Tobin Creek Mine, Chandalar Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Tobin Creek Mine	Mine
Chandalar Mining District	Mining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Tobin Creek is a tributary to Chandalar Lake and heads just to the west of the Chandalar area gold lodes. The placer-mined area as shown on the map by Chipp (1970) is the lower 1/2 to 1/4 mile of the left-limit headwater tributary of Tobin Creek (sec. 6, T. 32 N., R. 3 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian). This branch of the headwaters of Tobin Creek drains directly from the area of the Mikado lode mine (CH045). The location is accurate within a 1/4-mile radius.
Geology: Prospecting on Tobin Creek began in 1930 with encouraging results. Mining was reported sporadically from 1930 through as late as 1991. Bulldozer and hydraulic operations were set up in the 1950s and continued into at least the 1980s. Little production data are available, but the total has probably been significant. Heiner and Wolff (1968) reported that there was moderate production from 1957 until 1968. The production from the Chandalar district was 2,129 ounces in 1983; most of probably came from Tobin Creek but partly from Little Squaw Creek. The 1983 production was said to be more than double the 1982 production, and production in 1984 was expected to double again (Alaska Construction and Oil, 1984). Chandalar Development Corp. mined for two consecutive years on Tobin Creek and was reported to be the largest producer in the northern Alaska region (Bundtzen and others, 1992). In 2004, Little Squaw Gold Mining Company controlled 8,550 acres of patented and unpatented mining claims in the Chandalar district which may include all or part of Tobin Creek. This company contracted a district-scale analysis of the placer and lode gold potential of the district by Pacific Rim Geological Consulting, Inc. This study was completed in April, 2004 (Barker and Bundtzen, 2004). Tobin Creek drains the area of the Mikado mine, one of several gold-quartz lode deposits in the Chandalar district and the Mikado fault, along which the Mikado vein occurs. The stream has probably been one of the principal producers in the Chandalar area, but there is only a modest amount of information about this mine. Initial prospecting began in 1930 and was encouraging. Mining was begun by at least 1934. Concentrates contain hematite, monazite, scheelite, pyrite, magnetite, rutile, and galena in addition to the gold (White, 1952). The pay zone is reported to be more than 100 feet thick in thawed gravel.
Workings: Prospecting with encouraging results began in 1930. Mining was reported sporadically from 1930 through as late as 1991. Bulldozer and hydraulic operations were set up in the 1950s and continued into at least the 1980s. In 2004, Little Squaw Gold Mining Company controlled 8,550 acres of patented and unpatented mining claims in the Chandalar district which may include all or part of Tobin Creek. This company contracted a district-scale analysis of the placer and lode gold potential of the district by Pacific Rim Geological Consulting, Inc. This study was completed in April, 2004 (Barker and Bundtzen, 2004).
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Little production data are available, but the total has probably been significant. Heiner and Wolff (1968) reported that there was moderate production from 1957 until 1968. Production of 2,129 ounces in 1983, said to be mostly from Tobin Creek but partly from Little Squaw Creek, was said to be more than double the 1982 production, and production in 1984 was expected to double again (Alaska Construction and Oil, 1984). Chandalar Development Corp. mined for two consecutive years on Tobin Creek and was reported to be the largest producer in the northern Alaska region (Bundtzen and others, 1992).
Reserves: Alaska Construction and Oil (1984) reported that Canadian Barranca Ltd., Inc., the operator in 1984, considered that the placer reserves in Tobin Creek, Little Squaw Creek, and two additional unnamed creeks in the area were at least 100,000 ounces with potential for as much as 500,000 ounces.

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

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	CH048

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References