88 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 1 Approximate figures for operations by the State,
counties, municipalities, and other Government agenciesunder lease. 
 
throughout the year. Last worked in 1964, the deposit was shut down owing
to loss of market. Appreciable reserves were thought to exist at Bokan Mountain
under the changed conditions for uranium that emerged in 1966—67. 
 
NONMETALS 
 
 Barite.—Alaska Barite Co. continued to produce from the Red Cliff
holdings on Castle Island, 25 miles west of Petersburg. The Red Cliff was
purchased from A. J. Industries, successor to the old Alaska Juneau Gold
Mining Co. Shipments were made to Gulf Coast ports for chemical uses and
for manufacture of oil-well drilling muds. 
 Some interest was reported in the possibility of establishing offshore barite
reserves off Castle Island. No data was available to judge the economic feasibility
of offshore mining of barite. 
 
 Gem Stones.—Raw jade was produced from areas on Dahl Creek and on
the Kobuk River in the Shungnak district, northwestern Alaska region. 
 At Grubstake Creek in the Willow Creek district, Cook Inlet-Susitna region,
Lloyd 
* Hill reported production of 10 tons of soapstone valued at $5,000. The
material was sold for carving purposes. Hill reported opening of a new deposit
in 1967. 
 Sand and Gravel.—Physical volume and value of sand and gravel both
increased markedly over the 1966 figures. Physical volume was up by 28 percent,
value increased by 20 percent. Unit value was $1.17 compared with $1.25 in
1966. Both commercial and government-and-contractor producers shared in the
increases in output and value. 
 Twenty-one commercial producers accounted for 8 percent of output and 7
percent of value. Average value of commercial production was $0.96 per ton
compared with $1.17 in 1966. Commercial operators washed 342,000 tons (19
percent) of output valued at $1,043,000 or $3.05 per ton. Unwashed product
was 1,480,000 tons valued at $0.48 per ton. Commercial producers included
the Alaska Railroad, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The railroad was classed as a commercial producer to permit comparison with
data published for other States. 
 Twenty-six Federal, State, and municipal agencies (or their contractors)
produced sand and gravel. For government agencies, output was 20,548,000
tons, valued at $24.5 million or $1.19 per ton. Washed or otherwise prepared
product was 1,868,000 tons with a unit value of $2.78. Untreated product
was 18,680,000 tons at $1.03 per ton. The Alaska Department of Highways,

 
Table 12.—Sand and gravel sold or used by producers, by classes of
operations and uses 
(Thousand short tons and thousand dollars) 
Class of operation and use 
 
1966 
 
1967 
 
 
Quantity 
 
 — Value 
Quantity 
 —— Value 
Construction: 
 
 
 
 
 
Building: 
 
 
 
 
 
Sand                                      Gravel                        
            
57 
84 
 
$201 
268 
49 
54 
$223 
234 
Paving: 
Sand                                       
404 
 
1,408 
506 
1,700 
Gravel                                     
Fill: 
1,634 
 
4,192 
1,399 
4,154 
Sand                                       
 Gravel                                    Railroad ballast: Gravel     
                      
3,532 
11,444 
 16 
 
3,775 
11,560 
 27 
4,852 
15,499 
 6 
5,206 
14,700 
 14 
Other: 
 
 
 
 
 
Sand                                       
44 
 
85 
3 
11 
Gravel                                     
 
Total                                   
Commercial: 
242 
 
277 
2 
6 
 
17,457 
 
21,793 
22,370 
26,248 
Sand                                          
301 
 
403 
96 
278 
 Gravel                                        Government-and-contractor:
1 
774 
 
860 
1,726 
1,471 
Sand                                         Gravel                     
                   
3,736 
12,646 
 
5,066 
15,464 
5,314 
15,234 
6,862 
17,637