Steamboat Creek

Prospect, Inactive

Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Ag
Other commodities Pb
Ore minerals galena

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale LG
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale A-2
Latitude 65.017
Longitude -147.532
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy The coordinates given are for the location of numerous trenches, pits and auger holes dug on the prospect that cover an area several hundred yards in size. The prospect is approximately 1 mile from the Steese Highway along Steamboat Creek; SW1/4NW1/4 sec. 10, T. 2 N., R. 1 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian.

Geologic setting

Geologic description

A prospect shaft revealed a 7-foot-wide shear zone that strikes north and dips vertically (Saunders, 1963; ATDM PE 49-15). A channel sample cut across four feet of the shear zone assayed 0.18 ounces of gold per ton and 3.50 ounces per ton silver. Subsequent samples revealed only trace to 0.02 ounces of gold per ton and 0.70 to 1.31 ounces of silver per ton. The shear zone is at the contact between mica schist and quartz diorite. In 1963, a trial shipment of galena ore from a vein exposed in a trench contained 106.0 ounces of silver per ton, 0.02 ounces of gold per ton, 49.0% lead and 0.04% copper (Saunders, 1963; ATDM PE 49-15).
Geologic map unit (-147.534442388034, 65.0165744197839)
Mineral deposit model Polymetallic shear zone.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration In 1958, Pete Smith, a local placer miner, found some pieces of galena-bearing float in the valley of Steamboat Creek (Saunders, 1963; ATDM PE 49-15). He attempted to trace the float to its bedrock source by hand-trenching and trenching with a bulldozer. The Alaska Department of Mines investigated the area in the early 1960s by bulldozer trenching, hand-digging pits and auger hole drilling for geochemical sampling. By 1968, the owners of the lode prospect were conducting rotary drilling and intended to drill about 450 feet (Vance, 1968).
Indication of production Undetermined
Production notes In 1963, it was reported that the owners of the prospect planned to mine and ship ore from an exposed vein. It is not known whether or not mining took place (Saunder, 1963; ATDM PE 49-15).

References