Thompson Pup; Thompson Gulch Mine, Koyukuk Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Thompson Pup; Thompson Gulch Mine	Mine
Koyukuk Mining District	Mining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Thompson Pup is a 0.8-mile-long tributary to Fay Creek. The junction of Fay Creek and and Thompson Pup is about 1 mile northwest of the summit of Smith Creek Dome. Placer gold has been mined along most of Thompson Pup. The coordinates are at the mine symbol on the 1:63,360-scale topographic map, a short distance above the mouth of Thompson Creek. The location is accurate.
Geology: Thompson Pup is generally described together with the Nolan Creek placers, not as a separate placer deposit. There is, however, little doubt that there are placer gold deposits along most of Thompson Pup. Work on Thompson Pup was noted by Holdsworth (1957) and Williams (1950) describe a hydraulic and ground sluicing operation on Thompson Gulch. Eden (2000) reports that a total of 3,100 ounces of gold were produced from Thompson Pup between 1904 and 1999. Williams also reports that there were several channels and that the fineness of the gold being recovered was unusually high; the gold averages about 940 fine with nuggets up to 982 fine. Mosier and Lewis (1986), however, indicate that the fineness is generally lower, in the range of 777 to 926. Eden (2000) indicates that the gold placer deposits extend up Thompson Pup for approximately a half mile above Fay Creek, and that the gold from Thompson Pup is crystalline. The crystalline nature of the gold distinguishes it from other placer gold in the Nolan Creek area and suggests that the gold has not traveled far from its source. Kurtak and others (1999) analyzed arsenopyrite crystals from placer concentrates from Thompson Pup; they contain as much as 1,964 ppb gold, but they may have been contaminated. The rocks in the area consist of micaceous and chloritic schists, phyllite, and metasiltstone (Eden, 2000).
Workings: Thompson Pup was mined by hand methods, including ground sluicing, and by hydraulic methods. Mining was last reported in 1994 (Kurtak and others, 2002).
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Eden (2000) reports that a total of 3,100 ounces of gold were produced from Thompson Pup between 1904 and 1999.

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - As
Development Status: Yes
Deposit Model: Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	WI124

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References