Bachelor Creek

The Bachelor Creek 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: Bachelor Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Circle

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

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Gravel on a low bench east of the stream was sluiced in 1910 (Cobb, 1973, p. 123, [B 1374]). A man recently reported finding a 1.2 ounce gold nugget on Bachelor Creek (Lampright, 1996, p.55).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Gravel on a low bench east of the stream was sluiced in 1910 (Cobb, 1973, p. 123, [B 1374]), however amount of production is unknown.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Smith and others, 1987; Lampright, 1996.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Gold reported on Preacher Creek in 1913 may have been on Loper or Bachelor Creek. Numerous claims staked on Preacher Creek in 1928 and 1976 to 1981. See also Loper Creek, ARDF no. CI035.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Traverses in the upper Bachelor Creek basin indicate that it is underlain, in part, by light gray or rusty-weathering felsic schists and quartzites and by abundant graphitic schist and quartzite. Sulfide minerals appear to be concentrated in stratiform layers, especially in the graphitic rocks. In some hand specimens, sulfides make up 15 to 20 percent of the rock. Pyrite is the most common sulfide, and chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite are present in many of the rocks. Pyrrhotite is common in the graphitic zones. Both felsic and graphitic schists contain elevated abundances of gold, copper and tungsten. The felsic schists and associated light-colored quartzites contain up to 240 ppb Au, 4300 ppm Cu, 2100 ppm As, 4 ppm Ag, 4.5 ppm Sb, 130 ppm Sb, 14 ppm Pb, 90 ppm Sn and 3100 ppm W. In these rocks gold correlates with copper, and to a lesser extent, with arsenic. High tungsten-tin values inversely correlate to gold-base metal values. Graphitic schists and quartzites are less well mineralized with concentrations of Au to 180 ppb, Cu to 1600 ppm and W to 110 ppm (T.E. Smith and others, 1987, p. 6-10 to 6-11).? Bedrock in the area is composed of both schist and granite porphyry. Bedrock schist is primarily quartz-mica, quartzitic, and carbonaceous. These Paleozoic and (or) Precambrian schists are cut by a 75 foot thick sill-like body of granite porphyry. The schistosity and sill strike N 60 E. Gravels are thin (7 to 8 feet thick) or absent and are thawed. Gravels are composed of schist, abundant vein quartz, and some granite porphyry clasts. The only gold occurrence reported is on a low, 20 foot thick gravel bench on the east side of the creek (Prindle, 1910, p. 208-209).? Gravel on a low bench east of the stream was sluiced in 1910 (Cobb, 1973, p. 123, [B 1374]). A man recently reported finding a 1.2 ounce gold nugget on Bachelor Creek (Lampright, 1996, p.55).

References

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M., 1910, Sketch of the geology of the northeastern part of the Fairbanks quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442-F, p. 203-209.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., and Parker, G.L., 1911, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 325 p.

Reference (Deposit): Lampright, R.L., 1996, Gold placer deposits near Fairbanks Alaska: Iron Fire Publications, Nederland, Colorado, 135 p.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., 1910, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 432 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1909, The mining industry in 1908: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-A, p. 21-62.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

Reference (Deposit): Menzie, W.D., Foster, H.L., Tripp, R.B., and Yeend, W.E., 1983, Mineral resource assessment of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-170-B, 61 p., 1 sheet, 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, T.E., Pessel, G. H., and Wiltse, M.A., 1987, Mineral assessment of the Lime Peak-Mt. Prindle area, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Paper 29, 712 p., scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Misc. Field Studies Map MF-391, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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