Work History
The area was previously identified as hosting possible volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization in 1971 by Wolf Lake Joint Venture which carried out a regional exploration program in the area. The company never staked any claims in the area. In 1985, Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Ltd geologists revisited the area and noted a prominent kill zone, soil sampling of which returned a strongly anomalous multi-element anomaly.
In Jul/95 Nordac Resources Ltd staked Convert cl 1-10 (YB60028) to cover the core of the previously discovered geochemical anomaly/kill zone. In Sep/95 Nordac carried out preliminary geological mapping and geochemical sampling and staked Convert cl 11-30 (YB63774). In Feb/96 Nordac staked Convert cl 31-320 (YB75068) followed by airborne and ground geophysical programs. The following summer the company carried out geological mapping and prospecting and grid and reconnaissance soil sampling. In 1997 Nordac carried out prospecting and additional grid and reconnaissance soil sampling, and drilled six diamond drills holes (993 m).
In Jun/2001 Nordac re-organized and changed its name to Strategic Metals Ltd.
Capsule Geology
The area is located in southern Yukon near the boundary with British Columbia. Geologists employed by the Ancient Pacific Margin NATMAP project; a projected jointly funded by the Geological Survey of Canada, the British Columbia Geological Survey and the Yukon Geology Program, are presently re-mapping the area, including the rocks in the occurrence area.
The occurrence is located between the Big Salmon Complex to the west and the Cassiar Platform to the east and is underlain by a succession of mainly Paleozoic rock assemblages whose terrane affinity is in question. In the occurrence area this succession is represented by four main units; (east to west) the Ram Creek Assemblage, the Dorsey Assemblage, the Swift River Succession and the Klinkit Succession. These four units are in turn intruded by a numerous intrusions; including Mississippian aged intermediate to felsic intrusions, the Permian Ram stock and various Cretaceous intrusions (including the Seagull Batholith). Exploration interest in the area has recently risen as most of the rocks appear similar in age (Devonian ¿ Mississippian) and lithology to those hosting volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization in the Finlayson Lake district.
Geological mapping completed by Nordac Resources Ltd generally agrees with preliminary results reported by the NATMAP geologists. Nordac¿s unit descriptions are sometimes different from the government geologists¿ descriptions, however these differences can be explained by the fact Nordac¿s mapping was based on a comparitively small area whereas the government geologists mapping is based on a more regional outlook. Nordac also assigned some of their units to the Cassiar terrane whereas recent government mapping suggests these units are likely Yukon-Tanana.
Preliminary exploration in 1995 program noted several prominent kill zones in the north end of the claim block. Further examination of these zones found that they were spatially related to very strong coincident Cu-Pb-Ag-Ba-Co-Ni-As-Mg and Fe soil and stream sediment geochemical anomalies. The anomalies were conformable with a underlying, 2 km long horizon of quartz-muscovite schist.
Soil sampling undertaken in 1996 outlined eight geochemical anomalies, four of which were of particular interest to Nordac. Targets A and B consist of strong Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag, +/- Au, +/- Co anomalies in the vicinity of two ferricrete kill zones located approximately 1 600 m apart. The gossans are bleeding out of a gently southwesterly-dipping hillside immediately below hematitic quartz-muscovite schist stratigraphy. The airborne geophysical survey outlined an EM conductor over the southern projection of Target A. Target C consists of a 1 500 by 250 m northerly-trending cluster of coincident Pb-Zn response within which are scattered Cu and Ag values. The southern end of the anomaly coincides with a strong aeromagnetic anomaly.
Target F consists of a 1 700 by 600 m Pb response with clusters of Zn, Ag and Cu values. The anomalous trend is open to the north and south. Mineralized float located peripheral to the anomaly consists of disseminated pyrrhotite, galena and sphalerite in actinolite to diopside skarn, specimens of which returned up to 1.86% Zn, 0.45% Pb and 47 g/t Ag, with lower values for most other metals. The northern projection of the anomaly coincides with a strong airborne magnetic high and coincident EM conductor.
The 1997 exploration program was geared towards delineating known geochemical anomalies and trying to find the source of both the geochemical and geophysical anomalies. Soil sampling extended the size of several geochemical anomalies while prospecting uncovered several showings containing either volcanogenic, skarn or vein mineralization. The most important discovery was a talus boulder found in area of Target B which contained fine laminations of galena, sphalerite and pyrite and which assayed 52.0 g/t Ag, 2.3% Pb and 0.70% Zn. Other notable results include a piece of skarn float found in the area of Target C which returned 69.0 g/t Ag, 5.37% Pb, 4.83% Zn, 200 ppm Cu and 20 ppb Au and cerussite bearing vein float discovered in the area of Target F which returned 231.0 g/t Ag, 1.05% Pb and 280 ppb Au.
The six drill holes were all drilled in the vicinity of Target B and were designed to test the stratigraphy underlying ferricrete kill zones and associated geochemical anomalies. The holes intersected footwall and hanging wall stratigraphy. The footwall sequence includes interbanded graphitic phyllite, quartz chlorite schist and lesser sericite schist while the hanging wall sequence, described as an exhalite assemblage; consisted of chert with lesser interlayered graphitic phyllite, quartz chlorite schist and sericite schist. None of the holes intersected economic mineralization. The best assay came from metavolcanic and chert/barite exhalite horizons which returned up to 9.41% Zn, with moderate Ag and weakly anomalous Pb and Cu values. A later, reinterpretation of the drill program determined that the holes failed to test a 100m thick stratigraphic interval lying between the hanging and footwall sequences.
Nordac believes the observed mineralization may represent the distal facies of a Kuroko-style volcanogenic massive sulphide system.
References
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1960. Geology of Wolf Lake, Yukon Territory. By W.H. Poole. Map 10-1960.
GORDEY, S.P., AND MAKEPEACE, A.J., 1999. Yukon Digital geology, S.P. Gordey and A.J. Makepeace (comp.); Geological Survey of Canada, Open File D3826, and Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Open File 1999-1 (D)
NELSON, J.L., ET AL., 2000. Ancient Pacific Margin: A preliminary comparison of potential VMS-hosting successions of the Yukon-Tanana Terrane, from Finlayson Lake district to Northern British Columbia. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1999, D.S. Emond and L.H. Weston (eds.), Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p. 79-86.
NORDAC RESOURCES LTD, Aug/96. Assessment Report #093506 by R.C. Carne.
NORDAC RESOURCES LTD, Jun/97. Assessment Report #093675 by W.A. Wengzynowsk.
NORDAC RESOURCES LTD, May/98. Assessment Report #093866 by W.A. Wengzynowsk.
NORDAC RESOURCES LTD, News Release: 2 May/2001.
ROOTS, C.F., ET AL., 2000: Revision mapping of the Yukon-Tanana and equivalent terranes in northern British Columbia and southern Yukon Territory between 1310 and 1320W; Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research 2000-A4, 10p.
STRATEGIC METALS LTD, Apr/2002. Web Site: www.strategicmetalsltd.com.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1996, p. 19, 31. 1997, p. 16, 35, 38
