Aquila

The Aquila is a silver and 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: Aquila

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Mercury
Secondary: Arsenic
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Lead

Location

State: Alaska
District: Alaska Peninsula

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: The alteration is zoned outward from the veins from silicification to argillization to propylitization.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Peterson and others, 1982

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = This prospect was explored by Resource Associates of Alaska and UNC Teton Exploration Drilling Company during the period 1979 to 1983. During that time they mapped the area; conducted magnetometer, VLF-EM and IP surveys; drilled 12 core holes for a total of 4,446 feet; collected 675 rock samples; cut 17 trenches for a total of 3,310 feet; and took 472 trench samples. The highest grade trench sample contained 0.335 ounce of gold and 1.56 ounces of silver per ton over 12 feet. One core sample contained 0.20 ounce of gold and 0.4 ounce of silver per ton over 31.2 feet (includes 3.31 ounces of gold and 3.2 ounces of silver per ton over 1.4 feet). In 1986 Battle Mountain Exploration Company examined the vein systems and later mapped and sampled some of them. In 1990 they explored the area looking for large zones of argillic and silicic alteration having potential for disseminated gold mineralization. Argillized and silicified tuffs were found to be anomalous in arsenic and mercury and had spotty gold values as much as 0.025 ppm (Ellis and Apel, 1990).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = This prospect is located on land patented by, or conveyed to, the Aleut Corporation.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Aquila prospect is one of several northeast-striking epithermal vein systems in an area approximately 1,000 by 2,000 feet. The systems include veins on the Origin (PM087), Freds (PM088), Surprise (PM089), Ankle Creek (PM090), Altair (PM091), and Amethyst (PM092) prospects. The Aquila vein system cuts andesite flows and tuffs of the late Eocene to early Oligocene Popof volcanic rocks (Wilson and others, 1995). It is as much as 100 feet in width and can be traced along strike for as much as 2,000 feet. It exhibits evidence of open-space filling and repeated phases of fracturing and deposition, resulting in vein breccias and quartz stockworks (Peterson and others, 1982). The veins contain pyrite, and, locally free gold, along with trace amounts of chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Many sets of lineaments characterize in the prospect area. The widest and richest zones of veins seem to occur at the intersection of these lineaments with northwest-striking faults. Higher gold values are also associated with zones of multiple brecciation. The gold is free-milling and ranges in size from 20 to 40 microns. Precious metal values in trench samples include 0.335 ounce of gold and 1.56 ounces of silver per ton over 12 feet, 0.242 ounce of gold and 0.68 ounce of silver per ton over 12 feet, 0.105 ounce of gold and 0.17 ounce of silver per ton over 12 feet, and 0.165 ounce of gold and 0.18 ounce of silver per ton over 10 feet. Selected drill core assays include 0.20 ounce of gold and 0.4 ounce of silver per ton over 31.2 feet, 0.19 ounce of gold and 0.51 ounce of silver per ton over 17.5 feet, and 3.31 ounces of gold and 3.2 ounces of silver per ton over 1.4 feet (Peterson and others, 1982).

Comment (Geology): Age = Eocene or younger.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Epithermal gold veins

References

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, F.H., Detterman, R.L., Miller, J. W., and Case, J.E., 1995, Geologic map of the Port Moller, Stepovak Bay, and Simeonof Island quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigation Series Map I-2272, 1 map sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Ellis, W.T., and Apel, R.A., 1990, Unga/Alaska Peninsula 1990 final report, Battle Mountain Exploration Company report, 49 p., 29 map sheets at various scales. (Report held by the Aleut Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.)

Reference (Deposit): Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, F.H., White, W.H., and DuBois, G.D., 1988, Brief descriptions of mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in the Port Moller and Stepovak Bay quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 88-666, 128 p., scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Peterson, R.J., Lemmers, J., Handverger, P., Gallagher, J., Pilcher, R., East, J., Macleod, T., Bartels. E., 1982, Geology and precious metals potential Unga, Popof, and Korovin Islands, Shumagin Group, Aleutian Chain, Alaska: UNC Teton Exploration Drilling Company report, 127 p., 5 map sheets, various scales. (Report held by the Aleut Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.)

Reference (Deposit): Trujillo, R.S., Anderson, G., MacLeod, T., Hendrick, K., Farnham, S., Peterson, J., 1981. Exploration and evaluation of the Unga-Popof-Korovan Islands portion of lands leased from Aleut Native Corporation: Resource Associates of Alaska report, 70 p., 38 map sheets, various scales. (Report held by the Aleut Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.)

Reference (Deposit): Anderson, G.L., Butherus, D.L., Fankhauser, R.E., Pray, J.C., Lindberg, P.A., and Hoffman, B.L., 1980, Exploration and evaluation of lands leased from Aleut Native Corporation 1980; Resource Associates of Alaska Report, 84 p, 16 map sheets, various scales. (Report held by the Aleut Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.)

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