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Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
115I 079
Occurrence Name
Ori
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Anomaly


General Information

Secondary Commodities: gold, copper
Aliases: Apex, Mel
Deposit Type(s): Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au
Location(s): 62.669440 N, -137.295830 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 115I11
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No

Capsule

Work History

*In Apr/2010 the occurrence was moved 2.25 km to the northwest.

Staked originally as Ori cl 1-24 (Y62978) and cl 25-64 (Y63458) in Oct/71 by NRD Mining Ltd, which conducted geological mapping and grid soil sampling in 1972 and by a small program of bulldozer trenching in 1973.
Adera Mining Ltd staked See cl 1-24 (Y62803) to the east and B cl 2-12 (Y62827) and cl 17-40 (Y62838) to the southeast in Oct/71. In Mar/72 the company optioned a 50% interest in the claims to Consolidated Standard Mines Ltd which carried out geological mapping and grid soil sampling later in the summer. In 1973 Consolidated Silver carried out minor trenching and in 1974 re-analyzed the previously collected soil samples for gold and mercury. The company carried out a small "check soil sampling" program in 1975.
In Jul/97 the land surrounding this occurrence was withdrawn from staking as part of the Selkirk First Nation's Final Land Claims Agreement. The occurrence area lies on Category A Land and as such all matters relating to exploration and or claim staking are controlled by the First Nation. (In Apr/2010 the occurrence was moved 2.25 km to the northwest).
In Feb/2006 Minto Explorations Ltd (Sherwood Copper Corp) staked Mel cl 1-120 (YC41187) northwest of the withdrawn land parcel. At the same time S. Ryan staked a block of Apex claims over some of the Mel claims resulting in a claim dispute. The dispute was settled by cancelling those claims which overlapped each other.
In Jun/2006 S. Ryan staked Apex cl 1-27 (YC47182 = east block) and cl 28-39 (YC47209 = west block) overtop the disputed claims. In Nov/2006 Ryan optioned a 100% interest in the Apex and 14 other neighbouring claim groups to BCGold Corp in return for cash, shares and certain work commitments. In 2007 BCGold collected two lines of Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) soil samples across the length of the east block of Apex claims and carried out prospecting and reconnaissance rock sampling on both the east and west blocks of the Apex claims. The company also flew a combined magnetic-radiometric airborne geophysical survey over both blocks of Apex claims.
In Mar/2008 Sherwood Copper signed a Memoranda of Understanding with Firestone Ventures Inc whereby Sherwood's wholly owned subsidiary, Minto Explorations Ltd, would receive an equity interest in a new public company; Northern Tiger Resources Inc, created by Firestone in exchange for contributing four groups of mineral claims (including the Mel claim block) in the Minto region, access to Minto Explorations extensive Yukon exploration database and participation in a regional alliance. The four claim groups lay outside of, but in close proximity to the Minto mine property. In addition Minto Exploration would retain back-in rights to acquire a 65% interest in any Northern Tiger projects located within a 50 km radius that are found to have mineralization amenable to processing at the existing Minto Mine facilities. During the summer of 2008 Northern Tiger Resources carried out geological mapping and reconnaissance-style soil and silt sampling on the Mel claims.
In 2008 BCGold collected MMI soil samples on the west block of Apex claims and conducted infill MMI soil sampling on the east block of Apex claims. In Sep/2009 the company carried out an IP geophysical survey and collected further MMI soil samples on the east block of Apex claims.
During the summer of 2009 Northern Tiger Resources flew a combined magnetic-radiometric airborne geophysical survey over the Mel claim block.

Capsule Geology

The area is located approximately 7 km north of Sherwood Copper Corp's Minto Mine (Minfile Occurrences #115I 021 and 022), on the north side of an unnamed creek which marks the northern boundary of the Selkirk First Nation's land withdrawal. The area is covered by deep overburden and outcrop is sparse. Geological information regarding this area is based on the occasional outcrop, geological work carried on the adjoining Minto Mine and on airborne geophysics. Based on these sources it appears that the area is underlain by intermediate to felsic intrusive and meta-intrusive rocks of the Early Jurassic Granite Mountain batholith, specifically the Minto pluton, which intrudes the boundary between Stikinia and Yukon-Tanana terranes. The Minto pluton intrudes Upper Triassic augite-phyric basalts of Stikinia to the east and north, and Early Mississippian meta-plutonic rocks assigned to the Simpson Range plutonic suite, of the Yukon-Tanana terrane to the west. Its eastern contact with Triassic rocks is locally faulted. To the south the Minto pluton is in fault contact with basalt of the Upper Cretaceous Carmacks Group. Further south the Carmacks Group unconformably overlies the southern portion of the Granite Mountain batholith. North of the Minto property, Pliocene and younger basalt flows of the Selkirk Group cover the Early Jurassic intrusion.
At the Minto Mine, the Minto pluton is predominantly composed of granodiorite. Hood et al., noted three distinct varieties of the granodiorite in the pluton. The first variety is a megacrystic K-feldspar granodiorite. It gradually ranges in mineralogy to quartz diorite and rarely to quartz monzonite or granite, typically maintaining an massive igneous texture. An exception occurs locally where weakly to strongly foliated granodiorite is seen in distinct sub-parallel zones several metres to tens of metres thick. A second variety of igneous rock is a folded quartzofeldspathic gneiss with centimetre-thick compositional layering and folded by centimetre to decimetre-scale disharmonic, gentle to isoclinal folds. The third variety of intrusive is a biotite-rich gneiss. Minto geologists consider all units to be similar in origin and are variously deformed equivalents of the same intrusion. Copper sulphide mineralization is found in the rocks that have a structurally imposed fabric ranging from weak foliation to strongly developed gneissic banding.
The Mel and Apex claims appear to be primarily underlain by foliated to non-foliated hornblende-biotite granite with occasional aplite dykes. To the north and northwest the granodiorite is overlain by Pliocene and younger basaltic flows. Geological mapping over the years has identified the occasional outcrop hosting trace malachite staining however no significant copper or other mineralization has been identified to date. It is quite possible any mineralization has been weathered away or covered by the deep overburden.
The original occurrence location appears to mark an old trench discovered by NRD Mining in 1972. The trench measures approximately 30 metres square and was excavated to a depth of approximately 1 m. The trench which appeared to have been dug in the early 1900's exposed glacio-fluvial material that had been transported some distance. A single piece of malachite stained quartz was found in the trench. Soil sampling by the company over their Ori claims outlined a few isolated copper anomalies (< 90 ppm copper) scattered throughout the claim block.
Soil sampling carried out on the B and See claims by Consolidated Standard Mines in 1972 outlined a few isolated weak copper anomalies (< 100 ppm copper) scattered throughout the claim block. The samples were also tested for silver and molybdenum but only 1 sample returned a molybdenum value above threshold. The company attempted to bulldozer trench in 1973 but difficult surface conditions prevented completion of the program. The 1974 re-analysis of the 1972 soil samples returned anomalous gold and mercury values that could not be substantiated by resampling in 1975.
Soil and silt sampling carried out in 2008 on the Mel claims outlined several subtle copper anomalies on the claims.
BCGold's airborne geophysical survey and Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) soil sampling programs outlined a coincident copper MMI - magnetic high on the Apex West claim block. On the Apex East claim block MMI soil sampling has outlined three parallel copper +/- gold trends, individually measuring up to 800 m in length and width. A follow-up pole-dipole induced polarization (I.P.) survey defined 3 proximal and continuous north and northwest trending zones of high chargeability and resistivity coincident with the geochemical anomalies and magnetic high features previously identified in an earlier flown airborne geophysical survey. The 3 coincident geophysical and geochemical anomalies are similar in size and magnitude to targets routinely drilled and in some cases mined for high grade copper and gold-bearing sulphide mineralization at the neighbouring Minto Mine located approximately 5.5 km along trend to the south. I.P. anomaly centres range from near surface to 150 m deep and all anomaly trends remain open along strike.
*The new occurrence location marks the approximate centre point of the largest coincident geochemical - I.P. geophysical anomaly located on the Apex East claim block.

References

BCGOLD CORP, Jan/2008. Assessment Report # 094849 by R.A. Doherty.

BCGOLD CORP, Dec/2008. Assessment Report #095066 by G. Newton.

BCGOLD CORP, News Release. 27 Nov/2006, 13 Jun/2007, 9 Sep/2009, 125 Jan/2010, 6 Feb/2110.

BCGOLD CORP, Apr/2010. Web Site: www.bcgoldcorp.com.

CANADIAN MINES HANDBOOK 1972-1973, p. 19.

COLPRON, M. (COMPILER), 2006. Tectonic assemblage map of Yukon-Tanana and related terranes in Yukon and northern British Columbia (1:1 000 000 scale). Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2006-1.

CONSOLIDATED SILVER STANDARD MINES LTD, Sep/72. Assessment Report #061114 by A.R. Archer.

CONSOLIDATED SILVER STANDARD MINES LTD, Oct/74. Assessment Report #061003 by A.R. Archer.

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).

MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1974 p. 108-109.

NORTHERN TIGER RESOURCES INC, Dec/2008. Assessment Report #095063 by C.M. Schulze.

NORTHERN TIGER RESOURCES INC, News Release. 24 Nov/2008, 9 Sep/2009.

NORTHERN TIGER RESOURCES INC, Apr/2010. Web Site: www.northern-tiger.com.

NRD MINING COMPANY LTD, Oct/72. Assessment Report #060123 by A.R. Archer.

TAFTI, R. AND MORTENSEN, J.K., 2004. Early Jurassic porphyry (?) copper (-gold) deposits at Minto and Williams Creek, Carmacks Copper Belt, western Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 2003, D.S. Emond and L.L. Lewis (eds.), Yukon Geological Survey, p. 289-303.

TEMPLEMAN-KLUIT. D.J., 1984. Geology, Laberge (105E) and Carmacks (115I), Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 1101, 1:250 000 scale.

YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 2007, p. 25, 2008, p. 33, 2009, p. 46, 55, 56.

Location Map

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2018

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2009 Ground Geophysics: IP Carried out on Apex East and West claim blocks.
2008 Geochemistry: Soil Mobile Metal ion on Apex West claim block, infil MMI on Apex East claim block, soil sampling on Mel claims.
2008 Geology: Bedrock Mapping Reconnaissance scale on Mel.
2007 Airborne Geophysics: Radiometric Also magnetic survey flown over both Apex claim blocks.
2007 Geochemistry: Soil Mobile Metal Ion sampling on Apex East.
1975 Geochemistry: Soil Check sampling of 1974 results on B and See claims.
1974 Geochemistry: Soil Re-analyzed samples.
1974 Trenching: Hand
1973 Trenching: Mechanical
1972 Geochemistry: Soil
1972 Geology: Bedrock Mapping

Regional Geology - Terrane

Group: Intermontane
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: Stikinia
Realm: peri-Laurentian


Regional Geology - Bedrock

Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Minto
Formation:
Member:
Terrane:
Period Max: Triassic
Age Max: 204 MA
Period Min: Jurassic
Age Min: 195 MA
Rock Major: granodiorite/diorite/monzodiorite
Rock Minor:
Reference: Tempelman-Kluit (1984) - GSC OF 1101
Geological Unit (1M): LTrEJM
Geological Unit (250K): LTrEJgM

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
095468 2011 Apex East Claims Assessment Report Target Evaluation Diamond Drill Program Diamond - Drilling, Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry 6 1591.06
095395 2010 Assessment Report Geological, Geophysical and Geochemical Surveying on the MEL EAST Claim Block Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, IP - Ground Geophysics, Resistivity - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other
095396 2010 Assessment Report Geological, Geophysical and Geochemical Surveying on the MEL WEST Claim Block Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other
095341 2009 Assessment Report Airborne and Ground Geophysical Surveying on the MEL EAST Claim Block Gamma-Ray Spectrometry - Airborne Geophysics, Magnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, IP - Ground Geophysics
095342 2009 Assessment Report Geophysical Surveying on the MEL WEST Claim Block Process/Interpret - Pre-existing Data
095269 2009 Technical Report on the APEX EAST Property - APEX 1-27 Claims Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, IP - Ground Geophysics, Line Cutting - Other, Property Evaluation - Other, Prospecting - Other
095066 2008 BCGold Corporation 2008 Geochemical Report on the APEX Property Claims-APEX 1-39 Soil - Geochemistry
094849 2007 Assessment Report on the APEX 1-39 Claims Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other
091340 1974 Diamond Drilling Report on the NAVAJO Mineral Claims Diamond - Drilling, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics, Mechanical - Trenching 5 818.38
061139 1974 Report on the ROD and AL Claims Group Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology
060846 1973 Geochemical Survey on the NAVAJO Claim Group Soil - Geochemistry, Line Cutting - Other

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
ARMC013205 Map Sheet - 115-I-11 and 115-I-14 showing claim locations Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC013204 Map sheet - 115-I-11 and 115-I-14 with geology notations and claim locations - Part 2 Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC016619 Geology map - 115I/11 - Dark Creek Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
Citations

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