LWM Occurrence, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
LWM Occurrence	Occurrence
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

The LWM prospect is located within Doyon, Ltd. selected or conveyed land. For more information contact Doyon, Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska.
Location: The LWM prospect covers 9 square miles in upper Little Whiteman Creek. The coordinates are at about the center of the drill holes in section 8, T. 8 S., R. 25 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate within 1 mile. The LWM prospect is located on Doyon, Ltd. selected or conveyed land.
Geology: The rocks in upper Little Whiteman Creek consist of Paleozoic quartzite, schist, marble, and greenstone that have been intruded by Mesozoic granodiorite and quartz monzonite stocks and Jurassic syenite dikes (Foster, 1976; WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-10]). A northeast-trending greenstone belt underlies the ridge at the south end of the prospect. Anomalous lead, zinc, and silver are present in reconnaissance stream-sediment samples from Little Whiteman Creek, and panned heavy-mineral concentrates contain anomalous tungsten, silver, and mercury. Geochemical anomalies identified by the stream-sediment and panned concentrates are spatially separated and perhaps reflect input from two different deposit types. Sulfides noted by Foster (1976) on the ridge east of Little Whiteman Creek and on the ridge line at the head of the creek are probable sources for the geochemical anomalies. Several other prospects are associated with the Mount Veta intrusive complex, including Little Enchilada (EA103), East Eva (EA098), Eva Creek (EA099), Oscar (EA096), Oscar West (EA097), unnamed (north of Fish Creek) (EA062), Molly Creek (EA100), and Mitchell (EA101). WGM Inc. conducted a regional stream-sediment reconnaissance in the upper Little Whiteman Creek area in 1975 (Dashevsky and others, 1986). In 1977, WGM Inc. conducted ridge and hillside prospecting traverses, reconnaissance soil sampling, and a reconnaissance magnetic survey. Follow-up panned heavy-mineral concentrates were collected in 1978. In 1981, Arctic Resources Inc. conducted ridge mapping and soil grab sampling in the Little Whiteman Creek area, and Doyon, Ltd. conducted placer reconnaissance in 1982. In 1990, Central Alaska Gold Co. conducted geologic mapping and soil, rock, and stream-sediment sampling in the Little Whiteman Creek prospect area (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-10]). WGM Inc. conducted sampling and mapping in 2001 and hypothesized that mineralization is hosted by gently dipping siliceous to carbonaceous phyllite. The target, which is open to the north, is well defined by a 6,000 by 1,200-foot zinc, lead, and silver soil anomaly; zinc and lead values are greater than 1,000 parts per million (ppm). All values in a 3,000 by as much as 800-foot segment of the anomaly exceed 500 ppm lead, 1,000 ppm zinc, and as much as 9.4 ppm silver. The only rock found in the heart of the target area is rare gossan in soil sample pits. Gossan samples contained up to 34 percent lead, 16 percent zinc, and 13.75 ounces of silver per ton (Swainbank and others, 2002; Ventures Resource Corp., 2002). Under an agreement with Doyon Ltd., Full Metal Minerals began work on this prospect in 2006 and drilled 3 shallow holes on a gravity high identified in a ground survey (Full Metals, 2008, 40 mile). Some of the best intercepts included 12.1 meters that contained 110.9 grams of silver per ton, 0.32 percent copper, 4.02 percent lead, and 15.72 percent lead and 12.5 meters that contained 37.0 grams of silver per ton, 0.05 percent copper, 2.94 percent lead, and 2.79 percent zinc. One drill hole intersected coarse-grained pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena in brecciated and silicified argillite associated with dikes or flows of altered felsic rocks. Interpreted as a carbonate replacement deposit in dolomite, argillite, and felsic breccia it is partly oxidized near the surface. The prospect is associated with a zinc-silver-lead soil anomaly 1,800 by 365 meters in size in a area of low relief and stunted vegetation due to acid soils. Surface samples of gossan averaged 5.0 percent zinc, 11.895 percent lead, 0.5 percent copper, and 105.4 grams of silver per ton. By the end of 2007, Full Metal had drilled 21 holes on the LWC deposit, many of which intersected impressive lead-zinc-silver mineralization (the details are laid out in Full Metal Minerals, 2008, 40 mile; 2008, LWM; 2008, Map). The best intercept in the 2007 drilling was 126.5 meters that averaged 10.8 percent zinc, 2.0 percent lead, and 30.7 grams of silver per ton; that intercept included 5.64 meters that averaged 19.9 percent zinc, 31.8 percent lead, and 346.8 grams of silver per ton. The mineralization as drilled extends for more than 300 meters along strike to a depth of more than 200 meters and is open in all directions.
Workings: WGM Inc. conducted regional stream sediment reconnaissance in the upper Little Whiteman Creek area in 1975 (Dashevsky and others, 1986). In 1977, WGM Inc. conducted ridge and hillside prospecting traverses, reconnaissance soil sampling, and a reconnaissance magnetic survey. Follow-up panned heavy-mineral concentrates were collected in 1978. In 1981, Arctic Resources Inc. conducted ridge mapping and soil grab sampling in the Little Whiteman Creek area, and Doyon, Ltd. conducted placer reconnaissance in 1982. In 1990, Central Alaska Gold Co. conducted geologic mapping and soil, rock, and stream-sediment sampling in the Little Whiteman Creek prospect area (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-10]). WGM Inc. conducted sampling and mapping in 2001. Under an agreement with Doyon Ltd., Full Metal Minerals began work on this prospect in 2006 and drilled 3 shallow holes on a gravity high identified in a ground survey (Full Metals, 2008, 40 mile). By the end of 2007, Full Metal had drilled 21 holes on the LWM deposit.
Age: This carbonate replacement deposit may be related to nearby Mesozoic granodiorite or quartz monzonite intrusive rocks.
Reserves: None.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au, Hg, Pb, W, Zn
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Carbonate replacement.

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	EA102

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References