General Information
Secondary Commodities: coal
Deposit Type(s): Coal
Location(s): 64.546940 N, -140.458060 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 116C09
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Staked as coal lease 215 by W.F. Cornell in Sep/1895 and developed by North American Trading and Transportation CL with two adits and a number of drifts and raises by 1900. The coal was transported to the Yukon River on a short railroad and was used for domestic heating in Dawson and on riverboats until the mine closed in 1903. The surrounding area was acquired as Coal Exploration Licence 1 in 1968 by Selwyn EL, which did not do any work.
North American Trading still holds 4 leases on the main property plus a fifth 2.4 km to the northwest.
Capsule Geology
Coal seams in the Cliff Creek area are found within a 4 km wide belt of Tertiary strata. Three seams are exposed along the creek banks within moderately to steeply dipping Eocene sedimentary rocks. Two of the seams have been explored by underground workings.
The lower adit intersected 7.2 m of coal, with three thin claystone partings, that dips 40° degrees to the north. Analyses by the GSC showed 3.6% ash, 32.6% volatiles, 34.4% fixed carbon and 0.69% sulphur. The coal is sub-bituminous coal and has a calorific value of 18.27 MJ/kg.
The upper adit, located 500 m upstream, intersected up to 12 m of coal which dips steeply westward. Analyses by the GSC showed 11.4% ash, 31.4% volatiles, 29.7% fixed carbon and 0.65% sulphur. The coal has a calorific value of 15.45 MJ/kg.
The third seam, exposed in a steep creek bank 400 m downstream from the lower adit, is a lignite coal containing 6.6% ash, 31.7% volatiles, 30.3% fixed carbon and 1.13% sulphur. Calorific value is 16.76 MJ/kg.
The steep dips of the coal seams, rugged topography of the area and relatively low rank of the coals suggest that economic potential of the area is limited. Lack of coarse clastic sedimentary rocks in association with the coal suggest that it was deposited in relatively quiet, swampy environments. Extent of the area of deposition is, however, not indicated by the limited exposures.
Staked as coal lease 215 by W.F. Cornell in Sep/1895 and developed by North American Trading and Transportation CL with two adits and a number of drifts and raises by 1900. The coal was transported to the Yukon River on a short railroad and was used for domestic heating in Dawson and on riverboats until the mine closed in 1903. The surrounding area was acquired as Coal Exploration Licence 1 in 1968 by Selwyn EL, which did not do any work.
North American Trading still holds 4 leases on the main property plus a fifth 2.4 km to the northwest.
Capsule Geology
Coal seams in the Cliff Creek area are found within a 4 km wide belt of Tertiary strata. Three seams are exposed along the creek banks within moderately to steeply dipping Eocene sedimentary rocks. Two of the seams have been explored by underground workings.
The lower adit intersected 7.2 m of coal, with three thin claystone partings, that dips 40° degrees to the north. Analyses by the GSC showed 3.6% ash, 32.6% volatiles, 34.4% fixed carbon and 0.69% sulphur. The coal is sub-bituminous coal and has a calorific value of 18.27 MJ/kg.
The upper adit, located 500 m upstream, intersected up to 12 m of coal which dips steeply westward. Analyses by the GSC showed 11.4% ash, 31.4% volatiles, 29.7% fixed carbon and 0.65% sulphur. The coal has a calorific value of 15.45 MJ/kg.
The third seam, exposed in a steep creek bank 400 m downstream from the lower adit, is a lignite coal containing 6.6% ash, 31.7% volatiles, 30.3% fixed carbon and 1.13% sulphur. Calorific value is 16.76 MJ/kg.
The steep dips of the coal seams, rugged topography of the area and relatively low rank of the coals suggest that economic potential of the area is limited. Lack of coarse clastic sedimentary rocks in association with the coal suggest that it was deposited in relatively quiet, swampy environments. Extent of the area of deposition is, however, not indicated by the limited exposures.
Location Map
Last Updated: Apr 6, 2017
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | Other | |
| 1900 | Other | Adits driven, drifting and raises. |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Intermontane
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: Yukon-Tanana
Realm: peri-Laurentian
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Ross
Formation:
Member:
Terrane:
Period Max: Paleogene
Age Max: 58 MA
Period Min: Paleogene
Age Min: 48 MA
Rock Major: porphyry/rhyolite
Rock Minor:
Reference: Green & Roddick (1972) - GSC Map 1284A
Geological Unit (1M): lTR
Geological Unit (250K): lTR2
Related References
| Number | Title | Page(s) | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| YCI1994 | Yukon Coal Inventory | Report |
| Citations |
|---|
| Hopkins Jr., W.S., Hughes, O.L. and Milner, M., 1975. Some coal-bearing Eocene sediments and comments on their combined microflora, Cliff Creek, Yukon. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 75-1C, p. 37-39. |
| Hughes, J.D. and Long, D.G.F., 1980. Geology and coal resource potential of Early Tertiary Strata along Tintina Trench, Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 79-32. |
| Ogilvie, W., 1897. Information respecting the Yukon district. Reports of Wm. Ogilvie, Dominion Land Surveyor, and from other sources. Department of the Interior, Ottawa. |
