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Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
105M 008
Occurrence Name
Comstock
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Deposit


General Information

Primary Commodities: lead, zinc, silver
Aliases: Porcupine Vein
Deposit Type(s): Vein Polymetallic Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Location(s): 63.937420 N, -135.2052 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 105M14
Location Comments: Location coordinates provided by Alexco
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No

Capsule

Work History

The property consists of seven claims (Goldstar, Nabob, Lakeview, Gold Hill, Little Joe, Faro Fr. and Toledo) staked between 1919 and 1920 and optioned to Keno Hill Ltd between 1929 and 1930. Exploration to 1950 included shallow shafting, 15 m of drifting and bulldozer trenching.
In 1950 the property was acquired by Comstock Keno Mines Ltd, which drove a 62 m adit on the Nabob claim. A new vein discovered on the Goldstar claim was explored by crosscutting and drifting (183 m) and raising (51 m) in 1953 and was leased from 1954 to 1961 by J.B. O'Neill and associates, who shipped 298 tonnes of ore. The property was optioned from 1962 to 1972 by United Keno Hill Mines Ltd, which drifted on two levels and produced 15 876 tonnes. Work by United Keno Hill from 1966 to 1972 was restricted to surface exploration, including overburden drilling of 12 holes (387 m).
The Maiden's Hope claim adjoining the Nabob claim to the north was restaked as Ladie cl (Y6627) by J. Strebchuk in Apr/67 and transferred in Nov/67 to Silver Spring Mines Ltd, which carried out geophysical surveying in 1971.
United Keno reoptioned Goldstar and Little Joe claims in Feb/80 and explored with 127 m of cross-cutting and 13.4 m of drifting before being shut down by a prolonged strike later in the year.
Canada Tungsten Mining Corporation Ltd, apparently staked Diamond cl 1fr (YA39940) in Apr/79. The following year Canada Tungsten carried out geological mapping of the Diamond cl fr and optioned Goldhill cl 2, located 100 m to the south, which they drilled in 1980 and trenched in 1981. Silver Spring's interest was transferred to Canada Tungsten in 1982.
Comstock Keno Hill Mines Ltd drilled and blasted on the Nabob claim in 1990 and carried out 1 275 m3 of trenching on the claim in Aug/94.

Capsule Geology

This occurrence, which consists of two showings on the Porcupine vein, has been the most productive of all the longitudinal-type veins in the Keno Hill District. The mineralization on the Nabob claim is in quartzite and schist while the mineralized part of the vein on the Goldstar claims cuts greenstone and schist overlying the quartzite. Mineralization consists of galena, tetrahedrite and sphalerite plus considerable oxide material, forming a single ore-shoot about 61 m long and 1.2 to 4.6 m wide.
O'Neill's shipment averaged 6 274.1 g/t Ag and 64.9% Pb. The United Keno production averaged 1 542.8 g/t Ag, 12% Pb and 4% Zn. In United Keno Hill Mines 1983 Annual Report the company reported reserves of 20 324 tonnes grading 881.2 g/t silver (also reported in Yukon Exploration & Geology 1983, p. 206).

References

CANADA TUNGSTEN MINING CORPORATION LTD, Apr/80. Assessment Report *#090543 by T.M. Elliott.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Bulletin 111, p. 39-40, 42.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Paper 66-31, p. 15.

MURPHY, D.C. and ROOTS, C.F., 1996. Geological map of Keno Hill area, Central Yukon (105M/14). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Geoscience Map 1996-5, scale-1:50 000.

MURPHY, D.C., 1997. Geology of the McQuesten River Region, Northern McQuesten and Mayo Map Areas, Yukon Territory (115P/14, 15,16; 105M/13, 14). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Bulletin 6, 122 p.

ROOTS, C.F., 1997. Bedrock geology of Mayo map area, central Yukon (105M). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Geoscience Map 1997-1, 1:50 000-scale.

ROOTS, C.F., 1997. Geology of the Mayo Map Area, Yukon Territory (105M). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Bulletin 7, 82 p.

SILVER SPRING MINES LTD, Dec/68. Assessment Report #019905 by P.H. Sevensma.

SILVER SPRING MINES LTD, 1968. Assessment Report *#019026 by H.S. Aikins and P.H. Sevensma.

UNITED KENO HILL MINES LTD, 1971. Assessment Report *#091280 by unknown.

YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1983, p. 206.

Location Map

Last Updated: Apr 1, 2021

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2006 Airborne Geophysics: Electromagnetic
2006 Airborne Geophysics: Magnetic
2006 Airphotography: Interpretation
2006 Airphotography: Orthophoto
2006 Pre-existing Data: Digitizing Data
2006 Remote Sensing: Photogrammetry
1994 Trenching
1990 Trenching: Hand Drilling and blasting on the Nabob claim.
1980 Other Amount of work done: 140.2 METRES
1971 Drilling: Percussion Number of holes drilled: 12 Amount of work done: 387 METRES
1965 Other Amount of work done: 15910 TONNES Total amount of ore shipped between 1962 and 1965.
1965 Other
1964 Other
1963 Other
1962 Other
1961 Other Amount of work done: 298 TONNES Total amount of ore shipped between 1954 and 1961.
1953 Other Amount of work done: 234.4 METRES
1950 Other Amount of work done: 62.2 METRES
1940 Other: Surveying
1940 Pre-existing Data: Research/Summarize

Regional Geology - Terrane

Group: Ancestral North America
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: North America - basinal strata
Realm: Laurentia


Regional Geology - Bedrock

Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Earn
Formation:
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Devonian
Age Max: 385 MA
Period Min: Carboniferous
Age Min: 355 MA
Rock Major: flows/tuffs/plugs/chert
Rock Minor: basalt
Reference: Roots (1997) - YGS GM 1997-1
Geological Unit (1M): DME
Geological Unit (250K): DME3

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
096732 2014 Assessment Report Describing Metallurgical Test Pits, Metallurgical Auger Drilling, Geotechnical Auger Drilling, Geotechnical Study, Environmental Baseline Studies, Heritage Evaluation, and Water Quality and Climate Monitoring Surveys Auger - Drilling, Water - Geochemistry, Metallurgical Tests - Lab Work/Physical Studies, Environmental Assessment/Impact - Studies, Geotechnical - Studies, Heritage/Archeological - Studies 9 96.77
094943 2006 2006 Geological, Aerial Photography and Orthophoto Assessment Report on the Keno Hill Property Electromagnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Magnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Interpretation - Airphotography, Orthophoto - Airphotography, Digitizing Data - Pre-existing Data, Photogrammetry - Remote Sensing
090564 1979 Geological, Geochemical, and Geophysical Report Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, EM - Ground Geophysics, Seismic - Ground Geophysics, Research/Summarize - Pre-existing Data
091280 1971 [1971 Overburden Drill Hole Logs on the Toledo, Nabob, Gold Star, Nevada, Little Joe, Diamond, Gold Hill Claims] Reverse Circulation - Drilling, Drill Cuttings - Geochemistry 13 408.43

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
Citations
Cathro, R. J., 2006. Great mining camps of Canada, 1. The History and geology of the Keno Hill Silver Camp, Yukon Territory. Geoscience Canada Series, vol. 33, no. 3.
Geological Survey of Canada, Summary Reports, 1920 to 1940.
United Keno Hill Mines Ltd., Annual Reports, 1960–1965, 1967, 1969–1971, 1973, 1978–1980, 1983, 1986–1987, 1989, 1994–1995.
Yukon Exploration and Geology, mining and exploration overview, 1979–2009.
Zuckerkandel, W., 1991. The ore potential of the United Keno Hill Mines Ltd., Elsa, Yukon: a critical review and recommendations for exploration.

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