Unnamed (north of mouth of Castle River)

The Unnamed (north of mouth of Castle River) is a lead, silver, barium-barite, and 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: Unnamed (north of mouth of Castle River)

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Primary: Barium-Barite
Primary: Zinc

Location

State: Alaska
District: Kupreanof

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, kuroko
Model Name: Massive sulfide, Sierran kuroko

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Late Triassic.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = None

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Grybeck, Berg, and Karl, 1984; this description

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = None

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Outcrops of phyllitic, light greenish gray to cream, felsic metatuff intercalated with muscovite-rich siliceous phyllite occur discontinuously just above the high tide line for about a mile along the edge of a large shallow bay. The metatuff locally contains massive-sulfide layers up to several meters thick with abundant pyrite and sparse sphalerite(?) (Grybeck, Karl, and Berg, 1984). Grab samples of massive sulfide layers and felsic metatuff show up to 700 ppm Pb, 350 ppm Zn, 10 ppm Ag, and 2000 ppm Ba. Probably continuation of the mineralized unit at PE025 just to the northeast and thus Late Triassic in age. This is probably the locality noted by Buddington (1923) that he described as a pyrite layer about 4 feet wide exposed for 50 feet. . Brew (1997 [OF 97-156-J]) shows the deposit as part of a large unit of Mesozoic phyllite and slate with minor conglomerate, limestone, and quartzite. This unit is largely covered by vegetation and probably includes substantial additional Triassic Hyd Group rocks that host the volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits of the Duncan-Zarembo mineral belt (Berg, and Grybeck, 1980; Berg, 1981). Recent mapping by Sue Karl (oral communication, 1998) indicates that the rocks at this site are almost certainly Hyd Group strata that are in contact to the south toward the mouth of the Castle River with Mississippian and Permian argillite and volcanic graywacke of the Cannery Formation.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Kuroko massive-sulfide deposit model (Cox and Singer, 1986, model 28a); alternately a Sierran Kuroko deposit (Bliss, 1992; 28a1)

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = First identified by the USGS in 1979. Nine lode claims staked in the area in 1979 that probably covered this deposit. By 1995, a considerable block of ground several square miles in area was staked on and northwest of this site and PE025 (Department of Natural Resources unpublished Kardex mining claim information system). Informal discussions with industry geologists who worked in the area indicate that they found several to numerous additional occurrences of similar deposits on these claims. An aerial examination of the area in 1996 indicated no obvious signs of surface exploration in the vicinity. In 1998, there was renewed interest in the area encouraged by the geophysical surveys the State of Alaska had flown over the area.

References

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H.C., 1981, Upper Triassic volcanogenic massive sulfide metallogenic province identified in southeastern Alaska, in Albert, N.R.D., and Hudson, T.L., eds., The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: accomplishments during 1979: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 823-B, p. B104-B108.

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H. C., and Grybeck, Donald, 1980, Upper Triassic volcanogenic Zn-Pb-Ag (-Cu-Au) mineral deposits near Petersburg, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-527, 11 p., 1 oversize sheet.

Reference (Deposit): Brew, D.A., 1997, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Petersburg C-4 quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-156-J, 21 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Buddington, A.F., 1923, Mineral deposits of the Wrangell district; U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 51-75.

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., Berg, H.C., and Karl, S.M., 1984, Map and description of the mineral deposits in the Petersburg and eastern Port Alexander quadrangles: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 84-837, 86 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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