Location: The Spruce Creek prospect is about 1.1 mile east of hill 2030 and about 1.1 mile north-northeast of hill 2605, both high points on the ridge that borders the east side of Duncan Canal opposite the Castle Islands. The prospect has three areas of mineralization and the coordinates are at the center of them near the middle of the south boundary of section 18, T. 60 S., R. 79 E.

Geology: As described by Still and others (2002), The Spruce Creek prospects were discovered and staked in 1983. The claims were optioned to Westmin Resources, Ltd. in 1992 and they carried out geophysical surveys and soil geochemistry and mapped the mineralization before dropping the prospect in 1993. Paul Pieper who discovered the prospect drilled several shallow holes on the mineralization and held 10 claims as of 2002. As mapped by Karl and others (1999), the rocks in the area are part of the Permian and Mississippian Cannery Formation that are in fault contact with volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Triassic Hyd Group. Still and others (2002) found three areas of mineralization. One in greenstone schist near a borrow pit consists of a 0.3-foot-thick quartz vein with pyrite, galena, and sphalerite. A sample across the vein contained 213 parts per billion (ppb) gold, 1,690 parts per million (ppm) lead, and 4,163 ppm zinc. Paul Pieper, the claim owner drilled a 19-foot hole there in 1996. Another occurrence of mineralization near a waterfall consists of gray bands of fine-grained sulfides in limestone. A 1.4-foot sample across the sulfide bands contained 416 ppb gold, 14.9 ppm silver, 820 ppm lead, and 5,221 ppm zinc. The third location is in a clearcut and consists of a 4-foot-thick bed of marble in greenstone. A sample taken in the marble of a 0.4-foot-thick band with galena and sphalerite contained 779 ppb gold, 59.1 ppm silver, 5.6 percent lead, and 2.1 percent zinc.

Workings: Claims have been held on the property since 1983. Westmin Resources Ltd. had an option on the prospect from 1992 to 1993 and did considerable mapping, geochemistry, and ground geophysics. The owner has drilled several shallow holes on the mineralization prior to 2002.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au, Pb, Zn
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Thin quartz veins with sulfides and bands of mineralization in marble.

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	PE086

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References