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Peters Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10000914
MRDS ID A011577
Record type Site
Current site name Peters Creek
Alternate or previous names Peters Creek Mining Corporation Property, Cottonwood Creek
Related records 10210067

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -150.77278, 62.48954 (WGS84)
Relative position The coordinates for this location are given at the approximate downstream limit of dredge tailings from large-scale dragline operation near Petersville in the west half of Section 21 and 28, T. 28 N., R. 8 W., of the Seward Meridian. Auriferous stream and bench deposits occur upstream from this point for about one mile. Localities given by the following authors have been combined into one record (C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978, Fig. 4.2-B(3); Clark and Cobb, 1973, localities 26 and 27; Reed and others, 1978, localities 81 and 82; and MacKevett and Holloway, 1977, localities 25 and 26).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Matanuska-Susitna(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Talkeetna B-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Talkeetna SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Talkeetna(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Yentna River(hydrologic unit)

Susitna River(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene

Nearby scientific data

(1) -150.77278, 62.48954
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Gold-bearing Pleistocene stream and bench gravel in the Peters Creek drainage basin occurs near the bedrock contact between Mesozoic marine sedimentary rocks (KJs) and continentally derived sedimentary strata of the Tertiary Kenai Group (Cobb and Reed, 1980; Reed and Nelson, 1980). The KJs unit is cut by Tertiary (?) diabase and other dikes (Hawley and Clark, 1973; C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978; Cobb and Reed, 1980). C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978) describe the base of the Tertiary strata in the headwaters of Peters Creek as an argillaceous white quartz conglomerate containing angular gold. Capps (1925) describes this conglomerate as the basal unit of the Tertiary Kenai Formation. However Clark and Hawley (1968) suggest that the white quartz conglomerate is older and that the Kenai Group was deposited on it. They believe the auriferous conglomerate is near its original source in part because the characteristics of the gold show a common source that has not moved far or has not been reworked. Further, they indicate that the conglomerate is a product of shearing and weathering in situ of argillic altered, auriferous Tertiary quartz porphyry intrusive rocks and associated quartz veins that were emplaced along northeast, high angle normal faults. ? In Peters Creek stream gravel averages 6 feet in depth; bench gravel is generally thinner, about 3 to 4 feet thick. Boulders are abundant in the stream gravel and the benches. The placer deposits have been mined from 1905 into the 1970s (Cobb and Reed, 1980) at various places over ten miles along Peters and Cottonwood Creeks. Large scale production in about 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1956 (C.C. Hawley and Associates Inc., 1978) from drag-line dredge operations covered an area 1200 feet wide and a mile long on Peters Creek. ? the fineness of the gold ranges from 865 1/4 to 870 3/4; averaging: 868 (Clark and Hawley, 1968). C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978, Table 4.2-B(3)-B) report probable reserves of the Peters Creek Mining Corporation to be 3,467,000 cubic yards from the combined areas of Cottonwood, Big Willow and Peters Creek. They suggest that most of the gold in Peters Creek drainage system is unmined. ? According to C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978) the Peters Creek placer gold deposits are generally too low grade for anything but a large-scale hydraulic or dredging operation to be successful. Drainages secondary to Peters Creek that also contain gold deposits are: Bird Creek (TL040); Willow Creek (TL042); Poorman Creek (TL043); and their headwater tributaries.
  • Age = Pleistocene.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Mining district

District name Yentna

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = The placer deposits have been mined from 1905 into the 1970s (Cobb and Reed, 1980) at various places over ten miles along Peters and Cottonwood Creeks. Large scale production in about 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1956 (C.C. Hawley and Associates Inc., 1978) from drag-line dredge operations covered an area 1200 feet wide and a mile long on Peters Creek.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978, Table 4.2-B(3)-B) report probable reserves in the Peters Creek Mining Corporation are to be 3,467,000 cubic yards. They suggest that most of the gold in Peters Creek drainage system is unmined.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Garrett (1998) reports current placer mining by mechanical cut-and-fill techniques and feed hopper, trommel and sluice processing. Exploration has been conducted by test drilling and pits. Hydraulic and hand-mining operations were conducted in the past. Placer mining on Peters Creek was reported in 1927 on Cottonwood Creek by Smith (1930, B 810). The placer deposits have been mined from 1905 into the 1970s (Cobb and Reed, 1980) at various places over ten miles along Peters and Cottonwood Creeks. Large scale production in about 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1956 (C.C. Hawley and Associates Inc., 1978) from drag-line dredge operations covered an area 1200 feet wide and a mile long on Peters Creek.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc., 1978

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).
Deposit Other Comments = According to C.C. Hawley and Associates, Inc. (1978) the Peters Creek placer gold deposits are generally too low grade for anything but a large-scale hydraulic or dredging operation to be successful;. Drainages secondary to Peters Creek that also contain gold deposits are Bird Creek (TL040), Willow Creek (TL042), Poorman Creek (TL043), and their headwater tributaries.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-AUG-1998 Madelyn A. Millholland Millholland & Associates

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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