Wheeler Mine (ARDF - SO132), Kougarok Mining District, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Wheeler Mine (ARDF - SO132)	Mine
Kougarok Mining District	Mining District
Nome Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This prospect has two parts, one on each side of the Pilgrim River just below the mouth of Iron Creek (SO127). The location used here is on the northwest side of the river; it is locality 3 of Cobb (1972, MF 445; 1978, OF 78-181).
Geology: This locality has two parts, one on each side of the Pilgrim (Kruzgamepa) River, just downstream from the mouth of Iron Creek (SO127). They are separated by 1,000 feet of the Pilgrim River floodplain. The deposits on the northwest side of the river contain lenses of massive galena in marble near a contact with schist (Smith, 1908). One lense exposed over a distance of 3 feet in a prospect trench contained pyrite, finely crystalline galena, and minor sphalerite. A 2-foot sample across the highest grade part contained 0.30 ounces Au per ton, 2.3 ounces Ag per ton, and 2.95 percent Pb (Wimmler, 1926, in Asher, 1969, DGGS R18). Two assays reported by the owner ran 22.87 percent Pb and 20.0 ounces Ag per ton and 14.2 percent Pb and 14.5 ounces Ag per ton. The deposits on the southeast side of the river also include discontinuous lenses of massive galena. A 8- to 10-foot long, 6-foot wide,and 1.5-foot thick lense of pyrite, fine galena, and heavy limonite with siliceous marble, calcite,and quartz gangue was removed from a short, 25-foot-long adit. Some boulangerite may also be present (Sainsbury and others, 1972). Pb-isotope analysis of one galena sample from this locality gave results identical to samples from the Red Dog and Drench Water Creek deposits of the western Brooks Range (Church and others, 1985). The mineralization is preferentially developed in the marble but nearby quartz mica schist contains pyrite. The schist/marble contacts appear sheared (Cathcart, 1922) but the massive galena is described as a replacement of the host marble (Smith, 1908). The host rocks are part of a lower Paleozoic metasedimentary assemblage (Till and others, 1986).
Workings: On the northwest side of the Pilgrim River, an adit, prospect trenches, and a short 2- foot-deep shaft were dug. On the southeast side of the river, a 25-foot-long adit and numerous prospect pits explored the deposits. Some diamond drilling appears to have occurred in 1971 or 1972 (Sainsbury and others, 1972, OFR 512).
Age: Not known; deposits seem to be deformed or at least partly localized along shears; host rocks are lower Paleozoic in age.
Alteration: Oxidation with abundant limonite, and possible silicification.
Production: A few tons of ore were apparently mined and shipped.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au, Pb, Zn
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Lenses of galena, pyrite, some sphalerite, and possibly boulangerite in marble

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	SO132

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References