Walsh Cut (Rock Creek)

The Walsh Cut (Rock Creek) 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: Walsh Cut (Rock Creek)

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Nome

Land Status

Not available

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:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Albitization.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Scorodite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Arsenopyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Albite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The character of the tailings indicates that there were at least two episodes of placer mining, one pre-1920 and the other possibly after World War II. Sheeted quartz veins projected northeast and southwest of the pit were explored by Placer Dome in 1987 and 1988 and by Kennecott Exploration Company in 1994. The locality was visited and mapped by Newmont Mining Company in about 1991 or 1992. At least 15 holes have been drilled to explore the sheeted vein trend northeast of the pit; in approximate southwest to northeast order, these include Placer Dome reverse circulation holes 88-077 and 083; 88-051, -052, and -067; 88-068, -069, and -070; 88-071, -073, and -074; and 88-089. Placer Dome drilled one core hole (88-039) in the drill fence with 071, 073, and 074. Newmont drilled one core hole adjacent to Placer Dome 88-068.

Comment (Geology): Age = Mid-Cretaceous; veins cross cut regionally metamorphosed schist; see NM207.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Small production of gold and probably some scheelite by hydraulic methods.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = This report

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = A hydraulic pit dating originally from before 1920 mined a residual placer developed on complex gold-arsenic deposits on the side hill above and southeast of Sophie Gulch. A narrow and irregular zone of northeast-trending sheeted quartz veins, subparallel to those of the Rock Creek deposit (NM207), underlies part of the pit. The pit walls also expose early arsenopyrite-albite zones localized by northwest-trending faults (?) and by nearly recumbent isoclinal folds whose axes trend northwest. The general northeasterly trend of the sheeted veins was explored by Placer Dome in 1987 and 1988 for a total strike distance of about 1,000 feet northeast from the hydraulic pit. Placer Dome and Kennecott Exploration Company also explored southwest from the pit. Additional sheeted veins were found, but they did not appear to be continuous with those northeast of Walsh Cut. It appears that residual material mined in the pit was concentrated in a sluice box at the downslope end of the pit. the process was inefficient and low-grade alluvial fan deposits formed below the hydraulic operation (NM215). Material in the fan deposits indicates that arsenopyrite, partly oxidized to scorodite, was abundant in the residual deposit. Galena and stibnite have also been found in quartz below the hydraulic pit. Scheelite was probably recovered in the sluice operation.

References

Reference (Deposit): Hummel, C.L., 1962, Preliminary geologic map of the Nome C-1 quadrangle, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-247, 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.

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