Unnamed Prospects (ARDF - CR047), North Pole Hill, Prince of Wales Island, Ketchikan District, Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Borough, Alaska, USA

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Location: There are several prospects in the large gabbro-pyroxenite pluton that forms North Pole Hill (Sainsbury, 1961). There are numerous pits and mineral occurrences scattered on the hill and this site is somewhat arbitrarily located at about the center of the hill, near the southwest corner of section 7, T. 72 S., R. 84 E.
Geology: The gabbro and pyroxenite that makes up North Pole Hill is an extension of the pluton at the Salt Chuck Mine (CR049), where it has been dated at 429 Ma (Loney and others, 1987). In 1954 and 1955, Juan Munoz carried out geophysical and geochemical surveys on North Pole Hill and dug several prospects pits that showed bornite in the gabbro and pyroxenite (Munoz, 1955; Sainsbury, 1961). In 1969--and perhaps other years--Munoz drilled several holes on the body (D.J. Grybeck, field visit, 1969). Although not well documented, North Pole Hill has been examined and prospected repeatedly since the 1970s because of its proximity and similar geology to the Salt Chuck Mine. Santoy Resources Ltd. is currently active on North Pole Hill (http://www.santoy.ca/index.html; [Link Broken? May 2012] Sept. 2003). They have one showing on the north flank of the hill ('Geoff showing') with samples that contained 1.1 percent copper and 0.19 gram of palladium per ton. They also located a previously unknown small adit (at an unspecified location on the hill); grab samples from the dump contained 2.67 percent copper, 0.63 gram of palladium per ton, 2.42 grams of gold per ton, and 14.03 grams of silver per ton. In his 1954 and 1955 work, Munoz also located several pyritiferous quartz veins, 6 to 18 inches thick, near a prominent fault. They contained about $7.00 in gold (at $35 per ounce). Those veins are probably at the prospect (shown on Plate 33 of Sainsbury, 1961) at about the center of section 7, T. 72 S., R. 84 E.
Workings: Prospect pits and at least two drill holes. Although not well documented, North Pole Hill has been examined and prospected repeatedly since the 1970s because of its proximity and similar geology to the Salt Chuck Mine. Santoy Resources Ltd. is currently active on North Pole Hill (http://www.santoy.ca/index.html; [Link Broken? May 2012] Sept. 2003). They have one showing on the north flank of the hill ('Geoff showing') with samples that contained 1.1 percent copper and 0.19 gram of palladium per ton. They also located a previously unknown small adit (at an unspecified location on the hill); grab samples from the dump contained 2.67 percent copper, 0.63 gram of palladium per ton, 2.42 grams of gold per ton, and 14.03 grams of silver per ton. In his 1954 and 1955 work, Munoz also located several pyritiferous quartz veins, 6 to 18 inches thick, near a prominent fault. They contained about $7.00 in gold (at $35 per ounce). Those veins are probably at the prospect (shown on Plate 33 of Sainsbury, 1961) at about the center of section 7, T. 72 S., R. 84 E.
Age: The gabbro on North Pole Hill has been dated at 429 Ma; the bornite deposit is probably cogenetic with the intrusion of the gabbro.

Commodities (Major) - Au, Cu
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Disseminated bornite in gabbro.

Mineral List

Bornite

1 entry listed. 1 valid mineral.

References