Telluride Prospect, Nelchina Mining District, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Telluride Prospect	Prospect
Nelchina Mining District	Mining District
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This prospect is on the east side of a souht tributary to Hurtle Creek; it is 1.7 miles southwest of elevation about 5,640 at an elevation of 4,000 feet in the NE1/4 section 8, T. 6 S., R. 1 W., of the Copper River Meridian. This prospect is probably located to within 1 mile. It is locality 48 of Cobb and Matson (1972) and included in locality 40 of Winkler and others (1981 [OFR 80-892-B]).
Geology: Nine lode claims were staked near Tertiary felsic dikes on narrow, gold-bearing quartz veins in metaflysch of the Valdez Group (Moffit, 1918; Winkler and others, 1981 [OFR 80-892-B]). The quartz veins contain arsenopyrite, gold, galena, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite. These veins are probably similar to others that are widespread in the southern Valdez quadrangle. Data summarized by Goldfarb and others (1997) show that gold-bearing quartz veins in the Valdez Group commonly contain pyrite, arsenopyrite, carbonate minerals, chlorite, and white mica and formed from water-rich fluids with 5 to 15 mole percent CO2 and significant amounts of CH4, N2, and H2S. The vein-forming fluid salinities were less than 8 percent, vein formation temperatures ranged from 225 to 375 degrees centigrade, and emplacement depths varied from 3 to 10 kilometers. The vein-forming fluids were produced by metamorphic devolatization reactions. Radiometric dating indicates that the veins formed from 57 to 49 Ma (Goldfarb and others, 1997, p. 171) when deep parts of the accreted Valdez Group flysch underwent high-grade metamorphism and partial melting (Hudson, 1994).
Workings: Some development took place in 1916 (Moffit, 1918).
Age: Radiometric dating indicates that the gold-bearing quartz veins in the Valdez Group formed from 57 to 49 Ma (Goldfarb and others, 1997, p. 171) when deep parts of the accreted Valdez Group flysch underwent high-grade metamorphism and partial melting (Hudson, 1994).
Alteration: Country rocks to gold-bearing quartz veins in Valdez Group metaflysch can be variably silicified, carbonitized, and sericitized (Goldfarb and others, 1997).

Commodities (Major) - Au
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	VA065

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References