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Hatcher

Prospects, Inactive

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Alternative names

Utopia
North Gold

Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Ag; Au
Other commodities Cu; Pb; Zn
Ore minerals arsenopyrite; chalcopyrite; galena; gold; pyrite; sphalerite
Gangue minerals quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale SV
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale C-2
Latitude 59.574
Longitude -150.508
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy These prospects are located just south of Pilot Harbor on the west side of the North Arm of Nuka Bay. The Hatcher prospect consists of two short adits near the high tide line, just south of the entrance to Pilot Harbor. The Utopia and North Gold claims are described as being about one mile south of Pilot Harbor and the workings consist of a series of short tunnels and prospect pits which trace multiple white quartz veins up the ridge. This is Cobb's (1972, MF-397) location 24 and Richter's (1970) location 7. Cobb (1979, OFR 80-87) summarized the relevant references to this prospect under the name Hatcher. The location of the two adits is accurate to within 300 feet.

Geologic setting

Geologic description

The host rock of the prospects is Cretaceous Valdez Group slates and graywackes (Richter, 1970). The quartz veins are typical of the district and consist of white crystalline quartz with varying amounts of sulfides. Arsenopyrite is the dominate sulfide with decreasing amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena. Gold occurs as free gold and is associated with arsenopyrite. The veins are confined to the more massive graywacke units and commonly pinch out when they splay into the slate units. The veins at the various tunnels and prospect pits range in width from five inches to over five feet. The general strike of the veins is east-west with a near vertical dip.
Geologic map unit (-150.510104306737, 59.5734197654941)
Mineral deposit model Low-sulfide, Au-quartz vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)
Mineral deposit model number 36a
Age of mineralization Tertiary; Boden and others (1991) report other veins in the district are about 55 m.y. old.
Alteration of deposit Borden and others (1991) report carbonization, sulfidization, sericitization, and silicification of the wall rock adjacent to the veins.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration The workings consist of several short tunnels and numerous prospect pits. No assay results are reported.
Indication of production None
Reserve estimates None.

Additional comments

These prospects are within Kenai Fjords National Park; the area is closed to mineral entry.

References

MRDS Number A010577

References

Borden, J.C., Goldfarb, R.J., Gent, C.A., Burruss, R.C., and Roushey, B.H., 1992 Geochemistry of lode-gold deposits, Nuka Bay district, southern Kenai Peninsula, in Bradley, D.C., and Dusel-Bacon, Cynthia, eds, Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1991: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2041, p. 13-21.
Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Seldovia quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-397, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than minerals fuels and construction materials) in the Seldovia quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 80-87, 47 p.
MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.
Pilgrim, E.R., 1933, Nuka Bay district, in Stewart, B. D., Making mining investigations and mine inspection in Alaska, biennium ending March 31, 1933: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Annual Report 1933B, p. 26-51.
Richter, D.H., 1970, Geology and lode-gold deposits of the Nuka Bay area, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-B, p. Bl-B16.
Reporters Jeff A. Huber (Anchorage)
Last report date 2/9/1999