Bonanza Creek

Site Name

Primary: Bonanza Creek

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Antimony

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Koyuk

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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: Placer Au-PGE

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Ilmenite
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Stibnite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary. The source of the placer gold may be the contact zone between the Cretaceous granitic dikes and the sedimentary rocks (Brooks, 1911).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au; stream, bench (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Smith and Eakin, 1911

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Gold was discovered near the mouth of Bonanza Creek in 1899 (Smith and Eakin, 1911) and mined until at least 1918. The mouth of Bonanza Creek empties into the Ungalik River (NR009), where intermittent dredge mining took place until 1987 or 1988 (Bundtzen and others, 1992).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks in the vicinity of Bonanza Creek include black shale or slate that is cut by Cretaceous granitic dikes. The igneous rock contains sulfides (Smith and Eakin, 1911). The contact zone between the igneous rock and the sedimentary rocks is epidotized and contains fine-grained calcite, chlorite, quartz, amphiboles, pyrite, and magnetite (Anderson, 1944). Gold occurs both in creek and bench placers; water was pumped from the Ungalik River to facilitate mining. The gold is described as moderately coarse to coarse, and commonly attached to pieces of quartz vein material (Smith and Eakin, 1911). Abundant stibnite and scheelite are also present; during 1918 a few pounds of scheelite were produced (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Other minerals associated with the gold at Bonanza Creek include magnetite, epidote, garnet, apatite, zircon, hornblende, hematite, and augite (Anderson, 1944). Brooks (1911) indicates that the likely source of gold is the contact zone between the igneous and sedimentary rocks. Gold was discovered near the mouth of Bonanza Creek in 1899, and mining continued until at least 1918 (Smith and Eakin, 1911). Also see NR009 and 010.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Some gold was produced from Bonanza Creek from 1899 until about 1918. Intermittent gold production continued from the nearby Ungalik River (NR009) until 1987 or 1988 (Bundtzen and others, 1992).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive

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References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Candle, Holy Cross, Norton Bay, Nulato, and Unalakleet quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-866, 102 p.

Reference (Deposit): Anderson, Eskil, 1947, Mineral occurrences other than gold deposits in northwestern Alaska: Alaska Territorial Division of Mines Pamphlet 5-R, 48 p.

Reference (Deposit): Mendenhall, W.C., 1901, A reconnaissance in the Norton Bay region, Alaska, in 1900, in Brooks, A.H., Richardson, G.B., Collier, A.J., and Mendenhall, W.C., Reconnaissance in the Cape Nome and Norton Bay regions, Alaska, in 1900: U.S. Geological Survey Special Publication, p. 181-222.

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

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1910, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1909: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 426 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S. and Eakin, H.M., 1910, Mineral resources of the Nulato-Council region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 432 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1909, The mining industry in 1908: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-A, p. 21-62.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1906, The mining industry in 1905: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 284, p. 4-9.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Anderson, Eskil, 1944, Petrographic descriptions of rocks collected during 1944 field investigation in north-west Alaska, and lists of ore and rock samples and placer concentrates collected in northwestern and interior Alaska during 1945 field season: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-28, 76 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1916, Antimony deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 649, 67 p.

Reference (Deposit): Martin, G.C., 1919, Alaska Mining Industry in 1917: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692, p. 11-42

Reference (Deposit): Martin, G.C., 1920, The Alaska mining industry in 1918: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 712-A, p. 1-52.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S. and Eakin, H.M., 1911, Mineral resources of Alaska 1910: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 333 p..

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