Hope Creek

The Hope Creek is a gold mine located in Alaska.

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

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Site Name

Primary: Hope Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: REE
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Tungsten

Location

State: Alaska
District: Fairbanks

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Allanite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Gold
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Rutile
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Stibnite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Placer gold was discovered in the early 1900's but was never mined extensively (Menzie and others, 1983, p. 46).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See also Faith Creek, ARDF no. CI018.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Swainbank and Burton, 1987.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Bedrock exposure is rare in the Hope Creek area, except on ridgetops, and locally along creeks. Micaceous quartzite, typically weathering to massive slabs and blocks, is the most abundant rubble and forms most of the bedrock outcrops. White, sulfide-free, quartz lenses, segregations and veinlets are common in the quartzite. Quartz-mica schist and pelitic schist also form some outcrops. Nonfoliated hornblende quartz monzonite occurs as small bodies in Hope Creek drainage. The rock varies in composition between quartz monzonite and monzogranite. Hornblende quartz monzonite is commonly altered to chlorite-ankerite-sericite with or without pyrite. Fluorite and garnet are occasionally present. Alteration occurs both along plutonic contacts and along shear zones within the plutons. Numerous cobbles and boulders of sulfide-bearing hornfels occur in Hope Creek. Samples of sulfide-bearing hornfels and quartz-monzonite north of Hope Creek are strongly anomalous in As (up to 7,000 ppm) and Au (up to 550 ppb) and moderately anomalous in Sb (up to 120 ppb). Sulfide-bearing hornfels and quartz monzonite samples from south of Hope Creek are also anomalous in these elements with maximum values of 53 ppm As, 43 ppb Au, and 29 ppb Sb. Virtually no mineralization was observed in metamorphic rocks away from plutonic contacts. In summary, sulfide-bearing hornfels and altered quartz monzonite samples near hornblende quartz monzonite contacts are the most gold-rich rocks found in the Hope Creek drainage. (Swainbank and Burton, 1987, p. 6-19 to 6-22) Placer gold was found in stream gravel, apparently in subeconomic amounts. Stibnite deposits were reportedly found in 1926, but were apparently reburied by 1942 (Joesting, 1943, p. 12).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a); Gold-rich sulfide-bearing hornfels and quartz monzonite.

References

Reference (Deposit): Lampright, R.L., 1996, Gold placer deposits near Fairbanks Alaska: Iron Fire Publications, Nederland, Colorado, 135 p.

Reference (Deposit): Swainbank, R.C., and Burton, P. J., 1987, Mineral assessment of the Lime Peak-Mt. Prindle area, Alaska in Smith, in T. E., Pessel, G. H., Wiltse, M. A., eds., Mineral assessment of the Lime Peak-Mt. Prindle area, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, p. 2.27 to 2.41.

Reference (Deposit): Menzie, W.D., Foster, H.L., Tripp, R.B., and Yeend, W.E., 1983, Mineral resource assessment of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-170-B, 61 p., 1 sheet, 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Misc. Field Studies Map MF-391, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Burand, W.M., 1965, A geochemical investigation between Chatanika and Circle hot springs, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 5, 11 p.

Reference (Deposit): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., 1953, Preliminary summary of reconnaissance for uranium and thorium in Alaska, 1952: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 248, 15 p.

Reference (Deposit): Nelson, A.E., West, W.S., and Matsko, J.J., 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 348, 21 p.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

Reference (Deposit): Joesting, H.R., 1943, Strategic mineral occurrences in interior Alaska, supplement to pamphlet no. 1: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 2, 26 p.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M., 1908, The Fairbanks and Rampart quadrangles, Yukon-Tanana region, Alaska, with a section on the Rampart placers, by F.L. Hess, and a paper on the water supply of the Fairbanks region, by C.C. Covert: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 337, 102 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1907, The Alaskan mining industry in 1906: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 19-39.

Reference (Deposit): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., White, M.G., and Moxham, R.M., 1952, Interim report on an appraisal of the uranium possibilities of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-165, 124 p.

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