Unnamed (west of the Middle Fork Chandalar River)

The Unnamed (west of the Middle Fork Chandalar River) is a zinc and lead 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: Unnamed (west of the Middle Fork Chandalar River)

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Chandalar

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Mississippi Valley, S.E. Missouri Pb-Zn

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Chert
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Devonian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Detra, 1977

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Visible sphalerite and galena occur in a Cu-stained and quartz-veined chert (Menzie and others, 1985). The occurrence is at the upper contact zone of Devonian - Silurian(?) Skajit Limestone with overlying shales, sandstones and conglomerates of the Devonian Hunt Fork Shale and Beaucoup Formation. The chert occurs locally along this contact. The upper contact of the Skajit in this location is an unconformity that has been interpreted as a paleokarst surface. Analysis of a sample of the mineralization from this occurrence returned values of 2 percent Pb, 0.5 to 1percent Zn, [more than] 0.5percent Ba and 30 ppm Ag (Detra, 1977).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = One block of 15 lode claims staked by RAA in 1977. Semi-quantitative spectrographic data from a rock sample (sample number 76 ARR 47) from the site gave the following values: Ag (30 ppm), Ba (greater than 5,000 ppm), Cd (70 ppm), Cu (1,000 ppm), Pb (20,000 ppm), Sb (300 ppm), Zn (10,000 ppm). Zn by wet chemical analysis - 5,000 ppm (Detra, 1977, table 1).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Mississippi Valley Zn-Pb (?) (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 32a).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See also locations PS006 and PS007. Site is in an area of potential carbonate-hosted lead-zinc deposits (Menzie and others, 1985).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Dutro, J.T., Jr., 1978, Potential stratabound lead-zinc mineralization, Philip Smith Mountains quadrangle, Alaska, in Johnson, K. M., ed., The United States Geological Survey in Alaska, Accomplishments during 1977: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 772-B, p. B9-B11.

Reference (Deposit): Barker, J.C., 1978, Mineral Investigations of certain lands in the eastern Brooks Range: a summary report: US Bureau of Mines Open-File No. 63-78

Reference (Deposit): Detra, D.E., 1977, Delineation of an anomalous lead-zinc area in the Philip Smith Mountains A-2 quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-223, 11 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cathrall, J.B., Cooley, E.F., Detra, D.E., and O'Leary, R.M., 1977, A listing and statistical summary of spectrographic and chemical analysis of stream-sediment and rock samples from the Philip Smith Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-244, 79 p.

Reference (Deposit): Schmidt, J.M., 1997, Shale-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag and barite deposits of Alaska, in Goldfarb, R.J., and Miller, L.D., eds., Mineral Deposits of Alaska, 1997: Economic Geology Monograph 9, p. 35-65.

Reference (Deposit): Brosgi, W.P., Reiser, H. N., Dutro, J. T., Jr., and Detterman, R. L., 1979, Bedrock geologic map of the Philip Smith Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-879-B, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Menzie, W.D., Reiser, H.N., Brosgi, W.P., and Detterman, R.L., 1985, Map showing distribution of mineral resources (excepting oil and gas) in the Philip Smith Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Investigations Map MF-879-C, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Maas, K.M., 1987, Availability of land for Mineral exploration and development in northern Alaska, 1986: U.S. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 34 p., 33 sheets.

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