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Fair Chance

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002806
MRDS ID A015276
Record type Site
Current site name Fair Chance
Alternate or previous names Frisco, McGlove, Miller and O'Connor, Star Crystal, Stay and Company

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.99684, 64.8716 (WGS84)
Relative position The Fair Chance mine is located in the SW1/4NE1/4 sec. 32, T. 1 N., R. 2 W., Fairbanks Meridian. This deposit is near the head of Saint Patrick Creek at an elevation of about 1,100 feet. It is about 2 miles east-southeast of the top of Ester Dome. The mine is included in locality 17 of Cobb (1972 [MF 410]).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.99684, 64.8716
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Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Considerable free gold is found at the Fair Chance mine n a mineralized zone that consists of crushed quartz mixed with blue gouge, crushed schist, and crushed quartzite (Chapin, 1914 [B 592-J, p. 3321-355]). This mineralized zone was opened by a shaft with drifts at the 18-foot and 40-foot levels. On the 40-foot level, the main mineralized zone is cut off by a fault that is oriented N. 30 E., 70 SE. Initial reports described the mineralized zone as dipping steeply to the southeast (Chapin, 1914B 592-J, p. 321-355]); however, later reports indicate the zone was oriented N. 20 E. with a dip of 60 degreess to the west (Hill, 1933, p. 139). By 1931, three shafts, about 50 feet apart, were reported (Hill, 1933, p. 139). Forty tons of ore were mined and milled in 1930, with disappointing results (Hill, 1933, p. 139). One grab sample assayed $5.95 in gold per ton (about 0.29 ounce of gold per ton) (Hill, 1933, p. 139). In 1931, on the nearby Blue Bird claim, a tunnel was driven to intersect what is probably the same zone as is found at the Fair Chance mine (Hill, 1933, p. 139).

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = In 1930, forty tons of ore were mined and milled, with disappointing results (Hill, 1933, p. 139).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = In 1914, the mineralized zone was opened by a shaft with drifts at the 18-foot and 40-foot levels (Chapin, 1914 [B 592-J, p. 321-355]). By 1931, three shafts about 50 feet apart were reported (Hill, 1933, p. 139).

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015276
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF FB063

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Lode mining near Fairbanks, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 321-355.

  • Deposit

    Eakin, H.M., 1915, Placer mining in Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622-I, p. 366-373.

  • Deposit

    Hill, J.M., 1933, Lode deposits of the Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849-B, p. 29-163.

  • Deposit

    Chapman, R.M., and Foster, R.L., 1969, Lode mines and prospects in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-D, 25 p., 1 plate.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Hill, 1933

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Schist-hosted gold-quartz vein

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 C.J. Freeman Avalon Development Corporation