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Clara Creek Platinum-Gold Placer Mine

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities PGE, Gold, Chromium
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002301
MRDS ID A013207
Record type Site
Current site name Clara Creek Platinum-Gold Placer Mine
Alternate or previous names Claims: 4a-1a, Discovery, 1b, 2b, Susie Bench
Related records 10209776

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -161.77962, 58.95481 (WGS84)
Elevation 76
Relative position 2.4 MI NE OF GOODNEWS MINING CAMP, ALONG SALMON RIVER
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • USGS MF-362, LOC. 10. LOCATION IS AT MOUTH OF CLARA CREEK; PLACER EXTENDS 1.5 MI UPSTREAM TO HEAD OF CLARA CREEK, ALONG CLAIMS 2B, 1B, DISCOVERY, 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991). 1:250000 QUADRANGLE IS A 1957 VERSION.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
PGE Primary
Gold Secondary
Chromium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • CONSIDERABLE CHROMITE AND MAGNETITE, SOME INTERGROWN WITH PGM, IN CONCENTRATES

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ilmenite Gangue
Chromite Unknown

Analytical data

Result UP TO 0.08 OZ/CY PGM MINED DURING EARLY OPERATIONS, AVERAGE WAS 0.02 OZ/CY PGM. GRADE OF PGM IS 88.61% PT, 6.05% IR, 0.97 OS, 0.09% RU, 1.01% RH, 0.40% PD, 2.87% AU FROM USGS P 938, P. 27, TABLE 19.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert

Nearby scientific data

(1) -161.77962, 58.95481
ListMap

Ore body information

  • Thickness 3.66M
    Width 76.2M
    Length 2438.4M

Comments on the geologic information

  • GRAVEL OF LOCAL AND GLACIOFLUVIAL ORIGIN, SUBANGULAR, AVERAGING 3-4 IN. IN DIAMETER ; MAJOR.UNITS: BEDROCK CONSISTS OF UPPER PALEOZOIC (?) SHEARED CHERT, QUARTZITE, GRAYWACKE, TUFFACEOUS ROCKS, AND CHLORITIC SILICEOUS SCHIST. ; REG.COM: SOURCE OF PLATINUM METALS IS PROBABLY DUNITE OF GOODNEWS BAY ULTRAMAFIC COMPLEX AT HEAD OF CREEK.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1928
Discoverer Charles Thorsen (Mined From 1928-1936)
Year of first production 1928
Year of last production 1940

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall length 1609.3M
    Overall width 76.2M

Comments on the workings information

  • PAYSTREAK MINED BY 100-150 FT. WIDE CUTS ON BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE, FOR A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 1 MI. UPSTREAM FROM DISCOVERY CLAIM. MINED BY DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR AND SLUICING METHODS, WITH TWO SMALL DAMS DOWNSTREAM TO SUPPLY WATER FOR SLUICING.

Comments on development

  • 7 PLACER CLAIMS ESTABLISHED IN 1936 BY CLARA CREEK MINING CO., WITH MINING BY DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR AND SLUICE METHODS FROM 1936-1940, UNTIL PAYSTREAK WAS MINED OUT. PROPERTY ACQUIRED IN 1940 BY GOODNEWS BAY MINING CO.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A013207

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS MF-362, LOC. 10 (1972)

  • Deposit

    USGS OF 80-909, P. 16 (1980)

  • Deposit

    USGS P 630, P. 77, 85-86 (1969)

  • Deposit

    USGS P 938, P. 4, 5, 24, 25 (1976)

  • Deposit

    USGS B 910-B, P. 118, 119, 128-131 (1939)

  • Deposit

    USBM OFR 51-86, P. 2, 7 (1986)

  • Other Database

    BAG-MF-362-10

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PLACER CONSISTS OF 10-12 FT. OF OVERBURDEN, WITH UPPER 2-3 FT. CONSISTING OF TURF, PEAT, MOSSY MATERIAL, AND SAND. UNDERLYING GRAVEL IS SUBANGULAR, 3-4 IN. IN DIAMETER, WITH LARGE COBBLES AND GLACIAL ERRATIC BOULDERS 3-4 FT. IN DIAMETER IN UPPER GRAVEL HORIZONS. MOST PLATINUM METALS FOUND IN GRAVELS CLOSE TO BEDROCK, BUT SOMETIMES 2-3 FT. OF FRACTURED BEDROCK AS WELL AS UPPER GRAVEL HORIZONS CONTAINED PLATINUM. PAYSTREAK EXTENDED FROM ULTRABASIC-SEDIMENTARY CONTACT NEAR HEAD OF CREEK DOWNSTREAM PROBABLY TO THE SALMON RIVER, A DISTANCE OF 1.5 MILES. MINING OPERATIONS COVERED AT LEAST 1 MI. ON DISCOVERY, 1A, 2A, AND 3A CLAIMS, POSSIBLY FURTHER DOWNSTREAM. WIDTH OF PAYSTREAK WAS 200-250 FT.
Deposit STREAM GRADIENT IS 200 FT./MI.; AREA OF DRAINAGE IS 1.5 SQ. MI.. PLACER HAS BEEN FAIRLY THROUGHLY MINED OUT. TRIBUTARY OF SALMON RIVER. PLACER GOLD IS AN ALIEN MINERAL INTRODUCED BY GLACIATION. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1987 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Huber, Donald F.) U.S. Geological Survey