Nabesna

The Nabesna 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: Nabesna
Secondary: Nabesna Mining Corporation

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Iron

Location

State: Alaska
District: Chisana

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Skarn Fe

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Text: Oxidation effective to depth of several tens of ft; locally extends to more than 350 ft in depth.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Anglesite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Cerussite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Serpentine
Gangue: Specularite
Gangue: Sphene
Gangue: Spinel
Gangue: Vesuvianite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Brookite
Gangue: Apatite
Gangue: Andradite
Gangue: Wollastonite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Several adits, 368 ft of surface cuts, 9224 ft of drifts, 6209 ft of raises (reported inaccessible in 1952), and 9,999 ft of drill holes by 1940. Apparently mined out and the mill and aerial tramway mostly destroyed by 1997. Five-foot sample across Bear vein assayed 10.39 oz./t Au, 12.70 oz./t Ag, 1.67% Pb, 0.15% Cu and five-foot sample along limestone/diorite contact assayed 0.10 oz./t Au, 1.8 oz./t Ag, 4.2% Cu. More assay data are available in Pilgrim, E. R., 1931. Surface and underground workings.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Site of recent exploration. No recorded production from any other lode deposit in the district. USGS Bull. 1374, p. 115. See also: Golden Eagle claims, Royal Development Company.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Three types of mineral deposits: (1) principal ore: auriferous pyrite-calcite veins carrying chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena in ore shoots ranging from a few in to 35 ft in width; average width 5 to 7 ft; quartz replaces calcite as gangue in upper portions of veins; (2) bodies of massive magnetite on the order of 50 ft by 100 ft carrying pyrite, calcite and some gold; (3) veins and masses of pyrrhotite containing disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite and some gold; mine is at contact of Upper Triassic limestone and a small irregular Cretaceous quartz diorite stock associated with numerous satellite dikes of quartz diorite and minor quartz monzonite. Ore bodies and tactite formed in limestone along east contact of stock, large area of minor intrusive rock and extensive tactite lies just south of the principal ore bodies. Massive oxide-sulfide bodies chiefly pyrite and magnetite with minor chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, stibnite, and gold. Pyrite veins formed by replacement of limestone along pre-existing fractures; and contain disseminated to small masses of chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, magnetite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, stibnite, and gold. Principal mining at Nabesna from about 1930 to 1941. Several hundred meters of workings. Several episodes of exploration since 1960.

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = diopside hedenbergite

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Nabesna Mine produced about 1.66 million grams Au, minor Ag and Cu.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Wayland, 1943, USGS B 933B, p. 175-199

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Fe skarn

Comment (Geology): Age = Cretaceous

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

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

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H., 1954, Geology of the eastern part of the Alaska Range and adjacent area: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 989-D, p. 63-218.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H., 1938, The Suslota Pass district, upper Copper River region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-C, p. 137-162.

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H., and Knopf, Adolph, 1909, Mineral resources of the Nabesna-White River district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-D, p. 161-180.

Reference (Deposit): Lowe, P.C., and others, 1982, Geologic map of the Nabesna B-5 quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-1566, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Pilgrim, E.R., 1931, Nabesna Mining Corporation, Whitham Group, in Stewart, B.D., Report on cooperation between the territory of Alaska and the United States in making mining investigations and in inspection of mines for the biennium ending March 31, 1931, p. 60-62.

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral Industry of Alaska in 1940: U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

Reference (Deposit): Wayland, R.C., 1943, Gold deposits near Nabesna: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-B, p. 103-199.

Reference (Deposit): Richter, D.H., Singer, D.A., and Cox, D.P., 1975, Mineral resources map of the Nabesna quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-655-K, scale 1:250,000.

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