Butler and Petree Prospect, Fairbanks Mining District, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Butler and Petree Prospect	Prospect
Fairbanks Mining District	Mining District
Fairbanks North Star Borough	Borough
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Cobb (1972, MF-413), loc. 41; SE1/4 sec. 19, T. 3 N., R. 2 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. This prospect is on the west side of Chatham creek, less than half a mile above the junction of Cleary and Chatham Creeks. Accuracy is within 1,500 feet.
Geology: Schist in a shear zone contain disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite along with lesser galena, sphalerite and stibnite. These sulfides also occur in numerous quartz stringers in the shear zone. Free gold is more common in the upper oxidized portions of the lode while gold appears to be associated with sulfides at depth. Tourmaline is present in the schists along the margins of quartz stringers and is strongly correlative with elevated arsenopyrite and pyrite (Prindle, 1910). By 1909, a 90-foot-long adit had been driven on the prospect and had intersected a 6-foot-thick shear zone 50 feet from the portal (Prindle, 1910). A drift was driven from the main adit to the northwest along the shear and a 150-foot-deep winze was sunk on the shear from this drift. A raise to the surface was later put in above the winze (Prindle, 1910). Approximately 100 feet below the main adit level drift, a second working level was started and drifts driven 40 feet to the northwest and southeast from the shaft, which was then known as the Robertson shaft. Brooks (1911) reported the shaft was 160 feet deep on a 4- to 8-foot-wide shear zone. Smith (1913, B 525) reported that attempts to develop the Butler and Petree prospect failed due to the low gold and high base metal content on the prospect. In 1931, the prospect was abandoned and the workings were inaccessible (Hill, 1933). The prospect was examined in 1942 as a possible source of antimony but was not developed due to insufficient grade and thickness of antimony values (Killeen and Mertie, 1951).
Workings: This prospect was discovered and first staked in October, 1908. By 1909, a 90-foot-long adit had been driven on the prospect and had intersected a 6-foot-thick shear zone 50 feet from the portal (Prindle, 1910). A drift was driven from the main adit to the northwest along the shear and a 150-foot-deep winze was sunk on the shear from this drift. A raise to the surface was later put in above the winze (Prindle, 1910). Approximately 100 feet below the main adit level drift, a second working level was started and drifts driven 40 feet to the northwest and southeast from the shaft, that was then known as the Robertson shaft. By 1910, the prospect was in litigation which prevented active exploration and development. Brooks (1911) reported the shaft was 160 feet deep on a 4- to 8-foot-wide shear zone. The prospect was erroneously referred to as the Rex Mining Company prospect which may have been the company in litigation with the owners of the Butler and Petree prospect (Freeman, 1992). A minor amount of work was conducted on the Butler and Petree prospect in 1911 (Brooks, 1912). Smith (1913, B 525) reported that attempts to develop the Butler and Petree prospect failed due to the low gold and high base metal content on the prospect. In 1931 the prospect was abandoned and the workings inaccessible (Hill, 1933). The prospect was examined in 1942 as a possible source of antimony but was not developed due to insufficient grade and thickness of antimony values (Killeen and Mertie, 1951).

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Pb, Sb, Zn
Development Status: Undetermined
Deposit Model: Polymetallic vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 22c).

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Link to USGS - Alaska:	LG124

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References