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Sheep Creek

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Lead, Zinc, Silver, Tin
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10307531
Record type Site
Current site name Sheep Creek
Alternate or previous names Gossan Peak

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -148.28286, 63.91963 (WGS84)
Relative position This prospect is at an elevation of about 700 feet near the head of Sheep Creek. It is in the NW1/4 of sec. 35, T. 11 S., R. 4 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate to within 1 mile. This is locality 4 of Cox and others (1989).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Lead Primary
Zinc Primary
Silver Secondary
Tin Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cassiterite Ore
Galena Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stannite Ore
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Alteration consists of sericitized schist in both the hanging and footwall of the deposit.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 184
USGS model code 28a
Deposit model name Massive sulfide, kuroko
Mark3 model number 93

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -148.28286, 63.91963
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Sheep Creek deposit is in the Totatlanika Schist near its contact with the Keevy Peak Formation (Nokleberg and others, 1994). The Totatlanika Schist ranges in age from Early Mississipian to Middle Devonian and consists mostly of felsic and mafic metavolcanic and metavolcaniclastic rocks (Wilson and others, 1998). The deposit is 200 feet thick and 2,000 feet long, and consists of isoclinally folded, stratabound lenses of massive sulfides in tuffaceous chlorite schist and chert (O'Connor and others, 1989). The sulfides are fine-grained sphalerite, galena, and pyrite. This deposit has high values of Sn, reported as either cassiterite or stannite. Channel sampling and grab samples contain up to 11% combined lead and zinc, and 10 grams of silver per ton. Zones up to 1 meter wide contain 1% tin (Nokleberg and others, 1994).
  • Age = Mineralization is syngenetic with the Paleozoic host rocks.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Bonnifield

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = Based on limited data a tentative resource of 5.5 million pounds of tin has been identified (O'Connor and others, 1989). There are no estimates of base metal reserves.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = At least three drill holes to a maximum depth of 470 feet were completed in the 1970's (O'Connor and others, 1989). Channel sampling and grab samples contain up to 11% combined lead and zinc, and 10 grams of silver per ton. Zones up to 1 meter wide contain 1% tin (Nokleberg and others, 1994).

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF HE088

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Wahrhaftig, Clyde, 1970, Geologic map of the Healy D-3 quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-805, scale 1:63,360.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., Eakins, G.R., Clough, J.G., Lueck, L.L., Green, C.B., Robinson, M.S., and Coleman, D.A., 1984, Alaska's Mineral Industry, 1983: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 33, 56 p.

  • Deposit

    Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

  • Deposit

    Cox, D.P., Light, T.D., Csejtey, Bela, Jr., and Campbell, D.L., 1989, Mineral resource assessment map of the Healy quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map, MF-2058-A, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    O'Connor, W.K., Dahlin, D.C., and Warner, J.D., 1989, Characterization of the Sheep Creek Pb-Zn-Ag-Sn prospect, north-central Alaska Range: U.S. Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations 9256, 15 p.

  • Deposit

    Nokleberg, W.J., and others, 1994, Metallogeny and major mineral deposits of Alaska and Metallogenic map of significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska, in Plafker, G. and Berg, H.C., eds., The Geology of Alaska: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America: The Geology of North America, v. G1, p. 855-904 and v. G1, Plate 11, scale 1:2,500,000.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., Dover, J.H., Bradley, D.C., Weber, F.R., Bundtzen, T.K., and Haeussler, P.J., 1998, Geologic map of central (interior) Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-133, 17 p., 2 sheetsm, scale 1:500,000.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = O'Connor and others, 1989

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Kuroko massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 28a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-APR-00 N. Van Wyck Stevens Exploration Management Corporation