| Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale | BT |
|---|---|
| Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale | A-3 |
| Latitude | 66.043 |
| Longitude | -151.2587 |
| Nearby scientific data | Find additional scientific data near this location |
| Location and accuracy | This placer prospect covers about 1.4 mile of an unnamed tributary at the head of Kanuti Kilolitna River. It is about 6.7 miles southeast of the center of Sitylemenkat Lake in the northern half of section 13, T. 14 N., R. 18 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian. |
Geologic descriptionTin lodes and placers in this area were first identified by Asarco in 1975 after a review of geochemical data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1968 and 1969 (Patton and Miller, 1973; Kurtak and others, 2002). From 1975 to 1983 a succession of companies and organizations including the U.S. Bureau of Mines, WGM Inc., British Petroleum, Patino Ltd., and Doyon Ltd. mapped and studied the lodes and placers (Bright, 1989; WGM Inc., 1978, 1979a, 1979b, 1980a, 1980b; Patino Ltd., 1981, 1982; Barker and Foley, 1986). The lode tin deposits and the tin placers are associated with the Early Cretaceous Sithylemenkat granitic batholith (Barker and Foley, 1986; Kurtak and others, 2002). A 1.4-mile section of the upper Kanuti Kilolitna River was drilled and bulk sampled by Patino Ltd. in 1980 and 1981 (Patino Inc., 1981, 1982). Placer samples taken in gravel that averaged about 20 feet thick contained up to 0.4 pound of tin per cubic yard, with lesser tantalum, columbium, tungsten, and rare earth minerals. In addition to cassiterite, the placer concentrates also contained wolframite, pyrite, ilmenite, hematite, garnet, and monazite (?). Patino estimated an 'indicated resource' of 3.5 million cubic yards that contained an average of 0.67 pound of tin per cubic yard. But they concluded the placer was uneconomic because of its small size and low grade. | |
| Geologic map unit | (-151.261323837991, 66.0425136350649) |
|---|---|
| Mineral deposit model | Alluvial tin placer (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39e). |
| Mineral deposit model number | 39e |
| Age of mineralization | Quaternary. |
| Workings or exploration | Tin lodes and placers in this area were first identified by Asarco in 1975 after a review of geochemical data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1968 and 1969 (Patton and Miller, 1973; Kurtak and others, 2002). From 1975 to 1983 a succession of companies and organizations including the U.S. Bureau of Mines, WGM Inc., British Petroleum, Patino Inc., and Doyon Ltd. mapped and studied the lodes and placers (Bright, 1989; WGM Inc., 1978, 1979a, 1979b, 1980a, 1980b; Patino Ltd., 1981, 1982; Barker and Foley, 1986). A 1.4-mile section of the upper Kanuti Kilolitna River was drilled and bulk sampled by Patino Ltd. in 1980 and 1981 (Patino Ltd., 1981, 1982). |
|---|---|
| Indication of production | None |
| Reserve estimates | Patino Ltd. (1981, 1982) estimated an 'indicated resource' of 3.5 million cubic yards that contained an average of 0.67 pounds of tin per cubic yard. But they concluded the placer was uneconomic because of its small size and low grade. |
Additional commentsMAS No. 0020390067 | |
| Reporters | D.J. Grybeck (Contractor, U.S. Geological Survey) |
|---|---|
| Last report date | 4/18/2010 |