McKinley Lake mine, Rilley Group, Lucky Strike prospect, Bear Creek prospect (McKinley Lake gold camp)

The McKinley Lake mine, Rilley Group, Lucky Strike prospect, Bear Creek prospect (McKinley Lake gold camp) is a gold mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: McKinley Lake mine, Rilley Group, Lucky Strike prospect, Bear Creek prospect (McKinley Lake gold camp)

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Arsenic
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Copper River

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Siltstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary (51 Ma) based on the age of the mineralizing event (Goldfarb and others, 1992).

Comment (Production): Production Notes = 16 oz. Au and 9 oz. Ag apparently produced in the early 1900s (Schrader and Spencer, 1901).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Commodity): Ore Material = Gold (native)

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Chugach-type low sulfide Au-quartz veins (Bliss, 1992; Goldfarb and others, 1986)

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Site is in Chugach National Forest.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The deposits at this site consist of reportedly auriferous quartz veins in Tertary Orca Group sedimentary rocks adjacent to the 51.6 Ma McKinley Lake pluton (Winkler and Plafker, 1981). Schrader and Spencer (1901) report that the veins both parallel and cross-cut the bedding in the host rock. They also report large amounts of visible gold in the quartz. Haney and Jansons (1987) report three major quartz veins and quartz stockworks from a few inches up to 40 ft. thick. They note that the veins are parallel to bedding in the host rock. Minerals noted by them include pyrite, stibnite, and gold. Analyses of samples from two adits at McKinley Lake contained 0.005 to 0.107 oz. Au/ton and 0.2 oz. Ag/ton. Samples from the mill site contained 25-50 ppm Au and 2.6 ppm Ag (Jansons and others, 1984). Goldfarb and others (1992) report anomalous values of Ag, As, and Au in concentrate samples from streams draining the nearby granite stock. They consider the granite to be the heat source for the mineralizing event.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Haney and Jansons, 1987

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Five adits ranging from 18-569 ft.; one shaft and numerous open cuts. Ball mill on site.? Analyses of samples from two adits at McKinley Lake contained 0.005 to 0.107 oz. Au/ton and 0.2 oz. Ag/ton. Samples from the mill site contained 25-50 ppm Au and 2.6 ppm Ag (Jansons and others, 1984). Goldfarb and others (1992) report anomalous values of Ag, As, and Au in concentrate samples from streams draining the nearby granite stock.

References

Reference (Deposit): Jansons, Uldis, Hoekzema, R.B., Kurtak, J.M., and Fechner, S.A., 1984, Mineral occurrences in the Chugach National Forest, Southcentral Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 5-84, 218 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Haney, J.M., and Jansons, Uldis, 1987, Geology of the McKinley Lake gold area, Chugach National Forest, south-central Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 32-87, 40 p.

Reference (Deposit): Winkler, G.R., and Plafker, George, 1981, Geologic map and cross sections of the Cordova and Middleton Island quadrangles, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-1164, 24 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Bliss, J.D., 1992, Grade and tonnage model of Chugach-type low-sulfide Au-quartz veins: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2004, p. 44-46.

Reference (Deposit): Schrader, F.C., and Spencer, A.C., 1901, The geology and mineral resources of a portion of the Copper River district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Special Publication, 94 p.

Reference (Deposit): Goldfarb, R.J., Leach, D.L., Miller, M.L., and Pickthorn, W.J., 1986, Geology, metamorphic setting, and genetic constraints of epigenetic lode-gold mineralization within the Cretaceous Valdez Group, south-central Alaska, in Keppie, J.D., Boyle, R.W., and Haynes, S.J., eds., Turbidite-hosted gold deposits: Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 32, p. 87-105.

Reference (Deposit): Goldfarb, R.J., Case, J.E., Plafker, George, and Winkler, G.R., 1992, Maps showing areas of potential for mineral resources in the Cordova and Middleton Island 1 degree x 3 degree quadrangles, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2190, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Cordova quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-392, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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