General Information
Primary Commodities: barite
Aliases: Tea
Deposit Type(s): Sediment hosted Stratiform Barite
Location(s): 63.022780 N, -130.607220 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 105O02
Location Comments: 1 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Staked as Tea cl (Y98226) in Aug/75 by Welcome North Mines Ltd which carried out geological mapping and bulk sampled later in the year. The barite rights were optioned to Yukon Barite Company Ltd, which carried out bulk sampling and built a 12.5 km road to the showing in 1976 and explored with bulldozer trenching and shallow drilling in 1979. Yukon Barite drilled one hole (128 m) and shipped a 900 tonne test sample in a joint venture with Milchem Inc in 1980 and did some diamond drilling in 1981.
The VAR cl (YA7233) were added to the south in Oct/76 by Mackenzie Resources Ltd.
In 1982, Yukon Barite purchased the property and trucked 8 000 tonnes to Ross River for processing into drilling mud for the Beaufort Sea market. Construction of a processing plant in Ross River was deferred because of a lawsuit between the principals of the company. Minor bulldozer trenching was carried out in 1984 and 1985. A majority interest was awarded by the Yukon Court of Appeal to E.J. Eisenman in 1985, who drilled 4 holes (296 m) in 1986.
Part of the Tea cl were transferred from the estate of E.J. Eisenman to Coyne and Sons Ltd in Oct/89. J. Coyne restaked some claims as Tay (YBO3410) in Feb/90, and carried out trenching and development work in 1990.
In 1995 Coyne and Sons constructed a 40,000 tonne per year mill to process barite from the property. The company processed a 600 tonne bulk sample from material stockpiled at the mill site and produced 15,000 40 kg bags of barite. The company also drilled, blasted and stockpiled 743 cubic metres of barite ore for future processing.
Capsule Geology
A true thickness of nearly 92 m of baritic beds outcrop for a stike length of 305 m and are exposed by topographic relief for over 90 m down dip at the base of a shale member of the Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group. Bulk sampling in 1975 indicated that the barite is of high quality and averages 92.56% BaSO4 with a specific gravity of 4.25. It requires only screening prior to grinding to yield a product exceeding minimum drilling mud specifications. Minor amounts of variscite occur with the barite. The deposit is easily amenable to open pitting with no stripping ratio and 225 503 tonnes of ore with a specific gravity of 4.2 or better was outlined by 1979 (Coolen, 1982).
The main showing grades from a carbonate-rich base (witherite and limestone), with grey baritic shale and black carbonaceous shale, to a sulphate-rich top (bedded barite). Minor interbedded chert occurs throughout the section but tends to be more common towards the base. At least three other small showings occur nearby.
The VAR claims cover an occurrence of gem quality variscite. Studies of the gold content of the deposit in 1984 showed that an average grade of 4 ppb Au was present and furthermore that siliceous, carbonaceous and pyritic shale intervals contain as much as 11 ppb Au. The gold enhancement in shale intervals was suggested to result from carbon and pyrite fixing of gold from pooled brines in starved basin sediments after the cessation of barium-rich exhalative activity. Three such cycles are represented. A localized footwall fracture zone, infilled with coarsely crystalline barite, quartz and carbonate may represent a feeder zone.
In 1984 an evalution of the deposit carried out by Eisenman, recalculated total reserve as 377 038 tonnes with an average specific gravity of 4.14.
Trenching in 1985 showed that the south end of the zone thickens westward to 40 m thick in the axis of a depositional trough. The 1986 drilling confirmed the trench results with 3 of 4 holes returning intersections of nearly massive barite ranging from 11.3 to 30 m in true thickness.
The barite processed in 1995 had an average specific gravity of 4.26. At the end of 1995, Coyne and Sons reported the estimated geological reserve of the deposit at 1 million tonnes.
References
CARNE, R.C., 1976. The Tea Barite Deposit. DIAND Open File Report 1976-16.
COOLEN, P.R., Jan/82. A Report on the Barite Potential of the Samovar Prospect - Tea Claims. Indian Minerals (West) Directorate, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Calgary, Alberta. Available in the EMR Library Whitehorse, Yukon.
EISENMAN, E.J., Oct/84. Assessment Report #092039 by A.W. Mitchell.
EISENMAN, E.J., Aug/86. Assessment Report #091851 by A.W. Mitchell.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Paper 85-1A, p. 651-668.
MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1975, p. 29; 1976, p. 116-117.
WELCOME NORTH MINES LTD, Feb/76. Vancouver Stock Exchange Open File Report by J.S. Brock.
WHITEHORSE STAR, 16 Sep/82; and 13 Oct/82; 15 May/83.
YUKON BARITE COMPANY LTD, Sep/81. Feasibility Report - Samovar (Tea) Barite Mine and Grinding Plant Ross River, Yukon. by J.S. Dodge.
YUKON BARITE COMPANY LTD, 1984. Yukon Barite Company Limited Prospectus (15 Nov/84) by J.S. Dodge.
YUKON EXPLORATION 1985-86, p. 279-280.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1983, p. 22.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1995, p. 15.
Staked as Tea cl (Y98226) in Aug/75 by Welcome North Mines Ltd which carried out geological mapping and bulk sampled later in the year. The barite rights were optioned to Yukon Barite Company Ltd, which carried out bulk sampling and built a 12.5 km road to the showing in 1976 and explored with bulldozer trenching and shallow drilling in 1979. Yukon Barite drilled one hole (128 m) and shipped a 900 tonne test sample in a joint venture with Milchem Inc in 1980 and did some diamond drilling in 1981.
The VAR cl (YA7233) were added to the south in Oct/76 by Mackenzie Resources Ltd.
In 1982, Yukon Barite purchased the property and trucked 8 000 tonnes to Ross River for processing into drilling mud for the Beaufort Sea market. Construction of a processing plant in Ross River was deferred because of a lawsuit between the principals of the company. Minor bulldozer trenching was carried out in 1984 and 1985. A majority interest was awarded by the Yukon Court of Appeal to E.J. Eisenman in 1985, who drilled 4 holes (296 m) in 1986.
Part of the Tea cl were transferred from the estate of E.J. Eisenman to Coyne and Sons Ltd in Oct/89. J. Coyne restaked some claims as Tay (YBO3410) in Feb/90, and carried out trenching and development work in 1990.
In 1995 Coyne and Sons constructed a 40,000 tonne per year mill to process barite from the property. The company processed a 600 tonne bulk sample from material stockpiled at the mill site and produced 15,000 40 kg bags of barite. The company also drilled, blasted and stockpiled 743 cubic metres of barite ore for future processing.
Capsule Geology
A true thickness of nearly 92 m of baritic beds outcrop for a stike length of 305 m and are exposed by topographic relief for over 90 m down dip at the base of a shale member of the Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group. Bulk sampling in 1975 indicated that the barite is of high quality and averages 92.56% BaSO4 with a specific gravity of 4.25. It requires only screening prior to grinding to yield a product exceeding minimum drilling mud specifications. Minor amounts of variscite occur with the barite. The deposit is easily amenable to open pitting with no stripping ratio and 225 503 tonnes of ore with a specific gravity of 4.2 or better was outlined by 1979 (Coolen, 1982).
The main showing grades from a carbonate-rich base (witherite and limestone), with grey baritic shale and black carbonaceous shale, to a sulphate-rich top (bedded barite). Minor interbedded chert occurs throughout the section but tends to be more common towards the base. At least three other small showings occur nearby.
The VAR claims cover an occurrence of gem quality variscite. Studies of the gold content of the deposit in 1984 showed that an average grade of 4 ppb Au was present and furthermore that siliceous, carbonaceous and pyritic shale intervals contain as much as 11 ppb Au. The gold enhancement in shale intervals was suggested to result from carbon and pyrite fixing of gold from pooled brines in starved basin sediments after the cessation of barium-rich exhalative activity. Three such cycles are represented. A localized footwall fracture zone, infilled with coarsely crystalline barite, quartz and carbonate may represent a feeder zone.
In 1984 an evalution of the deposit carried out by Eisenman, recalculated total reserve as 377 038 tonnes with an average specific gravity of 4.14.
Trenching in 1985 showed that the south end of the zone thickens westward to 40 m thick in the axis of a depositional trough. The 1986 drilling confirmed the trench results with 3 of 4 holes returning intersections of nearly massive barite ranging from 11.3 to 30 m in true thickness.
The barite processed in 1995 had an average specific gravity of 4.26. At the end of 1995, Coyne and Sons reported the estimated geological reserve of the deposit at 1 million tonnes.
References
CARNE, R.C., 1976. The Tea Barite Deposit. DIAND Open File Report 1976-16.
COOLEN, P.R., Jan/82. A Report on the Barite Potential of the Samovar Prospect - Tea Claims. Indian Minerals (West) Directorate, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Calgary, Alberta. Available in the EMR Library Whitehorse, Yukon.
EISENMAN, E.J., Oct/84. Assessment Report #092039 by A.W. Mitchell.
EISENMAN, E.J., Aug/86. Assessment Report #091851 by A.W. Mitchell.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Paper 85-1A, p. 651-668.
MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1975, p. 29; 1976, p. 116-117.
WELCOME NORTH MINES LTD, Feb/76. Vancouver Stock Exchange Open File Report by J.S. Brock.
WHITEHORSE STAR, 16 Sep/82; and 13 Oct/82; 15 May/83.
YUKON BARITE COMPANY LTD, Sep/81. Feasibility Report - Samovar (Tea) Barite Mine and Grinding Plant Ross River, Yukon. by J.S. Dodge.
YUKON BARITE COMPANY LTD, 1984. Yukon Barite Company Limited Prospectus (15 Nov/84) by J.S. Dodge.
YUKON EXPLORATION 1985-86, p. 279-280.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1983, p. 22.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1995, p. 15.
Location Map
Last Updated: Jun 27, 2014
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Other | Drilled, blasted and stockpiled 743 cubic metres of barite ore for future processing. |
| 1986 | Drilling: Diamond | Number of holes drilled: 4 Amount of work done: 296 METRES |
| 1984 | Trenching: Mechanical | |
| 1982 | Other | Amount of work done: 8000 TONNES Stockpiled in Ross River, Yukon. |
| 1980 | Drilling: Diamond | Number of holes drilled: 1 Amount of work done: 128 METRES |
| 1979 | Drilling: Diamond | Number of holes drilled: 4 Amount of work done: 99 METRES |
| 1979 | Trenching: Mechanical | |
| 1976 | Development, Surface: All Weather Road | |
| 1976 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1975 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1975 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Ancestral North America
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: North America - basinal strata
Realm: Laurentia
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Tsichu
Formation:
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Carboniferous
Age Max: 359 MA
Period Min: Carboniferous
Age Min: 347 MA
Rock Major: barite
Rock Minor:
Reference: Abbott (2013) - YGS GM 2013-1
Geological Unit (1M): CT
Geological Unit (250K): CT3
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 096309 | 2011 | 2011 Geological Report on Stream Sediment and Rock Chip Sampling and Geochemistry on the LFC and EOB Claims | Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Prospecting - Other | ||
| 093827 | 1997 | 1997 Geological Assessment Report on Emerald Lake Claims | Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry | ||
| 091851 | 1986 | Report on Geology of the Tea Claims or Samovar Property | Diamond - Drilling, Metallurgical Tests - Lab Work/Physical Studies, Property Evaluation - Other | 3 | 232.87 |
| 092039 | 1981 | Geological Maps of the Tea/Samovar showing | Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology | ||
| 019809 | 1968 | Hess Area Project Proposed Property Follow-Up 1968 Field Season | Research/Summarize - Pre-existing Data |
Drill Core at YGS Core Library
| Number | Property | Year Drilled | Core Size | Photos | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEA-5 | Tea | 1986 | NTW | 0 | 1 |
| TEA-6 | Tea | 1986 | NTW | 0 | 1 |
| TEA-7 | Tea | 1986 | NTW | 0 | 1 |
| TEA-8 | Tea | 1986 | NTW | 0 | 1 |
