Alaska-Juneau Mine

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper
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. Mining district
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Production statistics
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10001318
MRDS ID A012057
Record type Site
Current site name Alaska-Juneau Mine
Alternate or previous names Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Co., Mines: A.J., Perseverance, Ebner, Orebodies: North Ore Body, South Ore Body

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -134.34701, 58.30725 (WGS84)
Relative position 2.5 MI E OF JUNEAU, AK

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Juneau(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Juneau B-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Juneau SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Juneau(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lynn Canal(hydrologic unit)

Northern Southeast Alaska(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southeast Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

LG(Federal land areas administered by LG)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • SHAFT AT EASTERNMOST TERMINUS OF ALASKA-JUNEAU MAIN HAVLAGE ADIT; ROUGHLY COINCIDENT WITH OLD GLORY HOLE WORKINGS ON SOUTH ORE BODY LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Commodities

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

Comments on the commodity information

  • NEARLY ALL SULFIDES CARRY MINOR AU; AVE FINENESS OF BULLION: 850 AU, 130 AG, USGS OFR 60, P. 139-140

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result AVE GRADE OF 88,500,000 TONS MINED WAS 0.0432 OZ/TON AU, NOEL, 1966, 1966, P. 54
Result AVERAGE 7-15 PPM AU, USGS OFR 85-717

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Mt Juneau Pluton;Perseverance Slate;Gastineau Volcanics;Gastineau Volcanics;Gastineau Volcanics
    Rock description Mt Juneau Pluton;Perseverance Slate;Gastineau Volcanics;Gastineau Volcanics;Gastineau Volcanics
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Cretaceous
    Chronological age 65.5
    Dating method U-Pb (zircon)
    Type of media Zircon
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Amphibolite
    Rock unit name Perseverance Slate;Perseverance Slate
    Rock description Perseverance Slate;Perseverance Slate

Nearby scientific data

(1) -134.34701, 58.30725

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Area Sw Of Coast Range Intrusive Complex Is Metamorphic Belt With Well Developed Nw Trending Isoclinal Fold System; Minor Fold Axes Plunge Steeply Ne; Two Major Fault Sets: Nw Striking Longitudinal Faults And Steeply Dipping E-W Striking Transverse Faults
Type of structure Local
Structure description A.J. Lode System Is Bisected By E W Trending, Transverse-Normal, Silverbow Fault; Dip 70 N; Ebner Mine And North Ore Body Have Been Offset To The W And Dropped Relative To South Ore Body And Perseverance Mine

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR, LENSE
    Strike N 36 W AVERAGE
    Dip 78 NE AVERAGE
    Length 5632.55M
    Width 91.44M
  • General form IRREGULAR, LENSE
    Dip 78 NE AVERAGE

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore Veins Localized Along Amphibolite-Phyllite Contacts Within The Core Of A Ne. Plunging Antiform In Perseverance Slate

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE ALASKA-JUNEAU LODE SYSTEM IS CONFINED TO THE FOOTWALL PORTION OF THE PERSEVERANCE SLATE, NEAR A STRONGLY DISCORDANT QUARTZ DIORITIC PLUTON OF THE COAST RANGE INTRUSIVE COMPLEX; MINERAL ASSEMBLAGES IN METAMORPHIC BELT SW OF INTRUSIVE COMPLEX INDICATE A BARROVIAN METAMORPHIC FACIES SERIES GRADING FROM GREENSCHIST FACIES TO AMPHIBOLITE FACIES TOWARD THE COMPLEX. PERSEVERANCE SLATE; DOMINANTLY PHYLLITE, MINOR SEMISCHIST INTERCALATED WITH SILL-LIKE AMPHIBOLITE BODIES; GREENSCHIST MM FACIES. GASTINEAU VOLCANICS; LAVA FLOWS, TUFFS AND SEDIMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN METAMORPHOSED TO HORNBLENDE SCHIST, GREENSTONE AND GREEN SCHIST. MT JUNEAU PLUTON; COMPOSITE BODY OF POORLY FOLIATED TONALITE, GRANODIORITE, ADAMELLITE AND COMPLEX INTRUSIVE BRECCIAS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1880
Discoverer Joseph Juneau; Richard T. Harris
Year of first production 1893
Year of last production 1944

Mining district

District name Juneau/Gold Creek

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner City And Borough Of Juneau
    Home office Juneau, AK
    First year 1985
  • Type Owner
    Owner Alaska Electric Light And Power Co.
    Home office Juneau, AK
    First year 1985
  • Type Operator
    Owner Echo Bay Mines, Ltd.
    First year 1985

Production statistics

  • Year 1920
    Period 1914-1920
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 595.28mt
    Minor Silver Silver 2267200g
  • Year 1930
    Period 1921-1930
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 5425.05mt
    Minor Silver Silver 19609500g
  • Year 1931
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 1235.12mt
    Minor Silver Silver 3686000g
  • Year 1932
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 936.56mt
    Minor Silver Silver 2939900g
  • Year 1933
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 858.37mt
    Minor Silver Silver 3416500g
  • Year 1934
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 620.66mt
    Minor Silver Silver 2689100g
  • Year 1935
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Lead Lead 543.12mt
    Minor Silver Silver 29033400g

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION FIGURES INCLUDE EBNER AND PERSEVERANCE MINES FOR YEARS AFTER AQUISITION BY A.J.; TOTAL PRODUCTION FOR 1893-1944, INCLUDING PLANT CLEAN-UP VALVES: 88466078 TONS TRAMMED FROM WHICH 47192108 TONS WERE MILLED TO PRODUCE 2888996 OZ AU, 1949819 OZ AG AND 40219231 LB PB

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MINING JOURNAL, V. 302, NO. 7755, P. 231

Comments on the workings information

  • SEVERAL MILES OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS AND GLORY HOLES; STOPES 100-200 FT WIDE, 300-400 FT LONG OVER 1000-2500 FT IN VERTICAL EXTENT: A.J. MINE WAS EVENTUALLY CONNECTED TO EBNER AND PERSEVERANCE WORKINGS AND ALL WERE OPERATED AS ONE MINE; 8000 TPD MILL COMPLETED IN 1917 WAS NOT EFFICIENT ENOUGH TO OPERATE PROFITABLY; MILL RENOVATED TO INCLUDE HAND-SORTING OF ORE 1920-1925, RESULTING IN INCREASE OF CAPACITY TO 10000 TPD WITH VERY EFFICIENT RECOVERY

Comments on development

  • 23 PATENTED LODE CLAIMS ORGANIZED AS ALASKA JUNEAU GOLD MINING CO., 1897; EARLY PRODUCTION FROM RESIDUAL PLACERS AND "GLORY HOLE" MINING; UNDERGROUND MINING BEGAN 1903; ADJOINING EBNER MINE LEASED IN 1925 AND OPERATED OPN AROY ATTY BASIS; TREADWELL PROPERTIES ACQUIRED IN 1928; ACQUIRED PERSEVERANCE MINE, 1933; MINE SHUT DOWN, 1944, RECENT ACTIVITY: LEASED TO BARRICK RESOURCES CORP. IN MARCH 1984; WGM, INC. CONTACTED TO ASSESS ALASKA-JUNEAU AND TREADWELL PROPERTIES FOR POSSIBLE RE-OPENING; OPTIONED BY ECHO BAY MINES LTD, 1985

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS OFR 60

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, VOL.133, NO.9

  • Deposit

    ADGGS GR 1, P.19-21

  • Deposit

    NOEL, G.A., 1966, THE PRODUCTIVE MINERAL DEPOSITS OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA, IN ADGGS REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1966: JUNEAU, ALASKA, P.54, 60

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, VOL. 302, NO. 7755, P.230-231

  • Deposit

    USGS OFR 85-395

  • Deposit

    USGS CIRC 700, P.54-56

  • Deposit

    ADGGS SR 38, P.14

  • Deposit

    STONE, DAVID AND STONE, BRENDA, 1983, HARD ROCK GOLD, THE STORY OF THE GREAT MINES THAT WERE THE HEARTBEAT OF JUNEAU: SEATTLE, WASH., VANGUARD PRESS INC., P.57-78

  • Deposit

    USGS OFR 85-717, P.178

  • Other Database

    BAG-OFR-85-717-165

  • Production

    USGS OFR 60, TABLE 2

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit NETWORK OF QUARTZ VEINS AND STRINGERS FROM 1 IN TO 2-3 FT WIDE CONFINED TO A BAND ABOUT 300 FT WIDE AND 18,500 FT LONG IN PORTION OF PERSEVERANCE SLATE ADJACENT TO CONTACT WITH UNDERLYING? GASTINEAU VOLCANICS; LODE SYSTEM DIVIDED INTO NORTH ORE BODY AND SOUTH ORE BODY BY TRANSVERSE NORMAL FAULT; 95% OF VEIN MATERIAL IS QUARTZ, 1-3% CARBONATES; 2-3% SULFIDES; VEINS CARRY: PYRRHOTITE, PYRITE, ARSENOPYRITE, GALENA, SPHALERITE, CHALCOPYRITE AND FREE GOLD; ORE BODIES PRIMARILY ASSAY BOUNDED, WITH GREATEST AU VALVES IN GROUND CONTAINING ABUNDANT QUARTZ VEINS IN AND NEAR THE ENDS OF AMPHIBOLITE SILLS INTERCALATED WITH PHYLLITE
Deposit SEE ALSO: PERSEVERANCE, EBNER; IN ITS DAY, THE A.J. COMPLEX WAS WORLD CLASS, LOW GRADE OPERATION; WAS "THE ONLY MINE IN THE WORLD TO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED ON ORE OF SUCH LOW GRADE," USGS OFR 60, P.166; I N 1985, PLANS MADE TO DREDGE AND PROCESS MINE TAILINGS IN GASTINEAU CH ANNEL FROM ALASKA-JUNEAU AND ALASKA GASTINEAU OPERATIONS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 5 PERS COMM

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-1985 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Elliott, R. L.) U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 14-APR-1994 Mosier, Dan U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Authoritative Alaska resources

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