Plumbum

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10307743
Record type Site
Current site name Plumbum

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.30295, 65.06668 (WGS84)
Relative position The Plumbum prospect is located on the west side of Too Much Gold Creek near its confluence with Fairbanks Creek; SW1/4SW1/4 sec. 23, T. 3 N., R. 2 S., of the Fairbanks Meridian.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.30295, 65.06668

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This prospect contains a silver and gold-bearing carbonate-rich shear zone. The country rock is schist that strikes east-west and dips to the south at a shallow angle parallel to the schist (Brooks, 1913, p. 146). Prior to 1912, a 26-foot-deep shaft was sunk on the prospect and exposed the silver- and gold-bearing, carbonate-rich shear zone. In the summer of 1912, a 4- to 18-inch-wide cross-shear had been discovered on the prospect. A high grade sample from this cross-shear averaged over 820 ounces of gold per ton (Times Publishing Company, 1912). A 15-foot-deep test pit on this cross-shear exposed an east-west striking, steeply dipping quartz-bearing shear zone that varied from 3 inches to 2 feet wide (Smith, 1913, B 525; Brooks, 1913). The shear zone material was heavily stained by iron-oxides (Brooks, 1913, p. 146). Later phase, crystalline quartz vugs also contained iron-oxides after sulfides (Brooks, 1913, p. 146). By 1913, the shear zone had been traced for approximately 1,500 feet along strike and 1.5 tons of material had been stockpiled for later shipment to a nearby custom mill (Brooks, 1913, p. 146). Hill (1933) reported that exposures on the Plumbum prospect indicated the shear zone strikes N 70 W and dips 70 S. The prospect had not been worked for some time prior to 1931.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = A 26 foot deep shaft was dug by 1912 (Times Publishing Company, 1912). Brooks (1913) reported that the shear zone could be traced for approximately 1,500 feet along strike and 1.5 tons of material had been stockpiled for later shipment to a nearby custom mill.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF LG168

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1913, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1912: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 308 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1913, Lode mining near Fairbanks, in Prindle, L.M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 153-216.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1913, Lode mining near Fairbanks: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542-F, p. 137-202.

  • Deposit

    Freeman, C.J., 1992, 1991 Golden Summit project final report, volume 2: Historical summary of lode mines and prospects in the Golden Summit project area, Alaska: Avalon Development Corp., 159 p. (Report held by Freegold Recovery Inc. USA, Vancouver, British Columbia.)

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Brooks, 1913

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Silver and gold-bearing, carbonate-rich shear zone.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 04-MAY-99 C.J. Freeman, J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation