Squirrel Creek Platinum Placer

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities PGE, Gold, Chromium

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002305
MRDS ID A013211
Record type Site
Current site name Squirrel Creek Platinum Placer
Alternate or previous names Claims: Discovery, 1b-3b, Aileen Bench, 3b L.L.B.
Related records 10257268

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -161.73185, 58.92314 (WGS84)
Elevation 53
Relative position AT SOUTH END OF GOODNEWS BAY MINING CAMP
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • USGS MF-362, LOC. 12 (APPROXIMATE LOCATION). LOCATION IS AT MOUTH OF SQUIRREL CREEK. PLACER EXTENDS N UPSTREAM ON SQUIRREL CREEK FOR 3,900 FT. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Commodities

Commodity Importance
PGE Primary
Gold Secondary
Chromium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • AU IS AN ALIEN MINERAL INTRODUCED BY GLACIATION.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Ilmenite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Chromite Unknown

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -161.73185, 58.92314

Comments on the geologic information

  • MAJOR.UNITS: BEDROCK CONSISTS OF TERT-MES DUNITE, PYROXENITE, AND PERIDOTITE IN THE UPSTREAM PORTION OF SQUIRREL CREEK, AND UPPER PALEOZOIC (?) SEDIMENTARY ROCKS DOWNSTREAM. ; REG.COM: SOURCE OF PLACER IS ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS OF GOODNEWS ULTRAMAFIC COMPLEX ON RED MTN.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1928
Discoverer Edward St. Clair
Year of first production 1928
Year of last production 1941

Mining district

District name Goodnews Bay

Comments on the workings information

  • PAYSTREAK WORKED IN FOUR PARALLEL CUTS BY DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR.

Comments on development

  • WORKED BY SMALL-SCALE HAND METHODS 1928-34, 6 CLAIMS ESTABLISHED. WORKED BY GOODNEWS BAY MINING CO. FROM 1936-41 USING DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR. PROPERTY PURCHASED BY HANSON PROPERTIES IN 1980.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A013211

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS MF-362, LOCATION 12 (1972)

  • Deposit

    USGS P 938, P. 4-5, 24-25 (1976)

  • Deposit

    USGS OF 80-909, P. 31 (1976)

  • Deposit

    USGS B 918, P. 64, 65 (1940)

  • Deposit

    USBM OFR 51-86, P. 2, 6-7, 35

  • Other Database

    BAG-MF-362-12

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PLACER CONSISTS OF COBBLES AND BOULDERS IN UPPER VALLEY TO SMALLER GRAVELS IN PAYSTREAK, DIMINISHING IN SIZE DOWNSTREAM. AVERAGE THICKNESS OF OVERBURDEN IN PAYSTREAK IS 13 FT., WITH MAXIMUM OF 20 FT.. PAYSTREAK HAS BEEN WORKED FOR 3,900 FT, AND IS 150-500 FT. WIDE.
Deposit STREAM GRADIENT IS 300 FT/MI. TRIBUTARY OF PLATINUM CREEK ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-87 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Huber, Donald F.) U.S. Geological Survey