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Blue Bucket

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Copper
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10094028
MRDS ID A012314
Record type Site
Current site name Blue Bucket
Alternate or previous names Beach Adit
Related records 10112487

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -131.9679, 55.5928 (WGS84)
Relative position This prospect is on the northeast shore of Smugglers Cove, about 0.5 mile southeast of the head of the falls at the mouth of Falls Creek. The site is in section 29, T. 72 S., R. 88 E., of the Copper River Meridian. It corresponds to loc. 258 in Maas and others (1995, fig. 46), and to loc. 39 in Elliott and others (1978).The location is accurate within 0.1 mile. ? Also see Additional comments.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Copper Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -131.9679, 55.5928
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The country rocks near this site include gray and green phyllite and semischist derived from intertonguing flysch and andesitic and basaltic volcanic rocks (Berg and others, 1988, p. 17-20); and gray felsic schist possibly derived from silicic tuff (Maas and others, 1995, p. 183 and fig. 46). Near Smugglers Cove, the bedded rocks are intruded by diorite that may be transitional to the andesitic and basaltic volcanic rocks. The bedded and intrusive rocks were regionally metamorphosed to greenschist grade in Late Cretaceous time (Brew, 1996, p. 27). Their premetamorphic age is uncertain. Berg and others (1988, p. 17) note that the intertonguing flysch and volcanic rocks closely resemble Upper Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous marine strata nearby on Gravina Island.? the deposit consists of an auriferous, pyrite- and chalcopyrite-bearing quartz fissure vein in pyritic chlorite and sericite schists (Wright and Wright, 1908, p. 156-157; Maas and others, 1995, p. 184-189). The vein crosscuts the foliation of the schists, which strike N38W and dip 65 NE. The deposit was explored in the early 1900s by a 16-foot adit.? Maas and others (1995, p. 184-189, fig. 46, and tables 25 and 26) suggest that the Blue Bucket deposit may be part of a belt of exhalative volcanogenic gold deposits (KC035) that extends along the northeast shore of Smugglers Cove and also includes the Mary T. (KC036) and U.S. (KC037) deposits. The average metal contents of their samples of the Blue Bucket deposit are 1.68 ppm Au, 2.3 ppm Ag, 4367 ppm Cu, 10.2 ppm Pb, and 97 ppm Zn. The high Cu assay indicates that the deposit contains chalcopyrite in addition to the auriferous pyrite.? the age of the postulated exhalative deposits is unknown. The quartz fissure vein, which crosscuts the foliation of the schist, probably is Late Cretaceous (see KC028).
  • Age = The auriferous quartz fissure vein probably is Late Cretaceous.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Mining district

District name Ketchikan

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = Exploration surveys in the Blue Bucket prospect area by private interests have identified large inferred zones of gold-bearing strata (Maas and others, 1995, p. 191). One such zone is 14-18 feet wide and at least 114 feet long, and is estimated to average 3.4 ppm Au. This zone is part of a larger zone 36 feet wide and at least 456 feet long that is estimated to average 1.7 ppm Au.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The deposit was explored in the early 1900s by a 16-foot adit. The Blue Bucket prospect area was diamond-drilled by private interests in 1989 (Maas and others, 1995, p. 191). Five holes were drilled with a cumulative length of about 1060 feet. Other private exploration in the Smugglers Cove area has included soil geochemical testing, and VLF and magnetometer surveys. These surveys identified large inferred zones of gold-bearing strata. One such zone is 14-18 feet wide and at least 114 feet long, and is estimated to average 3.4 ppm Au. This zone is part of a larger zone 36 feet wide and at least 456 feet long that is estimated to average 1.7 ppm Au.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A012314
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF KC039

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Wright, F.E., and Wright, C.W., 1908, The Ketchikan and Wrangell mining districts, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 347, 210 p.

  • Deposit

    Elliott, R.L., Berg, H.C., and Karl, Susan, 1978, map and table describing metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits, Ketchikan and Prince Rupert quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report, 78-73-B,17 p., scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Berg, H.C., Elliott, R.L., and Koch, R.D., 1988, Geologic map of the Ketchikan and Prince Rupert quadrangles, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Series Map MF-1807,27 p., scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Maas, K.M., Bittenbender, P E., and Still, J.C., 1995, Mineral investigations in the Ketchikan mining district, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 11-95, 606 p.

  • Deposit

    Brew, D.A., 1996, Geologic map of the Craig, Dixon Entrance, and parts of the Ketchikan and Prince Rupert quadrangles, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2319, 53 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Wright and Wright, 1908; Maas and others, 1995

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Low-sulfide gold-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)
Deposit Other Comments = the Blue Bucket prospect is also known as the Beach Adit prospect (Maas and others, 1995, p. 191).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 30-JUN-1999 H.C. Berg U.S. Geological Survey