Nuka Bays Mining Company

Site Name

Primary: Nuka Bays Mining Company
Secondary: Nookas
Secondary: Harrington

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Homer

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: None reported although Borden and others (1991) report other veins in the Nuka Bay district show carbonization, sulfidization, sericitization, and silicification of the wall rock adjacent to the veins.

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Arsenopyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary; Boden and others (1991) report other veins in the district are about 55 m.y. old.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = A 400 foot tunnel was driven prior to 1933 to test the downward extension of the veins at the 1,400 foot and 1,181 foot exposures but it failed to intercept significant veining at depth. A small Gibson mill was erected prior to 1933 (Pilgrim, 1933). Two shallow shafts were dug at 1,400 feet and 1,180 feet elevation. Twenty-four tons of ore from one of these shafts produced 27 ounces of retort (Pilgrim, 1933). Channel samples at an unknown location by Pilgrim (1933) returned up to 4.54 ounces of gold per ton. Richter (1970) sampled the 1,400 foot elevation exposure which assayed 8.8 ppm gold; a two foot channel sample at the 1,180 foot exposure contained 304 ppm gold.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = This prospect is within Kenai Fjords National Park; the area is now closed to mineral entry.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The mineralization is hosted by slates and graywackes of the Cretaceous Valdez Group (Richter, 1970). The quartz veins that have been mined are typical of the district and consist of white crystalline quartz with various amounts of sulfides. Arsenopyrite is the dominate sulfide with minor amounts of pyrite. Gold occurs as free gold associated with arsenopyrite. ? At the 1,480 foot workings a four-inch to three-foot vein has been drifted on for at least 35 feet. The vein is in a thin bedded graywacke and slate that strikes N85W and dips 82N. The vein is strongly iron stained and contains scattered lens and stringers of arsenopyrite and pyrite. A single channel sample of this vein assayed 8.8 ppm gold (Richter, 1970). ? the workings at 1,180 feet elevation consists of a 30-foot-deep shaft that exposed a one- to two-feet-wide quartz vein. The vein strikes N20E and dips 30NW the vein is exposed for about 20 feet on the surface and is hosted in a thin-bedded graywacke. A random channel sample of this vein assayed 304 ppm gold (Richter, 1970).? A 410 foot long exploration adit was driven at 1,120 feet elevation near the mill site. The adit was driven eastward for 270 feet where it split into two drifts to the south. All the workings are in a massive graywacke that generally strikes northward and dips 35W. About 20 feet from the portal, a 0.5 foot-wide quartz vein was followed for about 30 feet. At about 65 feet from the portal, a wider vein was followed for almost 80 feet where it appears to end in a stockwork of veins about 160 feet from the portal. This vein strikes almost east-west and dips 80S. A sample of the vein assayed 0.8 ppm gold (Richter, 1970). The original purpose of the adit was probably to intercept the veins exposed at the surface but for an unknown reason, the tunnel stopped short of this goal.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = This property has produced some gold but the exact amount is unknown.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Richter, 1970; Pilgrim, 1933

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Low-sulfide, Au-quartz vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

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References

Reference (Deposit): Richter, D.H., 1970, Geology and lode-gold deposits of the Nuka Bay area, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-B, p. Bl-B16.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than minerals fuels and construction materials) in the Seldovia quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 80-87, 47 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others, Mineral Resources of Alaska in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824, p. 83-109.

Reference (Deposit): Pilgrim, E.R., 1933, Progress of lode mining in interior Alaska, 1932: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 194, 11 p.

Reference (Deposit): Borden, J.C., Goldfarb, R.J., Gent, C.A., Burruss, R.C., and Roushey, B.H., 1992 Geochemistry of lode-gold deposits, Nuka Bay district, southern Kenai Peninsula: Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1991: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2041, p. 13-21.

Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1938, Lode mining in the Nuka Bay district, in Smith, P.S., Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 25-32.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic minerals resources map of the Seldovia quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-397, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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