Work History

Staked as Kuku cl 1-48 (YA6199) and Kuku cl 49-331 (YA61623) in Jun/81 by Agip Canada Ltd. The company carried out geochemical sampling, magnetometer surveying and trenching in the summer of 1981; staked Chief cl 1-71 (YA74384) in Nov/81; carried out geological mapping, geochemical sampling, magnetometer surveying and drilled 29 holes (3 326 m) in 1982; and geological mapping, magnetometer surveying, trenching and drilled 40 holes (4 545 m) in 1983.

Mineralization was discovered in 1980 during a geochemical survey, but was not announced until May/84 when Agip entered a joint venture with Erickson Gold Mines Ltd. Erickson drilled 61 holes (6 097 m), drove a 641 m cross-cut, made preparation for a production decision and formed an operating subsidiary, Mount Skukum Gold Mining Corporation in 1984 and constructed a 300 tonne/day mill that commenced production in Feb/86. In 1985, Erickson changed its name to Total Erickson Resources Ltd.

The 1986 surface drill program totaled 5 327.3 m and concentrated on the Brandy and Lake Zones, while underground work, including 1 578 m of drilling, 1 634 m of horizontal development and 397 m of vertical development was restricted to the main Cirque Zone. Geophysical surveying was carried out along three veins (Pika, Fox and Gully) located near the main Cirque Zone, while geochemical surveying was carried out on several targets on the property. Work in 1987 included a development adit to the Brandy and Lake Zones, plus 8 630 m of surface and 2 513 m of underground drilling.

In 1988, twenty targets were explored with geological mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and 13 644 m of drilling in 71 surface and 36 underground holes. Mining operations ceased in Aug/88 when drill proven reserves at the Lake Zone were not confirmed by mining. During the period from Feb/86 to Jun/88, 2 419 700 g Au were produced from 223 400 tonnes of Cirque Zone ore, with an average grade of 13.0 g/t (figure taken from CME Consulting report). Silver production was not reported. In 1989, Total Energold and Agip carried out geological mapping, prospecting, geochemical sampling and drilled 13 holes (3 267 m) on the previously untested Tango, Goat and Ocean veins.

Glencairn Explorations Ltd acquired 100% of Mount Skukum Mining Corporation in 1991. Wheaton River Resources (45% owned by Glencairn) drilled three holes (1 050.4 m) on Chieftain Hill to test the Ocean Vein in 1991.

In 1996 Omni Resources Ltd optioned the property and completed road work on various Kuku claims. In Jun/97 the company staked Kuku cl 22 (YB97767) and Pup cl 29-30 (YB97801) and carried out geochemical rock sampling, prospecting and geological mapping of the northernmost Kuku claims.

Trumpeter Yukon Gold Inc acquired a 50% interest in Omni Resources Ltd in Sep/97. In Apr/99, various Kuku claims which had lapsed and other internal fractions were (re)staked as CL cl 6-30 (YC14135). The company carried out a single day of prospecting and rock sampling on the surviving Kuku claims in Aug/2000. A new prospect named the Carleston vein was discovered on the edge of the Mount Skukum caldera in 2000, 5 km west of the Skukum Creek occurrence.

In Nov/2000 Omni amalgamated with Trumpeter Yukon Gold Inc to form Tagish Lake Gold Corporation, which carried out prospecting, geological mapping and geochemcial rock sampling over a period of 4 days in August and Sep/2001. During 2003 the company completed data compilation and intergration to digital format of historical data from drilling carried out by Mount Skukum Mining on the Lake zone.

Between 2001 and 2007, Tagish Lake drilled approximately 123 holes for over 15 000 m on various targets on the project.

In 2010, Tagish Lake Gold changed its name to New Pacific Metals Ltd.

In 2011, New Pacific drilled 41 holes for 12 488 m on various targets.

A Technical Report by R.G. Simpson and C.O. Nash stating a resource estimate was filed on September 14, 2012 with an effective date of July 16,2012. A revised document of that report was released with a revision date of July 31, 2013. The revision was made to address comments by the British Columbia Securities Commission, include change in authorship but no material change and the resource estimate was unchanged.

In 2020, New Pacific spun out Whitehorse Gold Corp as the owner of the Skukum Gold Project. Later that year, the company drilled 4 holes for 2 091 m.

In 2021, Whitehorse Gold drilled 44 holes for 16 554 m and based on this additional information, update the resource estimate for the project in an updated NI43-101 report filed in the summer of 2022.

Capsule Geology

Gold and silver occur in three separate quartz-calcite vein zones associated with sub-parallel faults. The largest, most easterly and thoroughly explored zone is the Cirque zone which is 200 m long, 80 m deep and averages 5 m thick. It is a cluster of veins associated with a flexure in the Main Zone Fault. The Main Zone Fault is a 20 to 30 m wide structure containing numerous felsic to andesitic dykes and bounded by stockwork veins (each 0.1 to 3.0 m wide). The fault strikes 030° to 050°, dips steeply southeast and has been traced on surface for a length of 1.5 km.

The mineralized structures cut gently southwest-dipping porphyritic andesite flow rocks and lapilli tuff of the Lower Eocene aged Watson River Formation (Hart, 1990). The andesite rocks represent proximal and vent facies volcanic rocks deposited on the upper parts of a strata-volcano (McDonald, 1990) and are part of the Mt. Skukum Volcanic Complex. The epithermal mineralization and alteration assemblege resembles that of an adularia-sericite system. Mineralization is confined to the second of two stages of veining. Although it is widely distributed, mineralization in the Cirque zone is best developed in the fault zone, adjacent to a 30 m thick rhyolite dyke.

The gold occurs in individual veins up to 10 m wide that frequently bifurcate into smaller discontinuous veins parallel to the fault. The veins consist of comb-textured, vuggy, sugary or massive quartz and calcite enclosing numerous wall-rock fragments. Coarse-banded calcite crystals up to 1.5 m long are sometimes intergrown with the quartz. Sulphides are absent and alteration is limited to a weak phyllic halo. Gold and silver, with a consistent ratio of 1.2:1.0, occur in fine flakes 15 to 20 microns across, and are restricted to quartz even though calcite commonly comprises up to half the gangue. Unmineralized blue-grey chalcedonic veinlets up to 2 mm thick with pyritic selvages also occur. These form dense stockworks associated with intense phyllic alteration and weather to form limonitic gossans.

At the beginning of 1986, before the commencement of mining, the Cirque zone hosted reserves of 146 901 tonnes grading 25.03 g/t Au and 20.58 g/t Ag. In May/87, combined reserves for the Brandy and Lake zones were estimated at 94 902 tonnes grading 16.46 g/t Au. Reserves after the Aug/88 shutdown were estimated at 36,000 tonnes (Lake Zone), grading 13.7 g/t Au.

Several other veins on the property were explored by diamond drilling in 1989. The Tango vein was discovered as a result of soil samples downslope which returned values greater than 2000 ppb Au. It is a brecciated chalcedonic quartz vein in and near the footwall of the 150 to 200 m wide rhyolite ring dyke which surrounds the Mt Skukum caldera. Silica replacements of bladed calcite crystals provide evidence of boiling in the area where the vein outcrops on the ridge crest. Diamond drilling in 1989 intersected the vein at about 300 m below the surface. In hole #89-556, the vein consisted of 3.48 m of coarse, vuggy limonitic breccia with 80% quartz and 20% coarse heterolithic fragments. Low gold assays were obtained.

The Goat vein in hole 89-554 consisted of 4.27 m of rusty quartz stockwork with no significant gold values. The Ocean vein was traced by HLEM surveying over a strike length of 580 m. It narrows to the east and is cut off by a caldera boundary fault. Drilling on the Ocean vein encountered gouge and breccia in the hanging wall and a rhyolite dyke in the footwall. Drillhole #89-550 intersected a fragmented quartz vein with pyrite, galena and sphalerite along fractures. Assays averaged 1.44 g/t Au, 255.4 g/t Ag, 1.87% Pb and 0.2% Cu over a true thickness of 0.96 m.

Regional prospecting and geochemistry in 1989 outlined four other mineralized areas: the Hummingbird zone and the Watusi, Wolverine and Marmot veins. The Hummingbird zone and Watusi vein occur on an extension of the caldera boundary fault where it cuts basement metamorphic rocks. The Hummingbird is a discontinuous shear zone up to 1 m wide, filled with pyrrhotite, pyrite and arsenopyrite. The Watusi is a quartz-arsenopyrite vein up to 4 m thick which parallels the foliation in the host schist over a strike length of 200 m. Contour soil samples downslope returned values up to 618 ppb Au and 171.7 ppm Ag. The Marmot and Wolverine veins lie parallel to the Lake zone in the middle cirque at Mt Skukum. They consist of quartz-calcite and are brecciated in places. The Marmot is a narrow vein containing up to 3% electrum. It is 15 to 20 cm wide, with an exposed length of 12 m, which pinches out to the south and is covered by overburden to the north. The Wolverine vein is 13 to 47 cm wide and has been traced over a strike length of 35 m.

In 1991, Wheaton River Resources drill-tested two parallel HLEM anomalies with three holes (1 050.4 m). Sulphides were encountered in a zone of sheared, bleached granodiorite, with margins of clay gouge, cut by sheared, quartz-veined rhyolite dykes with clay gouge along the margins. Up to 10% pyrite, and lesser galena, sphalerite and minor chalcopyrite were confined to the quartz veins, which returned anomalous Pb, Zn, Ag and As values.

Omni's work in 1996 focused on determining the source of massive bull quartz vein boulder material discovered along the main haul road to the mine site. Mineralization in the form of pyritiferous bull quartz veins and associated rhyolitic and quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes were discovered and sampled. Analysis returned low values for base and precious metals. Trumpeter Resources' one-day exploration program was focused on prospecting the possible strike extensions of auriferous quartz-carbonate veins found at the main Mt. Skukum deposit. Three samples of quartz-carbonate material were collected, all of which returned background values for precious metals.

In Aug/2001, Tagish Lake Gold Corporation announced an Indicated Mineral Resource of 109 200 tonnes grading 13.4 g/t Au for the Lake zone. Prospecting carried out during this period in the vicinity of the minesite relocated several historical showings and zones and through sampling and analysis, reconfirmed gold values reported by previous operators.

A Technical Report by R.G. Simpson and C.O. Nash stating a resource estimate was filed on September 14, 2012 with an effective date of July 16,2012. A revised document of that report was released with a revision date of July 31, 2013. The revision was made to address comments by the British Columbia Securities Commission, include change in authorship but no material change and the resource estimate was unchanged. The current INFERRED resource for the Lake Zone, which incorporates results of the 2011 drilling program, is listed at 90,500 tonnes grading 9.51g/t Au and 13g/t Ag at a 3.0g/t AuEq cut-off grade, for a total of 26,900 oz Au (836,683 g Au) and 37,800 oz Ag (1,175,711g Ag).


References

AGIP CANADA LTD, Jun/82. Assessment Report #091061 by A.Doherty

AGIP CANADA LTD, Jun/82. Assessment Report #091115 by A. Doherty and R. Tykajlo.

AGIP CANADA LTD, May/83. Assessment Report #091462 by A. Doherty.

AGIP CANADA LTD, Aug/83. Assessment Report #091474 by A. Doherty.

AGIP CANADA LTD, Jun/84. Assessment Report #091540 by R.A. Doherty.

AGIP CANADA LTD, Dec/84. Assessment Report #091584 by R.C.R. Robertson.

AGIP CANADA LTD, Jun/87. Assessment Report #091945 by L.C. Mortimer.

BREMNER, T., Jul/89. Notes from property visit.

CME CONSULTING LTD, Aug/2001. Review of Skukum Property for Tagish Lake Gold Corp by C.O. Naas. (available from Sedar website).

ERICKSON GOLD MINES LTD, News Releases, 30 May 84; 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 24 Nov/86.

GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 14 Feb/91.

HART, C., 1990. Chieftain Hill (Morning, Evening, Ocean). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Yukon Exploration 1991, p. 35-39.

HART, C.J.R. and RADLOFF, J.K., 1990. Geology of Whitehorse, Alligator Lake, Fenwick Creek, Carcross and part of Robinson Map Areas (105D/11, 6, 3 and 7). Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Yukon Region, Open File 1990-4.

LOWE, D.A., 1989. Geology of the epithermal Mount Skukum gold deposit, Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada Open File 2123, p. 47.

MCDONALD, B.W.D., 1990. Geology and genesis of the Mount Skukum epithermal gold-silver deposits, southwestern Yukon Territory. DIAND, EGSD Bulletin 2.

MT SKUKUM GOLD MINING CORPORATION, 1989. Assessment Report #092784 by D. Reddy.

MT SKUKUM GOLD MINING CORPORATION, Jan/90. Assessment Report #092783 by D. Reddy and B. MacDonald.

NORTHERN MINER, 7 Jun/84, 1 Nov/84, 3 Jun/96, 1 Aug/86, 8 Dec/86, 2 Feb/87, 25 May/87, 15 Aug/88, 14 Feb/91, 8 Oct/2001.

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OMNI RESOURCES INC, Nov/98. Assessment Report #093943 by G.L. Wesa.

OMNI RESOURCES INC and TRUMPETER YUKON GOLD INC, Nov/2000. Joint News Release.

TAGISH LAKE GOLD CORPORATION, Feb/2002. Assessment Report #094243 by C.O. Naas.

TAGISH LAKE GOLD CORPORATION, Feb/2003. Annual Information Form.

TAGISH LAKE GOLD CORPORATION, Jan/2003; Sep/2003. Web Site: www.tagishgold.com.

TAGISH LAKE GOLD CORPORATION, May/2004. Assessment Report #094509 by C.O. Naas.

THE CLAIM POST, Aug/91, p.3; Oct-Nov/91, p. 16-17.

TOTAL ERICKSON RESOURCES LTD, Mar/87. Assessment Report #091920 by E. Dussell.

TRUMPETER YUKON GOLD INC, Mar/2001. Assessment Report #094198 by C.O. Naas.

VON GAZA, P., 1989. Image Enhancements for Mineral Exploration. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alberta, Edmonton, 1989.

WHEATON RIVER MINERALS LTD, Jan/92. Assessment Report #092993 by R.A. Doherty.

YUKON EXPLORATION 1985-86, p. 49, 52, 175; 1987, p. 15, 17, 119; 1988, p. 253; 1991, p. 8.

YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1981, p. 166; 1983, p. 68-72, 116; 1983, p. 94-104, 162; 1984, p. 71; 2000, p. 21, 26.

YUKON GEOLOGY VOL.1, 1985, p. 6-10.

 

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence