Helena
in three core holes. This program demonstrated a large dolomite) was intruded by the Marysvale stock. An
apophysis of the stock, called the Big Dike, was known to
potential volume of deep low-grade disseminated
contain disseminated molybdenite. A weak molybdenum
molybdenite, but was not explored further. Noranda
anomaly in Helena dolomite led to the discovery of
acquired the property in 1974 and, with Armco as a
mineralization under Bald Butte in an underlying pluton,
partner, drilled 10 holes to 3,000 feet or more resulting in which was presumed to be part of the Big Dike. It was
the discovery of potentially over 100 million tons, grading then drilled by Amax around 1950. A resource of 20
0.084% Mo. Mineralization was in Belt strata and a million tons grading 0.2% Mo was reported. Additional
highly differentiated, non-outcropping Tertiary pluton. drilling was done by Amax over the next few years.
The ages quoted above for the pluton were determined by Subsequent development was undertaken by Gulf Oil and
the U.S. Geological Survey. This deposit was reported to Mine Finders before the deposit was acquired by Cyprus
have been acquired by Idaho General Mines in late 2004, Minerals in the 1990s. It has since been acquired in 2005
but is no longer shown as owned by them in the Northern by United Bolero Development Corp., which has
Miner Handbook for 2006. conducted mill tests at the Antonioli mill in Philipsburg
and is now shipping ore irregularly to the same mill.
Reference: Lamarre and Moore (1981). United Bolero also reports (citing Gulf Oil) a resource of
5
131 million tons grading 0.077% Mo (Northern Miner, centered on T. 7 and 8. N, R. 12 and 13 E.
January 5, 2006).
Age: Eocene, 44-49 m.y.
References: Pardee and Schrader (1933, p. 63-76); Rostad
(1969). Geology: The Sawtooth batholith is within the Sawtooth
Primitive Area (now the Sawtooth Wilderness Area), a
Big Ben—6 large area about 314 square miles immediately southwest
of Stanley, Idaho. It has been withdrawn from mineral
Location: Montana, Cascade County, sec. 21, T. 14 N., entry since before 1970. It is included here because it has
R. 8 E. numerous molybdenum prospects and geochemical
anomalies that make it very promising for intensive
Age: Eocene, 49.5 m.y. exploration, were that possible. It has been studied by the
Geology: The terrane is early Proterozoic metamorphics U.S. Geological Survey (Kiilsgaard and others, 1970), and
intruded by Tertiary porphyries and breccia pipes. The this discussion is based on their data. This author has also
Big Ben itself is a silicified pipe about 500 feet by 300 flown over the area on several occasions between 1968 and
feet grading about 0.12% Mo (Kirkemo and others, 1965). 1978 and can attest to the prominent color anomalies that
Other pipes in the district are also mineralized. The Big may be observed.
Ben was drilled by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in the early
1940s; by ASARCO, eight holes in 1958-1959; and then The Sawtooth Primitive Area is underlain by two
extensively by AMAX in the 1970s. Amax was reported principal rock types, the Atlanta lobe of the Idaho batholith
to have developed 120 million tons grading 0.096% Mo and the Sawtooth batholith. The Atlanta lobe ranges from
(private reports). The present status is unknown. 70 to 80 m.y. and to 95 m.y. near Stanley. The so-called
pink granite of the Sawtooth batholith, which is Tertiary,
References: Kirkemo and others (1965); Marvin and ranges from 42 to 49 m.y. and is possibly related to the
others (1973). Challis Volcanics. Geochemical studies by Kiilsgaard and
others (1970), conducted as part of the Wilderness Study
Emigrant Gulch—7 appraisal, indicate two populations of anomalies from the
study area: a “tin suite,” anomalous in tin, beryllium,
Location: Montana, Park County, sec. 6, T. 7 S., R. 9 E.
molybdenum, uranium, and niobium, which are generally
Age: Eocene; the Absaroka Volcanics are dated by associated with the Tertiary intrusives; and a “gold suite,”
Smedes and Prostka (1972) at 44-49 m.y. Shaver (1978) anomalous in gold, silver, lead, and zinc, occurring in
assigns the dacite intrusives of the Emigrant Peak area to Idaho batholith lithologies. The molybdenum occurrences
lower middle Eocene, or less than 50 m.y. of the Sawtooth Primitive Area are associated with the
Sawtooth batholith and thus are Tertiary in age.
Geology: A porphyritic flow-banded rhyolite (Absaroka
Volcanics) occurs with dacite intrusives, breccia pipes, The extreme ruggedness of the Sawtooth Primitive
and sericitic alteration. Copper is sometimes present. Area has always inhibited exploration and development.
Molybdenite is reported in fractures with grade reported The Sawtooth batholith within the Primitive Area covers
as 0.3% Mo (Kirkemo and others, 1965). Anaconda and approximately 100 square miles. The prospects noted by
others conducted considerable drilling from 1960 to 1970. Kiilsgaard and others (1970) include a few older ones that
Two centers of mineralization are noted in Stotelmeyer predate the establishment of the Primitive Area, of which
and others (1983): one primarily copper, and the other a few contain visible molybdenite. It should be noted that
primarily molybdenum. The molybdenum center is in steep, rugged, and weathered terrain, such as the
described by Kirkemo and others (1965). The copper Sawtooth Mountains, molybdenite can easily be removed
center has a reported resource of 164,838,000 tons, from outcrop by physical or chemical weathering. There
grading 0.26% copper (Stotelmeyer and others, 1983). are also prominent altered areas, easily visible from the air.
References: Smedes and Prostka (1972); Kirkemo and These appear generally brown to yellow, indicating
others (1965, p.69); Stotelmeyer and others (1983); disseminated sulfides, with (yellow) jarosite in higher
Shaver (1978). sulfide concentrations. Over a dozen color anomalies are
shown on Plate 2 of Kiilsgaard and others (1970), several
Sawtooth Batholith—40 of which are a mile or more in area. Several of the altered
areas are anomalous in molybdenum, and about one-third
Location: Idaho, Boise, Custer and Elmore counties, of the stream sediment samples collected in the batholith in
6
the USGS program were in excess of 10 ppm Number following the deposit name corresponds to its
molybdenum. There has been very little modern location in Figures 1 and 2.
exploration in the batholith because of the rugged terrain
and subsequent mineral withdrawals. Only one drilling Kaniksu Batholith Cluster—42
campaign is known, conducted by J. R. Simplot Co. Three
core holes were drilled near Rock Creek in 1967 Location: Idaho, Boundary and Bonner counties; three
(Kiilsgaard and others, 1970, Figure 7, p. D20). An prospects.
extraordinary concentration of molybdenum is suggested International Molybdenum Co.—42a: Boundary
for such a restricted area, and if were access available, County, sec. 27, R. 64 N., R. 4 W.
this would be a high priority area for molybdenum American Girl—42b: Boundary County, sec. 9,
exploration. T. 64 N., R. 1 E.
Hotchkiss (Hines)—42c: Bonner County, sec. 3,
Reference: Kiilsgaard and others (1970).
T. 61 N., R. 5 W.
Age: 51 m.y., Harrison and others (1972).
LARAMIDE MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS
Geology: A small group of vein occurrences is associated
The Laramide molybdenum deposits, formed during with the Kaniksu batholith in the Idaho panhandle, all in
the time of the Laramide orogeny, are almost certainly Boundary County. The Kaniksu batholith is north of the
related to so-called Laramide intrusives. The term Lewis and Clark Line and may be unrelated to the Idaho
“Laramide” as used in this discussion is taken from batholith. None of the prospects appear significant,
Eardley (1951, p. 284). It refers to the great although the International Molybdenum had minor pro-
compressional orogeny in the western United States of the duction. The northwest-trending veins at the International
very late Cretaceous and slightly younger strata as well as Molybdenum occur within the batholith and consist of
associated intrusives and related ore deposits. It spans the molybdenite in brown glassy quartz (Kirkham and Ellis,
interval from approximately 75 to 60 m.y. and thus 1926, p. 59). The terrain is heavily wooded, and the several
includes the latter part of upper Cretaceous time and laps vein occurrences might attract interest. They could be
over into early Paleocene. It is also the time of effectively explored by geochemical methods.
emplacement of the Boulder batholith, which is 78-68
m.y. according to Tilling (1973). A few dates may be a References: Kirkham and Ellis (1926); Harrison and others
slightly outside the above cited limits. Since there are (1972); King (1964, p. 135).
more Laramide deposits than other types, they will be
subdivided by host rock types. Spring Creek—36
INTRUSION-HOSTED DEPOSITS Location: Idaho, Lemhi County, secs. 34 and 35, T 25 N.,
R. 18 E. (Idaho Meridian). Spring Creek is a tributary to
Numerous intrusion and breccia pipe hosted the Salmon River, heading north at Shoup. Access is also
molybdenum occurrences, as well as quartz molybdenite from Darby, Montana, via Route 473, or by poorer road
veins, are known in Idaho and western Montana. Some from Shoup.
deposits are in nonporphyritic phases that are considered
younger phases of a nearby batholith, and somewhat Age: Laramide(?), no known date.
fewer are in porphyritic phases. They are generally Geology: In 1976, there were several valid claim groups in
considered to be Laramide in age, though only a few have this area. A private report (Schmidt, 1976) provides some
been dated. An exhaustive search of the literature for geological data. A series of northeast-trending quartz veins
dates has not been made. The deposits are characterized cut Proterozoic granite gneiss. The visible mineralization
by either biotitic or sericitic alteration, or sometimes both. includes quartz, pyrite, and molybdenite in the veins. Wall
They rarely appear to be strongly mineralized systems and rock is unaltered and barren of sulfides. There were a few
are generally low in grade (less than 0.05% Mo). high-grade assays, as much as 2.3% Mo. The area was
Thompson Creek is, of course, the exception. There was explored by Utah International in 1971, Boldex
one small outcrop at Thompson Creek beneath the Challis Exploration in 1975, and probably others. No more recent
Volcanics that contained strong quartz sericite alteration activities are known.
and occasional relict visible molybdenite. Intrusion-hosted
deposits may contain approximately equivalent values in References: King (1964, p. 135); E.A. Schmidt (private
copper, although molybdenum is dominant economically. report, 1976).
7
Bentz—9 conformable veins containing silver and tungsten in Belt

strata. One mile to the north in sec. 8, a single drill hole by
Location: Montana, Granite County, S½ sec. 5, T. 4 N., Inspiration intersects molybdenum porphyry minerali-
R. 16 W. zation in a dike probably related to the pluton at Henderson
Gulch. This deposit can also be grouped into a deposit
Age: Laramide(?), no known date.
cluster with Miners Gulch, Henderson Gulch, and the
Geology: The prospect consists of scattered quartz veins, Black Pine Belt molybdenum deposits.
striking northwest, as much as 10 inches in width, and References: Hundhausen (1949, Figure 2); Walker (1960,
containing molybdenite and chalcopyrite with potassic p. 7-12).
alteration. The veins are in fresh quartz monzonite near
Belt sediments.
North Flint Creek
Reference: R.W. Thomssen (written commun.). Molybdenum Cluster—13, 14, and 15
Location: Montana, Granite County, three prospects:
Miners Gulch—10 Tunstill—13: sec. 28, T. 8 N., R. 12 W.
Location: Montana, Granite County, sec. 30, T. 8 N., Tolean Lake—14: sec. 25, T. 8 N., R. 12 W.
R. 15 W. East Goat Mountain—15: sec. 6, T. 7 N., R. 11 W.
Age: An undated younger small pluton in Miners Gulch Age: The Philipsburg and Mount Royal batholiths are 70
granodiorite, which is 70.6 m.y. to 75 m.y. in age. The Mount Powell batholith is some-
what younger.
Geology: A molybdenum anomaly is associated with a
small sericite altered pluton in the larger stock. No other Geology: Three closely spaced molybdenum deposits occur
known work. in the northern Flint Creek Range, Granite County,
Montana. All are in a northwest-trending area about 4 by
Reference: Loen and others (1989). 2 miles. Two are altered areas in batholithic rocks, and one
is a poorly exposed vein. The Tolean Lake area is
Henderson Gulch—11 approximately in the center of the Mount Royal batholith.
Location: Montana, Granite County, secs. 2 and 3, It is described as molybdenum associated with quartz vein
T. 8 N., R. 14 W. stockworks in granitic rocks. The area is depicted as about
1 square mile. It was reported drilled by AMAX Explor-
Age: Henderson pluton, 70.1 m.y. ation, and at least 4 million tons, grading 0.02% Mo, was
estimated by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. A similar but
Geology: A small exposed pluton (less than 1 square smaller prospect was reported about 2 miles to the
mile) consists of medium-grained granodiorite porphyry southeast on the northwest flank of East Goat Mountain.
to quartz monzonite porphyry. Scheelite occurs dissemi- This prospect is in the Mount Powell batholith near its
nated and in small quartz-scheelite veins. Average grade northwest end (where it appears to penetrate the Mount
is reported as 0.03% WO3. Only traces of molybdenite Royal batholith). The prospect was mapped, sampled, and
occur in small quartz veins, but the prospect is included drilled by Noranda (Ericksen and others, 1981), but results
because of the common tungsten-molybdenite association. are unknown. The third prospect, known as Tunstill, is a
Drilling has been reported, but results are unknown. quartz molybdenum vein near the west margin of the
References: Hughes (1975); Walker (1960, p. 17); Hund- Mount Royal batholith in an area of very heavy cover.
hausen (1949). Geochemistry and geophysics (I.P.) produced only minor
anomalies, and it was not drilled. All the prospects are
Black Pine Mine—12 considered Laramide in age
References: Ericksen and others (1981); Baty (1976);
Location: Montana, Granite County, secs. 8 and 17,
Hyndman and others (1982).
T. 8 N., R. 14 W.
Age: Laramide, age of host intrusive probably similar to Black Lion Mountain—16
that at Henderson Gulch.
Location: Montana, Beaverhead County, secs. 30 and 31,
Geology: The Black Pine mine in sec. 17 was mined in T. 27 N., R. 12 W.
8
Age: Laramide by analogy with nearby Cannivan Gulch Monaghan—39

deposit. This and several following deposits are all in or
near the Pioneer batholith. Zen (1988) lists several ages in Location: Montana, Beaverhead County, sec. 5, T. 5 S.,
the batholith, most ranging from 64 to 74 m.y.). R. 11 W.
Geology: The Black Lion prospect was discovered about Age: Laramide (within the Pioneer batholith).
2 miles south of the Cannivan Gulch deposit. It consists Geology: A greisen zone about 600 feet in diameter lies
of quartz, biotite, molybdenite, pyrite veins and weak within the Pioneer batholith and contains quartz
stockworks in a quartz monzonite related to the Pioneer molybdenite veins. This is in an area of high molybdenum
batholith. There are also weak molybdenite occurrences stream sediment anomalies as recorded by Cyprus Mines
in Belt quartzites on the east slopes of Black Lion peak. in 1971.
Three holes were drilled in the quartz monzonite west of
Black Lion Lake with values all less than 0.05% Mo. Reference: Kirkemo and others (1965, p. 62-64).
References: E.A. Schmidt (1973, private reports to Thompson Park—18
Cyprus Mines Corporation); Zen (1988).
Location: Montana, Silver Bow County, exposures on
Hecla District—41 paved highway, west of Pipestone Pass.
Location: Montana, Beaverhead County, sec. 2, T. 3 S., Age: Laramide, within the Boulder batholith.
R. 11 W.
Geology: Prominent jarosite staining occurs in sericitic
Age: Laramide (nearest dated rocks are Cannivan Gulch Butte quartz monzonite on old U.S. Highway 10 west of
and the Pioneer batholith). Pipestone Pass, possibly in an aplitic facies. Molybdenite
is present in an outcrop at a nearby railroad trestle.
Geology: The ores are in irregular veins and replacements
in the Cambrian Hasmark equivalent surrounding a domal Reference: none.
structure exposing the basal Cambrian (Black Lion
Conglomerate after Zen, 1988). The dome may overlie an Golden Sunlight—19
intrusive, as postulated by Karlstrom (1948). Exposures
(or float) of molybdenum porphyry mineralization have Location: Montana, Jefferson County, secs. 19 and 30,
been reported (T. Chadwick, written commun.). T. 2 N., R. 3 E.
References: Karlstrom (1948); Zen (1988). Age: Mineralization is contemporaneous with sill related
to Elkhorn volcanics and is older than 79 m.y.
Elkhorn Mine—17 Geology: A large breccia pipe cuts Belt sediments and the
sill, and plunges westward. It has been mined continuously
Location: Montana, Beaverhead County, sec. 14, T. 4 S.,
for 20 years and is a large producer of gold by Placer
R. 12 W.
Dome, Inc. The breccia pipe is reported to become a
Age: Laramide (within the Pioneer batholith). molybdenum porphyry at depth, although no information
is available on the mineralization. Because of the large
Geology: The prospect is an old silver vein in the quartz area of silicified and pyritic Belt sediments exposed at the
monzonite of the Pioneer batholith. A long adit exploring surface, this occurrence could also be classed as a Belt
under the old vein workings was accessible in 1981. For terrane molybdenum deposit (see following discussion).
a few hundred feet from the portal, the quartz monzonite The Golden Sunlight is certainly first and foremost a
contained sporadic quartz, biotite, and molybdenite veins. major gold deposit, but the reported occurrence of
Further in the adit is more intense quartz sericite alteration molybdenum porphyry mineralization at depth prompts
and somewhat more abundant molybdenite. Neither zone including it here.
has been adequately sampled, but both are probably
0.05% Mo or less. The quartz sericite zone appears to be Reference: Foster and Childs (1993).
higher in grade and should probably be explored further.
Turnley Ridge—20
References: private reports to Cyprus Mines Corporation
and Denison Mines Corporation by Worthington (1981) Location: Montana, Jefferson County, Elkhorn mining
and also by Forsberg (1981). district, sec. 15(?), T. 6 N., R. 3 W.
9
Age: Laramide; stocks in Elkhorn Volcanics are most Geology: Intrusive breccias in alkali granite at Judith Peak
likely to be Boulder batholith in age. are reported to contain 0.03% Mo and also values in gold,
copper, and lead. The brecciation and mineralization at Red
Geology: A stock in Elkhorn Volcanics is reported to Mountain are mapped similarly.
contain molybdenum.
Reference: Lindsey and Fisher (1985).
Reference: Senter (1976).
SEDIMENT-HOSTED DEPOSITS
Granite Peak—21
Location: Montana, Madison County, secs. 18 and 19, Several deposits are predominantly hosted in sedi-
T. 3 S., R. 3 W.; secs. 13 and 24, T. 3 S., R. 4 W. mentary rock, but there is almost always an associated
intrusive, even if volumetrically small. In most deposits,
Age: Laramide, Tobacco Root batholith is 75 m.y. part or all of the mineralization may be in the sedimentary
host, usually contact metamorphosed. Number after de-
Geology: Granite Peak is within the Middle Mountain
posit name corresponds to its location in Figures 1 and 2.
Roadless Area. It is also within the Tobacco Root batho-
lith, which is a coarse porphyritic biotite-hornblende
quartz monzonite with finer grained and aplitic phases. Cannivan Gulch—26
There are several iron-stained areas but little Location: Montana, Beaverhead County, Vipond mining
hydrothermal alteration. disseminated pyrite occurs in the district, secs. 16 and 21, T. 27 N., R. 11 W.
quartz mon-zonite, and molybdenite and chalcopyrite are
visible on fractures. Property was held by Burlington Age: intrusive, 66 m.y.; vein, 62 m.y.
Northern Railroad in 1974. Two holes were drilled by Geology: The Cannivan Gulch deposit was discovered by
Molycorp in 1971. Best results were 50 feet of 0.041% Richard W. Thomssen by geologic prospecting in 1968.
Mo in a core hole southeast of Granite Lake and 80 feet Thomssen was assigned the northern part of the Pioneer
of 0.072% Mo in a core hole on the north slope of Granite batholith as a target area by C.C. Goddard and J.E.
Peak. As of 2006, the status is unknown. Worthington, who were employees of Cyprus Mines
References: O’Neill and Cather (1984, p. 721-723); Corporation. Thomssen found and recognized a small
Giletti (1966); E.A. Schmidt (written commun.). differentiated quartz monzonite body that intruded middle
Paleozoic strata creating magnesian skarns in the Jefferson
Gold Bug-Hawkeye—22 dolomite. The prospect was staked, mapped, and sampled
in 1968. It was drilled starting in 1969 and intensively
Location: Montana, Phillips County, Gold Bug, sec. 22, thereafter. Two ore zones were developed: one in the
T. 25 N., R. 24 E.; Hawkeye breccia is 1.5 miles east of sericitic and potash feldspar altered intrusive (about 90
Gold Bug mine. million tons, grading 0.09% Mo) and one in skarn (about
Age: Gold Bug Mine, altered syenite porphyry, 62.4 m.y.; 110 million tons, grading 0.11% Mo, with some
Hawkeye breccia 58-66 m.y. recoverable copper). Cyprus ceased all activities in the
early 1980s. The property was more recently acquired by
Geology: Intrusive breccias occur in altered syenite United Bolero Development Corp. (TSX Venture), who
porphyry at both localities. The Gold Bug breccia is now claims a resource of 300 million tons, grading 0.06%
reported to run 0.07% Mo, and also contains values in Mo). Since this deposit is really two separate deposits, it
copper, lead, and silver. The Hawkeye breccia was can also be grouped with the nearby Black Lion Mountain
investigated by AMAX around 1967. deposit as a deposit cluster.
References: Lindsey and Fisher (1985); Marvin and others References: Schmidt and Worthington (1977); Schmidt and
(1980); Rostad (1978). others (1979); BIG Mining Publications (2006).
Judith Peak-Red Mountain—23 Stewart Gulch—27

Location: Montana, Fergus County, Judith Peak, sec. 19, Location: Montana, Granite County, Flint Creek mining
T. 17 N., R. 20 E.; Red Mountain is 1.25 miles east of district, sec. 18, T. 7 N., R. 13 E.
Judith Peak.
Age: Bimetallic phase of the Philipsburg batholith is 76.7
Age: Judith alkali granite, 62 m.y. or 74 m.y., porphyries are probably younger.
10
Geology: The Flint Creek (Philipsburg) mining district BELT TERRANE MOLYBDENUM
has a long productive history from veins and DEPOSITS—28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
replacements, mainly in Paleozoic sediments. Interest in
the possibility of porphyry style mineralization at Location: western Montana and northern Idaho, seven
Philipsburg began about 1960 by Bear Creek Mining prospects.
Company at the instigation of C.C. Goddard. Mineralized Stonehorse—28: Montana, Beaverhead County, secs. 3,
outcrops including skarns and small porphyry plugs in 4, 9, and 10, T. 2 S., R. 13 W.
Stewart Gulch attracted his attention. Nothing resulted Armor Creek (a.k.a. Odell Mountain)—29: Mon-
from this program, but seven years later, in 1967, tana, Beaverhead County, secs. 27 and 34, T. 3 S.,
Goddard inter-ested Cyprus Mines in the same concept. R. 13 W.
Cyprus drilled in 1968 and again in 1969 (in joint venture Tim Creek—30: Montana, Beaverhead County, secs. 9,
with Superior Oil). This program was successful in 16, and 21, T. 5 S., R. 13 W.
identifying porphyry-type molybdenum mineralization in Black Pine Prospect—31: Montana, Granite County,
skarn and delineating a small ore zone. The project was sec. 7, T. 8 N., R. 14 W.; sec. 12, T. 8 N., R. 15 W.
then abandoned as being too small. Next, the area was Ramona Creek—32: Montana, Granite County, secs. 26
further explored by Denison Mines in 1980-1982. The and 35, T. 9 N., R. 16 W.
work was proposed by J.E. Worthington (who earlier had Eight Mile Creek—33: Montana, Ravalli County,
been associated with Goddard) and D.B. Robertson. sec. 5, T. 10 N., R. 18 W.
Detailed geophysical sur-veys (magnetics and induced Chilco Mountain (a.k.a. Pyrite Creek)—34: Idaho,
polarization) were per-formed. Two more holes were Kootenai and Bonner counties, sec. 32, T. 53 N., R. 1 W.
drilled, but the program was not advanced. It was then Geology: These prospects are all found in the Belt terrane.
terminated. Little interest since, though a rumor persists They were identified as having similar characteristics in the
that a large company is interested. Cyprus program in the late 1970s. There are now ten
known examples, but two are included in this report with
The Stewart Gulch area at the north end of the Tertiary deposits (Liver Peak and Ima) because they have
Philipsburg district is underlain by folded Belt and Tertiary dates, and one is the Golden Sunlight breccia pipe
Paleozoic strata intruded by the Philipsburg batholith and at depth that is included with intrusion-hosted deposits.
a younger sequence of differentiated porphyries of The deposits are all large areas of weak to moderate
unknown age. These porphyries have been studied silicification and in places sericitization, in usually well-
petrographically and are strongly porphyritic, with four or fractured to brecciated and iron-stained quartzite strata,
more recognizable phases, and are intensely altered. There with some stockwork quartz veining. All are weakly
is also crenulated quartz porphyry (Guilbert, private anomalous in molybdenum, and less commonly in copper.
reports, 1981). The main district mineralization consists They usually contain consistent, but low, amounts of
of precious metal veins in the batholith, base metal veins disseminated pyrite. Most of these prospects were
and replacements in the carbonates, and extensive skarns discovered in the late 1960s, before gold was an important
in the carbonates around the porphyries. The skarns are in exploration target, and before widespread use of the atomic
the Madison Formation (Lodge Pole Limestone) and in absorption analytical technique as applied to gold. No gold
the upper Jefferson Dolomite. Drilling in skarns suggests data exist on any of these prospects that I have ever seen,
except at Golden Sunlight, which was always a known gold
a resource of about 85 million tons, grading about 0.07%
prospect. Gold analyses were certainly done in later work
Mo. This resource is not the result of a detailed
at some of the rest. Some breccias are associated with
calculation, but was estimated from the few available drill porphyritic intrusives, or, in some places, intrusives have
holes with continuity established from an induced been found at depth by drilling. The prospects are all large
polarization survey. Copper is also present. The skarns are in area, typically 2 square miles or more. They are thus
not completely drilled out, and the porphyry system is not exploration targets of some significance based on size and
adequately drilled. geochemistry. One (Liver Peak) has shown a real increase
in grade with deep drilling. All have been drilled with at
References: Emmons and Calkins (1913); Worthington least two or more holes. None of the deposits other than
and Robertson (1982, private reports to Denison Mines); Golden Sunlight, however, has yet been developed as an
Worthington (2005, written commun.). economic deposit.
11
PRE-LARAMIDE MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS mineralization (Marvin and others, 1973a). These ages are
consistent with an age of 95 m.y. reported by Armstrong
The time of these deposits is in the early upper and others (1977) in the Idaho batholith (Atlanta lobe) near
Cretaceous or about 98 to 75 m.y. and may slightly Stanley at the east margin of the batholith. The ages are
overlap with the Laramide category. The pre-Laramide also consistent with about a dozen more recent Idaho
deposits are geographically distinct, however, and are batholith ages from Stanley south to the White Cloud
grouped around the east margin of the Atlanta lobe of the Peaks (Fisher and others, 1992). As exposed at the original
Idaho batholith. Five deposits are in this grouping, but surface, the quartz monzonite was equigranular with no
they include two of the largest, Thompson Creek and obvious porphyritic phase or other direct evidence of a
Little Boulder Creek. The two largest are also the only highly differentiated system. The Pat Hughes Creek out-
deposits that are dated in the group. The ages range from crop was well oxidized with sparse remaining sulfides.
84 to 88 m.y. It seems logical to include the three less
Drill holes that penetrated the Challis Volcanic-quartz
well known occurrences with the others. The Thompson
Creek deposit is the only one in the entire area to have monzonite contact in the mineralized zone generally
achieved significant production, and will, therefore, be showed a few tens of feet of oxidation at the pre-Challis
discussed in more detail. Number following the deposit erosion surface.
name cor-responds to its location in Figures 1 and 2. By 1982, after over 300,000 feet of drilling, 8,500 feet
of underground work, and the initiation of excavation,
Thompson Creek—35 Schmidt and others (1982) reported a minable reserve of
Location: Idaho, Custer County, T. 11 N., R. 16 E., 173,680,000 tons averaging 0.115% Mo at a cut off of
centered on sec. 2. 0.05% Mo, with a waste to ore stripping ratio of 3.05:1. He
also described a multiphased intrusive system with an outer
Age: 88 m.y., pluton: 86 m.y., veins (Marvin and others, zone of biotite granodiorite enclosing an inner zone of
1973a). biotite quartz monzonite. The inner, deeper, and
presumably younger quartz monzonite phase is lower in
Geology: The Thompson Creek deposit is unusual in
biotite but higher in potash feldspar and contains monazite.
several ways, including age, size, alteration char-
acteristics, and other geological attributes. It was dis- The molybdenum mineralization appears most likely to be
covered as a stream sediment anomaly at the mouth of Pat related to this phase. Schmidt also mentions granite
Hughes Creek in 1962 by Henry T. Eyrich. The discovery porphyry dikes lower in the system. Thus, there is evidence
outcrop was in the headwaters of the creek in heavily of differentiation in these rock sequences, but no evidence
wooded, steep, and not easily accessible terrain. The of a strongly differentiated system with multiple
outcrop was heavily sericitized quartz monzonite with porphyries, dikes, and breccias as in some porphyry
rare visible molybdenite. Though obscured on the ground systems. The molybdenum occurs entirely in quartz veins,
be-cause of forest cover, it was spectacularly visible from with very little dissemination. There is no zone of massive
the air. Grade was low in the outcrop with an average of silicification. Alteration is characterized by pyrite, quartz,
80 ppm Mo and hotspots of 0.06% Mo. Nothing further and sericite (mainly in veins) at shallow depths, now
was done during 1962. A few years later in 1967, C.C. mostly mined out. The dominant alteration at depth (again
God-dard, along with J.E. Worthington, and the same in veins) is coarse biotite, in some places interleaved with
H.T. Eyrich, began a program at the prospect. Claims molybdenite in quartz veins. Potash feldspar is also in the
were staked in 1967, and drilling soon demonstrated a biotitic veins and disseminated potash feldspar in the
significant improvement in grade over Eyrich’s surface younger intrusive at depth. High-grade sections are deeper
sampling. The prospect was explored and developed by in the pit where this is prominently displayed, as will be
Cyprus Mines Corporation from 1967 through 1983 when discussed subsequently. It is essentially a pure molyb-
it was placed in production. The final development and
denum system, producing premium grade concentrates
production costs were funded by Amoco Oil Company
(which had acquired Cyprus in 1979). It has been worked with no significant credits in other elements or penalties
discontinuously from then to the present. Average grade from deleterious constituents. The Thompson Creek
has been in the range of 0.10 to 0.13% Mo for probably deposit appears to be geologically unique in the region,
well over 100 million tons of production, with a lesser although it has similarities to the Endako deposit in British
resource remaining. Columbia. Endako, in fact, served as a model in the early
evaluations of Thompson Creek in 1969.
Ages at Thompson Creek were determined to be
around 88 m.y. for the pluton, and 86 m.y. for the vein Cyprus operated Thompson Creek sporadically until
12
1993, when it was sold. The buyer was a private group known that the wide portion of the south end of the pit had
that became the Thompson Creek Metal Company with consistently higher grades. The assay plans demonstrated
Thompson Creek Mining Company as its operating that there was a roughly oval area that consistently assayed
subsidiary. Thompson Creek Metal Company also over 0.2% Mo. The shape from bench to bench was not
acquired a 75 percent interest in the Endako Mine and a always exactly similar because the pit walls and the
metallurgical facility in Pennsylvania. They operated material already mined caused minor alterations, but the
successfully into 2006 when negotiations were underway high-grade feature was quite consistent from the 7100 level
with Blue Pearl Mining Ltd. (TSE) about a possible sale. down to the 6900 level. It appeared to be close to vertical
The sale was finalized in October of 2006, and all the and to possibly enlarge slightly with depth. The feature is
principal assets of Thompson Creek Metal Company have approximately 800 feet in a northwest dimension and 600
been acquired by Blue Pearl. According to the Blue Pearl feet or more in a northeast dimension, with minor
annual report for 2006, they are planning to expand variations. All of the assays within the 0.2% Mo contour on
production. They cite proven and probable mineral the 7100 level were tabulated and averaged arith-metically
reserves of 64.5 million tons grading 0.119% Mo and a by J.E. Worthington. There were 236 assays averaging
measured and indicated mineral resource of 178.6 million 0.245% Mo for the feature on that level. The remainder of
tons grading 0.094% Mo (Blue Pearl Mining Ltd., 2006 the pit was in the range of 0.1% Mo or less, with three or
Annual Report, p. 3). four smaller features, but with similar grade, in the
northwest end of the pit. The smaller features were 200 to
In 1999 and 2000, Thompson Creek Mining 400 feet in diameter, with grades also above 0.2% Mo.
Company began a small exploration program to develop These smaller features also can be followed from level to
additional reserves, utilizing the mine geologist part time, level. The smaller features also appear to be close to
a few temporaries, and consultants (including the writer). vertical. These features could not have been recognized
The company had two objectives: expanding pit reserves without the blast hole level plans, which were developed
and reviewing other known prospects in the mine land during mining and not available to Schmidt and others
position. The program began with a review of office data (1982) before the mineralization was exposed in the pit.
and an examination of prospects in the land position Schmidt and his coworkers only had widely spaced drill
accompanied by geochemical sampling and magnetometer holes and could not have seen the assay distributions that
surveying. An abrupt decline in the price of molybdenum are now evident.
in the summer of 2000 caused the program to be
terminated prematurely. Exploration was not resumed by The description and identification of these features is
Thompson Creek Mining Company; Blue Pearl’s a high priority in understanding the system and in
exploration plans are unknown. attempting to predict mineralization at depth. Molyb-
denum porphyry systems commonly have large vertical
One positive result of this short-lived exploration ranges. The high-grade features in the level plans have not
effort in 1999 and 2000 may have significant implications been defined geologically. The program for the year 2000
for elucidating the deposit’s geology as well as suggesting had planned to do this, but was not carried out.
exploration possibilities. During discussions of pit Observations in the south end of the pit during 1999 were
geology in the summer of 1999, a series of assay plans of limited to a few hours. It appeared that the higher grade
active mine levels, including all blast holes, were areas contained above average concentrations of coarse-
examined. Because the large plan maps with hundreds of grained quartz-biotite-molybdenite mineralization. Geo-
closely spaced assays were difficult to interpret, it was logic relationships were largely obscured by rubble on the
decided that it might be useful, if tedious, to contour pit floor. The high-grade bodies seem to be geologically
them. The company’s engineering department solved this distinct, but their character is not known with any certainty.
problem and very quickly provided the 6950 level, then They might be alteration pipelike features, possibly a
the deepest in the pit, contoured by computer at 0.1 and separate, perhaps brecciated, intrusive phase. The mine
0.2% Mo. Soon thereafter, five 50-foot bench plans from geologist in 2003 described the areas of higher grade as
6900 to 7100 in elevation were all contoured. As far as structural intersections. Breccia pipes in the older literature
could be determined at that time, this had not been done are commonly described as occurring at structural
before. There were no deeper levels because the 6950 intersections. They might be a combination of any of the
elevation was the pit bottom, and higher levels were no above origins. Such a mineralized body with associated
longer readily accessible in old records. The patterns alteration and breccias could possibly be the missing
shown in the assays were most surprising. It had been differentiated intrusive, similar to those in other large
13
molybdenum systems, which has appeared to be lacking exploration and made future development unlikely. The
at Thompson Creek. prospect was acquired by ASARCO in 1967 and drilled
with small helicopter-supported equipment. An early
Making the assumption that Thompson Creek is a estimate by Keith Whiting in 1969 suggested 63.5 million
large magmatic-hydrothermal system with high-grade, tons grading 0.1% Mo. Another estimate by Theodore and
pipelike features is a different concept than that described Menzie (1984, p. 467) is 122 million tons grading 0.09%
in the earlier work of Schmidt and others (1982). Mo, citing the U.S. Geological Survey. John C. Balla
Unfortunately, data are only available for 200 feet of (written commun.) reports 123 million tons grading 0.11%
vertical extent. Since they are strongly mineralized Mo to a depth of 250 feet. Two deeper holes found 503 feet
features, it can probably be assumed that they have of 0.072% Mo and 713 Feet of 0.126% Mo, suggesting
considerable vertical range. Upward extensions are deeper potential.
unknown, but the downward extension can still be
explored. Downward, they could diminish in size and All of the above data refer to the principal deposit,
finally disappear like the root of a tooth. There is also the which has had most (maybe all) of the past drilling by
possibility of the high-grade bodies coalescing into a ASARCO. Similar mineralization also lies about 3,100 feet
larger high-grade body. Apophyses of this deeper body to the south near Castle Lake. Two other nearby showings
would be now visible in the present pit. There is, are to the north at the easternmost of the Boulder Chain
therefore, a geologic possibility of a large target in the Lakes and in Big Boulder Basin (Hall, 1995).
next 1,000 feet below the pit bottom, or approximately at References: Balla and Smith (1980); Rostad (1978);
the elevation of the Salmon River. The high-grade areas Kirkemo and others (1965, p.54-55); Whiting (1991);
in the pit floor may grade in the range of 0.25% Mo. Winick and others (2002); Hall (1995).
Therefore, a potential target area as much as 4,000 feet
long may lie beneath the pit bottom with room for a high-
Ramey Creek—25
grade molybdenum accumulation sufficiently large for
underground mining. With some geologic work to sharpen Location: Idaho, Custer County, 4 miles north of Sun-
the target, and possibly some geophysics, this deposit beam.
could be effectively drilled from the present pit, which is
a different interpretation than that of Schmidt and others Age: maybe pre-Laramide.
(1982). Their cross sections show an ore zone with both Geology: Window in Challis Volcanics exposes Wood
a top and a bottom, although their potassic alteration zone River quartzite with molybdenum anomaly intrusive not
has no bottom. This writer would suggest that the ore exposed but assumed.
might have originated at depth with the alteration. There
is no suggestion of post-ore rotation. The vertical features Reference: J.H. Bright (written commun.).
in the blast hole data appear to be real and might represent
such a feeder system. Cabin Creek Prospect—44
Little Boulder Creek Location: Idaho, Custer County, on the north side of Cabin
Creek, about 6 miles west of the Sunbeam mine, T. 13 N.,
(a.k.a. White Cloud Peak)—24
R. 14 E.
Location: Idaho, Custer County, sec. 3, T. 8 N., R. 16 E.
Age: pre-Laramide.
Age: 61.5 m.y. (Armstrong and others, 1978); newer and
Geology: molybdenite stockworks in biotite granodiorite.
more preferable ages are sericite from Mo-bearing quartz
veins 84.65 m.y. and from quartz veins in sediments 84.8 Reference: Hall (1995, p. 128).
m.y. (Winick and others, 2002).
Geology: A porphyritic biotite granite (Laramide) intrudes Virginia-Beth—38
Wood River quartzite creating diopside skarn containing Location: Idaho, Valley County, Colt Creek, tributary to
molybdenite. Biotite alteration is in the granite, but the Little Pistol Creek.
molybdenite is in the sediments. The deposit lies near the
crest of the White Cloud Peaks in a very environmentally Age: probably pre-Laramide.
sensitive area, which became a part of the Sawtooth
National Recreation Area, a designation that restricted Geology: A granite is injected by aplite and fractured,
14
containing quartz, molybdenite, and other sulfides. There particularly in the presence of porphyry dikes, breccias, or
are a few high-grade samples. significant potassium alteration.
Reference: Kirkemo and others (1965, p. 58-59).
CLASSIFICATION OF
MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS
GENERAL DISCUSSION Several classifications of molybdenum deposits are
already in the literature: notably, Westra and Keith (1981),
The preceding pages have included brief summaries Mutschler and others (1981), Keith and others (1993), and
of about fifty molybdenum occurrences of varying types Wallace (1995). These researchers all appear to divide
and sizes, ranging from quartz molybdenum veins to large molybdenum deposits into two main groups. The first,
disseminated deposits. The larger deposits, often better more important group is considered to be the granite or
known and with more available information, are discussed Climax type, because of the economic importance of the
in more detail; the only one to have achieved significant Climax mine in the development of the molybdenum
production, Thompson Creek, is described extensively. industry. The granite or Climax types are commonly
The deposits have been subdivided by age and fall into centered on a small granite or granite porphyry stock, many
three groups. The age groups have some distinctive with associated dikes and breccia bodies. Many have a
geologic differences, which will be discussed further. massive silica cap and are high in fluorine. Most are
Large potentially productive deposits occur in all age circular in shape and have concentric alteration patterns.
groups, and political considerations, particularly land The second group of molybdenum deposits is known as the
withdrawals, are an important factor in considering future granodiorite or quartz monzonite type. This type is
potential. probably more numerous but is lower in grade. The
granodiorite type may occur in equigranular intermediate
EVALUATION OF OUTCROPS igneous rocks and have fewer dikes and breccias. It is low
in fluorine and does not necessarily have large silicified
An important factor in evaluating molybdenum zones. This type is not as prominently circular and may be
deposits in all age groups will be discussed briefly. more irregular in shape. The distribution of these two types
Molybdenum deposits usually contain relatively small in Idaho and Montana will be discussed further. In a few
amounts of molybdenite, ranging from below 0.1% Mo to cases, where the prospects are not yet thoroughly explored,
rarely over 1% Mo, and more rarely higher grades in classification may be uncertain.
veins. A few other sulfides are present, except pyrite and
in places lesser amounts of chalcopyrite or other base AGES OF MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITS
metal sulfides. Surface oxidation of such deposits will be
affected by the amount of pyrite present. Oxidized The molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana can
outcrops may be weakly limonitic, if pyrite content is low, be grouped in three distinctive ages. There are thirteen
or more strongly limonitic and jarositic if pyrite content Tertiary deposits, thirty of apparent Laramide age, and
is higher. Oxide molybdenum minerals, such as ferri- probably five from pre-Laramide time. Each time interval
molybdite may be present, but not conspicuously. Many will be discussed individually.
surface outcrops are depleted in molybdenum through
either oxidation or leaching or because of surface Tertiary
mechanical depletion of soft molybdenite. It is not
uncommon, therefore, to drill oxidized outcrops and find The Tertiary molybdenum deposits are all within two
better-grade molybdenum beneath, although supergene very restricted age groups. The deposits in the Idaho
enhancement is not usually expected. Some examples porphyry belt are upper Eocene, 41 to 44 m.y. The
cited in this discussion include Liver Peak, CUMO, remainder of the deposits, that have been dated, are lower
Thompson Creek, Cannivan Gulch, and Stewart Gulch. middle Eocene, 48 to 50 m.y. and occur in both states.
The presence of molybdenum in surface outcrop is, They share some common geologic characteristics. Some
therefore, more important than its grade at the weathered deposits are broadly in the area of similar aged volcanic
surface in evaluating a molybdenum prospect, regardless fields, for example, the Challis Volcanic field of central
of alteration. Outcrops with consistent values as low as 50 Idaho. Such deposits appear to occur in an extensional
ppm Mo over a significant area should be drilled, tectonic regime.
15
All the referenced deposits appear to be granite. Four marily in the allochthonous terrane east of the Bitterroot
have been drilled sufficiently for a resource estimate, lobe are the largest concentration of deposits in this two
including the CUMO deposit which may be the largest in state area. The deposits are east of the Bitterroot Valley,
the entire group. Also interesting is that all the deposits in south of the Lewis and Clark Line, north of the southern
Montana, including three with tonnage estimates, are edge of the Bitterroot lobe (north of Dillon, Montana), and
north of the Lewis and Clark Line. This may suggest that limited to the east by the thrust front of the Montana
the molybdenum endowment of Tertiary molybdenum disturbed belt (Eardley, 1951, p. 294-297, Figure 166;
deposits is significantly greater than that of older deposits. Clapp, 1932). This area includes the Sapphire block of
There are, however, about three times as many older Hyndman, to be discussed further, and several important
known occurrences. The Tertiary deposits may be scarcer smaller batholiths: the Boulder, Philipsburg, Pioneer, and
and would be more difficult to find, but they may be Tobacco Root. The deposits thus exist in a compressional
better targets. tectonic regime.
Laramide The group of molybdenum deposits in Montana, east

of the Bitterroot lobe, is a surprising concentration of
The Laramide deposits are the largest group in this twenty-four deposits, including two large ones, Cannivan
discussion. They are all granodiorite as far as is presently Gulch and Stewart Gulch. The area, about 65 miles by 125
known. Few deposits have dates on the mineralization, miles and trending approximately eastward, is bounded by
and some have dates on the host intrusions, but all are in north- and northwest-trending geologic structures. It is not
or associated with intrusives generally considered to be related to northeastward-trending structural features as has
Laramide. Most of the deposits are in the Idaho been suggested by others (Foster and Childs, 1993;
batholithic terrane and its eastern extension in Montana. Armstrong and others, 1978). The area just described is of
They are mostly associated with smaller batholiths or considerable size, not thoroughly explored, and highly
stocks east of the main batho-lith. The deposits are all favorable for new molybdenum discoveries.
south of the Lewis and Clark Line (Billingsley and Locke,
1941, p. 44; Calkins and Jones, 1914) except two in the Two subgroups of deposits are within the area in
Montana alkalic province (Lindsey and Fisher, 1985) and Montana. The first one, near Philipsburg, Montana, con-
four in the Kaniksu batholith terrane (Kirkham and Ellis, tains several deposits, including Stewart Gulch. It lies
1926). These six deposits are probably not related to the within and east of the Sapphire Mountains and the
Idaho batholith. Sapphire block of Hyndman. Recent studies conducted as
a part of Wilderness appraisals (Wallace and others, 1999)
The Idaho batholith is described by Hyndman and allow for a possible better definition of some geologic
others (various references) to be east of a Jurassic- relationships. Wallace and others (1999) describe the
Cretaceous subduction zone now in the approximate Sapphire thrust plate between the Idaho and Boulder
position of the western Idaho border. The batholith is batholiths as being composed of large flat thrust slices,
bounded to the east by a system of folds and thrusts mainly of the massive quartzites of the Missoula Group.
extending as far east in Montana as the Lombard thrust These thrust slices were then folded and broken by a
east of the Boulder batholith and the Tobacco Root younger event of complex imbricate thrusts, all still in
batholith. The Idaho batholith has been divided into two Laramide time. Wallace and others (1989, p. 28) offer a
segments: the Atlanta lobe, entirely in Idaho, and the map of these relationships that shows the flattish folded
Bitterroot lobe, mostly in Montana (Armstrong, 1975). thrusts west of Anaconda, and the imbricate zone to the
Both lobes appear to be compositionally similar, but the north and east. It would appear that all the known
Atlanta lobe is older. The ages are 100-75 m.y. for the molybdenum occurrences are in the flattish, folded zone.
Atlanta lobe and 80-70 m.y. for the Bitterroot lobe The relative ages of the folding, thrusting, and intrusive
(Armstrong and others, 1977). Few deposits are known in activity are not known with certainty. The second subgroup
either lobe, except for the Idaho porphyry belt deposits, of deposits includes those at the north end and to the west
which are in cross-cutting Tertiary intrusives. A few of the Pioneer batholith (including Cannivan Gulch).
scattered copper prospects are reported in the Bitterroot Mapping is not sufficiently detailed to speculate on similar
lobe (Greenwood and Morrison, 1973), and they may be relationships to those at Philipsburg, although it would not
associated with metamorphic inclusions. be a poor assumption.
The Laramide molybdenum deposits that are pri- The Laramide deposits are the most numerous in this
16
discussion and are also the most diverse geologically. One and compressional tectonics. The Tertiary molybdenum
group, called “Belt Terrane,” has not been considered deposits are Eocene and probably related to similarly aged
previously as a group. These deposits are broadly similar, volcanic fields in extensional terranes. All are either north
and their most common characteristic is widespread, but of the Lewis and Clark Line or in the area of the Atlanta
weak, anomalous molybdenum (5-10 ppm Mo) in Belt lobe, and all are granite types. There is no obvious
quartzites. Several have been drilled to shallow depths but explanation for the geographic division of Tertiary granite
have not proven to contain higher concentrations. Deep types and Cretaceous granodiorite types. The change in
drilling at Liver Peak, however, was successful, and they tectonic regime might suggest shallower emplacement for
must remain intriguing, if not high priority, targets. The the granite (Tertiary) deposits. There are many more
same can be said for many of the smaller intrusion-hosted deposits of Laramide or older age than those of Tertiary
deposits. The most interesting category must be the skarn- age. A larger percentage of the Tertiary deposits have been
hosted deposits, where important tonnages are indicated drilled sufficiently to have a resource estimate, including
at Cannivan Gulch and Stewart Gulch. CUMO, the largest though a low-grade deposit. There-fore,
there may be greater total molybdenum endowment in the
In both cases, the original target was intrusive hosted Tertiary.
mineralization, but the mineralization in skarn could not
be ignored. The porphyries at Stewart Gulch are also a Without regard to political considerations, three
highly differentiated sequence suggestive of a granite significant areas of numerous deposits should deserve
deposit. The porphyries have not been dated. exploration attention. The first is defined by Thompson
Creek and Little Boulder Creek in a belt of middle
Pre-Laramide Paleozoic sediments and small plutons near the margin of
the Atlanta lobe. Unfortunately, this area is withdrawn
The pre-Laramide group contains two large deposits, from mineral entry south of the Salmon River. Some of the
which have been dated, and three smaller occurrences in northern part around Thompson Creek and perhaps to the
similar geologic environments. The ages for Thompson northwest still can be explored and should have good
Creek and Little Boulder Creek range from 88 to 84 m.y. priority. The Pioneer batholith and surrounding sediments
These ages are typical of about a dozen ages in the 90 to in Montana are another priority area. The third would be
80 m.y. range cited by Fisher and others (1992) for the the Philipsburg, Mount Royal, Mount Powell, and Miners
Stanley-White Cloud Peaks region at the east margin of Gulch plutons with surrounding middle and lower
the Atlanta lobe. The remaining three of the pre-Laramide Paleozoic sediments in Montana.
deposits are also at the batholithic margin to the northwest
of Thompson Creek. The relationship of these deposits to As another part of a final generalization, it must be
the thrust terrane farther to the east (Ruppel, 1978) is not admitted that the clarion call of promoters of worthless and
mapped in as much detail as in Montana, so the sometimes not so worthless prospects is that the ore gets
relationships are less certain. Significantly, two of the better with depth. While this is all too often a pipe dream,
deposits are large, indicating that all three age we must recognize that molybdenum porphyry systems
subdivisions are capable of producing large deposits. have large vertical extent, and drilling deeper into
molybdenum porphyry systems has paid handsome returns
in some well-known cases. Perhaps, it would not be
CONCLUSIONS AND economically sound to recommend drilling every molyb-
denum porphyry prospect to extreme depths. It is also true
EXPLORATION PRIORITIES
that we do not have sufficiently definitive criteria, beyond
All of the molybdenum deposits in Montana that are the concepts discussed herein, to select the ultimate
Laramide in age and south of the Lewis and Clark Line winners from a large group of prospects. It is incon-
are directly associated with the Bitterroot lobe of the trovertible, however, that such deep drilling has some-
Idaho batholith and are near its east margin or farther east times been very rewarding; it cannot be ignored that of all
associated with other smaller, related plutons. The of the deposits that have had more than a few thousand feet
molybdenum deposits in Idaho that are pre-Laramide in of drilling, most have shown significant increases in grade
age are all on or near the east margin of the Atlanta lobe. with depth. The courage to recommend deep drilling must,
Both groups are granodiorite. The time of emplacement of therefore, be a part of the potentially successful exploration
these deposits is near the end of batholithic emplacement manager’s equipment.
17
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Balla, J.C., and R.G. Smith, 1980, Geology of the Little
Boulder Creek deposit, Custer County, Idaho (abs.):
A compilation such as this is obviously not the work U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-355,
of a single person operating independently. It is the result p. 246-247.
of over forty years of intermittent effort with numerous Baty, B., 1976, Fission track age dates from three granitic
companies as an employee and as a consultant. During plutons in the Flint Creek Range, Granite County,
this time, associates and friends have helped formulate Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 5, p. 34-41.
many of the concepts discussed herein. These people Bennett, E.H., 1980, Granitic rocks of Tertiary age in the
include, but are not limited to, Charles C. Goddard, Idaho batholith and their relation to mineralization:
Richard W. Thomssen, Eberhard A. Schmidt, Richard W. Economic Geology, v. 75, no. 2, p. 278-288.
Woodcock, John M. Guilbert, David Jonson, Daniel B. Bennett, E.H., and C.R. Knowles, 1983, Tertiary plutons
Robertson, Robert G. Blair, and Henry T. Eyrich. In and related rocks in central Idaho, in D.H. McIntyre,
addition, Virginia S. Gillerman and Reed S. Lewis of the ed., Symposium on the Geology and Mineral De-
Idaho Geological Survey have been encouraging and posits of the Challis 1E x 2E quadrangle, Idaho: U.S.
patient as I have made revisions to meet the Survey’s Geological Survey Bulletin 1658, Chapter F, p. 81-96.
scientific and publishing standards. To all, I am Billingsley, P., and A. Locke, 1941, Structures of ore
immensely grateful, but reserve to myself any and all districts in the continental framework: American
responsibility for imperfections or inaccuracies that may Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers
remain in the manuscript. Transactions, v. 144, p. 9-64.
Calkins, F.C., and E.L. Jones, Jr., 1914, Economic geology
of the region around Mullan, Idaho, and Saltese,
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22

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Porphyry and Other Molybdenum

Deposits of Idaho and Montana

Idaho Geological Survey

Table 1. Molybdenum Deposits of Idaho and Montana ............................ 2

Figure 1. Porphyry molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana ............. 4

INTRODUCTION rences, such as the older (Jurassic) occurrences of

consists of the Sawtooth batholith, even though it is Red Mountain Prospect—45

Little Falls—1 Reference: Kiilsgaard and Bennett (1995, p. 131).

CUMO—2 West Eight Mile—37

Figure 1. Porphyry molybdenum deposits of Idaho and Montana.

Walton—8 Geology: A series of northwest-trending quartz huebner-

Ima—3 Location: Montana, Sanders County, 5 miles northeast of

Geology: Skarn mineralization, including tungsten, and a Bald Butte—5

Bentz—9 conformable veins containing silver and tungsten in Belt

Age: Laramide by analogy with nearby Cannivan Gulch Monaghan—39

Judith Peak-Red Mountain—23 Stewart Gulch—27

Laramide The group of molybdenum deposits in Montana, east

Professional Paper 1525, 39 p. belt, Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 4, p. 5-25.

Ruppel, E.T., C.A. Wallace, R.G. Schmidt, and D.A. p. 115-236.

molybdenum deposit, Custer County, Idaho: Geo-

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