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Apollo

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308988
MRDS ID A013201
Record type Site
Current site name Apollo
Related records 10002296, 10234154

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -160.56501, 55.19033 (WGS84)
Relative position The Apollo mine is located on the southeast part of Unga Island approximately 2,500 feet northwest of the head of Delarof Harbor (Berg and Cobb, 1967, locality 7; Cobb, 1972 [MF 433], locality 6; MacKevett and Holloway, 1977, locality 6; Nokleberg and others, 1987, locality AP4; Wilson and others, 1988, locality 6). The mine location is accurate.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Adularia Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • The wall rock exhibits extensive propylitization. According to Butherus and others (1979), some silicification is also present.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 151
USGS model code 25d
Deposit model name Epithermal vein, Sado
Mark3 model number 28

Nearby scientific data

(1) -160.56501, 55.19033
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This mine occurs in rocks mapped as the Eocene to Oligocene Popof volcanic rocks, which are equivalent to the Meshik Volcanics (Wilson and others, 1995). The deposit was discovered in 1891. It was first described by Becker (1898) as a steeply-dipping, reticulated vein zone at the northeast end of the northeast-striking 'Apollo trend', which is a system of faults and linears that cuts across the Unga Island. Three subparallel veins were mined. The veins cut altered andesite, strike N 20 E and dip steeply to the south. Riehle (1999), however, reports that they strike N 43 E. The veins are generally less than 60 feet apart. They tend to be vuggy and contain euhedral quartz crystals, indicating open growth. Other minerals in the veins include gold, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, pyrite, native copper, calcite, chlorite, and rare adularia. Singer (1999) suggests that this is a Sado-type gold deposit. An anonymous review written in 1935 and included in Brown (1947) suggested that there were four ore shoots 400 to 800 feet long between the surface and a depth of 1,400 feet distributed over 5,000 feet of strike. Most of the ore mined apparently came from two shoots, the largest of which was 800 feet long and 8 to 16 feet wide and extended down dip for 500 feet (Wilson and others, 1996). The shoots plunged 60 to 70 degrees to the northeast (Butherus and others, 1979). The mine was in production from 1892 to 1904 and from 1908 to 1913. Small amounts of ore were mined in 1916 and 1922. Most of the ore mined was free milling; however, at depth most of the gold was apparently in the sulfides and could not be recovered. Some of this ore was concentrated and sent to the Tacoma smelter in Washington. A small cyanide plant was installed at the mine in 1916 to work on tailings. Estimates of the total production are as follows: 500,000 tons at 0.25 ounce of gold per ton (Wilson and others, 1996); 490,000 tons at 0.22 ounce of gold per ton (Bundtzen and others, 1987); and 242,000 tons at 0.4 ounce of gold per ton (Berg and Cobb, 1967). In 1983 extensive trenching was done on the property, and nine core holes were drilled by Alaska-Apollo Gold Mines for a total of 9,483 feet. Inferred reserves were estimated at 748,000 tons grading 0.76 ounce of gold and 2.16 ounces of silver per ton (Bundtzen and others, 1991).
  • Age = Eocene or younger.

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 Alaska Peninsula

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = From 1892 to the early 1900's the mine produced between 242,000 and 500,000 tons grading between 0.22 and 0.4 ounce of gold per ton.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = Reserves are estimated at 748,000 tons grading 0.76 ounce gold and 2.16 ounces silver per ton.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Workings consist of two tunnels, one 1,200 feet and the other 3,200 feet in length; two shafts, 460 and 820 feet deep; and numerous subsidiary crosscuts. A 60-stamp mill was operated at the mine in the 1890's and early 1900's. The mine was reopened in 1983 and was partly accessible in 1988. In 1983, Alaska-Apollo Gold Mines did extensive trenching and drilled nine holes totalling 9,483 feet of core. Inferred reserves from this recent work were 748,000 tons grading 0.76 ounce of gold and 2.16 ounces of silver per ton, plus base metal values (Bundtzen and others, 1991).

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF PM079
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A010657
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A013201

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Becker, G.F., 1898, Reconnaissance of some gold fields of southern Alaska with some notes on general geology: U.S. Geological Survey 18th annual report, p. 7-86.

  • Deposit

    Martin, G.C., 1905, Gold deposits of the Shumagin Islands, in Brooks A.H., Mineral resources of Alaska in 1904: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 259, p. 100-101.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1906, The mining industry in 1905: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 284, p. 4-9.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1912, The Alaska mining industry in 1911, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1911: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520, p. 17-44.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1913, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1912: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 308 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1918, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1916: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, 469 p.

  • Deposit

    Atwood, W.W., 1909, Mineral resources of southwest Alaska, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1908: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379, 411 p.

  • Deposit

    Atwood, W.W., 1911, Geology and mineral resources of parts of the Alaska Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 467, 137 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.

  • Deposit

    Webber, B.S., Moss, J.M., Rutledge, F.A., and Sanford, R.S., 1946, Reconnaissance examinations of parts of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands southwestern Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines, unpublished report of investigations, 40 p. (Unpublished report held by the U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage.)

  • Deposit

    Brown, F.R., 1947, Report on the Apollo Consolidated Gold Mining Company, with an analysis by an anonymous reviewer (1935):Territorial Department of Mines Report MR 138-1, 13 p.

  • Deposit

    Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

  • Deposit

    Butherus, D.L, Gressitt, E.E., Pray, J., Corner, N.G., Lindberg, P.H., and Fankhauser, R.E., 1979, Exploration and evaluation of the Aleut Native Corporation lands; Volume III: Resource Associates of Alaska, 69 p. 90 sheets, various sacales. (Report held by the Aleut Native Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.)

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., Green, C.B., Deagen, J., and Daniels, C.L., 1987, Alaska's mineral industry, 1986: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 40, 68 p.

  • Deposit

    Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

  • Deposit

    Alaska Construction and Oil, 1984, Alaska mining ? Gold Production could redouble, v. 25, no. 3, p. 31.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., White, W.H., and DuBois, G.D., 1988, Brief descriptions of mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in the Port Moller and Stepovak Bay quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 88-666, 128 p., scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., Detterman, R.L., Miller, J. W., and Case, J.E., 1995, Geologic map of the Port Moller, Stepovak Bay, and Simeonof Island quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigation Series Map I-2272, 1 map sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., White, W.H., Detterman, R.L., and Case, J.E., (1991) 1996, Maps showing the resource assessment of the Port Moller, Stepovak Bay, and Simeonof Island quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula, with a section on Geology of the Pyramid porphyry copper deposit, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, by W.H. White, J.S. Christie, M.R. Wolfhard, and F.H.Wilson, and a section on Description of the Shumagin epithermal gold vein deposit, by W.H. White and L.D. Queen: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2155-F, 46 p., 2 sheets, scales 1:500,000 and 1:250,000...

  • Deposit

    Riehle, J.R., editor, 1999, Introduction to the present study, previous studies, and a descriptive summary of the vein systems and their production history, 10 p., in A Geological and geophysical study of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-136, CD-ROM.

  • Deposit

    Singer, D.A., 1999, Classifying the Shumagin and Alaska Apollo deposits, in Geological and geophysical setting of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-136, 6 p., CD-ROM.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., Swainbank, R.C., Wood, J.E., and Clough, A.H., 1991, Alaska's mineral industry, 1991: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 46, 89 p.

  • Deposit

    MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    MacKevett, E.M., Jr., Singer, D.A., and Holloway, C.D., 1978, Maps and tables describing metalliferous mineral resource potential of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-1-E, 12 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1941, Past lode gold production from Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-C, p. 159-212.

  • Deposit

    Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., White, M.G., and Moxham, R.M., 1952, Interim report on an appraisal of the uranium possibilities of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-165, 124 p.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Wilson and others, 1988

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Sado epithermal gold veins, Polymetallic veins (Cox and singer, 1986; model 25d; 22c)
Deposit Model Number = 25d; 22c
Deposit Other Comments = This mine is located on private land.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-JAN-2001 S.H. Pilcher U.S. Geological Survey