General Information
Secondary Commodities: coal
Deposit Type(s): Coal
Location(s): 61.307220 N, -139.366110 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 115G06
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Discovered about 1914 but investigated only by the GSC. A coal lease was staked in 1948 by Paul Birckel on Granite Creek, a tributary of Duke River. Small amounts were reportedly hauled to Burwash Landing with horses and a coal lease was staked by a group of Whitehorse businessmen in 1950. Staked as CHM cl (YA59646) in Mar/81 by F. Green.
Capsule Geology
The occurrence is located in Wrangellia, an accreted terrane extending 2340 km from Alaska to southern B.C.. In the area of the occurrence, Wrangellia is bounded to the northeast by the Denali Fault System and to the southwest by the Duke River Fault. The oldest Wrangellian rocks in the region are Pennsylvanian to Permian Skolai Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The Skolai Group is stratigraphically overlain by Middle(?) Triassic phyllite, Upper Triassic Nikolai formation basalt and Upper Triassic McCarthy Formation Limestone and phyllite. Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks unconformably overlie the sequence.
Two major suites of intrusive rocks are present in the belt. The oldest is Triassic and includes gabbro, peridotite, dunite and clinopyroxenite of the Kluane mafic-ultramafic complex and gabbro sills and dykes of the Maple Creek Gabbro. The Maple Creek gabbro is though to be coeval with the Kluane mafic-ultramafic complex and to have acted as a feeder to the Nikolai formation. The Cretaceous Kluane Ranges suite are dioritic to granodioritic in composition and occur throughout northern Wrangellia. Minor Tertiary sills, dykes and stocks of felsic to intermediate composition are also present.
The occurrence lies within the Eocene-Oligocene Amphitheatre Formation, a package of terrestrial sediments and coal deposited in structurally controlled basins related to the Denali fault system. At least 12 seams of coal, ranging in thickness from 0.3 to 4.9 m and aggregating 9 to 15 m, occur in highly-folded sandstone and conglomerate of the Amphitheatre Formation. The coal is ranked as sub-bituminous C and B. Analysis showed fixed carbon of about 31% and gross calorific value of about 15 000 G BTU.
Ridgway et al. (1992) indicate that the coal at Amphitheatre Mountain was deposited near the centre of a small pull-apart basin along the Duke River Fault. Pollen and coal macerals indicate that the coal was derived from coniferous forest of Early Oligocene age.
References
AURUM GEOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS INC., 1994. Yukon Coal Inventory 1994. Energy and Mines Branch, Economic Development, Yukon Territorial Government, 169 p.
BOSTOCK, H.S., 1952. Geology of the northwest Shakwak Valley, Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 267, p.43-44.
DODDS, C.J., AND CAMPBELL, R.B., 1992. Overview, legend and mineral deposit tabulations for Geological Survey of Canada Open Files 2188, 2189, 2190 and 2191.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1950. Report on the Coal occurrences of the Granite Creek area. Assessment Report *#092051 by J.E. Muller.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, Summary Report, 1914, p. 32-33.
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).
ISRAEL, S. and VAN ZEYL, D., 2004. Preliminary bedrock geology of the Quill Creek area (parts of NTS 115G/5, 6, 12), southwest Yukon (1:50 000 scale). Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2004-2.
ISRAEL, S., TIZZARD, A. and MAJOR, J., 2005. Geological map of the Duke River area (parts of NTS 115G/2, 3, 5, 6, 7), Yukon (1:50,000 scale). Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2005-11.
MULLER, J.E., 1967. Kluane Lake map-area, Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 340, p. 113-115.
READ, P.B. and MONGER, J.W.H., 1976. Pre-Cenozoic assemblages of the Kluane and Alsek Ranges, southwest Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 381, p. 69.
RESEARCH COUNCIL OF ALBERTA, Report 66-6, p. 18.
RIDGWAY, K.D., DE CELLES, P.G., CAMERON, A.R., and SWEET, A.R., 1992. Cenozoic syntectonic sedimentation and strike-slip basin development along the Denali Fault System, Yukon. In: Yukon Geology, Vol. 3, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, DIAND, p. 1-26.
YUKON MINERAL INDUSTRY 1941-59, p. 52, 68.
Discovered about 1914 but investigated only by the GSC. A coal lease was staked in 1948 by Paul Birckel on Granite Creek, a tributary of Duke River. Small amounts were reportedly hauled to Burwash Landing with horses and a coal lease was staked by a group of Whitehorse businessmen in 1950. Staked as CHM cl (YA59646) in Mar/81 by F. Green.
Capsule Geology
The occurrence is located in Wrangellia, an accreted terrane extending 2340 km from Alaska to southern B.C.. In the area of the occurrence, Wrangellia is bounded to the northeast by the Denali Fault System and to the southwest by the Duke River Fault. The oldest Wrangellian rocks in the region are Pennsylvanian to Permian Skolai Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The Skolai Group is stratigraphically overlain by Middle(?) Triassic phyllite, Upper Triassic Nikolai formation basalt and Upper Triassic McCarthy Formation Limestone and phyllite. Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks unconformably overlie the sequence.
Two major suites of intrusive rocks are present in the belt. The oldest is Triassic and includes gabbro, peridotite, dunite and clinopyroxenite of the Kluane mafic-ultramafic complex and gabbro sills and dykes of the Maple Creek Gabbro. The Maple Creek gabbro is though to be coeval with the Kluane mafic-ultramafic complex and to have acted as a feeder to the Nikolai formation. The Cretaceous Kluane Ranges suite are dioritic to granodioritic in composition and occur throughout northern Wrangellia. Minor Tertiary sills, dykes and stocks of felsic to intermediate composition are also present.
The occurrence lies within the Eocene-Oligocene Amphitheatre Formation, a package of terrestrial sediments and coal deposited in structurally controlled basins related to the Denali fault system. At least 12 seams of coal, ranging in thickness from 0.3 to 4.9 m and aggregating 9 to 15 m, occur in highly-folded sandstone and conglomerate of the Amphitheatre Formation. The coal is ranked as sub-bituminous C and B. Analysis showed fixed carbon of about 31% and gross calorific value of about 15 000 G BTU.
Ridgway et al. (1992) indicate that the coal at Amphitheatre Mountain was deposited near the centre of a small pull-apart basin along the Duke River Fault. Pollen and coal macerals indicate that the coal was derived from coniferous forest of Early Oligocene age.
References
AURUM GEOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS INC., 1994. Yukon Coal Inventory 1994. Energy and Mines Branch, Economic Development, Yukon Territorial Government, 169 p.
BOSTOCK, H.S., 1952. Geology of the northwest Shakwak Valley, Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 267, p.43-44.
DODDS, C.J., AND CAMPBELL, R.B., 1992. Overview, legend and mineral deposit tabulations for Geological Survey of Canada Open Files 2188, 2189, 2190 and 2191.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1950. Report on the Coal occurrences of the Granite Creek area. Assessment Report *#092051 by J.E. Muller.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, Summary Report, 1914, p. 32-33.
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).
ISRAEL, S. and VAN ZEYL, D., 2004. Preliminary bedrock geology of the Quill Creek area (parts of NTS 115G/5, 6, 12), southwest Yukon (1:50 000 scale). Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2004-2.
ISRAEL, S., TIZZARD, A. and MAJOR, J., 2005. Geological map of the Duke River area (parts of NTS 115G/2, 3, 5, 6, 7), Yukon (1:50,000 scale). Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2005-11.
MULLER, J.E., 1967. Kluane Lake map-area, Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 340, p. 113-115.
READ, P.B. and MONGER, J.W.H., 1976. Pre-Cenozoic assemblages of the Kluane and Alsek Ranges, southwest Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 381, p. 69.
RESEARCH COUNCIL OF ALBERTA, Report 66-6, p. 18.
RIDGWAY, K.D., DE CELLES, P.G., CAMERON, A.R., and SWEET, A.R., 1992. Cenozoic syntectonic sedimentation and strike-slip basin development along the Denali Fault System, Yukon. In: Yukon Geology, Vol. 3, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, DIAND, p. 1-26.
YUKON MINERAL INDUSTRY 1941-59, p. 52, 68.
Location Map
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Insular
Affinity: NE Panthalassa
Name: Wrangellia
Realm: Panthalassa
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite:
Formation: Amphitheatre
Member:
Terrane:
Period Max: Paleogene
Age Max: 33 MA
Period Min: Paleogene
Age Min: 23 MA
Rock Major: conglomerate/sandstone/mudstone
Rock Minor:
Reference: Israel et al. (2005) - YGS OF 2005-11
Geological Unit (1M): OA
Geological Unit (250K): OA
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 060988 | 1971 | Report on Niamodlaoc Mountain Coal Prospect | Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Prospecting - Other | ||
| 092051 | 1950 | Report on the Coal Deposits of the Granite Creek Area, near Burwash Landing, Y. T. | Rock - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Research/Summarize - Pre-existing Data |
