Shakan; Alaska Treadwell Mining Co. Prospect, Shakan Strait, Kosciusko Island, Ketchikan Mining District, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Shakan; Alaska Treadwell Mining Co. Prospect	Prospect
Shakan Strait	Strait
Kosciusko Island	Island
Ketchikan Mining District	Mining District
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: The Shakan molybdenum prospect (also known as the Alaska Treadwell Mining Co), is near the east end of Shakan Strait on northern Kosciusko Island. This well known prospect is on the east side of Shakan Creek at an elevation of about 600 feet, just north of the center of section 23, T. 66 S., R. 77 E.
Geology: The country rocks in the vicinity consist of Cretaceous biotite-quartz hornfels altered from Silurian graywacke turbidite of the Bay of Pillars Formation and a large Cretaceous diorite pluton that intrudes the bedded rocks (Brew and others, 1984). The Shakan molybdenum deposit is at or near the contact between the pluton and the hornfels and probably is genetically related to the emplacement of this pluton. The deposit is a sulfide-bearing fault-breccia zone 1-10 feet thick associated with hornblende diorite pegmatite; the zone contains abundant pyrrhotite, molybdenite, and chalcopyrite, with minor sphalerite and pyrite, in quartz-albite gangue.
Workings: The Shakan molybdenum prospect was discovered in 1917 and developed by a 570 foot tunnel and 14 surface cuts during and immediately after World War I (Chapin, 1919). Little or no subsequent exploration work on it beyond cursory examinations by passing geologists, although it was examined at some length by government geologist during World War II (Twenhofel and others, 1946; Smith, 1942, Thorne, 1943).
Age: Probably Cretaceous based on age of associated pluton.
Production: None
Reserves: Smith (1942) estimated the resources of the Shakan molybdenum prospect to be 10,000-20,000 tons of rock containing about 1.5% MoS2.

Commodities (Major) - Mo; (Minor) - Cu, Zn
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Molybdenite associated with pegmatite dike along fault zone.

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	PE048

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References