This prospect is located on land patented by, or conveyed to, the Aleut Corporation.
Location: The Aquila prospect is located on southeastern Unga Island east of Acheredin Bay (Nokleberg and others, 1987, locality AP3; Wilson and others, l988, locality 37). The map site is at an elevation of 700 feet, 0.2 mile north of the center of sec. 3, T. 58 S., R. 75 W., of the Seward Meridian. The location is accurate.
Geology: The Aquila prospect is one of several northeast-striking epithermal vein systems in an area approximately 1,000 by 2,000 feet. The systems include veins on the Origin (PM087), Freds (PM088), Surprise (PM089), Ankle Creek (PM090), Altair (PM091), and Amethyst (PM092) prospects. The Aquila vein system cuts andesite flows and tuffs of the late Eocene to early Oligocene Popof volcanic rocks (Wilson and others, 1995). It is as much as 100 feet in width and can be traced along strike for as much as 2,000 feet. It exhibits evidence of open-space filling and repeated phases of fracturing and deposition, resulting in vein breccias and quartz stockworks (Peterson and others, 1982). The veins contain pyrite, and, locally free gold, along with trace amounts of chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Many sets of lineaments characterize in the prospect area. The widest and richest zones of veins seem to occur at the intersection of these lineaments with northwest-striking faults. Higher gold values are also associated with zones of multiple brecciation. The gold is free-milling and ranges in size from 20 to 40 microns. Precious metal values in trench samples include 0.335 ounce of gold and 1.56 ounces of silver per ton over 12 feet, 0.242 ounce of gold and 0.68 ounce of silver per ton over 12 feet, 0.105 ounce of gold and 0.17 ounce of silver per ton over 12 feet, and 0.165 ounce of gold and 0.18 ounce of silver per ton over 10 feet. Selected drill core assays include 0.20 ounce of gold and 0.4 ounce of silver per ton over 31.2 feet, 0.19 ounce of gold and 0.51 ounce of silver per ton over 17.5 feet, and 3.31 ounces of gold and 3.2 ounces of silver per ton over 1.4 feet (Peterson and others, 1982).
Workings: This prospect was explored by Resource Associates of Alaska and UNC Teton Exploration Drilling Company during the period 1979 to 1983. During that time they mapped the area; conducted magnetometer, VLF-EM and IP surveys; drilled 12 core holes for a total of 4,446 feet; collected 675 rock samples; cut 17 trenches for a total of 3,310 feet; and took 472 trench samples. The highest grade trench sample contained 0.335 ounce of gold and 1.56 ounces of silver per ton over 12 feet. One core sample contained 0.20 ounce of gold and 0.4 ounce of silver per ton over 31.2 feet (includes 3.31 ounces of gold and 3.2 ounces of silver per ton over 1.4 feet). In 1986 Battle Mountain Exploration Company examined the vein systems and later mapped and sampled some of them. In 1990 they explored the area looking for large zones of argillic and silicic alteration having potential for disseminated gold mineralization. Argillized and silicified tuffs were found to be anomalous in arsenic and mercury and had spotty gold values as much as 0.025 ppm (Ellis and Apel, 1990).
Age: Eocene or younger.
Alteration: The alteration is zoned outward from the veins from silicification to argillization to propylitization.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au; (Minor) - As, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, Zn
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Epithermal gold veins

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Commodity List

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Mineral List

5 valid minerals.