Little Enchilada Prospect, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Little Enchilada Prospect	Prospect
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

The Little Enchilada prospect is located within Doyon, Ltd. selected or conveyed land. For more information contact Doyon, Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska.
Location: The Little Enchilada prospect is about 1.3 miles southeast of Mount Veta on a ridge between two forks of Veta Creek. The coordinates are the approximate center of the prospect,in the SW1/4 section 27, T. 8 S., R. 24 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate. The Little Enchilada prospect is located within Doyon, Ltd. selected or conveyed land.
Geology: Bedrock in the Mount Veta area consists of granitic plutons of Jurassic to Cretaceous age that include quartz monzonite, quartz latite, and quartz porphyry (Laybourn and Doyon, Ltd., 1979). In the vicinity of the Little Enchilada prospect, biotite-quartz monzonite with well-developed sericitic/phyllic alteration is found in a saddle at an elevation of 4,100 feet. Alteration appears to diminish up the ridge to the north but continues down the ridge to the south for at least one-half mile. Quartz-molybdenite veins cut the altered quartz monzonite. Several other prospects are associated with the Mt. Veta intrusive complex, including East Eva (EA098), Eva Creek (EA099), Oscar (EA096), Oscar West (EA097), unnamed (north of Fish Creek) (EA062), Molly Creek (EA100), Little Whiteman Creek (EA060), and Mitchell (EA101). At the Little Enchilada prospect, a soil grid on the east side of the ridge exhibits coincident zones of molybdenum and lead enrichment over an area about 488 meters by 610 meters in size that is open in three directions (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1995]). Rocks collected by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (1995) contain as much as 3,087 ppm molybdenum, 59 ppm copper, and 189 ppm zinc. Rocks collected by Doyon Ltd. contain as much as 1,640 ppm copper, 100 ppm silver, 450 ppm molybdenum, 1,100 ppm lead, and 585 ppb gold. Anomalous copper, silver, and gold are present in altered quartz monzonite as much as 915 meters away from the area of molybdenum mineralization (Laybourn and Doyon, Ltd., 1979). Laybourn and Doyon, Ltd. (1979) suggested that the low to moderate geochemical values and the general nature of the veins and alteration indicate that only the top of the mineralization is exposed. A ground-based survey indicates the IP/resistivity response is slightly stronger on the west side of the ridge than on the east side and that a northeast-trending low-resistivity (fault?) zone crosses the saddle (Dashevsky and others, 1986). Stream-sediment reconnaissance and follow-up prospecting were conducted in the Little Enchilada prospect area by WGM Inc. in 1977, and reconnaissance mapping and a soil survey were conducted in 1979 (Dashevsky and others, 1986). Arctic Resources Inc. extended the soil sampling grid in 1981, and three lines of IP/resistivity were run by Doyon, Ltd. in 1982. In 1989, Central Alaska Exploration Corp. conducted geologic mapping, and rock and soil sampling in the Little Enchilada prospect area (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-10]).
Workings: Stream-sediment reconnaissance and follow-up prospecting were conducted in the Little Enchilada prospect area by WGM Inc. in 1977, and reconnaissance mapping and a soil survey were conducted in 1979 (Dashevsky and others, 1986). Arctic Resources Inc. extended the soil sampling grid in 1981, and three lines of IP/resistivity were run by Doyon Ltd. in 1982. In 1989, Central Alaska Exploration Corp. conducted geologic mapping and rock and soil sampling in the Little Enchilada prospect area (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-10]).
Age: The mineralization is probably related to the Jurassic or Cretaceous plutons in which it occurs.
Alteration: Well-developed sericitic/phyllic alteration in biotite quartz monzonite.

Commodities (Major) - Cu, Mo, Pb; (Minor) - Ag, Au
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Porphyry Mo (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 21b).

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	EA103

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References