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Starship

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Zinc, Cadmium
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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. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10307790
Record type Site
Current site name Starship

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -154.07896, 63.4825 (WGS84)
Relative position The Starship prospect is located about one mile (1.5 km) northeast of the Bear Pass prospect on a northwest facing ridgeline at an elevation of 2,150 feet (655 m) in Section 20, T. 23 S., R. 25 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. Location is known to within about 125 feet (38 m).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Medfra B-3(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Medfra S(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Medfra C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

North Fork Kuskokwim River(hydrologic unit)

Upper Kuskokwim River(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Doyon, Limited(ANCSA Region)

ANCSA Region NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Zinc Critical Primary
Cadmium Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Gangue = Secondary carbonate

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Smithsonite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Secondary dolomite.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 224
USGS model code 32a
Deposit model name Mississippi Valley, S.E. Missouri Pb-Zn
Mark3 model number 42

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Silurian

Nearby scientific data

(1) -154.07896, 63.4825
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Starship prospect consists of a smithsonite-bearing solution breccia in dolomite and limestone of the Paradise Fork Formation of Dutro and Patton (1982); this is unit 'Sic' of Andrews and Rishel (1982). Zone of mineralization measures about 15 feet by 100 feet (4.5 m by 30 m) and is mainly in rubble crop. Age of host unit is Silurian (inferred), based on fossil control. (Patton and others, 1980; Dutro and Patton, 1982; Schmidt, 1997). The age of the mineralization is unknown. Grab samples from surface explorations of high grade mineralization contain up to 23.25 percent zinc and 0.14 percent cadmium. Mineralized rubble crop distribution indicates a relatively small and discordant mineral body.
  • Age = Age of host unit is Silurian (inferred), based on fossil control. (Dutro and Patton, 1982). The age of mineralization is unknown.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name McGrath

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The Starship prospect was found by WGM Inc. and Patino Ltd. in the late 1970s during base metal exploration on lands selected by Doyon Ltd (Andrews and Rishel, 1982). Grab samples from surface explorations of high grade mineralization contain up to 23.25 percent zinc and 0.14 percent cadmium. Mineralized rubble crop distribution indicates a relatively small and discordant mineral body.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Patton, W.W., Jr., Moll, E.J., Dutro, J.T., Jr., Silberman, M.L., and Chapman, R.M., 1980, Preliminary geologic map of Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-811-A, 1 sheet, scale l:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Andrews, Tom, and Rishel, John, 1982, Annual Report for 198, Reef Ridge I-to-XIII Project Areas, Kuskokwim Block, Alaska: Anchorage, Alaska, WGM Inc., Project Report 4, 45 pages, two sheets at 1:63,360 and 1:20,000 scales. (Report held by Doyon, Limited, Fairbanks, Alaska.)

  • Deposit

    Dutro, T.T. Jr., and Patton,W.W. Jr., 1982, New Paleozoic Formations in the northern Kuskokwim Mountains, west-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1529-H, p. H13-H22.

  • Deposit

    Schmidt, J.M., 1997, Shale-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag and barite deposits of Alaska, in Goldfarb, R.J., and Miller, L.D., eds., Mineral Deposits of Alaska, 1997: Economic Geology Monograph 9, p. 35-65.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Andrews and Rishel, 1982

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Southeast Missouri Pb-Zn (Cox and Singer, 1986; model no. 32a) or Mississippi Valley Type
Deposit Other Comments = See Spring Ridge (MD047), Bear Pass (MD044), Beaver (MD048), and Big Gate (MD050) Mississippi Valley Type occurrences in Medfra quadrangle. The Starship prospect is on land selected or conveyed to Doyon Ltd. For further information, contact Doyon Ltd. at 210 1st Ave., Fairbanks, Alaska, 99701.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-JUN-98 Bundtzen, T.K. Pacific Rim Geological Consulting

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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