1993 Annual Report on Alaska's Mineral Resources
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1993 Annual Report on Alaska's Mineral Resources U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1102 ... \ ... .. \ . ... .,. ~. ""· Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minerals Management Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Energy, as mandated by Section 1011 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487, of December 2, 1980 AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the current year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Survey publications released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List." Publications that are listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availabil ity List" are no longer available. Prices of reports released to the open files are given in the listing "U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports," updated monthly, which is for sale in microfiche from the U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Sales, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225. Reports released through the NTIS may be obtained by writing to the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161; please include NTIS report number with inquiry. Order U.S. Geological Survey publications by mail or over the counter from the offices given below. BY MAIL OVER THE COUNTER Books Books and Maps Professional Papers, Bu11etins, Water-Supply Papers, Tech Books and maps of the U.S. Geological Survey are available over niques of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications the counter at the fo11owing U.S. Geological Survey offices, all of of general interest (such as leaflets, pamphlets, booklets), single which are authorized agents of the Superintendent of Documents. copies of periodicals (Earthquakes & Volcanoes, Preliminary De termination of Epicenters), and some miscel1aneous reports, in • ANCHORAGE, Alaska-4230 University Dr., Rm. 101 cluding some of the foregoing series that have gone out of print at the Superintendent of Documents, are obtainable by mail from • LAKEWOOD, Colorado-Federal Center, Bldg. 810 U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports Sales Federal Center, Box 25286 • MENLO PARK, California-Bldg. 3, Rm. 3128, Denver, CO 80225 345 Middlefield Rd. • RESTON, Virginia-National Center, Rm. 1C402, 12201 Subscriptions to periodicals (Earthquakes & Volcanoes and Sunrise Val1ey Dr. Preliminary Determination of Epicenters) can be obtained ONLY from the • SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-Federal Bldg., Rm. 8105, 125 South State St. Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20402 • SPOKANE, Washington-Rm. 135, U.S. Post Office Bldg., W. 904 Riverside Ave. (Check or money order must be payable to Superintendent of Documents.) • WASHINGTON, D.C.-Main Interior Bldg., Rm. 2650, 18th and C Sts., NW. Maps For maps, address mail orders to Maps Only U.S. Geological Survey, Map Sales Federal Center, Box 25286 Maps may be purchased over the counter at the U.S. Geologi Denver, CO 80225 cal Survey offices: Residents of Alaska may order maps from • FAIRBANKS, Alaska-New Federal Building, 101 Twelfth Ave. U.S. Geological Survey, Map Sales 101 Twelfth Ave., Box 12 • ROLLA, Missouri-1400 Independence Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 • STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Mississippi-Bldg. 3101. 1993 Annual Report on Alaska's Mineral Resources Frontispiece. Cutaway Creek area in the northern foothills of the central Brooks Range. USBM, USGS, and BLM geologists are studying the oil, gas, and mineral-resource potential of this area under several agency and inter-agency programs. The mineral resource data for the area's Colville mining district will be incorporated into the BLM's Arctic District Land Management Plan. Photograph by J. Dumoulin. 1993 Annual Report on Alaska's Mineral Resources JILL L. SCHNEIDER, Editor U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1102 Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minerals Management Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Energy, as mandated by Section 1011 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487, of December 2, 1980 A summary of mineral resource activities in Alaska during 1992 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1993 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Robert M. Hirsch, Acting Director Free on application to the Book and Open-File Report Sales U.S. Geological Survey Federal Center, Box 25286 Denver, CO 80225 Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. CONTENTS Summary....................................................................................................................... 1 Energy Resources .................................................................................................. 1 Oil and Gas ..................................................................................................... 1 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ............................................................. 2 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill............................................................................ 2 Coal and Peat .................................................................................................. 2 Uranium.......................................................................................................... 2 Geothermal Resources .................................................................................... 3 Nonfuel-Mineral Resources................................................................................... 3 Metallic Minerals ............................................................................................ 3 Industrial Minerals . ....... .. .... ..... ... ....... .. .. ........... ........... ..... ... .. ........ ........ 4 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 4 Mineral Programs .. ........................................................................................................ 4 Department of the Interior..................................................................................... 4 U.S. Geological Survey.................................................................................. 4 U.S. Bureau of Mines..................................................................................... 6 Minerals Management Service ...................................................................... 7 Bureau of Land Management ........................................................................ 8 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ..................................................................... .. 8 National Park Service ..................................................................... ,................ 9 Department of Agriculture .................................................................................... 11 U.S. Forest Service......................................................................................... 11 Department of Energy ................................................................................. .......... 11 Contacts for Further Information .......................................................................... 11 Energy Resources ......................................................................................................... 12 Oil and Gas Resources ......................................................................................... 12 Overview of Production and Prices ............................................................... 12 Exploration ..................................................................................................... 12 Permits Issued ......................................................................................... 12 Drilling Activity ..................................................................................... 12 Geophysical Surveys .............................................................................. 13 Production ...................................................................................................... 15 North Slope ............................................................................................. 15 Cook Inlet ............................................................................................... 16 Lease Sales ..................................................................................................... 16 Transportation ................................................................................................ 16 Activity by Federal Agencies ....................................................................... .. 17 Minerals Management Service ............................................................... 17 Leasing and Exploration Activity .................................................... 17 Future Lease Sales .......................................................................... .. 20 Oil and Gas Resource Assessment