Slate Creek deposit, Slate Creek, Eagle Quadrant, Alaska

The Slate Creek deposit, in the Eagle Quadrant of Alaska, was a chrysotile deposit that the sources describe as drilled and studied but not mined.^1,2 The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1982, drawing on the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, reports that "after more than 100 cores had been drilled, the Slate Creek deposit was said to have a 'drill indicated' reserve of 50 million metric tons of asbestos-bearing ore."¹ The same yearbook says that Alaska Asbestos Co.'s "initial evaluation indicated sufficient ore to support a mine producing 2.0 million tons per year of ore and a mill producing annually 150,000 tons of fiber," and that "such an establishment was projected to cost $120 to $150 million."¹ The yearbook for 1984, drawing on Industrial Minerals of London, says that "the Alaska asbestos project was again reviewed," and gives a different reserve figure: the Slate Creek deposits "are known to contain indicated reserves of about 60 million metric tons with an average fiber content of more than 5%."² It described the fiber as "strong and fast filtering" and "considered to be ideal for use in asbestos-cement products."² It also reported that, "because of domestic environmental problems, development of these Alaskan deposits remained on hold during 1984."²

The documents describe this as a deposit or prospect: they report exploration or describe the deposit, not mining for sale.¹

Location

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1982

• Exploration: “more than 100 cores had been drilled” (Alaska Asbestos Co.), as reported by Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, p. 3¹
• Reserves: “a "drill indicated" reserve of 50 million metric tons of asbestos-bearing ore” (Alaska Asbestos Co.), as reported by Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, p. 3¹
• Mill: “a mine producing 2.0 million tons per year of ore and a mill producing annually 150,000 tons of fiber” (Alaska Asbestos Co.), as reported by Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, p. 3¹
• Mill: “Such an establishment was projected to cost $120 to $150 million” (Alaska Asbestos Co.), as reported by Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, p. 3¹

1984

• Reserves: “indicated reserves of about 60 million metric tons with an average fiber content of more than 5%”, as reported by Industrial Minerals (London), p. 2²
• Fiber: “The Slate Creek chrysotile asbestos deposits”, as reported by Industrial Minerals (London), p. 2²
• Description: “The Alaska asbestos project was again reviewed”, as reported by Industrial Minerals (London), p. 2²
• Idle: “development of these Alaskan deposits remained on hold during 1984”, as reported by Industrial Minerals (London), p. 3²
• Description: “The fiber is strong and fast filtering and is considered to be ideal for use in asbestos-cement products”, as reported by Industrial Minerals (London), p. 2²

Other names

Documents call this mine “Slate Creek deposit”, “Slate Creek chrysotile asbestos deposits”.

See also

• Asbestos exposure sites in Alaska
• All asbestos mines

References

1. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1982 (January 1, 1983), p. 3.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1984 (January 1, 1985), pp. 2–3.