The Bluestone River 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
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.
Bluestone River MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Bluestone River
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Secondary: PGE
Secondary: Mercury
Location
State: Alaska
District: Port Clarence
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: Placer Au-PGE
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Gold
Comments
Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive
Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped placer mining operations along 1.25 miles of the main drainage at surface elevations between 95 and 145 feet. Cobb and Sainsbury (1972) show another area of operations 0.5 miles north (downstream) of those mapped by Sainsbury and others (1969). Other locations of placer mining further upstream on Bluestone River are parts of tributary mining locations (Gold Run and Skookum Creeks; Sainsbury and others, 1969).
Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary
Comment (Production): Production Notes = Not known
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Collier and others, 1908; Sainsbury and others, 1969; Cobb, 1975
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Bedrock in the Bluestone River drainage is mostly a metapelitic sequence with local metamorphosed mafic intrusive bodies (Sainsbury, 1972). South and east tributaries to the Bluestone River, such as Gold Run Creek, have bedrock assemblages that include chlorite schist, some amphibolite, and metamorphosed mafic intrusive bodies. In places, the retrograded greenschist facies mafic bodies preserve remnant blueschist facies minerals. The ages of these assemblages are not known but they are probably Paleozoic. Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped placer mining operations along 1.25 miles of the main drainage at surface elevations between 95 and 145 feet. Cobb and Sainsbury (1972) show another area of operations 0.5 miles north (downstream) of those mapped by Sainsbury and others (1969). Other locations of placer mining further upstream on Bluestone River are parts of tributary mining locations (Gold Run and Skookum Creeks; Sainsbury and others, 1969). The placer deposits below elevations of 145 feet are low enough to have potentially been affected by shoreline marine trangressions at times of Quaternary high sea level stands. Gold occurs on benches as well as the main drainage. Most of the gold is fine but some nuggets were present (Collier and others, 1908). Smith (1909) reports that one nugget worth $72 (1908) was recovered. The upper one foot of bedrock contributed to pay. Sainsbury (1972, p. 3) reports that cinnabar and some platinum-group metals are present in auriferous gravels of the Bluestone River.
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Alluvial Au placer (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Not defined
References
Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., and Sainsbury, C.L., 1972, Metallic mineral resource map of the Teller quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-426, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): Sainsbury, C.L., 1972, Geologic map of the Teller quadrangle, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Map I-685, 4 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): Collier, A. J., Hess, F.L., Smith, P.S., and Brooks, A.H., 1908, The gold placers of parts of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, including the Nome, Council, Kougarok, Port Clarence, and Goodhope precincts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 328, 343 p.
Reference (Deposit): Sainsbury, C.L., Kachadoorian, Reuban, Hudson, Travis, Smith, T.E., Richards, T.R., and Todd, W.E., 1969, Reconnaissance geologic maps and sample data, Teller A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, B-3, C-1, and Bendeleben A-6, B-6, C-6, D-5, and D-6 quadrangles. Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 377, 49 p., 12 sheets, scale 1:63,360.
Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1909, Recent developments in southern Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-F, p. 267-301.
Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Teller quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-587, 130 p.
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.
