Wheeler Prospect

The Wheeler Prospect is a copper 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Wheeler Prospect
Secondary: Sherette Cr.

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Kougarok

Land Status

Land ownership: State
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

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: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Drag Folds Indicate E Transport Of Upper Thrust Plate

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: USGS BULLETIN 722, P. 214.
Analytical Data: 2.5 TONS OF SCHIST ORE TAKEN BELOW 25 FT DEPTH ASSAYED 1.82 OZ/TON AU, 5.16 OZ/TON AG, AND 17.18% CU
Analytical Data: ASSAY RETURNS ON ORE SHIPPED TO TACOMA SMELTER: 8 TONS OF MALACHITE-RICH SURFACE ORE TAKEN ABOVE 20 FT IN SHAFT CONTAINED NO AU, 0.33 OZ/TON AG, 35.68% CU, 7.60% FE AND 15.40% SILICA

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Development): MINED SOMETIME BEFORE 1920

Comment (Deposit): CHALCOPYRITE, BORNITE, AND PYRITE HEAVILY OXIDIZED TO MALACHITE, LIMONITE, AND AZURITE IN 5 FT THICK SILICIFIED ZONE IN CARBONATE UNIT OF THE BASE OF A TRHUST PLATE OVERRIDING SCHIST; ORE ZONE CONFORMABLE WITH ISOCLINALLY FOLDED BEDDING; MALACHITE AND LIMONITE-RICH SEAMS ARE 2-3 IN WIDE, QUARTZ VEINLETS COMMON; SILICIFICATION SELECTIVELY FOLLOWED VERTICAL JOINT SYSTEM TRENDING N 65 DEGREES E; THIN BANDS OF CHLORITIC SCHIST IN MARMARIZED LIMESTONE WERE PREFERENTIALLY REPLACED.

Comment (Workings): 200 FT (60 M) ADIT, 90 FT (27 M) SHAFT, AND SEVERAL SURFACE PITS; NOT ACCESSIBLE IN 1920; FIRST 25 FT OF SHAFT WAS IN MARBLE, BELOW 25 FT IN SCHIST, LAST 5 FT IN MARBLE.

Comment (Location): BRISKEY, J.A., 1983, UNPUB. ADMIN. REPORT (USGS), FIG. 10, LOC. SPB-2-82; NOTE: LOCATION GIVEN FOR THIS SITE IN ADGGS GC 18, FIG. 2, IS ABOUT 1/2 MILE SE. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Geology): BEDROCK IS MAPPED AS MIXED UNIT OF MARBLE AND SCHIST, CAMBRIAN-ORDOVICIAN IN AGE, USGS OFR 86-276. MARMARIZED LIMESTONE WITH THIN BANDS OF CHLORITIC SCHIST; THRUST OVER SCHIST.

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: DEP. NO. 6A. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Production): 24.5 TONS OF ORE SHIPPED PRIOR TO 1920.

References

Reference (Deposit): BRISKEY, J.A., 1983, PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGY, CLASSIFICATION, AND MINERAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF SOME BASE- AND PRECIOUS-METAL DEPOSITS IN THE BENDELEBEN AND SOLOMON AMRAP QUADRANGLES, SEWARD PENINSULA, ALASKA: UNPUB. USGS ADMIN. REPORT, P. 20-21, P. 44, FIG. 10, NO. SPB-2-82.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-MF-445-06

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 345, P. 242-243.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 722, P. 212, 214-215.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 1246, P. 118.

Reference (Deposit): ADGGS GC 18, P. 6-7, FIG. 2, NO. 1.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 1678, P. 1, 9.

Reference (Deposit): UFGS OFR 77-796-B, P. 24, LOC. 305.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OFR 78-1-C, P. 42.

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