The Wattamuse Creek (lode) is a gold 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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Wattamuse Creek (lode) MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Wattamuse Creek (lode)
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Mercury
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Silver
Location
State: Alaska
District: Goodnews Bay
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
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification.
Rocks
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 71.300000+-2.100000
Material Analyzed: Biotite
Age Young: Early Cretaceous
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Arsenopyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Exploration): Status = Active?
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = An Upper Cretaceous granitic stock underlies the head of Granite and Wattamuse Creeks (Hoare and Coonrad, 1978). This granodiorite to diorite stock hosts 1 inch- to 1-foot-thick quartz veins containing arsenopyrite, stibnite, pyrite, and some chalcopyrite. A soil-geochemical grid over about a 1/4- by 1/2-mile area straddling the ridge crest showed large areas of soil containing more than 100 ppb gold, and several areas containing more than 1,000 ppb gold (Calista Corporation, unpublished data). Individual grab samples collected for Calista Corporation contain up to 9.5 ppm Au, 14.9 ppm Ag, 17 percent As, 22 percent Sb, and 1,500 ppm Hg (Fechner, 1988, p. 58). The U. S. Bureau of Mines collected 19 grab samples of rocks in the headwaters of Wattamuse Creek. One of these, a composite grab sample collected in this prospect area, assayed 2.18 ounces of gold per ton, 6.6 ppm Ag, 2,850 ppm As, 400 ppm Bi, 40 ppm Sb, and 184 ppm W (Fechner, 1988, p. 58). Grab samples of quartz veins contained 1.25 to 5.3 ppm Au. The country rocks to the granitic stock locally include mafic rocks; a sample of mafic rock containing arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite assayed 17.4 ppm Ag, 3.3 ppm Au, 0.13 percent As, 30 ppm Bi, and 0.19 percent Cu (Fechner, 1988, p. 58).
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Fechner, 1988
Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = A soil geochemistry grid, selected rock sampling, and probably surface mapping has been completed on the prospect (Calista Corporation, unpublished data).
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Granitic rock-hosted epithermal gold/silver
Comment (Geology): Age = Late Cretaceous or younger. A K/Ar age for the host granitic stock is 71.3 +/- 2.1 Ma on biotite (Hoare and Coonrad, 1978).
References
Reference (Deposit): Fechner, S.A., 1988, Bureau of Mines mineral investigation of the Goodnews Bay mining district, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 1-88, 230 p.
Reference (Deposit): Hoare, J.M., and Coonrad, W.L., 1978, Geologic map of the Goodnews and Hagemeister Island quadrangles region, southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-9-B, two sheets, scale 1:250,000.
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