Sun; Picnic Creek; Hot Prospects, Shungnak District, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, USA

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Location: This site represents several prospects in an approximately 12-square-mile area northeast of Beaver Creek. The coordinates are for the center of the area in the SE1/4 of sec. 1, T. 19 N., R. 17 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. The location is accurate to within 2000 ft. The site corresponds to localities 68 and 69 of Grybeck and Nelson (1981).
Geology: The Sun deposit consists of stratiform, banded, massive to semi-massive sulfides in a series of elongate, southwest-plunging, lenticular bodies along three distinct mineral horizons. An upper horizon is silver, lead, and zinc rich, a middle horizon is copper rich, and a lower horizon is copper and zinc rich. According to Zdepski (1980), the Sun prospect is in a 5,000-foot-thick sequence of Devonian felsic to andesitic volcanic, volcaniclastic and intercalated pelitic sedimentary rocks separated into upper and lower units by calcareous metabasite beds of variable thickness. The upper unit of metarhyolite and related rocks contains all of the identified massive sulfides; the lower unit is dominantly pelitic schist and metarhyolite. As described by Andover Ventures (2008, Sun), the Sun deposit was found in the mid-1970's by Sunshine Mining Company and has been variously studied by Anaconda Minerals, Noranda Mining, and Teck Cominco. The Sun deposit consists of 13 SUN claims and 12 HOT claims and has been extensively drilled. As of June 2007, Andover has staked 68, 160-acre claims adjacent to the Sun deposit and drilled 20 holes in 2007 (Andover Ventures, 2007, Andover-Sun; 2008, Sun). The results for 13 of the holes have been released. Some notable intercepts include: 10.94 meters of 2.34 percent copper, 0.77 percent lead, 5.98 percent zinc, 68.1 grams of silver per ton, and 0.266 gram of gram of gold per ton; 5.08 meters with 4.34 percent copper, 0.58 percent lead, 2.76 percent zinc, 99.1 grams of silver per ton, and 0.199 gram of gold per ton; 37.01 meters of 1.17 percent copper, 1.85 percent lead, 7.26 percent zinc, 44.0 grams of silver per ton and 0.179 gram of gold per ton; and 11.0 meters of 1.07 percent copper, 5.38 percent lead, 16.54 percent zinc, 88.6 grams of silver per ton, and 0.210 gram of gold per ton. Andover Ventures (2008, Sun) cites a 1976 Anaconda report that the main Sun deposit contains 12,500,000 tons of inferred resources with a grade of 1.8 percent copper, 5.3 percent zinc, 2.6 ounces per ton of silver, and 1.8 percent lead. Andover also cites a 1977, Anaconda preliminary feasibility study that gives the 'inferred resources' amenable to open-pit mining at SUN as: 1) 2,399,000 tons with a grade of 1.93 percent copper, 4.51 percent zinc, 2.39 ounces of silver per ton, and 1.20 percent lead, and 2) 17,891,000 tons of material with a grade of 1.91 percent copper, 4.46 percent zinc, 2.37 ounces of silver per ton, and 1.18 percent lead.
Workings: Andover Ventures (2008, Sun) cites a 1976 Anaconda report that the main Sun deposit contains 12,500,000 tons of inferred resources with a grade of 1.8 percent copper, 5.3 percent zinc, 2.6 ounces per ton of silver, and 1.8 percent lead. Andover also cites a 1977, Anaconda preliminary feasibility study that gives the 'inferred resources' amenable to open-pit mining at SUN as: 1) 2,399,000 tons with a grade of 1.93 percent copper, 4.51 percent zinc, 2.39 ounces of silver per ton, and 1.20 percent lead, and 2) 17,891,000 tons of material with a grade of 1.91 percent copper, 4.46 percent zinc, 2.37 ounces of silver per ton, and 1.18 percent lead.
Age: Devonian, based on radiometric and fossil determinations.
Reserves: Andover Ventures (2008) cites a 1976 Anaconda report that the main Sun deposit contains 12,500,000 tons of ore with a grade of 1.8 percent copper, 5.3 percent zinc, 2.6 ounces per ton of silver, and 1.8 percent lead in 'inferred resources'. Andover also cites a 1977, Anaconda preliminary feasibility study that gives the 'inferred resources' at SUN as: 1) 2,399,000 tons of material with a grade of 1.93 percent copper, 4.51 percent zinc, 2.39 ounces of silver per ton, and 1.20 percent lead that can be mined from an open pit, and 2) 17,891,000 tons of material with a grade of 1.91 percent copper, 4.46 percent zinc, 2.37 ounces of silver per ton, and 1.18 percent lead.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au, Cu, Pb, Zn
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Kuroko massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 28a).

References

Andover Ventures, Inc., 2007, Andover - Sun Property, 2007 Surveyed drill holes: http://www.andoverventures.com/_resources/sun_Dec_2007.pdf (October, 11, 2007). Andover Ventures 2008, http://www.andoverventures.com/projects/sun/ (as of March 4, 2008). Garland, R.E., Eakins, G.R., Trible, T.C., and McClintock, W.W., 1975, Geochemical analysis of rock and stream-sediment samples from Survey Pass A-4, A-5, A-6, B-4, B-5, and B-6 quadrangles: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File Report AOF-67, 4 p., 4 sheets, scale 1:63,360. Grybeck, D.J., and Nelson, S.W., 1981, Mineral deposit map of the Survey Pass quadrangle, Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1176-F, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Marrs, C.D., 1978, Geology of the Sun massive sulfide deposit, Ambler district, Alaska [abs.]: Northwest Mining Association, 84th Annual Convention, Spokane, Washington, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, 1978. Sicherman, H.A., Russell, R.H., and Fikkan, P.R., 1976, The geology and mineralization of the Ambler district, Alaska: Spokane, Wash., Bear Creek Mining Company, 22 p. Smith, T.E., Profett, J.M., and Heatwole, D.A., 1979, Ambler schist belt of northwest Alaska--Host terrane for volcanogenic base metal massive sulfide deposits of mid-Paleozoic age [abs.]: Geoscience Forum, 7th, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, December 1979, Abstracts, p. 6. Smith, T.E., Profett, J.M., Heatwole, D.A., and Seklemian, R.W., 1977, Geologic setting of base metal massive sulfide deposits, Ambler district, northwest Alaska [abs.]: Alaska Geological Society Symposium, 6th, Anchorage, April 1977, Abstracts with Program, p. 41-42. Zdepski, J.M., 1980, Stratigraphy, mineralogy and zonal relations of the Sun massive-sulfide deposit, Ambler district, northwest Alaska: Fairbanks, University of Alaska, M.Sc. thesis, 93 p.

Mineral List

Actinolite Arsenopyrite Baryte Bornite

Calcite var: Ferroan Calcite Chalcopyrite Cymrite Dolomite var: Ferroan Dolomite

Enargite Galena Muscovite Quartz

Sphalerite Stilpnomelane Tremolite

15 entries listed. 13 valid minerals.