General Information
Secondary Commodities: copper, platinum, nickel
Deposit Type(s): Ultramafic Mafic Alaskan-type Pt+/-Os+/-Rh+/-Ir
Location(s): 61.092220 N, -138.781670 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 115G02
Location Comments: 1 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Staked as Tony cl 1-28 (YB005915) in Jul/87 by Walhalla Exploration Ltd, which performed prospecting and sampling later in the year.
In Oct/94 Inco Ltd staked a block of 508 Klu claims on map sheet 115G 02. The staking was not carried out in a consecutively numbered basis but the lowest claim number was Klu 1013 (YB54767). The claim block covered Minfile Occurrences #115G 003, 084, 098 and 099. In the summer of 1995, Inco carried out geological mapping, lithochemical sampling, silt sampling, heavy mineral sampling and soil sampling on the Klu claim block. Inco staked a second block of 18 Klu cl (lowest number Klu 1416 (YB58156)) north of Congdon Creek in Aug/95. In 1996 Inco carried out an airborne EM and magnetometer survey over the entire claim block and in 1997 Inco carried out geological mapping, prospecting and ground geophysical surveying to follow up geophysical conductors identified in 1996.
In Apr/2000, Santoy Resources Ltd optioned the property from Inco and carried out geological mapping, chip sampling, prospecting, silt and soil sampling later in the year.
Capsule Geology
The occurrence is located in the eastern part of the Wrangellia, which is an accreted terrane extending 2 340 km from Alaska to southern B.C. In the area of the occurrence the 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 the Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian Skolia Group. The Station Creek Formation occurs at the base of the Skolai Group and consists of tuffs, pyritic black tuffs, mafic volcanics and argillite. These rocks are overlain by the Hasen Creek formation which consists of tuffs, mafic volcanics, argillite and limestone. The Skolai Group is stratigraphically overlain by Pennsylvanian to Triassic mafic meta-volcanics, Upper Triassic Nikolai basalt and Upper Triassic McCarthy Formation Limestone and phyllite. Tertiary volcanics and sediments unconformably overlie the sequence. Quaternary surficial deposits locally cover Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cretaceous strata.
Two major suites of intrusive rocks are present in the belt, the oldest is the mafic to ultramafic Triassic suite which includes ultramafic sills, marginal gabbro, and the Maple Creek Gabbro. This suite is thought to be cogenetic with the Nikolai flood basalt. Cretaceous Kluane Range Intrusions 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 major Triassic ultramafic intrusions (Kluane type) are sill like bodies which intrude the Hansen Creek and Station Creek Formations. The dips of the sills range from vertical to steeply overturned to as shallow as 30 degrees. Maximum dimensions of the sills are estimated to be up to 18 km in length and 600 m in thickness.
The claims cover an area of complex geology and thrust faulting. The general setting consists of steeply dipping sedimentary rocks of the Permian Hasen Creek Formation intruded by Late Triassic peridotite and gabbro dykes.
Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization in the region is associated with basal marginal gabbro phase of the Spy Sill. Sulphide mineralization at the Spy Showing (Congdon) occurs in siltstone in the footwall of the sill, marginal gabbro and feldspathic peridotite.
Inco found intermittent sulphide showings over a strike of 3.6 km along the base of the 6 km long Spy Sill. These sulphide showings have highly anomalous PGE grades along with significant Ni and Cu. The number and size of peridotite intrusions occurring on the claim block and in the belt suggest they are part of a very large magmatic system. No significant Ni-Cu-PGE showings have been found at intrusions other than the Spy Sill. Grab samples collected by Inco from the gabbro-siltstone contact assayed up to 3.1% Ni, 2.8% Cu, 0.2% Co, 3.1 g/t Pt, 1.4 g/t Pd and 1.0 g/t Au.
Silt samples were collected from all the streams draining the Klu claims. Numerous samples returned anomalous values (up to 673 ppm Ni) and appear to outline areas with peridotite intrusions. Heavy mineral samples were collected from all the main drainages located within the claim block. The most significant result returned 700 ppm Pt and > 10 000 Au. It was collected 400 m downstream from where the Spy Sill is cut by the south branch of Nines Creek. The high Au value may not necessarily be related to sulphide mineralization. A small soil sample grid was established over the peridotite section of the Duke Intrusion located in the northwest corner of the claim block. The soil grid was centered over the peridotite-footwall sediment (Hansen Creek Formation) contact and was laid out to test for the presence of subcropping Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization. Cr +/- Ni values outlined the approximate projection of the peridotite-sediment contact but no anomalies suggestive of Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization were found.
Due to the severe terrain over much of the claim block Inco used 100 m spacing between flight lines. The geophysical survey outlined 3 coincident EM and magnetic conductors on the claim block. In 1997 Inco carried out, follow up ground magnetic and EM geophysical surveys on the three conductors. Two of the conductors were found to relate to black calcareous shale exposures. The third anomaly was interpreted to represent conductive overburden.
The bulk of Santoy¿s exploration work was focused on exploring and evaluating the nickel, copper and platinum group element mineralization know to exist at the basal contact of the Spy Sill and underlying footwall Hansen Creek siltstone, (Minfile Occurrence #115G 003). Two man days were spent mapping and soil sampling at the Right On Mountain area (this occurrence). Several gossans in gabbro and sediments, in addition to an epithermal vein occurrence were sampled but no anomalous values were returned.
References
INCO LIMITED, Jan/96. Assessment Report #093371 by C. Bell.
INCO LIMITED, Nov/96. Assessment Report #093560 by P. McGowan.
INCO LIMITED, Dec/97. Assessment Report #093726 by K. Hattie.
SANTOY RESOURCES LTD, Feb/2001. Assessment Report #094164 by L.A. Tulk.
SANTOY RESOURCES LTD, Feb/2002. Web Site: www.bmts.bc.ca/san.
WALHALA EXPLORATION LTD, Aug/88. Assessment Report #092528 by H.J. Keyser.
YUKON EXPLORATION & GEOLOGY 1996, p. 23, 30; 1997, p. 24, 36.
YUKON EXPLORATION 1988, p. 165.
Staked as Tony cl 1-28 (YB005915) in Jul/87 by Walhalla Exploration Ltd, which performed prospecting and sampling later in the year.
In Oct/94 Inco Ltd staked a block of 508 Klu claims on map sheet 115G 02. The staking was not carried out in a consecutively numbered basis but the lowest claim number was Klu 1013 (YB54767). The claim block covered Minfile Occurrences #115G 003, 084, 098 and 099. In the summer of 1995, Inco carried out geological mapping, lithochemical sampling, silt sampling, heavy mineral sampling and soil sampling on the Klu claim block. Inco staked a second block of 18 Klu cl (lowest number Klu 1416 (YB58156)) north of Congdon Creek in Aug/95. In 1996 Inco carried out an airborne EM and magnetometer survey over the entire claim block and in 1997 Inco carried out geological mapping, prospecting and ground geophysical surveying to follow up geophysical conductors identified in 1996.
In Apr/2000, Santoy Resources Ltd optioned the property from Inco and carried out geological mapping, chip sampling, prospecting, silt and soil sampling later in the year.
Capsule Geology
The occurrence is located in the eastern part of the Wrangellia, which is an accreted terrane extending 2 340 km from Alaska to southern B.C. In the area of the occurrence the 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 the Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian Skolia Group. The Station Creek Formation occurs at the base of the Skolai Group and consists of tuffs, pyritic black tuffs, mafic volcanics and argillite. These rocks are overlain by the Hasen Creek formation which consists of tuffs, mafic volcanics, argillite and limestone. The Skolai Group is stratigraphically overlain by Pennsylvanian to Triassic mafic meta-volcanics, Upper Triassic Nikolai basalt and Upper Triassic McCarthy Formation Limestone and phyllite. Tertiary volcanics and sediments unconformably overlie the sequence. Quaternary surficial deposits locally cover Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cretaceous strata.
Two major suites of intrusive rocks are present in the belt, the oldest is the mafic to ultramafic Triassic suite which includes ultramafic sills, marginal gabbro, and the Maple Creek Gabbro. This suite is thought to be cogenetic with the Nikolai flood basalt. Cretaceous Kluane Range Intrusions 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 major Triassic ultramafic intrusions (Kluane type) are sill like bodies which intrude the Hansen Creek and Station Creek Formations. The dips of the sills range from vertical to steeply overturned to as shallow as 30 degrees. Maximum dimensions of the sills are estimated to be up to 18 km in length and 600 m in thickness.
The claims cover an area of complex geology and thrust faulting. The general setting consists of steeply dipping sedimentary rocks of the Permian Hasen Creek Formation intruded by Late Triassic peridotite and gabbro dykes.
Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization in the region is associated with basal marginal gabbro phase of the Spy Sill. Sulphide mineralization at the Spy Showing (Congdon) occurs in siltstone in the footwall of the sill, marginal gabbro and feldspathic peridotite.
Inco found intermittent sulphide showings over a strike of 3.6 km along the base of the 6 km long Spy Sill. These sulphide showings have highly anomalous PGE grades along with significant Ni and Cu. The number and size of peridotite intrusions occurring on the claim block and in the belt suggest they are part of a very large magmatic system. No significant Ni-Cu-PGE showings have been found at intrusions other than the Spy Sill. Grab samples collected by Inco from the gabbro-siltstone contact assayed up to 3.1% Ni, 2.8% Cu, 0.2% Co, 3.1 g/t Pt, 1.4 g/t Pd and 1.0 g/t Au.
Silt samples were collected from all the streams draining the Klu claims. Numerous samples returned anomalous values (up to 673 ppm Ni) and appear to outline areas with peridotite intrusions. Heavy mineral samples were collected from all the main drainages located within the claim block. The most significant result returned 700 ppm Pt and > 10 000 Au. It was collected 400 m downstream from where the Spy Sill is cut by the south branch of Nines Creek. The high Au value may not necessarily be related to sulphide mineralization. A small soil sample grid was established over the peridotite section of the Duke Intrusion located in the northwest corner of the claim block. The soil grid was centered over the peridotite-footwall sediment (Hansen Creek Formation) contact and was laid out to test for the presence of subcropping Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization. Cr +/- Ni values outlined the approximate projection of the peridotite-sediment contact but no anomalies suggestive of Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization were found.
Due to the severe terrain over much of the claim block Inco used 100 m spacing between flight lines. The geophysical survey outlined 3 coincident EM and magnetic conductors on the claim block. In 1997 Inco carried out, follow up ground magnetic and EM geophysical surveys on the three conductors. Two of the conductors were found to relate to black calcareous shale exposures. The third anomaly was interpreted to represent conductive overburden.
The bulk of Santoy¿s exploration work was focused on exploring and evaluating the nickel, copper and platinum group element mineralization know to exist at the basal contact of the Spy Sill and underlying footwall Hansen Creek siltstone, (Minfile Occurrence #115G 003). Two man days were spent mapping and soil sampling at the Right On Mountain area (this occurrence). Several gossans in gabbro and sediments, in addition to an epithermal vein occurrence were sampled but no anomalous values were returned.
References
INCO LIMITED, Jan/96. Assessment Report #093371 by C. Bell.
INCO LIMITED, Nov/96. Assessment Report #093560 by P. McGowan.
INCO LIMITED, Dec/97. Assessment Report #093726 by K. Hattie.
SANTOY RESOURCES LTD, Feb/2001. Assessment Report #094164 by L.A. Tulk.
SANTOY RESOURCES LTD, Feb/2002. Web Site: www.bmts.bc.ca/san.
WALHALA EXPLORATION LTD, Aug/88. Assessment Report #092528 by H.J. Keyser.
YUKON EXPLORATION & GEOLOGY 1996, p. 23, 30; 1997, p. 24, 36.
YUKON EXPLORATION 1988, p. 165.
Location Map
Last Updated: Aug 23, 2018
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Geochemistry: Rock | Also silt and soil sampling. |
| 2000 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 2000 | Other: Prospecting | |
| 1997 | Geochemistry: Rock | Also silt sampling. |
| 1997 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1997 | Ground Geophysics: Magnetics | Also UTEM survey. |
| 1996 | Airborne Geophysics: Electromagnetic | Also magnetic survey. Flown over entire claim block. |
| 1995 | Geochemistry: Rock | Also soil, silt and lithogeochemical sampling. |
| 1995 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1987 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1987 | Other: Prospecting |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Insular
Affinity: NE Panthalassa
Name: Wrangellia
Realm: Panthalassa
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Kluane ultramafic
Formation:
Member:
Terrane: Wrangellia
Period Max: Triassic
Age Max: 232 MA
Period Min: Triassic
Age Min: 219 MA
Rock Major: peridotite/dunite
Rock Minor: pyroxenite/gabbro
Reference: Israel et al. (2005) - YGS OF 2005-11
Geological Unit (1M): LTrK
Geological Unit (250K): LTrK1
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 094687 | 2005 | An Initial Field Investigation and Data Compilation on the Klu Property | Rock - Geochemistry, Process/Interpret - Pre-existing Data | ||
| 093560 | 1996 | Report on 1996 Geophysical Survey | Electromagnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Magnetic - Airborne Geophysics | ||
| 093371 | 1995 | 1995 Geological and Geochemical Surveys | Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology | ||
| 092528 | 1987 | Report on the 1987 Geological and Geochemical Assessment Work on the Tony Claims | Rock - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other |
