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Independence Mine

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Zinc, Lead, Copper, Tungsten, Arsenic
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10000516
MRDS ID A010709
Record type Site
Current site name Independence Mine
Alternate or previous names Alaska Gold Quartz, Gold Quartz, Independent, Alaska-Pacific Consolidated Mining Co.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -149.29018, 61.78845 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Matanuska-Susitna(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Anchorage D-7(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Anchorage NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Anchorage(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Susitna River(hydrologic unit)

Susitna River(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Tungsten Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Scheelite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidized Near Surface. Wall Rock Intensely Altered Near Vein.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -149.29018, 61.78845
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description One Or More Faults Offset Veins

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Strike NOW (INDEPENDENCE VEIN)
    Dip 25 W
    Thickness 1.83M
    Depth to top 0M

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1907
Year of first production 1908
Year of last production 1984

Mining district

District name Willow Creek District

Land status

Ownership category State

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Coronado Mining
  • Type Owner
    Owner Ensearch Corp. And Starkey Wilson (Individual)

Comments on the production information

  • 3000 TONS ORE GRADING 0.5 OZ AU/TON WAS STOCKPILED IN 1981.

Comments on the workings information

  • PROBABLY FEW MILES, UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. NEW 3000 FT ACCESS TUNNEL FROM WILLOW CREEK DRAINAGE COMPLETED 1982

Comments on development

  • MAJOR ACTIVITY 1937-1943, A LITTLE MINING 1949-1950, REOPENED 1982 BUT CLOSED (TEMPORARILY?) BY 1983. NEW 100-150 TON MILL (1982) IS LOCATED TO RECEIVE ORE FROM ANY OF SEVERAL OTHER OLD MINES NOW CONTROLLED BY THE INDEPENDENCE OWNERS & OPERATORS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS OFR 79-1095, P.63-65

  • Deposit

    USGS B 1004, P.58-65

  • Deposit

    ADGGS SPEC REPT. 31, P.13

  • Deposit

    ALASKA CONSTRUCTION & OIL, JANUARY 1983, P. 22

  • Deposit

    ALASKA CONSTRUCTION & OIL, SEPTEMBER 1983, P. 14

  • Production

    ADGGS SPEC REPT 31, P.13

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit AT LEAST 3 PRINCIPAL VEINS (INDEPENDENCE, GRANITE MTN., SKYSCRAPER). MAIN VEIN 1-6 FT THICK, IN PLACES COMPOSED OF NARROW BANDS QUARTZ WITH ALTERED QUARTZ DIORITE AND GOUGE. NOT ALL QUARTZ IS GOLD BEARING.
Deposit AT PEAK ACTIVITY IN 1943 (BEFORE WW II CLOSURE) EMPLOYED 250 WORKERS. RECENT PLANS HAVE CALLED FOR 100 TON/DAY PRODUCTION WITH 65 TO 75 WORKERS. LARGEST LODE-AU PRODUCER OF WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-1984 Elliott, R. L. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.