Nonferrous Metallic Minerals Reports

The MN DNR's Division of Lands and Minerals conducts metallic minerals resource projects in order to perform in the following duties:

• Mineral Asset Management for School Trust Mineral Lands: Identify, describe, and designate School Trust mineral lands that have valuable metallic mineral deposits.
• State Mineral Lease Administration:  Promote and market, on a global scale, the mineral land assets to attract private capital investment to perform the high-cost and high-risk ventures of mineral resource exploration, discovery, and development. Provide technical knowledge of mineral resources and geology before, during, and after the mineral leasing process.  Acquire and manage in a spatial Geographic Information System (GIS) format the state mineral lease technical mineral information about the mineral assets and mineral potential. Use that information to prioritize, promote, and protect the state mineral assets. 
• Represent the Trusts to Protect Trust Mineral Rights During all Land Transactions: Perform mineral potential reviews of all Trust land transactions, usually where the mineral resources are unknown, to identify and protect the high mineral potential areas that are likely to attract private exploration investment in the future. DNR faces conflicting responsibilities, but must represent the best interest of the Trust and protect it from land designations that would diminish or limit the Trust asset value. Trust mineral rights potentially represent billions of dollars of future Trust royalty revenue. 

Listed here are tables of published and open-file metallic mineral projects since 1976 sorted by project type.

Many of these projects are available digitally for download as seen in the 'Link' heading farthest on the right. In addition, by clicking on the project's 'Link' there is general information about the project. If there is no digital data available there is an email link to contact us for more information.

By clicking to download any of the MN DNR digital reports or data provided here you agree to have read the MN DNR's data disclaimer. 

 

Drill Core Evaluation

Year	Project Title	Sub-Project	Link
2010	Open-File Project 378: Koochiching County International Falls Greenstone Drill Core Assays	Examination & Assay	Map, Data, & Presentation
2008	Open-File Project 373: St. Louis County Vermilion Greenstone Drill Core Assays	Examination & Assay	Data & Presentation
1991	Report 278: Archean Drill Core Description and Assay in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota; discussion and analysis of 45 drill cores from T157N R33W & 34W, T158N R33W & 34W, T159N R33W & 36W, T160N R31W & 36W; references; 180 pages.	Examination & Assay	Report and Data
1989	Report 264: 1988-1989 Geodrilling Report; Hubbard, Becker, Koochiching, Beltrami & St. Louis counties; T58N R14W, T67N R24W, T141N R36W, T142N R35W & R37W, T153N R27W, T155N R26W & 27W, T156N R36W; references; 115 pages.	Examination & Assay	Report & Data
1989	Report 255-1/265/266: 1988-1989 Drill Core Repository Sampling Project: 255-1 Duluth Complex, 265 Soudan Mine, 266 Archean Greenstone); analysis of drill core from Duluth complex,Soudan mine, & greenstone terranes; references; 343 pages, 2 plates.	Examination & Assay	Report, Maps, and Data
1987	Report 255: Drill Core Evaluation for Platinum Group Mineral Potential of the Basal Zone of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota; evaluation of selected drill cores from Duluth complex for PGE, T57N-62N R11W-14W; references; 138 pages, 3 plates.	Examination & Assay	Report and Maps
1987	Report 251: 1986-1987 Geodrilling Report; DNR Drill Core from T46N R25W, T46N R28W, T52N R15W, T59N R12W, T56N R14W, T57N R12W; references; 179 pages.	Examination & Assay	Report
1985	Report 242: 1984-1985 Geodrilling Report; DNR Drill Core from T70N-71N R23W, T52N R15W, T55N R13W, T56N R18W, T57N R13W, T57N R11W, T59N R9W, T60N R10W-11W; references; 75 pages, 17 plates (microfiche).	Examination & Assay	Report and Maps

 

Geochemistry

Year	Project Title	Sub-Project	Link
2013	Open-File Project 392: Regional Survey of Gold in Till, Cook Area, St. Louis County, Minnesota.	Gold in Till	Map and Data
2011	Open-File Project 385: Geochemical Survey on Public Lands in the International Falls Area, Koochiching County, Minnesota.	Gold in Till	Maps, Data, & Reports
2010	Open-File Project 379: Regional Survey of Gold in Till, Archean Greenstone Belt, Northeastern Itasca County.	Gold in Till	Map, Data, and Presentation
2009	Report 376: Minnesota Lake Sediment Geochemistry Surveys; Report 73 pages; Appendix A 4 pages; GIS Datasets-MN DNR Collection & U.S. Steel Collection.	Lake Sediment Compilation	Report & Data
2009	Open-File Project 372: Gold in Till Survey, Vermilion District, St. Louis County, MN.	Gold in Till	Data & Presentation
2005	Report 365: Glacial Till Sampling in the Vermilion Greenstone Belt, Northeastern Minnesota; 85 pages; GIS data, tables, figures, and appendices.	Gold in Till	Report and Data
1999	Report 330: Results of a Mobile Metal Ion Geochemical Study near Birchdale, North West Koochiching County, Northern Minnesota.	Mobile Metal	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1995	Report 314: A Limited Survey of Selected Kimberlite Indicator Minerals from Glaciofluvial Sediments Across Minnesota; 34 pages.	Glacial Drift for Kimberlite Indicators	Report and Data
1997	Report 318: Mineral Potential Study Greenstone Belt Boulder Tracing Twp. 60-65N R11-27W Ely Bigfork Area; 60 pages.	Glacial Drift - Gravel Pits	Report and Data
1994	Report 308: Platinum, Palladium and Gold Distribution in B-Horizon Soils in the Northwestern Part of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota; A cooperative project with the United States Geological Survey; 15 pages.	Soil	Report and Data
1994	Report 296: Soil Geochemistry Survey (B-Horizon) in Linden Grove Area.	Soil	Report and Data
1997	Report 284-1: An Interpretation of the Results of a Study of Heavy Minerals in Minnesota Northeastern Provenance Glaciofluvial Sediments; 100 pages.	Glacial Drift	Report and Data
1992	Report 284: Chemical and Mineralogical Analyses and Geological Characteristics of Heavy Minerals from Glaciofluvial Sediments in Minnesota: Test and Pilot Study Data; Open-File Report 284; 100 pages.	Glacial Drift	Report and Data
1991	Report 280: Regional Survey of Buried Glacial Drift, Saprolite and Precambrian Bedrock in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota; T157N-158N R32W-35W, T159N-160N R31W-36W; references; 202 pages, 2 plates. (Digital data set available).	Glacial Drift	Report, Maps, & Data
1989	Report 263: A Regional Geochemical Survey of Glacial Drift Drill Samples Over Archean Terrane in the Effie Area, Northern Minnesota; T149N-151N R25W-27W, T61N-65N R25W-27W, Itasca & Koochiching counties; 382 pages (two volumes), 2 plates.	Glacial Drift	Report, Maps, & Data
1989	Report 262: 1989 Glacial Drift Geochemistry for Strategic Minerals; T59N-61N R7W-11W; references, element contour maps; 275 pages (two volumes), 3 plates. Tabular data converted to GIS data in 2010.	Glacial Drift	Report, Maps, & Data
1988	Report 252: Regional Survey of Buried Glacial Drift Geochemistry Over Archean Terrane in Northern Minnesota; 9 Twps in Koochiching & St. Louis counties; 386 pages (two volumes), 2 auxiliary plates. Digital data and sample list available.	Glacial Drift	Report, Maps, and Data
1986	Report 246: Esker Prospecting Over the Duluth Complex in Northeastern Minnesota; stream sediment exploration techniques for Pt-Pd, Au-Ag, Ti, Cr, Cu & Ni; references; 26 pages, 1 plate.	Glacial Drift & Stream	Report, Maps, and Data
1986	Report 241-4: Lithogeochemistry of Keweenawan Igneous Rocks: A final Report to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.	Keenawan Igneous Rocks	Report
1985	Report 241-1: Saline Waters as Indicators of Economic Mineralization; report on 21 wells in Cook, Lake & St. Louis counties, portions near Lake Superior; 38 pages.	Water Well	Report
1985	Report 236-2: Reconnaissance Scale Well Water Geochemical Survey of Central Minnesota; portions of Pine, Carlton, Aitkin, & Crow Wing counties; references, element maps; 36 pages, 12 plates (microfiche).	Water Well	Report and Maps
1985	Report 236: Lake Sediment Geochemical Survey of East-Central Minnesota; reconnaissance scale organic-rich lake sediment geochemical survey in Cass, Crow Wing, Aitkin & Carlton counties; references, element maps; 32 pages, 12 plates (microfiche).	Lake Sediment	Report, Maps, and Data
1982	Report 171: Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Survey of Portions of Lake and St. Louis Counties, Minnesota; references; 31 pages, 11 plates (microfiche).	Lake Sediment	Reports, Maps, and Data
1979	Map Set 152: Organic-Rich Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Pilot Survey of Southern Crow Wing and Morrison Counties, Central Minnesota; 1 map.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1979	Map Set 151: Chemical Analysis of Samples from McComber Mine, St. Louis County, Minnesota; 1 map.	Chemical Analysis	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Map Set 148: Pilot Survey of Uranium in Organic-Rich Lake Sediment, Ely Region, Northeastern Minnesota; 2 maps, 1 data sheet.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1982	Report 138-2: Lake Sediment Geochemical Survey of Cook County, Minnesota; references; 39 pages, 11 plates on microfiche.	Lake Sediment	Report and Data
1977	Map Set 138: Organic-Rich Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Pilot Survey, Cook County, Minnesota; 2 maps, 1 data sheet.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Map Set 134: Burntside Lake Area--Gyttja Lake Sediment Geochemical Survey; 3 maps.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Map Set 117-1: Organic-Rich Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Pilot Survey, Aitkin County, Minnesota; 2 maps, 1 data sheet.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Report 109: Pilot Study on Stream Sediment Exploration Geochemistry, Filson Creek, Lake County, Minnesota; T62N R10W-11W; 32 pages.	Stream Sediment	Report
1978	Report 108-3: Pilot Study on A-Horizon Soil Exploration Geochemistry, Birch Lake Area, Lake County, Minnesota; T61N-62N R11W; 9 pages.	Soil	Report
1977	Report 108-2: Pilot Study on Soil Exploration Geochemistry, Birch Lake Area, Lake County, Minnesota; T61N-62N R11W; 19 pages.	Soil	Report
1977	Report 108-1: Pilot Study on Peat Exploration Geochemistry, Birch Lake Area, Lake County, Minnesota; T61N R11W; references; 10 pages.	Peat	Report
1976	Report 104: Preliminary Report on Nineteen Digestion Methods Tested on Various Geochemical Sample Medias; 17 pages.	Geochemistry - Methodologies	Report
1977	Map Set 73-3: Gyttja Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Survey of Lake Vermilion-Burntside Lake-Ely Area, St. Louis and Lake Counties, Minnesota; 11 maps.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1980	Report 73-3-1: Gyttja Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Survey of E. L. Vermilion-Ely Area, St.Louis Co. and Lake Co., MN; organic-rich lake sediment survey in T61N-63N R11W-16W; element maps & references; 22 pages.	Lake Sediments	Report and Data
1977	Map Set 71-3: Organic-Rich Lake Sediment Exploration Geochemical Pilot Survey, Itasca County, Minnesota; 2 maps, 1 data sheet.	Lake Sediment	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1976	Report 36-7: Exploration Geochemistry of Quaternary Deposits in Northwestern Koochiching County, Minnesota; discussion of till & soil sampling in T158N-160N, R25W-30W; references; 69 pages.	Glacial Drift	Report

 

Geophysics

Year	Project Title	Sub-Project	Link
1991	Report 290: Aeromagnetic Interpretation Pseudo-Geologic Maps, with Evaluation, in Lake of the Woods and Lake Counties, Minnesota; Baudette area: T157N-160N R33W, McDougal Lakes area: T59N-61N R9W-11W; references; 132 pages, 4 plates.	Aeromagnetic	Report, Maps, and Data
1989	Report 281-1-2: Aeromagnetic Data Interpretation Baudette Area, Minnesota for the MN DNR. By Allan Spector and Associates Limited, Toronto, Ontario, June, 1989.	Aeromagnetic	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1989	Report 281-1-1: Aeromagnetic Data Interpretation for the McDougal Lakes Area, Duluth Complex, Lake County, MN, June 1989. For MN DNR by Robert J Ferderer.	Aeromagnetic	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Map Set 149: Geophysical and Geochemical Surveys of Indus School Site, Northwestern Koochiching County, Minnesota; 1 map, 15 data sheets.	Mineral Evaluation, NW Koochiching County, MN	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1978	Map Set 146: Geophysical Surveys of an Area Southwest of Indus, Koochiching County, Minnesota; 7 map sheets.	Geophysics	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Report 107: Geophysical and Geochemical Survey, Skeleton Lake Area, St. Louis County, Minnesota; discussion of EM & magnetics, organic lake & stream sediments in T61N R14W; 6 pages (includes 6 map sheets).	Mineral Evaluation, Skeleton Lake Area, St. Louis County, MN	Report, Maps, and Data
1977	Report 93: Mineral Resources of a Portion of the Duluth Complex and Adjacent Rocks in St. Louis and Lake Counties, Northeastern Minnesota; Cu-Ni resource estimate for 42 sq. miles in T57N-62N R10W-14W; references; 49 pages.	Mineral Evaluation, Duluth Complex	Report
1977	Map Set 41: Geologic and Geophysical Surveys in the Manitou Rapids Area, Koochiching County, MN; 4 maps, 23 sheets of geophysical data.	Geophysical - Various Types	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1976	Report 36-8: Geophysical Surveys Conducted in Northwestern Koochiching County, Minnesota; brief discussion of EM, resistivity, IP and magnetic results in T159N R25W-27W; 10 pages.	Geophysical - Various Types	Report

 

Mineral Evaluations

Date	Project Title	Sub-Project	Link
1999	Report 326: Bedrock and Glacial Drift Mapping for Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide and Lode Gold Alteration in the Vermilion-Big Fork Greenstone Belt: Parts A and B.	Greenstone	Report and Data
1993	Report 313: Compendium of Mineral Information, East-Central Minnesota. 33 pages.	Minerals Evaluation, East-Central Minnesota	Report
1997	Report 295-2: Compilation of Metallic Mineral Potential Databases for Analysis Using Geographic Information Systems.	Mineral Data Compilation, Central Minnesota	Reports and Data
1993	Report 295: Reconnaissance Mineral Potential Evaluation, Central Minnesota, Open File Report; 2 volumes.	Mineral Evaluation, Central Minnesota	Reports
1986	Report 241-2: Relationship of Structural Geology of the Duluth Complex to Economic Mineralization; 165 pages, 7 plates.	Mineral Evaluation, Duluth Complex	Report and Maps
1985	Report 231: A Compilation of Ore Mineral Occurrences, Drill Core, and Testpits in the State of Minnesota; literature search on publicly reported mineral occurrences; 360 pages, 4 plates.	Mineral Occurrences, Statewide	Reports, Maps, and Data
1981	Report 201: Geological, Geophysical, and Geochemical Surveys of Lake, St. Louis and Cook Counties, Minnesota: for the 1980 Drilling Project; various locations in T50N-63N R3E-14W; 13 pages, 12 plates (microfiche).	Mineral Evaluation, Northeastern Minnesota	Reports and Maps
1978	Map Set 153: Mineral Compilation of Eastern Marshall County, Minnesota; 2 maps.	Mineral Compilation, Marshall County, MN	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1978	Map Set 143 Mineral Compilation of Eastern Roseau County, Minnesota; 2 maps.	Mineral Compilation, Eastern Roseau County, MN	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1977	Report 132-1: Mineral Evaluation of the Lake Superior Region of Northeastern Minnesota - A Progress Report on Field Surveys; 6 pages.	Mineral Evaluation, Field Surveys	Report and Data
1976	Map Set 87: Mineral Compilation of Southwestern Koochiching County, Minnesota; 2 maps.	Mineral Compilation, SW Koochiching County, MN	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1976	Map Set 86: Mineral Compilation of Southern Beltrami County, Minnesota; 3 maps.	Mineral Compilation, Southern Beltrami County, MN	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1976	Report 26: Sulfides in the Birchdale-Indus Area, Koochiching County, Minnesota; a discussion of the geophysics, geology and sulfide mineralization in T158N-160N, R26W-28W; references; 21 pages.	Mineral Evaluation, Koochiching County, MN	Report

 

Miscellaneous

Year	Project Title	Sub-Project	Link
2002	Report 353: Description of the Metamorphosed Virginia Formation at the Peter Mitchell Mine, Babbitt, Minnesota.	Evaluation	Not Yet Digital: Email for More Information
1997	Report 317: Ore Deposit Modelling of the Footwall Mineralization of the Duluth Complex.	Geologic Modeling of Cu-Ni-PGEs Ore Deposit	Report and Data
1991	Report 288: Private Data Acquisition; synopsis of effort to gather historical exploration data from non-government sources; 364 pages.	Compilation of Private Exploration Data	Report and Data
1989	Report 267: Minnesota Minerals Database Project: Report on Preliminary Systems Analysis; feasibility study towards creating an inter-agency, unified minerals database; 85 pages.	Minerals Database	Report

 

Disclaimer and Copyright Protection: Maps, Reports, Data, and Other Information - The State of Minnesota makes no representations or warranties express or implied, with respect to the use of the information contained herein regardless of its format or the means of its transmission. There is no guarantee or representation to the user as to the accuracy, currency, suitability, completeness, usefulness, or reliability of this information for any purpose. The user accepts the information “as is." The State of Minnesota assumes no responsibility for loss or damage incurred as a result of any user’s reliance on this information. All maps, reports, data, and other information contained herein are protected by copyright. Permission is granted to copy and use the materials herein for any lawful noncommercial purpose. Any user of this information agrees not to transmit or provide access to all or any part of this information to another party unless the user shall include with the information a copy of this disclaimer.