Goldstream Creek Gold Mine
Ester, Alaska
64.9111°N 147.9910°W
Mine Overview
The Goldstream Creek Gold Mine is in Ester, Alaska. Historically the site has been part of the Fairbanks Mining District. The Goldstream Creek Gold Mine was closed at the time of data entry with no known plans to re-open. The ore mined is composed of gold. The mineralization at this location is from the Quaternary period 2.58 million years ago to present.
Site identification and general characteristics. Learn about USGS mines.
Goldstream Creek Gold Mine In Ester, Alaska
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Commodities
Additional textual information about a site or mine.
- Commodity Type Importance
- Gold Metallic Primary
Workings
THERE WAS PROBABLY EARLIER DRIFT MINING AND PROSPECTING, BUT IN 1952, THE F. E. CO. PREPARED A HALF-MILE SECTION OF LOWER SHEEP CREEK CHANNEL FOR DREDGING AFTER DRILLING APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 PROSPECT HOLES (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). IN THE EARLY TO MID-1950'S, THE F. E. CO. BEGAN HYDRAULIC STRIPPING OF THE 80-100 FEET OF MUCK OVERLYING THE THAWED GRAVELS OF THE SHEEP CREEK CHANNEL (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). IN THE FALL OF 1957, DREDGE NO. 6, WHICH HAD JUST FINISHED MINING AT GOLD HILL (FB155) WAS HAULED OVERLAND TO SHEEP CREEK. THE DREDGE BEGAN WORKING THE SHEEP CREEK CHANNEL IN 1958 AND CONTINUED UNTIL IT WAS SHUT DOWN IN 1962 (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996).
POLAR MINING INC. (PMI) MINED IN GOLDSTREAM CREEK VALLEY AT THE MOUTH OF SHEEP CREEK FROM 1987 TO 1996 AND PROCESSED GRAVELS THROUGH A SOPHISTICATED SLUICE PLANT (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1988, P. 30; GREEN AND OTHERS, 1989, P. 37; MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). FIVE HUNDRED ADDITIONAL PROSPECT HOLES WERE DRILLED TO FURTHER DEFINE THE ORE RESERVE. AT ITS WIDEST POINT, PMI'S MINING CUT WAS MORE THAN 1, 300 FEET WIDE (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). PMI USED OPEN-PIT MINING METHODS, USING DRILLING AND BLASTING TO LOOSEN THE FROZEN MATERIALS. OVERBURDEN STRIPPING WAS DONE IN THE WINTER; PAY GRAVELS WERE LEFT TO THAW DURING THE SUMMER, THEN HAULED BY TRUCK TO THE WASH PLANT (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). DURING THE SUMMER OF 1991, PMI PROCESSED ABOUT 600, 000 CUBIC YARDS AND ABOUT 1. 5 MILLION POUNDS OF EXPLOSIVES WERE USED TO BLAST FROZEN OVERBURDEN DURING THE WINTER (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1992, P. 32 ). IN 1995, PMI MOVED 3, 600, 000 CUBIC YARDS AND WASHED 505, 000 CUBIC YARDS OF PAY GRAVEL (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1996, P. 28 ). THIS AREA HAS SINCE BEEN RECLAIMED AND PMI NOW OPERATES ON ANOTHER GOLDSTREAM PROPERTY NEAR FOX (FB085).
Geology
SHEEP CREEK IS A TRIBUTARY OF GOLDSTREAM CREEK THAT DRAINS THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF ESTER DOME. BEDROCK IN THE DRAINAGE IS FAIRBANKS SCHIST THAT CONSISTS OF QUARTZ-MUSCOVITE SCHIST, QUARTZITE, CHLORITE-QUARTZ SCHIST, AND BLEACHED FELDSPATHIC QUARTZOSE SCHIST (NEWBERRY AND OTHERS, 1996 ). THE AREA THAT HAS BEEN MINED, ABOUT A HALF-MILE IN THE LOWER PART OF THE CREEK, CONSISTS PREDOMINANTLY OF FROZEN GROUND WITH A FEW SCATTERED, THAWED BOG HOLES AND A THAWED AREA RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE OLD F. E. CO. STRIPPING DRAIN (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). THE DEPTH TO BEDROCK RANGES FROM 30 TO 100 FEET AND AVERAGES AROUND 70 FEET (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). WITHIN THE MINE SECTION, 20-25 FEET OF FROZEN MUCK OVERLIES THE GRAVELS (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). IN THE EARLY TO MID-1950'S, THE F. E. CO. BEGAN HYDRAULIC STRIPPING OF THE 80-100 FEET OF MUCK OVERLYING THE THAWED GRAVELS OF THE SHEEP CREEK CHANNEL (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). DREDGE NO. 6 BEGAN WORKING THE SHEEP CREEK CHANNEL IN 1958 AND CONTINUED UNTIL IT WAS SHUT DOWN IN 1962 (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996).
QUATERNARY PLACER
BEDROCK IN THE DRAINAGE NEAR THE MOUTH OF SHEEP CREEK IS FAIRBANKS SCHIST, CONSISTING OF QUARTZ-MUSCOVITE SCHIST, QUARTZITE, AND CHLORITE-QUARTZ SCHIST, AND BLEACHED FELDSPATHIC QUARTZOSE SCHIST (NEWBERRY AND OTHERS, 1996 ). THE MINE, WHICH IS NEAR THE MOUTH OF SHEEP CREEK, CONSISTS OF PREDOMINANTLY FROZEN GROUND WITH A FEW SCATTERED, THAWED BOG HOLES AND A THAWED AREA RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE OLD F. E. CO. STRIPPING DRAIN (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). POLAR MINING INC. (PMI) RAN THE PLACER OPERATION IN THE GOLDSTREAM CREEK VALLEY HERE FROM 1987 TO 1996 AND PROCESSED GRAVELS THROUGH A SOPHISTICATED SLUICE PLANT (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1988, P. 30; GREEN AND OTHERS, 1989, P. 37; MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). FIVE HUNDRED ADDITIONAL PROSPECT HOLES WERE DRILLED TO FURTHER DEFINE THE ORE RESERVE. AT ITS WIDEST POINT, PMI'S MINING CUT WAS MORE THAN 1, 300 FEET WIDE (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996 ). THE ORE GRADE IN 1995 WAS 0. 00286 OUNCE OF GOLD PER TON, OR ABOUT 350 TONS OF FROZEN GRAVEL WERE PROCESSED FOR EACH OUNCE OF GOLD THAT WAS RECOVERED (MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996).
QUATERNARY PLACER
Exploration
STATUS IS INACTIVE
Reference
MAY AND BUNDTZEN, 1996
Nearby Deposits
Other deposits in the same region.
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Little Nugget Creek Gold Mine
- Gold commodity Site type Mine status
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- 0.12 miles
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Little Dome Creek Gold Prospect
- Gold commodity Site type Prospect status
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Sanford Gold Mine
- Gold commodity Site type Mine status
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Yellow Jacket Gold Prospect
- Gold commodity Site type Prospect status
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- 1.65 miles
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Royal Flush Mine
- Gold commodity Site type Mine status
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Elmes Gold Mine
- Gold commodity Site type Mine status
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Happy Creek Gold Mine
- Gold commodity Site type Mine status
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Macomb Gold Prospect
- Gold commodity Site type Prospect status
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Happy Creek Gold Prospect
- Gold commodity Site type Prospect status
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Dorothy And Dorice Antimony Prospect
- Antimony commodity Site type Prospect status
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- 2.18 miles
Footnotes
* Mine bounds on map indicate the general area that a mine occupies. For an detailed map, refer to the overseeing BLM field office.
** The mine central point is based on an average of the mine's bounding box(es) and does not necessarily fall on the claim itself.
1 World-class significance is determined by total endowment of the contained commodity. This includes all past production and remaining reserves. Each commodity is considered separately and commodities cannot be combined to arrive at a significant size. The tonnage thresholds are from the mine model grade-tonnage studies. As of June 2008, many entries were classified as significant under less strict rules.
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Deposit
MODEL NAME = PLACER GOLD (COX AND SINGER, 1986; MODEL 39A).