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Portland

Prospect, Probably inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Au
Ore minerals arsenopyrite; gold; pyrite
Gangue minerals carbonate minerals; chlorite; quartz; white mica

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale VA
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale B-4
Latitude 61.298
Longitude -145.3121
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy This prospect is on the west side of Tiekel River valley, about 1.1 mile southeast of Mount Tiekel. The map site is near the southeast corner of section 36, T. 6 S., R. 1 W., of the Copper River Meridian. This prospect is approximately located, perhaps to within 1 mile. It is locality 46 of Cobb and Matson (1972) and locality 38 of Winkler, Miller, and others (1981).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

Small, gold-bearing quartz veins cut metaflysch of the Valdez Group at this prospect; the metaflysch is locally cut by felsic dikes (Moffit, 1918). These veins are probably similar to others that are widespread in the southern Valdez quadrangle. Data summarized by Goldfarb and others (1997) show that gold-bearing quartz veins in the Valdez Group commonly contain pyrite, arsenopyrite, carbonate minerals, chlorite, and white mica and formed from water-rich fluids with 5 to 15 mole percent CO2 and significant amounts of CH4, N2, and H2S. The vein-forming fluid salinities were less than 8 percent, vein formation temperatures ranged from 225 to 375 degrees centigrade, and emplacement depths varied from 3 to 10 kilometers. The vein-forming fluids were produced by metamorphic devolatilization reactions. Radiometric dating indicates that the veins formed from 57 to 49 Ma (Goldfarb and others, 1997, p. 171) when deep parts of the accreted Valdez Group flysch underwent high-grade metamorphism and partial melting (Hudson, 1994).
Geologic map unit (-145.31416845973, 61.2975043760611)
Mineral deposit model Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)
Mineral deposit model number 36a
Age of mineralization Radiometric dating indicates that the gold-bearing quartz veins in the Valdez Group formed from 57 to 49 Ma (Goldfarb and others, 1997, p. 171) when deep parts of the accreted Valdez Group flysch underwent high-grade metamorphism and partial melting (Hudson, 1994).
Alteration of deposit Country rocks to gold-bearing quartz veins in Valdez Group metaflysch can be variably silicified, carbonitized, and sericitized (Goldfarb and others, 1997).

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration Only small-scale surface prospecting.
Indication of production None

References

MRDS Number A011487

References

Cobb, E.H., and Matson, N.A., Jr., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Valdez quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-438, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Goldfarb, R.J., Miller, L.D., Leach, D.L., and Snee, L.W, 1997, Gold deposits in metamorphic rocks in Alaska, in Goldfarb, R.J., and Miller, L.D., eds., Mineral Deposits of Alaska: Economic Geology Monograph 9, p. 151-190.
Hudson, T.L., 1994, Crustal melting events in Alaska, in Plafker, G., and Berg, H. C., eds., The Geology of Alaska: Geological Society of America, DNAG, The Geology of North America, Vol. G-1, p. 657-670.
Moffit, F.H., 1918, Mining in the lower Copper River basin: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662-C, p. 155-182.
Winkler, G.R., Miller, R.J., MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1981, Map and summary table describing mineral deposits in the Valdez quadrangle, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-892-B, 2 sheets, scale l:250,000.
Winkler, G.R., Silberman, M.L., Grantz, Arthur, Miller, R.J., and MacKevett, E.M., Jr., 1981, Geologic map and summary geochronology of the Valdez quadrangle, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-892-A, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Reporters Travis L. Hudson
Last report date 12/14/2001