Wattamuse Creek (lode)

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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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of soil containing more than 100 ppb gold, and several areas containing more than 1,000 ppb gold (Calista Corporation, unpublished data).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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