The Hopeful Gulch is a gold, bismuth, and tungsten 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
Elevation:
Commodity: Gold, Bismuth, Tungsten
Lat, Long: 64.5501, -160.75900
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Hopeful Gulch MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Hopeful Gulch
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Bismuth
Primary: Tungsten
Location
State: Alaska
District: Koyuk
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: Amalgam
Ore: Bismuthinite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Wolframite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Bi-W-Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Anderson, 1944
Comment (Production): Production Notes = Although there is no record of mining at Hopeful Gulch, some probably took place in the early 1900s.
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks in the vicinity of Hopeful Gulch consist of Cretaceous, medium to fine-grained, mottled, dark gray diorite composed mostly of quartz, feldspar, and biotite. Disseminated pyrite is also present (Anderson, 1944). Anderson (1944) lists the following minerals in concentrates from Hopeful Gulch (in order of abundance): magnetite, epidote, apatite, scheelite, bismuthinite, wolframite, garnet, hornblende, zircon, feldspars, chlorite, augite, gold, amalgam, and calcite. Gold was discovered nearby on Bonanza Creek (NR008) in 1889 and that area was mined until at least 1918. The Ungalik River (NR008) was mined intermittently until 1987 or 1988 (Bundtzen and others, 1992). Although there is no record of mining at Hopeful Gulch, some probably took place in the early 1900s.
Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary. The source of the gold, bismuthinite, scheelite, and wolframite in the concentrates may be the contact zone of the diorite (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]).
References
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 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): Bundtzen, T.K., Swainbank, R.C., Wood, J.E., Clough, A.H., 1991 (1992), Alaska's Mineral Industry 1991: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 46, 89 p.
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): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Norton Bay quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-381, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
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