El Nido Gold-Silver Mine

The El Nido Gold-Silver Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Alaska at an elevation of 1,056 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: El Nido Gold-Silver Mine

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Tungsten
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Chichagof

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1921
Year Last Production: 1939
Discovery Year: 1920
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: PINCH AND SWELL

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLE ACROSS 16 FT. OF STOCKWORK AVERAGED 0.96 OZ/TON AU. SURFACE OUTCROP SAMPLES REPORTED MORE THAN 24 OZ/TON AU. AVERAGE ASSAY VALUE FOR MINE ESTIMATED AT 1.6 OZ/TON AU. DATA FROM USGS B 773, P. 121. VEIN ESTIMATED TO CONTAIN AVERAGE OF UP TO 0.2% WO3, WITH HIGH-GRADE PORTION UP TO 3% WO3 IN VEIN NEAR FACE, ACCORDING TO USGS B 963-A, P. 23.
Analytical Data: SAMPLES ACROSS 13 FT. OF STOCKWORK AVERAGED 0.33 OZ/TON AU AND 0.44 OZ/TON AG

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Scheelite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): NO MINING SINCE 1939. CONSIDERABLE UNMINED QUARTZ VEINS OF UNKNOWN GRADE REMAIN. EXCEPT NEAR FACE OF LOWER ADIT, SCHEELITE DOES NOT APPEAR TO CONSTITUTE MINEABLE ORE. VERTICAL FAULT STRIKING N 65 DEGREES E SEPARATES APEX AND EL NIDO VEINS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Geology): APLITE DIKES AND QUARTZ VEINS ALONG FAULT ZONE IN CRET-JUR DIORITE.

Comment (Deposit): EL NIDO VEIN IS FISSURE TYPE QUARTZ VEINS IN FAULT ZONE IN DIORITE COUNTRY ROCK. VEINS ARE ON EITHER OR BOTH SIDES OF APLITE DIKE, AND STRIKE N 68 DEGREES E AND DIP 30 DEGREES-80 DEGREES SE. FAULT HAS BEEN TRACED FOR 2,000 FT. AND FREE GOLD-BEARING QUARTZ FOR 1,700 FT. ALONG FAULT. APLITE DIKE HAS AVERAGE THICKNESS OF 10 FT. WITH VEIN FROM 6 IN.-7 FT. WIDE. VEIN CONSISTS OF MILKY-WHITE QUARTZ, WITH SMALL AMOUNT OF CALCITE AND SERICITE, AND ARSENOPYRITE, SPHALERITE, GALENA, PYRITE, FREE GOLD, SCHEELITE, AND TRACE OF CHALCOPYRITE. SULFIDE MINERALIZATION IS SPARSE. SCHEELITE VEINLETS UP TO 6 IN. WIDE AND 3 FT. LONG ARE PRESENT ALONG FACE OF ADITS, AND DISSEMINATED IN VEIN. NUMEROUS GOLD-BEARING QUARTZ OFFSHOOT VEINS BRANCH OFF MAIN VEIN, FORMING STOCKWORK.

Comment (Workings): TWO LEVELS CONSISTING OF 1,500 FT. OF TUNNELS AND 300 FT. OF RAISES. AERIAL TRAMWAY TO MILL, AND POWER STATION. UNDERGROUND WORKINGS IN GOOD CONDITION AS OF 1951, BUT BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT MOSTLY VANDALIZED OR DESTROYED BY WEATHER.

Comment (Location): USGS B 1058-E, PLATE 13; USGS MF-467, LOC. 6; USGS MF 1476-B, LOC. 4. LOCATION IS PORTAL OF EL NIDO MINE. 0.45 MI SE OF APEX MINE. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Development): 18 CLAIMS STAKED 1920 BY J.H. CANN (APEX-EL NIDO MINING CO.). TUNNEL STARTED 1921, MINING CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY TO 1939. 55 LODE CLAIMS ACTIVE IN AREA AS OF 1977, ACCORDING TO USBM OFR 20-73

Comment (Reserve-Resource): ACCORDING TO USGS MF-1476-B, ESTIMATED RESERVES ARE 25,000 OZ. AU FOR BOTH APEX AND EL NIDO MINES.

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 78-450, P. 8-11 (1978)

Reference (Deposit): USGS MF-1476-B, P. 1, LOC. 4 (1982)

Reference (Deposit): USBM OFR 20-73, LOC. 5 (1978)

Reference (Deposit): USGS MF-467, LOC. 6 (1972)

Reference (Other Database): BAG-B-1058-E-PL-13

Reference (Deposit): USGS B 1058-E, P. 143, 200-204, PL. 13 (1978)

Reference (Deposit): USGS B 963-A, P. 20-23 (1949)

Reference (Deposit): USGS B 773, P. 114-121 (1925)

Reference (Deposit): USGS B 929, P. 143-145 (1941)

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.