Saddle

The Saddle is a 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: Saddle

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Lead

Location

State: Alaska
District: McGrath

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: Mississippi Valley, S.E. Missouri Pb-Zn

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Smithsonite and sulfide species altered to ferricrete by groundwater.

Rocks

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Silurian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Smithsonite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Dolomite

Comments

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Saddle prospect is underlain by a continuous sequence of laminated to thinly bedded, light to dark gray dolomite of the Lower to Middle Silurian Paradise Fork Formation (Dutro and Patton, 1982). Host units strike N 80 to 85 West and dip 55 degrees South. The bedded sequence hosting the smithsonite mineralization is underlain on the north and south by dolomitic shale beds of the Middle to Upper Telsitna Formation (Dutro and Patton, 1982). Mineralization occurs in a 10 foot ( 3m) wide by 20 feet (6 m) long Amphipora-bearing horizon of bedded dolomite containing smithsonite, secondary dolomite, ferricrete, and secondary calcite in solution breccia. Host rock age is Silurian, based on Amphipora sp. found in ore zone of Paradise Fork Formation (Blodgett, 1982). The age of the mineralization is unknown. . Soil sampling from surface exploration indicates a weak to moderate zinc anomaly extending in an east-west direction for about 1,200 feet (366 m). Three grab samples in the smithsonite-bearing solution breccia zone averaged 15.79 percent zinc with no appreciable lead (Schmidt, 1997).

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = ferricrete

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = secondary calcite

Comment (Geology): Age = Host rock age is Silurian, based on Amphipora found in ore zone of Paradise Fork Formation (Blodgett, 1982). The age of the mineralization is unknown.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Schmidt, 1997

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The Saddle prospect was discovered by WGM Inc. and Patino Ltd. during exploration for base metasls in the late 1970s. Intermittant exploration work was continued by Pasminco Ltd. until about 1989 (Schmidt, 1997). Soil sampling from surface exploration indicates a weak to moderate zinc anomaly extending in an east-west direction for about 1,200 feet (366 m). Three grab samples in the smithsonite-bearing solution breccia zone average 15.79 percent zinc and no appreciable lead (Schmidt, 1997).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See Soda Creek (MD056), Reef Ridge (MD055), Midway (MD046) and Bear Pass (MD044) prospects in Medfra Quadrangle.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Appalachian zinc (Cox and Singer ,1986; model no. 32b) or Mississippi Valley Type

References

Reference (Deposit): Dutro, T.T. Jr., and Patton,W.W. Jr., 1982, New Paleozoic Formations in the northern Kuskokwim Mountains, west-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1529-H, p. H13-H22.

Reference (Deposit): Blodgett, R.B., 1982, Stratigraphy of Reef Ridge project area: WGM Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, Reef Ridge Project area, Block 10, Doyon region: 34 pages.

Reference (Deposit): Anderson, G.M., and Macqueen, R.W., 1988, Mississippi Valley Type lead-zinc deposits, in Roberts, R.G., and Sheahan, P.A., eds., Ore deposit models: Geoscience Canada Reprint Series 3, Ottawa, Canada, p. 79-90.

Reference (Deposit): Schmidt, J.M., 1997, Shale-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag and barite deposits of Alaska, in Goldfarb, R.J., and Miller, L.D., eds., Mineral Deposits of Alaska, 1997: Economic Geology Monograph 9, p. 35-65.

Reference (Deposit): Patton, W.W., Jr., Moll, E.J., Dutro, J.T., Jr., Silberman, M.L., and Chapman, R.M., 1980, Preliminary geologic map of Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-811-A, 1 sheet, scale l:250,000.

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