Unnamed (east of Billy Hawk Creek)

The Unnamed (east of Billy Hawk Creek) is a lead, copper, and silver 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 (east of Billy Hawk Creek)

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Shungnak

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
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: Pyrite is almost completely oxidized to limonite.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Miller and Ferrians, 1968

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Commodity): Ore Material = argentiferous galena

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Bedrock in the area of this occurrence consists of andesitic volcanic rocks of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous age, and quartz latite volcanic rocks of Late Cretaceous age, both of which are intruded by the Late Cretaceous Hawk River quartz monzonite. The older andesitic volcanics are thermally metamorphosed in the vicinity of the Hawk River pluton. Numerous fine-grained, pyritiferous, felsic dikes cut both the andesitic and quartz latite volcanics throughout this area. Pyrite-bearing, milky-white, vuggy, quartz veins cut the volcanics in a northwest-trending belt about 6.5 miles long by 1.5 mile wide. This belt parallels a zone of prominent, northwest-trending lineations and faults. The veins are narrow, appear to strike NE and dip steeply to the north. Locally they contain irregular segregations of argentiferous galena along with lesser chalcopyrite and malachite. Pyrite occurs in cubes up to one inch on a side and is almost completely oxidized to limonite. The galena is fresh and fills vugs and fissures along the edges of the veins. No galena or chalcopyrite were found in the volcanics, although the andesitic wallrock locally contains abundant pyrite. Grab samples contained up to 200 ppm Ag, 0.3 ppm Au, 3,000 ppm Cu, 20,000 ppm Pb, and 1,500 ppm Zn (Miller and Ferrians, 1968).

Comment (Geology): Age = Late Cretaceous or younger.

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

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The area was mapped by Miller and others (1966). Six rock samples and sixteen stream sediment samples were collected and analyzed by Miller and Ferrians (1968) during their field investigations. One hundred and fifty lode claims were staked in 1972 (Grybeck, 1977).

References

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., 1977, Known mineral deposits of the Brooks Range, Alaska: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-166C, 41 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Eberlein, G.D., Chapman, R.M., Foster, H.L., and Gassaway, J.S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168-D, 132 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Miller, T.P., Patton, W.W., and Lanphere, M.A., 1966, Preliminary report on a plutonic belt in west-central Alaska, in Geological Survey research in 1966: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 550-D, p. D158-D162.

Reference (Deposit): Miller, T.P. and Ferrians, O.J., Jr., 1968, Suggested areas for prospecting in the central Koyukuk River region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 570, 12 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in five quadrangles in west central Alaska (Hughes, Kotzebue, Melozitna, Selawik and Shungnak): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-627, 58 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources of the Shungnak quadrangle, Alaska: USGS Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-448, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in five quadrangles in west central Alaska (Hughes, Kotzebue, Melozitna, Selawik, Shungnak): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-627, 58 p.

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