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Sheep Creek-1

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Vanadium
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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. 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 10307859
Record type Site
Current site name Sheep Creek-1

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -153.80184, 62.34148 (WGS84)
Relative position The Sheep Creek-1 occurrence is located in the main tributary valley of Sheep Creek about 2.0 kilometers upstream from the confluence of the main tributary and the Smith Lake fork at an elevation of 2,800 feet (853 m) in the SW1/4 sec. 18, T. 26 N., R. 24 W., of the Seward Meridian. Sheep Creek-1 is mineral locality #12 of Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert (1997). The reporter found the site in 1981.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

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

McGrath SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

McGrath(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Kuskokwim River(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated(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
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Vanadium Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Strong sulfurous alteration.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 208
USGS model code 31a
Deposit model name Sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb
Mark3 model number 13

Nearby scientific data

(1) Qs
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Sheep Creek-1 occurrence is a discontinuous zone of metal-bearing, sulfur-rich shale and siltstone of the Lower Ordovician to Lower Silurian Post River Formation, a unit of the Dillinger subterrane (Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997). The observed shale-hosted mineralization contains graptolites that correspond to the Monograptus spiralus zone or of Lower Silurian age. The mineralized zones occur in distinctive areas where a bright yellow sulfur staining is seeping out of pyrite-rich lamina in the black shale lenses and horizons. Within the sulfur-rich zones, disseminated pyrite, and sphalerite are found in 2 to 4 centimeter thick bands. . Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert (1997) regard the Sheep Creek-1 occurrence as a sedimentary exhalitive lead-zinc deposit type; however, it may also be an epigenetic occurrence related to nearby plutonic sources. . Random chip samples reported by Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough (1982) and Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert (1997) from four stratiform horizons contained an average 600 ppm lead, 1,700 ppm zinc, 1,000 ppm vanadium, and 2.7 grams/tonne silver. Smith and Albanese (1985) reported a single sample (#2526) from the Sheep Creek-1 occurrence contained 720 ppm lead, 37.1 grams/tonne silver, and 472 ppm antimony.
  • Age = Inferred to be Lower Silurian, based on graptolite identification.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name McGrath

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The reporter first recognized the shale-hosted mineralization in 1981 (Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough, 1982). Random chip samples reported by Bundtzen, Kline, and Clough (1982) and Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert (1997) from four horizons of shale-hosted mineralization contained an average 600 ppm lead, 1,700 ppm zinc, 1,000 ppm vanadium, and 2.7 grams/tonne silver. Smith and Albanese (1985) reported that a single sample (#2526) from the Sheep Creek-1 occurrence contained 720 ppm lead, 37.1 grams/tonne silver, and 472 ppm antimony.

Reference information

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Sedimentary exhalitive Pb-Zn(?) (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 31a).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-DEC-98 T.K. Bundtzen 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

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.