Gold Run

The Gold Run 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: Gold Run

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: PGE
Secondary: Tungsten
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
Ore: Scheelite

Comments

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Bedrock in this drainage and its headwater tributaries is dominately a chlorite-bearing schist and amphibolite assemblage (Sainsbury, 1972). The lower 1.25 miles of the stream drains across a metapelitic schist assemblage. Both of these assemblages have local metamorphosed mafic intrusive bodies and both are of unknown but probable Paleozoic age. Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped the location of placer mining operations to include the first half mile of the Bluestone River below the mouth of Gold Run and over 4 miles of the main drainage of Gold Run upstream from its mouth. These operations, which involved extensive dredging, were at surface elevations between about 190 and 345 feet. Mining took place at various times between 1900 and 1946 but much of the dredging was between 1935 and 1940 (Cobb, 1975). Gold is present on benches, old channels, and the present drainage. Some pay, particularly near the mouth of Alder Creek, was very rich containing $50 (1908) per cubic yard (Collier and others, 1908). The pay was in the lower gravels on bedrock and included some bedrock. A yellow clay was present at the base of the pay in some places. The gravels are at least in part coarse and locally include large greenstone boulders. Granitic boulders, exotic to the area, are present in some gravels. Some of the gold is coarse with a nugget as large as 22.25 ounces having been recovered (Smith, 1938). Anderson (1947) reported that scheelite was present in heavy mineral concentrates and Sainsbury and others (1969) reported that cinnabar and platinum-group metals were also present.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Not defined; a prospect shaft at the pass between Gold Run and McAdam Creek encountered bedrock at 115 feet and some coarse gold. This is an area mapped as being mantled by moraine by Sainsbury (1972).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Sainsbury and others (1969) mapped the location of placer mining operations to include the first half mile of the Bluestone River below the mouth of Gold Run and over 4 miles of the main drainage of Gold Run upstream from its mouth. These operations, which involved extensive dredging, were at surface elevations between about 190 and 345 feet along the main drainage. Various open-cut and hydraulicking methods have also been used. A prospect shaft at the pass between Gold Run and McAdam Creek encountered bedrock at 115 feet and some coarse gold.

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Collier and others, 1908; Sainsbury and others, 1969; Cobb, 1975

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Yes, considerable from 1900 to at least 1946

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Alluvial Au placer (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

References

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.

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): 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., 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): 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., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

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

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