Mineral Resources

Mineral exploration and production in Alaska has risen sharply since 1970. The total mineral production in 1975 was estimated at $524 million, compared to an estimated $434 million in 1974. Approximately 85 percent of the 1974 total was from oil and natural gas. The increase from 1974 to 1975 was reflected by the higher price of gold, value of sand and gravel used for pipeline construction and related expansion, and an increase in production of coal, natural gas, and petroleum.

Mining was one of the principal economic activities in the Yukon Region during the first half of this century; gold, particularly placer gold, dominated. The Iditarod, Circle, and Fairbanks Mining Districts produced the greatest amounts of placer gold, while lode gold was produced from the Kantishna and Fairbanks Districts (Figure 112). Deposits containing mercury, platinum, tin, antimony, silver, lead, tungsten, molybdenum, and copper were also mined, although activity was essentially terminated by World War II and subsequent inflation.
Figure 112        
Summary of Metallic Mining Activity by Mining District—Yukon Region     
         
Mining District Commodities Claim Staking
Placer Production
 Lode Production
         
Marshall Gold, iron, titanium, tungsten, mercury, lead, molybdenum, copper Minor, restricted to southeast portion of district Slightly over 99,000 ounces gold No recorded production
         
Anvik Gold, platinum Few recorded claims Minor production from one deposit between 1918 to 1940 No recorded production
         
Kaiyuh Silver, lead, molybdenum Few recorded claims No recorded production Insignificant
         
Iditarod Gold, antimony, mercury, zinc, chromium, tungsten, iron, tin, zirconium, arsenic, sliver, lead, rare earth metals, thorium Restricted to the Iditarod-Flat area and a small area along the southern boundary near DeCourcy Mountain Gold production to 1970 was 1,336,640 ounces 1,200 flasks of mercury recovered from the DeCourcy Mountain Mine
         
lnnoko Gold, platinum, antimony, tungsten, mercury Fairly widespread on or near creeks in the district 605,000 ounces gold with a small amount of by-product platinum No recorded production
         
Ruby Gold, tin, platinum, tungsten, bismuth, iron, lead, thorium Extensive claim staking from the Ruby Creek area southward into the Long-Poorman area Almost 400,000 ounces gold with about 20,000 pounds by-product tin ore and a little platinum No recorded production
         
Melozitna Gold, tin, iron, titanium, silver, lead Intense in southcentral part of district and moderate further east along the southern boundary About 8,000 ounces gold Insignificant
         
Hughes Gold, tin, platinum, zinc, copper Most activity centered around Hughes and in the Bear Creek area Possibly up to 100,000 ounces gold No recorded production
         
Koyukuk Gold, silver, copper, radioactive minerals, antimony, lead, manganese, palladium, nickel Widespread and extensive throughout the district except for the southern third 304,400 ounces of gold Six tons of antimony ore from Nolan Creek
         
Rampart Gold, barite, garnet, iron, lead, chromium, copper, silver, tungsten, mercury, bismuth, tin, antimony, manganese Intensive in the western part of the district 90,000 ounces of gold No recorded production
         
Yukon Flats Gold, iron, molybdenum, zinc Few recorded claims No recorded production No recorded production
         
Chandalar Gold, iron, zinc, copper, tungsten, radioactive minerals Moderately intense in western part of district About 30,000 ounces gold to 1970 Insignificant
         
Sheenjek Gold, copper, lead, zinc, silver, molybdenum, tin Few recorded claims No recorded production No recorded production
         
Black Iron Few recorded claims No recorded production No recorded production
         
Circle Gold, iron, zirconium, garnet, titanium, tin, radioactive minerals, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten Widespread and intense along many streams 733,000 ounces gold to 1970 Insignificant
         
Eagle Gold Widespread throughout the district 45,280 ounces gold to 1970 No recorded production
         
Hot Springs Gold, tin, chromium, iron, titanium, rare earth minerals, tungsten, silver, lead, copper, nickel Widespread and intensive activity in the northeast half of the district Over 450,000 ounces gold to 1970 with several hundred tons of by-product tin ore No recorded production
         
Kantishna Gold, silver, antimony, lead, iron, zinc, copper, mercury, tungsten Widespread in southern part of district About 50,000 ounces gold About 5,000 ounces gold with by-product silver, antimony and lead
         
Bonnifield Gold, silver, antimony, copper, iron, bismuth, lead Widespread and numerous in central part of district Around 41,000 ounces gold to 1970 Small amount of gold-silver ore and a few tons of antimony ore
         
Fairbanks Gold, tungsten, silver, antimony, lead, chromium, copper, zinc, bismuth Activity is widespread, most intense north of Fairbanks About 7,900,000 ounces gold to 1970 About 270,000 ounces gold to 1970 with by-product silver; over 2,500 tons of antimony ore; 60,000 tons of silver-lead ore shipped from prospect located 2 miles southwest of Pedro Dome; moderate amount of tungsten from the Stepovich Mine
         
Tolovana Gold, iron, antimony, chromium, tin, rare earth minerals, titanium, topaz, mercury, thorium, tourmaline, silver, nickel Moderately extensive and spread throughout the center of the district and along its southern boundary near Fairbanks About 385,000 ounces gold to 1970 Insignificant amounts of mercury and antimony ores
         
Delta River Gold, molybdenum, copper, nickel, lead, silver, zinc, chromium Widespread activity Insignificant Insignificant amount of molybdenite ore from deposit on Ptarmigan Creek
         
Goodpaster Gold, lead, antimonv Moderate activity throughout district Insignificant Insignificant
         
Tok Gold, antimony, silver, copper, nickel Moderate number of claims staked No recorded production Small amount of antimony ore produced from Stibnite Creek
         
Chisana Gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, iron, zinc Widespread and fairly intense in the central and southern parts of the district 48,300 ounces gold to 1970 $1,870,000 in gold-silver-copper ore from the Nabesna Mine
         
Fortymile Gold, iron, titanium, barium, garnet, tin, mercury, tungsten, thorium, silver, lead, copper, zinc, antimony Widespread and extensive in northern half of district Approximately 505,000 ounces of combined lode and placer gold to 1970 Approximately 505,000 ounces of combined lode and placer gold to 1970

 

 

Back to Index

[Alaskool Home]