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York Mountains Beryllium - Fluorite and Tin Deposits

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Fluorine-Fluorite, Beryllium, Tin, Tungsten, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum, Silver
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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. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Geologic structures
  10. Ore body information
  11. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Production statistics
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10069392
MRDS ID W006903
Record type Site
Current site name York Mountains Beryllium - Fluorite and Tin Deposits
Alternate or previous names Lost River Mine Area

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -167.17007, 65.41593 (WGS84)
Elevation 350
Relative position ABOUT 50 KM NORTHWEST OF TELLER, ALASKA ON THE WESTERN SEWARD PENINSULA.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nome(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Teller B-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Teller SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Teller(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Imuruk Basin(hydrologic unit)

Norton Sound(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Diomede Native Corporation(ANCSA Village)

ANCSA Village NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • AREA DEPOSITS INCLUDE THE RAPID RIVER, CURVE CREEK, LOST RIVER VALLEY (BESSIE-MAPLE), TIN CREEK, CAMP CREEK, AND LOST RIVER MINE. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Primary
Beryllium Critical Primary
Tin Critical Primary
Tungsten Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary
Molybdenum Secondary
Silver Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • OTHER BYPRODUCTS INCLUDE COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bertrandite Ore
Beryl Ore
Cassiterite Ore
Chrysoberyl Ore
Euclase Ore
Fluorite Ore
Galena Ore
Helvite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stannite Ore
Wolframite Ore

Analytical data

Result BE-F DEPOSIT ORES CONTAIN CAF2 - 50% AVERAGE, AND BEO - 0.3 TO 1.75%

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Ordovician
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Ordovician
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Lamprophyre And Rhyolitic Dikes;Granite Stocks
    Rock description Lamprophyre And Rhyolitic Dikes;Granite Stocks
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Limestones, Argillaceous Limestone, Dolomitized Limestone
    Rock description Limestones, Argillaceous Limestone, Dolomitized Limestone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -167.17007, 65.41593
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Mint River And Rapid River Thrust Faults
Type of structure Local
Structure description Normal Faults - 3 Sets. 1st Set Strikes N 65 - 85 Deg E And Dip Almost Vertically. 2nd Set Strikes N 20 - 60 Deg W. A Third Set Strikes Almost North. Lamprophyre Dikes Intrude The First Set.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Dip S
    Length 730M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Thrust Faults, Dike Walls - Rapid River Thrust Fault Forms The Upper Boundary Of Many Deposits. Ore Is Deposited Along The Walls Of Lamprophyre Dikes.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1900
Discoverer Rapid River, Curve Creek, Camp Creek By C. L. Sainsbury. Lost River Valley, Tin Creek By C. L. Sainsbury And Thomas E. Smith
Year of first production 1913

Production statistics

  • Year 1914
    Period 1913 - 1914
    Material SN
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^100 % Sn Metal
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Tin Tin 100wt-pct
  • Year 1955
    Period 1949 - 1955
    Material SN
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^100 % Sn Metal, Lode Deposits
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Tin Tin 100wt-pct
  • Year 1955
    Period 1949 - 1955
    Material SN
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^100 % Sn Metal, Placer Deposits
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Tin Tin 100wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • LOST RIVER MINING CORP. TO START CONSTRUCTION WORK IN SUMMER 1975. ESTIMATED LOST - 78 MILLION DOLLARS. TO PRODUCE F, SN, W, AG, BASE METALS

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1971
    Total resources 30000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Fluorine-Fluorite CaF2 17.5 wt-pct Fluorine Major 1971
    Tin Sn 0.36 wt-pct Tin Major 1971
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1964
    Total resources 56700000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Tungsten Wo3 0.6 wt-pct Tungsten Minor 1964

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ITEM 1 - WORKS OUT TO 16,000 MET TONS BEO. CAMP CREEK #2 ORE ZONE. ITEM 2 - LOST RIVER MINE #1 ORE ZONE. ITEM 3 - 2,370 MET. TONS SN FROM 1.3% SN ORE, 722 MET. TONS FROM 0.76% SN ORE. ITEM 4 - 1,100 MET. TONS SN METAL FROM 1.5% SN ORE, 3,900 MET. TONS SN METAL FROM 1.0+% SN ORE. ITEM 6 - BEO RESERVES COULD BE AS HIGH AS 16,000 MET. TONS FROM 0.3% BEO ORE. SEE ITEM 1.
  • ITEM 1 - WORKS OUT TO 16,000 MET. TONS BEO. CAMP CREEK #2 ORE ZONE. ITEM 2 - LOST RIVER MINE #1 ORE ZONE. ITEM 3 - FROM ITEM 2 (LOST RIVER MINE #1 ORE ZONE)
  • ITEM 1 - FROM ITEM 2 IN RESERVES ONLY

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Unknown
    Overall depth 200M

Comments on the workings information

  • THE LARGEST BE-F DEPOSIT (CAMP CREEK) IS A WIDE ZONE OF VEINS AND VEINLETS OVER A LENGTH OF 730 M. THAT FORM A TABULAR BODY DIPPING GENTLY SOUTH UNDER THE RAPID RIVER FAULT. THE LOST RIVER MINE'S LONGEST ADIT IS 380 M. AND WORKINGS HAVE A VERTICAL EXTENT OF OVER 200 M.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: WATER SUPPLY FOR MILLING SHOULD COME FROM MINE GROUND-WATER TO AVOID FROZEN PIPES. PERMAFROST SOIL CAVES BADLY WHEN IT THAWS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SAINSBURY, C.L., 1964, GEOLOGY OF LOST RIVER MINE AREA, ALASKA: USGS BULL. 1129, 80 P.

  • Deposit

    SAINSBURY, C.L., 1969, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE CENTRAL YORK MOUNTAINS, WESTERN SEWARD PENINSULA, ALASKA: USGS BULL. 1287, 101 P.

  • Deposit

    1901 GEOLMAP COLLIER, A.J. AND HESS, F.L. (BULL. 733)

  • Deposit

    1940 GEOLMAP MERTIE, J.B. JR, COATS, R.R. (BULL. 1129)

  • Deposit

    1960 GEOLMAP SAINSBURY, C.L. (BULL. 1287)

  • Deposit

    1964 DIREXPL U.S. BU MINES

  • Production

    SAINSBURY, C.L., 1969, USGS BULL. 1287.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SAINSBURY, C.L., 1969, USGS BULL. 1287. {{ HODGE, B.L., 1973, INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, 5/73, P. 13.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit First Production Year: 1913 - LOST RIVER MINE
Deposit Discovery Year: LOST RIVER MINE - AROUND 1900, RAPID RIVER - 1961, CURVE CREEK - 1964, LOST RIVER VALLEY - 1962, TIN CREEK - 1962, CAMP CREEK - 1962

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1975 Schruben, Paul G. (Sainsbury, C. L.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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.