Unnamed (upper Peace River)

Site Name

Primary: Unnamed (upper Peace River)

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Commodity

Primary: Tungsten
Primary: Molybdenum
Primary: Lead
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Chromium
Secondary: Bismuth
Secondary: Zinc

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Fairhaven

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

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

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Alteration Text: Syenite oxidized where cut by pyrite-quartz veins.

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Chromite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The upper Peace River area is underlain by a small satellitic stock of the Late Cretaceous Granite Mountain pluton. The stock is composed of several varieties of syenite. Locally the syenite is cut by quartz veins and contains abundant disseminated pyrite cubes, some fine-grained molybdenite, and abundant magnetite and purple fluorite. A canary-yellow alteration product found both in the veins and in the syenites was identified as ferromolybdenite. The syenite is bleached, oxidized and contains disseminated pyrite, and where it is cut by quartz-pyrite veins, occasional molybdenite. The syenite and associated quartz veins locally contain anomalous amounts of molybdenum, bismuth, silver, copper and lead. Numerous rock and soil samples were collected from this area by Miller and Elliott (1969). One rock sample (location 3) contained: 150 ppm Ag, 30 ppm Mo, 3,000 ppm Pb, 700 ppm Cu, and 0.04 ppm Au. Another rock sample (location 6) contained: 1.5 ppm Ag, greater than 2,000 ppm Mo, 500 ppm Cu, and 300 ppm Pb. Both were grab samples of oxidized syenite. Gault and others (1953) collected pan concentrate stream-sediment samples from this area in their search for uranium. Their samples contained anomalously high concentrations of uranothorianite and other metallic minerals, including galena, chalcopyrite, bornite, tetradymite, sphalerite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite. Intergrowths of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and gummite were observed in some mineral grains. The mineral associations suggest that the uranium minerals are derived from a sulfide-bearing lode (or vein), rather than occurring as accessory minerals within granitic rocks.

Comment (Geology): Age = Late Cretaceous.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Miller and Elliott, 1969

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Polymetallic sulfides associated with small syenite stocks.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The area has been mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey and examined by various exploration companies.

Comment (Commodity): Ore Material = uranothorianite

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References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Candle Quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-389, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., White, M.G. and Moxham, R.M., 1952, Interim report on an appraisal of the uranium possibilities of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 51, 123 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cass, J.T., 1959, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Candle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-287, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Gault, H.R., Killeen, P.L., West, W.S., and others, 1953, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the northeastern part of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 1945-47 and 1951: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 250, 31 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Tungsten occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Resource Map MR-66, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Candle, Holy Cross, Norton Bay, Nulato, and Unalakleet quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-866, 102 p.

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

Reference (Deposit): Miller, T.P., and Elliott, R.L., 1969, Metalliferous deposits near Granite Mountain, eastern Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 614, 19 p.

Reference (Deposit): Jones, D.A., 1953, Peace river uranium prospect, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Prospect Evaluation 45-1, 30 p., 2 sheets.

Reference (Deposit): White, M.G., West, W.S., Tolbert, G.E., Nelson, A.E. and Houston, J.R., 1952, Preliminary summary of reconnaissance for uranium in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular, 196, 17 p.

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