General Information
Deposit Type(s): Iron Oxide Breccias & Veins (Wernecke Breccias)
Location(s): 65.019720 N, -133.821670 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 106F04
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Pamicon Developments Ltd carried out prospecting traverses in the area in the late 1970'3. In Sep/93 Newmont Exploration flew an airborne geophysical survey over the property as part of a larger regional survey sponsored by Newmont and joint venture partner Westmin Resources Ltd. In 1994 Newmont spent two days in the area collecting silt samples. In Jul/95 Westmin staked Beav cl 1-4 (YB64442) on behalf of Newmont and itself. Later in the summer geological mapping and soil sampling outlined the showing.
Capsule Geology
The region is underlain by a metamorphosed and altered sequence of Early Proterozoic Wernecke Supergroup clastic and carbonate rocks (Fairchild Lake Group, Quartet Group and Gillespie Lake Group, from oldest to youngest) that are intruded by Early to Middle Proterozoic mafic sills and dykes, and cut by Middle Proterozoic Wernecke Breccia. To the east, Wernecke Supergroup rocks are unconformably overlain by Middle Proterozoic Pinguicula Group rocks. According to Thorkelson (2000), Wernecke Breccia development is best modeled as a set of hydrothermal and/or phreatic breccias; brecciation being caused by explosive expanson of volatile-rich fluids. Hunt (2005) attributed Wernecke Breccia formation to periodic over-pressuring of dominantly basinal fluids, which lead to repeated brecciation of host strata and mineral precipitation.
The claim area is underlain by Fairchild Lake Group carbonate-rich sediments and Quartet Group carbonaceous clastic rocks, which have been intruded by Wernecke Breccia and diorite. On the Beav claims, the correlation of stratigraphic units is complicated by extensive faulting, metamorphism and intense pervasive alteration. A fault north of the claim group separates Quartet Group to the north from Fairchild Lake Group. Effects of this fault are most pronounced in the Quartet Group carbonaceous black shale where bedding surfaces are crenulated and drag folded, and strong graphite is developed.
The 1995 exploration program on the Beaver project discovered chalcopyrite mineralization in talus and outcrop in the Leavittoo Zone. The host Fairchild Lake Group phyllite is altered to buff albite. Chalcopyrite commonly occurs as fracture fillings; less commonly as disseminations. Bedrock sample results gave copper grades in the 0.3% range with gold grades less than 50 ppb. The albite zone contains very little pyrite or iron oxides minerals but is enveloped by magnetite (specular hematite)-chlorite-calcite alteration. The entire alteration system parallels a breccia body trending northwest and covering an area of 300 by 700 m.
The source of a coincident uranium-potassium airborne radiometrics anomaly at the headwaters of Beaver Creek needs to be investigated.
References
EQUITY ENGINEERING LTD, Jan/96,. Assessment Report *#093375 by D.A. Caulfield.
GORDEY, S.P. AND MAKEPEACE, A.J., 2003. Yukon Digital Geology, version 2.0, S.P. Gordey and A.J. Makepeace (comp); Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 1749 and Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2003-9 (D).
HUNT, J., 2005. The geology and genesis of iron oxide-copper-gold mineralisation associated with Wernecke Breccia, Yukon Canada, PhD thesis, James Cook University, Australia, 2 volumes, 120 p.
THORKELSON, D.J. AND WALLACE, C.A., 2000. Geology and mineral occurrences of the Slats Creek, Fairchild Lake and ¿Dolores Creek¿ areas, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon (106D/16, 106C/13, 106C/14). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Bulletin 10, 73 p.
Pamicon Developments Ltd carried out prospecting traverses in the area in the late 1970'3. In Sep/93 Newmont Exploration flew an airborne geophysical survey over the property as part of a larger regional survey sponsored by Newmont and joint venture partner Westmin Resources Ltd. In 1994 Newmont spent two days in the area collecting silt samples. In Jul/95 Westmin staked Beav cl 1-4 (YB64442) on behalf of Newmont and itself. Later in the summer geological mapping and soil sampling outlined the showing.
Capsule Geology
The region is underlain by a metamorphosed and altered sequence of Early Proterozoic Wernecke Supergroup clastic and carbonate rocks (Fairchild Lake Group, Quartet Group and Gillespie Lake Group, from oldest to youngest) that are intruded by Early to Middle Proterozoic mafic sills and dykes, and cut by Middle Proterozoic Wernecke Breccia. To the east, Wernecke Supergroup rocks are unconformably overlain by Middle Proterozoic Pinguicula Group rocks. According to Thorkelson (2000), Wernecke Breccia development is best modeled as a set of hydrothermal and/or phreatic breccias; brecciation being caused by explosive expanson of volatile-rich fluids. Hunt (2005) attributed Wernecke Breccia formation to periodic over-pressuring of dominantly basinal fluids, which lead to repeated brecciation of host strata and mineral precipitation.
The claim area is underlain by Fairchild Lake Group carbonate-rich sediments and Quartet Group carbonaceous clastic rocks, which have been intruded by Wernecke Breccia and diorite. On the Beav claims, the correlation of stratigraphic units is complicated by extensive faulting, metamorphism and intense pervasive alteration. A fault north of the claim group separates Quartet Group to the north from Fairchild Lake Group. Effects of this fault are most pronounced in the Quartet Group carbonaceous black shale where bedding surfaces are crenulated and drag folded, and strong graphite is developed.
The 1995 exploration program on the Beaver project discovered chalcopyrite mineralization in talus and outcrop in the Leavittoo Zone. The host Fairchild Lake Group phyllite is altered to buff albite. Chalcopyrite commonly occurs as fracture fillings; less commonly as disseminations. Bedrock sample results gave copper grades in the 0.3% range with gold grades less than 50 ppb. The albite zone contains very little pyrite or iron oxides minerals but is enveloped by magnetite (specular hematite)-chlorite-calcite alteration. The entire alteration system parallels a breccia body trending northwest and covering an area of 300 by 700 m.
The source of a coincident uranium-potassium airborne radiometrics anomaly at the headwaters of Beaver Creek needs to be investigated.
References
EQUITY ENGINEERING LTD, Jan/96,. Assessment Report *#093375 by D.A. Caulfield.
GORDEY, S.P. AND MAKEPEACE, A.J., 2003. Yukon Digital Geology, version 2.0, S.P. Gordey and A.J. Makepeace (comp); Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 1749 and Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2003-9 (D).
HUNT, J., 2005. The geology and genesis of iron oxide-copper-gold mineralisation associated with Wernecke Breccia, Yukon Canada, PhD thesis, James Cook University, Australia, 2 volumes, 120 p.
THORKELSON, D.J. AND WALLACE, C.A., 2000. Geology and mineral occurrences of the Slats Creek, Fairchild Lake and ¿Dolores Creek¿ areas, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon (106D/16, 106C/13, 106C/14). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Bulletin 10, 73 p.
Location Map
Last Updated: Aug 31, 2018
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Geochemistry: Soil | Also rock sampling. |
| 1995 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1995 | Airborne Geophysics: Electromagnetic | Also magnetic and radiometric survey. Following up anomalies found in 1993 survey. |
| 1994 | Geochemistry: Silt | Newmont spent two days on a regional silt sampling program. |
| 1993 | Airborne Geophysics: Electromagnetic | Also magnetic and radiometric surveys. |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Ancestral North America
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: North America - platformal strata
Realm: Laurentia
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup: Wernecke
Group/Suite: Fairchild Lake
Formation:
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Statherian
Age Max: 1800 MA
Period Min: Statherian
Age Min: 1600 MA
Rock Major: siltstone, sandstone
Rock Minor:
Reference: Thorkelson et al. (2002) - YGS GM 2002-2
Geological Unit (1M): lPFL
Geological Unit (250K): lPFL1
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 095646 | 2007 | 2007 Geological, Geochemical and Geophysical Report on the Werneckes Project | Diamond - Drilling, Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Regional Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics, Scintillometer - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other, Backhoe - Trenching, Hand - Trenching, Handblast - Trenching | 28 | 6537.96 |
| 094956 | 2006 | 2006 Geological, Geochemical and Geophysical Report on the Werneckes Project | Reverse Circulation - Airborne Geophysics, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Scintillometer - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other | ||
| 093375 | 1995 | 1996 Geological and Geochemical Assessment Report On the Beav 1-4 Claims | Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology | ||
| 090817 | 1981 | Assessment Report on the Eagle, Otter, and Vole Claims | Diamond - Drilling, Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics, Scintillometer - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other, Backhoe - Trenching, Handblast - Trenching | 14 | 1590.16 |
