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Last Chance

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Lead, Antimony, 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. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308674
Record type Site
Current site name Last Chance

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -165.54139, 64.72078 (WGS84)
Relative position The Last Chance prospect is on the south side of the headwaters of Last Chance Creek at an elevation of about 650 feet. This is 1 mile northeast of the divide between Last Chance Creek and Penny River. The prospect is located to within about 500 feet. It is the same prospect as locality 19 of Cobb (1972 [MF 463], 1978 [OFR 78-93]) but Cobb's location is about a half mile too far to the east.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nome(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Nome C-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Solomon NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Nome(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Nome(hydrologic unit)

Norton Sound(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Sitnasuak 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

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Lead Primary
Antimony Critical Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Stibnite Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27

Nearby scientific data

(1) -165.54139, 64.72078
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Last Chance prospect consists of an adit driven south-southwest on the Penny River fault or a splay of the fault. The prospect was first reported by Smith (1908, p. 345). Mertie (1918 [B 662-I, p. 446]) also mentions it ,but it appears unlikely that the prospect was visited by the U.S. Geological Survey at that time. The vein at the prospect was variously reported as 4 or 5 feet wide. It contained galena, pyrite, and stibnite with quartz and ankerite. Gold and silver were reported in assays, but the presence of native gold is uncertain. A 70-foot adit was driven on the vein. It is inferred from the lack of further development that the gold content of the vein was low, but there is abundant quartz float at the prospect. Sainsbury and others (1972 [OFR 72-321]) show placer gold mine workings to be present on Last Chance Creek for about 1 mile downstream from near this prospect. The prospect was relocated by a Kennecott Exploration Company in 1990; it is similar to the nearby Christophosen prospect (NM143). Country rock at the prospect is the chlorite-rich metaturbidite and marble unit of Bundtzen and others (1994).
  • Age = Mid-Cretaceous or younger; host structure crosscuts rocks metamorphosed in the mid-Cretaceous.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Probably inactive

Mining district

District name Nome

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The prospect was discovered by G. Christophosen, who was apparently very active in the area before 1915 (see also NM141 and NM143). A 70-foot adit was driven on the vein. It is inferred from the lack of further development that the gold content of the vein was low,but there is abundant quartz float at the prospect. The vein is in a strong structure.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Mertie, 1918

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 12-MAR-00 Hawley, C.C. and Hudson, Travis L. Hawley Resource Group

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.