McQueen

Prospect, Inactive

Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Au
Ore minerals gold

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale FB
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale D-3
Latitude 64.873
Longitude -148.083
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy The McQueen prospect is located in the NE1/4 sec. 35 and NW1/4 sec. 36, T. 1 N., R. 3 W., Fairbanks Meridian. This prospect is at an elevation of about 1910 feet and is about 0.8 mile west-southwest of Ester Dome.

Geologic setting

Geologic description

In the 1990s the McQueen prospect was investigated for its gold potential. Previously, stibnite had been mined nearby (FB017). In 1990 and 1992, American Copper and Nickel Co. conducted soil sampling that defined a area that was anomalous in gold approximately 300 meters long; the values varied from 250 to 500 ppb gold. Additional soil sampling in the area revealed that this prospect is part of a northeast-trending soil anomaly that extends from the Irad prospect (FB045) to the headwaters of Sheep Creek (Rogers and others, 1998). Drilling by Placer Dome Exploration, Inc., in 1998 confirmed that the gold anomaly is related to a northeast-striking, high-angle fault that localizes the gold mineralization (Rogers and others, 1998).
Bedrock at this site is Fairbanks Schist that consists of quartz-muscovite schist, quartzite, and chlorite-quartz schist (Newberry and others, 1996). Supergene alteration is attributed to weathering. Hydrothermal alteration includes pervasive cross-cutting sericitic and silicic alteration and stockworks of quartz-sericite-sulfide veins spatially associated with megascopic and smaller scale pre-existing brittle structures (Rogers and others, 1998).
Geologic map unit (-148.085431303855, 64.872561788659)
Mineral deposit model Schist-hosted gold-quartz vein
Alteration of deposit Supergene alteration is attributed to weathering. Hydrothermal alteration includes pervasive cross-cutting sericitic and silicic alteration and stockworks of quartz-sericite-sulfide veins spatially associated with megascopic and smaller scale pre-existing brittle structures (Rogers and others, 1998).

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration From 1990 to 1992, American Copper and Nickel Co. (ACNC) collected soil samples at the prospect and defined an area of anomalous gold about 300 meters long. Airborne geophysical surveys were conducted by the State of Alaska and by ACNC. In 1998, Placer Dome Exploration, Inc., conducted a ground-based magnetic geophysical survey; VLF data was also collected. Two core holes and one trench were also completed by Placer Dome.
Indication of production None

References

MRDS Number A015251

References

Rogers, J.A., McCoy, D. T., Nerup, M., Yuengling, K., Bean, K., Cameron, C., Grahm, G., Frantz, P., and Athey, J., 1998, Placer Dome-Silverado lease, 1998 annual report for Ester Dome: 68 p. (Report held by Range Minerals, Inc., North Pole, Alaska 99705.)
Reporters J.R. Guidetti Schaefer and C.J. Freeman (Avalon Development Corporation)
Last report date 7/31/2001