Champion I Prospect, Fortymile District, Southeast Fairbanks Borough, Alaska, USA
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Location: The Champion I lode prospect is located on a ridge northwest of a large bend in Champion Creek in the southeast part of the Eagle C-2 quadrangle. The coordinates are the approximate center of the prospect, near the eastern boundary of section 22, T. 4 S., R. 30 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate. The Champion I prospect is located within Doyon, Ltd. selected or conveyed land.
Geology: The rocks in the vicinity of the Champion I prospect consist of a wide variety of undifferentiated, greenschist- to amphibolite-facies, Paleozoic schist, quartzite, marble, and lesser greenstone (Foster, 1976). The Champion I prospect contains gold and base-metal sulfides in hornfelsed roof pendants on the margin of a large granitic pluton of Tertiary or Mesozoic age (Foster, 1976; U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1995). Chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and magnetite occur within a 4.5- by 7.5-meter area of pyroxene skarn within biotite schist; samples contain as much as 0.41 percent copper and 11 to 490 ppb gold (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-12]). An adjacent light-green endoskarn contains as much as 78 ppm silver and 3.0 percent zinc. Fractured hornfels with gossan in the roof pendant contains as much as 872 ppb gold. Lead isotope analysis of a sample from the nearby Champion II skarn (EA049) indicates a Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary age for the skarn and its associated intrusion (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1995); it is likely that the Champion I skarn is of the same age. Champion II (EA049), East Champion (EA047), North Champion (EA046), and Oregon Creek (EA045) are other base-metal lode prospects within 5 miles of the Champion I prospect. The discovery of gold and base-metal sulfides at the Champion I prospect was made in the 1930's by prospectors, who hand excavated trenches (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-12]). From 1975 to 1977, WGM Inc. conducted regional geochemical surveys, mapped, and sampled in the area. A large copper-lead-zinc-silver soil anomaly was defined, but there was no indication of the prospect in VLF, EM, and magnetic surveys. The Champion I prospect was abandoned as a viable target due to the small tonnage and grade inherent in these small roof-pendant-hosted deposits (Dashevsky and others, 1986).
Workings: The discovery of gold and base-metal sulfides at the Champion I prospect was made in the 1930's by prospectors, who hand excavated trenches (WGM Inc., 1998 [DLR 98-12]). From 1975 to 1977, WGM Inc. conducted regional geochemical surveys, mapped, and sampled in the area. A large copper-lead-zinc-silver soil anomaly was defined, but there was no indication of the prospect in VLF, EM, and magnetic surveys. The Champion I prospect was abandoned as a viable target due to the small tonnage and grade inherent in these small roof-pendant-hosted deposits (Dashevsky and others, 1986). In 1996 and 1997, sampling of soil on a grid extended the area of defined soil anomalies.
Age: Lead isotopic ratios indicate a Late Cretaceous or early Tertiary age for the nearby Champion II skarn deposit (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1995); it is likely that the Champion I prospect is the same age.
Reserves: The Champion I prospect was abandoned as a viable target due to the small tonnage and grade inherent in these small roof-pendant-hosted deposits (Dashevsky and others, 1986).
Commodities (Major) - Au, Cu; (Minor) - Ag, Zn
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Cu skarn or Zn-Pb skarn (Cox and Singer, 1986; models 18b and 18c).
Mineral List
4 entries listed. 3 valid minerals.
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References
Burleigh, R.E., and Lear, K.G., 1994, Compilation of data for Phase I of the mineral resource evaluation of the Bureau of Land Management Black River and Fortymile subunits: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 48-94, 116 p. Dashevsky, S.S., Nicol, D.L., and Bond, J., 1986, Mines, prospects, and geochemical anomalies on Doyon Limited regional overselection lands, Alaska, Blocks 1-8: Doyon, Ltd. Report 86-01a, 300 p. (Report held by Doyon, Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska). Foster, H.L., 1976, Geologic map of the Eagle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series, Map 922, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Lessman, J., and Holm, B., 1978, 1977 annual progress report, Doyon Project, Champion-Lead Creek area: Doyon, Ltd. Report 78-02. (Report held by Doyon, Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska). U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1995, Final report of the mineral resource evaluation of the Bureau of Land Management Black River and Fortymile River Subunits: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 79-95, 226 p. WGM Inc., 1977, Doyon Project, 1976 annual progress report, volume 1a, Blocks 1, 4, 5, 7, 8: Doyon, Ltd. Report 77-02a. (Report held by Doyon, Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska). WGM Inc., 1998, Ventures Resource Alaska projects, 1997 progress report, Champion property exploration: Doyon, Ltd. Report 98-12, 64 p. (Report held by Doyon, Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska).
