Drenchwater--East

The Drenchwater--East is a lead and zinc 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: Drenchwater--East

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Barium-Barite
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Colville

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: Sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification of minor carbonate layers in shale may be diagenetic.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = K-Ar ages of 319+10 and 330+17 Ma were obtained from biotite from a volcanic interbed within the mineralized belt; a Pb-isotope model age of 200 Ma was obtained from galena.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Nokleberg and Winkler (1982)

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Lode; sediment-hosted Pb-Zn

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Apparently stratiform deposit of disseminated fine-grained galena, sphalerite, and pyrite, minor barite, and rare fluorite in black chert, and siliceous shale of the Mississippian to Lower Pennsylvanian(?) Kuna Formation of the Lisburne group. Sporadic occurrences of sphalerite and galena occur in a zone that extends about 1.25 mi (2 km) west-northwest from this locality parallel to the strike of bedding. Main discovery rubblecrop is semi-massive sulfide with quartz gangue. Sulfides probably syngenetic. Interbedded felsic to intermediate(?) composition volcanic rocks lie north of mineralized zone; stratigraphic top not known so Pb-Zn mineralization may either underlie or overlie the volcanic section. Some sulfides also present as fracture fillings and in boxwork silica. Area imbricated by thrust faults of various displacements (Nokleberg and Winkler, 1982).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Samples contain >10,000 ppm Zn, 1000 ppm Pb, 700 ppm Ba, and 20 ppm Ag (Nokleberg and Winkler, 1982, p. 16).

References

Reference (Deposit): Nokleberg, W.J., and Winkler, G.R., 1982, Stratiform zinc-lead deposits in the Drenchwater Creek area, Howard Pass quadrangle, northwestern Brooks Range, Alaska; U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1209, 22 p., 2 over-size plates, scale 1:19,800

Reference (Deposit): Nokleberg, W.J., and Winkler, G.R., 1978, Stratiform zinc-lead mineralization, Drenchwater Creek area, Howard Pass quadrangle, western Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 772-B, p. B15-B17

Reference (Deposit): Churkin, M. Jr., Mayfield, C.F., Theobald, P.K., Barton, H., Nodleberg, W.J., Winkler, G.R., and Huie, C., 1978, Geological and geochemical appraisal of metallic mineral resources, southern National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-70A, 82 p.

Reference (Deposit): Jansons, Uldis, 1982, Zinc-lead occurrences in and near the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report MLA 121-82, 55 p.

Reference (Deposit): Mayfield, C.F., Curtis, S.M., Ellersieck, I., and Tailleur, I.L., 1979, The Ginny Creek zinc-lead-silver and Nimiuktuk barite deposits, northwestern Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 804-B, p. B11-B12.

Reference (Deposit): Jansons, Uldis, and Baggs, D.W., 1980, Mineral investigations of the Misheguk Mountains and Howard Pass quadrangles, National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 38-80, 76 p.

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