Bonanza Creek (Beef claims)

Site Name

Primary: Bonanza Creek (Beef claims)

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Commodity

Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Tungsten
Secondary: Copper

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Yukon Flats and Koyukuk

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

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

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: W skarn

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Calc-silicate skarn.

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Rocks

Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 90.600000+-
Dating Method: K-Ar
Material Analyzed: Granite
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Associated granite pluton is part of the Kanuti batholith, which has a K-Ar age date of 90.6 Ma (Nokleberg and others, 1987).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Scheelite and molybdenite are reported to occur in modest amounts along the margin of the Kanuti batholith in the Bonanza Creek area (Clautice, 1983). The area studied includes a 30-square-mile project area which extends across the Beaver/Bettles quadrangle boundary. Scheelite is reported to occur most commonly as disseminated grains in a relatively sulfide-free pyroxene-garnet skarn and on fracture surfaces in calc-silicate schist, and less commonly in quartz veins. Molybdenite occurs typically as rosettes and small flakes in quartz veins associated with biotite quartz monzonite and less commonly in similar fashion with aplites, pegmatites, and calc-silicate rocks. Grab samples have returned values as high as 0.89 percent W, 300 grams Ag per ton, and 0.65 percent Cu. The granite pluton portion of the Kanuti batholith gave a K-Ar age of 90.6 Ma.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Some limited trenching in the area, but most of the exploration work has been just west of the Beaver quadrangle boundary.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Clautice, 1983

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = Calc-silicate minerals

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = W skarn deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 14a)

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Chronological age is for the associated granite pluton.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Clautice, K.H., 1987, Methods for finding and evaluating tungsten skarns, a case history of Bonanza Creek, Alaska: University of Alaska, Fairbanks, M.Sc. thesis, 120 p., 1 map, scale 1:20,275.

Reference (Deposit): Swainbank, R.C., Clautice, K.C., and Nauman, J.L., 1998, Alaska's Mineral Industry 1997: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 52, 65 p.

Reference (Deposit): Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

Reference (Deposit): Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Grybeck, D.J., Koch, R.D., Eremin, R.A., Rozenblum, I. S., Sidorov, A.A., Byalobzhesky, S.G., Sosunov, G.M., Shpikerman, V.I., Gorodinsky, M.E., 1993, Metallogenesis of mainland Alaska and the Russian Northeast: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 93-0339, 3 sheets, 230 p.

Reference (Deposit): Clautice, K.H., 1978, Mineral deposits of the Kanuti River area: a summary report: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 66-78, 15 p.

Reference (Deposit): Clautice, K.H., 1983, Geological sampling and magnetic surveys of a tungsten occurrence, Bonanza Creek area, Hodzana highlands, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 80-83, 80 p., 4 sheets.

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