Sheep Creek-West

The Sheep Creek-West is a copper, silver, 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: Sheep Creek-West

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Cadmium
Secondary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: McGrath

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: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sulfides are highly oxidized with conspicuous cerrusite, iron oxides, and malachite replacements.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Cerussite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Garnet

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Surface sampling was conducted by the reporter in 1981. Two chip-channel samples collected across a 3 meter width of the vein contained 0.85 percent copper, 1.01 percent lead, 0.58 percent zinc, 30 ppm cadmium, 86 grams/tonne silver, and 0.60 grams/tonne gold (Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = iron oxides

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Polymetallic vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 22c).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Sheep Creek-West prospect contains oxidized, sulfide mineralization in a steeply dipping, northeast-striking fault (?) zone, 2 to 3 meters wide that juxtaposes silty limestone against tan arkosic sandstone; both lithologies belong to the Lower to Upper Silurian Terra Cotta Mountains Sandstone, a formation within the Dillinger subterrane (Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997). The zone strikes northeast for a minimum distance of 135 meters and is marked by a distinctive notch along the steep sidehill. Sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite that are accompanied by a gangue of epidote, johannsenite, and garnet replace limestone in vug fillings and shear zones (Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982). Abundant malachite stain and replacements is locally abundant and a locally conspicuous feature along the fault zone. ? Two chip samples collected across about 3 meters of the zone contain up to 0.85 percent copper, 1.01 percent lead, 0.58 percent zinc, 30 ppm cadmium, 86 grams/tonne silver, and 0.60 grams/tonne gold (Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982). ? the vein appears to be spatially related to nearby polymetallic veins at the Dahl (MG053), and the Sheep Creek-South (MG057) prospects, within the Farewell Mineral Belt. The structurally controlled vein mineralization at the Sheep Creek-West prospect may be distally related to skarn mineralization observed throughout the Farewell Mineral Belt.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982

References

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Harris, E.E., and Gilbert, W.G., 1997, Geologic Map of the eastern McGrath quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 97-14, 34 pages, one sheet, scale 1:125,000.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Kline, J.T., and Clough, J.G., 1982, Preliminary geologic map of the McGrath B-2 quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File report 149, 22 pages, one sheet, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Reed, B.L. and Elliott, R.L., 1968, Geochemical anomalies and metalliferous deposits between Windy Fork and Post River, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 596, 22 pages.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the McGrath quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-379, 1 sheet, 1:250,000 scale.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-485, 101 p.

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