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VW, VABM West

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Copper, Molybdenum, 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. 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 10308379
Record type Site
Current site name VW, VABM West

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -142.83468, 63.74573 (WGS84)
Relative position The VW prospect is located just north along the ridge from the Peternie prospect (TC022), and it covers an area of about 2 square miles, centered at the coordinates above. The prospect occurs in sections 26 and 27, T. 23 N., R. 13 E., of the Copper River Meridian. There are two centers of prospecting, one in each section. The coordinates refer to the eastern location, and the other is approximately one mile away, in nearly the center of section 27, T. 23 N., R. 13 E., of the Copper River Meridian. The location is accurate within 1 to 2 miles.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Southeast Fairbanks(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Tanacross C-4(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Tanacross NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Tanacross C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Molybdenum Primary
Gold Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyrite Ore
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) The prospect contains broad areas of pervasive hydrothermal alteration, including well-developed silicification, secondary sericite, and secondary pyrite (Doyon Ltd., 1998).

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 79
USGS model code 21a
Deposit model name Porphyry Cu-Mo
Mark3 model number 2

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Peternie
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cretaceous
    Chronological age 102.8
    Dating method Ar-Ar
    Type of media Potassium feldspar

Nearby scientific data

(1) -142.83468, 63.74573
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The mineralization at this prospect and at the Peternie prospect (TC022) consists of disseminated sulfide minerals in altered quartz monzonite and latite porphyry (Singer and others, 1976). These rocks intrude quartz-biotite schist, chlorite schist, muscovite schist, and quartz-biotite gneiss. This property shows broad areas of pervasive hydrothermal alteration, including well-developed silicification, secondary sericite and secondary pyrite. Propylitic alteration is not seen widely (Doyon Ltd., 1998). The intrusive rocks and alteration assemblages at VW are similar to those at the nearby Peternie prospect (TC022). Vein potassium feldspar at the Peternie prospect has a 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of 102.8 +/- 0.5 Ma (Newberry and others, 1996). It is likely that mineralization at the VW prospect formed at approximately the same time as mineralization at the Peternie prospect, but there are no age data for the VW prospect. . The VW prospect is believed to be part of the same system as the Peternie (TC022) and North Peternie (TC020) prospects. Resource Associates of Alaska drilled 8 holes in the property in the 1970's and interpreted it as a Mo-Cu porphyry prospect. Soil samples have revealed low-level gold values (Doyon Ltd., 1998). IP line data suggest that the property is a porphyry Mo deposit (Doyon Ltd., 1998).
  • Age = Vein potassium feldspar at the Peternie prospect has a 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of 102.8 +/- 0.5 Ma (Newberry and others, 1996). It is likely that mineralization at the VW prospect formed at approximately the same time as mineralization at the Peternie prospect, but there are no age data for the VW prospect.
  • Age = Chronological age is for the Peternie prospect.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Fortymile

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = In the 1970's, Resource Associates of Alaska drilled 8 holes at the VW prospect. In 1979 WGM Inc. conducted a reconnaissance soil program for molybdenum. In 1980, Anaconda did airphoto analysis, selective rock geochemistry, and airborne magnetics interpretation. In 1981, Arctic Resources Inc. sampled a soil grid, and in 1982 Doyon Ltd. conducted prospecting traverses and did an IP resistivity line. In 1984, Doyon Ltd. conducted a brief prospect examination.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Doyon Ltd., 1998

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Porphyry Mo deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 21a)
Deposit Other Comments = This property is located on Doyon Ltd. selected land. For more information, contact Doyon Ltd.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 13-APR-99 Cameron, C.E. Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys

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.