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Castle Island Mine

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Barium-Barite, Copper, Gold, Silver, Zinc
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10258759
MRDS ID A010666
MAS/MILS ID 0021170002
Record type Site
Current site name Castle Island Mine
Alternate or previous names Big Castle 1-6, Red Cliff Lode, Abc 7-8, Castle Island South, Castle Island East
Related records 10100940

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -133.16438, 56.65394 (WGS84)
Elevation 24
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Petersburg C-4 NE(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Petersburg N(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Petersburg(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Central Southeast Alaska(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southeast Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Copper River 060 S 078 E 20 S2 Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Barium-Barite Critical Primary
Copper Tertiary
Gold Tertiary
Silver Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Barite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Graphite Unknown
Ilmenite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Pyrolusite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown
Tetrahedrite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -133.16438, 56.65394
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N30W
    Dip 60E
    Thickness 24M
    Length 152M
    Width 91M
    Area 4HA
    Depth to top 15M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 DOLOMITIZATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SILICIFICATION
    Strike And Dip N30W:60E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 9
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 4
    Date of Last Modification 830321

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Offshore
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1913
Year of first production 1966

Mining district

District name Petersburg

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights State Lease
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Chromalloy American Corp.
    ID 5000470
    Interest 100
    Home office Texas
    Year 1975

Production statistics

  • Year 1966
    Description 50000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1967
    Description Production Not Recorded
  • Year 1968
    Description 50000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1969
    Description 134000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1970
    Description 134000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1971
    Description 101888 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1972
    Description 125000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1973
    Description 125000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1974
    Description 20000 Short Tons Ore
  • Year 1975
    Description Company Underwent Bankruptcy Proceeding 2000 Short Tons Concentrate
  • Year 1976
    Description Ground Barite Product 10000 Short Tons Concentrate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Barium-Barite Barium 11023.11mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Ground Barite Product 10000 Short Tons Concentrate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Barium-Barite Barium 11023.11mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Production Not Reported
  • Year 1980
    Description 25000 Short Tons Ore

Comments on the production information

  • VOCAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH COMPANY OFFICIALS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 4HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method QUARRY
    Percent Waste Rock 44
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 15
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 12
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 60
    Capacity 181
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 3.89
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 150
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1976

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • WIESE, WAYNE W., 1977, M.S. THESIS-U. OF WIS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OFFSHORE HOLDINGS GOVERNED BY STATE OFFSHORE PROSP. PERMIT ORIGINAL OWNERS OF PROPERTY: A.J. INDUSTRIES RED CLIFF LODE PATENTED UNDER M.S. 1452 MSHA MID 5000230 OWNERS PRIOR TO CHROMALLOY AMERICAN LISTED AS INLET OIL CORP MECHANIC EXPENSES CONSIDERED IN MILLING COSTS,NOT IN MINING. BENEFICIATION CONSIDERS HM PROCESS OF DETRITAL ORE. USGS CRIB W045396 DETRITAL RESERVES SET AT 50000 MT. BENEFICIATION CONSIDERS DIRECT SHIPPING OF GROUND BARITE. TRANS CONSIDERS 50, CRUDE SALES 50, FINISHED PRODUCT SALES. FINISHED PRODUCT SALES CONSIDERED TO ALASKA NORTH SLOPE. CRUDE ORE SALES TO HOUSTON, TEXAS AND SINGAPORE. AVG. COVER OF 15 METERS IS WATER. EXPLORATION COSTS: ESTIMATED AT: $250,000. DEVELOPMENT COSTS NOT APPLICABLE. EQUIPMENT COSTS: $1,360,000. OCEAN SHIP LOADING FACILITIES: $350,000. WORKING CAPITAL: $204,000. PUMPING OUT 200 TPD CRUDE MATERIAL. 1979

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 18-JUL-1995 Rdc U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 02/02/1982
MSHA mine ID5000470
Mine name (MSHA)Castle Island Barite Mine
Current operatorChromalloy American Corp
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

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.