HOM Prospect (Mina Creek), Fairhaven Mining District, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
HOM Prospect (Mina Creek)	Prospect
Fairhaven Mining District	Mining District
Northwest Arctic Borough	Borough
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This prospect is very approximately located to be on the ridge crest between the headwaters of Mina Creek and its north tributary Champion Creek at an elevation 1,000 feet. The mouth of Mina Creek, an east tributary to Kugruk River, is 6.5 miles north of the Independence mine (BN076).
Geology: This is a volcanogenic massive sulfide prospect that was explored by Houston Oil and Minerals (HOM) in the 1970's. Exploration included core drilling. Drilling encountered up to 5 % sphalerite in felsic schist with some galena and silver values (R. Cunningham, written communication, 1998). The felsic schist is probably similar to other felsic schist sequences that are present in a belt to the east, south, and west of Kiwalik Mountain. The metamorphic assemblage containing felsic schist was not mapped separately by Till and others (1986) except along a part of Independence Creek. It is inferred to be of Devonian age, the age of the Kiwalik Mountain gneiss (Till and others, 1986). The geologic setting for this prospect and that at Big Bar (BN083, south of Kiwalik Mountain) seems to be similar to that of the Ambler district in the southern Brooks Range.
Workings: Some core drilling took place here in the 1970's.
Age: Devonian ?; this is a strataform deposit and the host felsic schist is interpreted to be similar in age to the Devonian gneiss at Kiwalik Mountain (Till and others, 1986).
Alteration: The deposit is oxidized; quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration is inferred to be present.

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

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	BN119

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References