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Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
106D 070
Occurrence Name
Slab
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Prospect


General Information

Secondary Commodities: barite, cobalt, uranium, molybdenum, copper
Deposit Type(s): Iron Oxide Breccias & Veins (Wernecke Breccias)
Location(s): 64.995280 N, -134.029440 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 106D16
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: Yes

Capsule

Work History

Staked as Sheep cl 1-4 (84350) in Mar/65 by J.B. O'Neill and restaked as Slab cl 1-28 (Yl4630) in May/68 by Cyprus Exploration corporation Ltd, which carried out prospecting and mapping later that summer. This is probably the same locality which was staked in Oct/10 as Slab, etc. cl (12044) by D.W. Ballantine and Associates.
Restaked as D.I.T. cl 1-16 (Y69089), in Apr/73 by D.Tully who optioned the claims to New Minex Resources Ltd. The company explored with geological mapping and sampling until the end of 1976 when it dropped the option.
Restaked within a block of 161 Eagle claims (#1=YA41720) in Jun/80 by Pan Ocean Oil Ltda which drilled 1 diamond drill hole (152 m) later in the year.
Restaked between Jul and Oct/92 by Pamicon Developments Ltd as part of a group of 208 Slab cl (#1=YB28600). Pamicon formed a joint venture with Equity Engineering Ltd and Westmin Resources Ltd, and carried out a geochemical survey on the Slab claims in June, 1993. Ten additional Slab claims (YB22493) were added in Aug/93. The joint venture partners flew an airborne geophysical survey, collecting magnetic and radiometric data, in Sept/93. The following month, Pamicon staked 24 Arch cl (YB22998) to the south. In Jan/94 the joint venture partners transferred 100 % interest in the Slab and Arch claim groups to Westmin Resources Ltd.
In the spring of 1994 Pamicon Developments Ltd and Equity Engineering Ltd on behalf of Westmin Resources constructed a 895 by 30 m long airstrip on the Slab cl 153, 155, 156, 158 (YB29974 etc.). Pamicon drilled 1 hole (SB94-3 - 294 m) on Slab cl 5 (YB28604) in Jul/94 and conducted visual and thin section analysis of the core and mineralization.
In June and Jul/94 Pamicon carried out 6 person days of work on the Arch cl 1-24 (YB22998). The work consisted of geological mapping and the collection of stream silt, rock and soil samples. From May to Jul/95 Westmin added Arch cl 25-96 (YB44695) to the north and east sides of the claim block. In Aug/95 Westmin drilled 3 diamond drill holes on the Arch claim block and 4 holes on the Slab claim block.
Westmin Resources was purchased by Boliden Ltd in Mar/98 and changed its name to Boliden Westmin Ltd. The Arch claims lapsed at the end of 2000. In Jul/2004 Breakwater Resources Ltd purchased all outstanding shares of Boliden Westmin (Canada) Ltd from parent company Boliden Ltd. Breakwater transferred control of all surviving claims located in the Wernecke Mountains, Yukon (including the surviving Slab claims) to its wholly owned subsidiary NVI Mining Ltd.
In Jan/2006 Fronteer Development Group (80%) and Rimfire Minerals Corporation (20%) signed an agreement with Newmont Exploration Canada and NVI Mining Ltd to purchase all claims and exploration data relating to 700 mineral claims owned by the Fairchild Joint Venture in the Wernecke Mountains, Yukon. Fronteer Development was appointed operator of the project. In the summer of 2006 Fronteer Development flew a airborne gravity survey and carried out an extensive geological, geochemical and prospecting program over their entire claim holdings. On the Slab claims the company carried out a single reconnaissance traverse and collected a one rock sample.

Capsule Geology

The region is underlain by a metamorphosed and altered sequence of Lower 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 expansion 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.
Most exploration has been focused on conspicuous malachite-stained Middle Proterozoic Wernecke Breccia exposed on Slab Mountain in a cliff face about 1.6 km long and 366 m high. The breccia consists of unaltered to weakly altered clasts of grey phyllite and metasiltstone up to 15 m across in a matrix of granule- to silt-sized grains of quartz, microcline, biotite and other minerals and fragments of metamorphic rocks. The breccia occurs at the faulted contact between subaerial flows of the Lower Proterozoic Slab volcanics and metasomatized limy argillite of the Fairchild Lake Group. Hydrothermal alteration is much weaker than in other Wernecke Breccia.
The best mineralization occurs in weak fractures developed along the contact and consists of chalcopyrite, pyrite, barite, cobaltite, brannerite and traces of molybdenite. Brannerite is also weakly disseminated throughout the breccia. The 1980 work was mainly directed toward cobalt potential.
The original joint venture released very little information. Exploration carried out in 1994 on the Arch claims outlined a magnetic high in the north-central part of the claim block and a wide zone of albitic breccia greater than 3 kilometers long across its length. Prospecting failed to discover any evidence of mineralization in the breccia zone, however a narrow fault near a breccia zone contained chalcopyrite with anomalous gold values. Both the Arch and Slab claim blocks were drilled in 1995 but the joint venture only filed assessment work on those holes which returned minor or no mineralization. Limited publicly released information suggests both claim blocks hold high potential to host copper, molybdenum, gold and uranium mineralization.
Fronteer only spent a minor amount of time exploring the Slab claims because their exploration program was focused on identifying uranium targets and mineralization identified to date on the Slab claims appears to be iron-oxide copper-gold or IOCG based.

References

CYPRUS EXPLORATION LTD, Aug/68. Assessment Report #019047 by R.H. Seraphim.

FRONTEER DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC AND RIMFIRE MINERALS CORPORATION, Feb/08. Assessment report #094956 by R.C. Heffernan, H. Awmack and E. Conaghan.

FRONTEER DEVELOPMENT GROUP. News Release, 5 Jul/2007, Project Summary Dec/2007, 17 Jan/2008.

FRONTEER DEVELOPMENT GROUP. Nov/2008. Web Site: www.fronteergroup.com.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Memoir 364, p. 139.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Paper 69-55, p. 17-18; Paper 77-1A, p. 33-37.

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 mineralization associated with Wernecke Breccia, Yukon Canada, PhD thesis, James Cook University, Australia, 2 volumes, 120 p.

HUNT, J.A., LAUGHTON, J.R., BRIDEAU, M-A., Thorkelson, D.J., Brookes, M.L. and Baker, T., 2002. New mapping around the Slab iron oxide-copper-gold occurrence, Wernecke Mountains (parts of NTS 106C/13, 106D/16, 106E/1 and 106F/4), Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 2001, D.S. Emond, L.H. Weston and L.L. Lewis (eds.), Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p. 125-138.

LAUGHTON, J.R., 2004. The Proterozoic Slab Volcanics of northern Yukon, Canada: Megaclasts of a Volcanic Succession in Proterozoic Wernecke Breccia, and Implications for the Evolution of Northwestern Laurentia, PhD thesis, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.

MINEX DEVELOPMENT LTD, 1973. Assessment Report #060926 by J. Sullivan.

PAMICON DEVELOPMENTS LTD, Dec/94. Assessment Report #093217 by M.A. Stammers.

PAMICON DEVELOPMENTS LTD, Sept/94. Assessment Report #093224 by R. Vance.

PAMICON DEVELOPMENTS LTD, Jan/95. Assessment Report #093233 by H.M. Klatt and M.A. Stammers.

PAMICON DEVELOPMENTS LTD, Nov/95. Assessment Report #093363 by M.A. Stammers.

PAMICON DEVELOPMENTS LTD, Nov/95. Assessment Report #093438 by M.A. Stammers.

THORKELSON, D.J., AND WALLACE, C.A., 1993. Development of Wernecke Breccia in Slats Creek (106D/16) map area, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1992, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p. 77-87.

THORKELSON, D.J. AND WALLACE, C.A., 1993b. Geological map of Slats Creek (106D/16) map area, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1992, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1:50 000 scale.

THORKELSON, D.J. AND WALLACE, C.A., 1994. Geological map of Fairchild Lake (106C/13) map area, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1993, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1:50,000 scale.

THORKELSON, D.J. AND WALLACE, C.A., 1998. Geological Map of Slats Creek map area, Wernecke Mountains, Yukon (106D/16). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Geoscience Map 1998-9, 1:50,000 scale.

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.

WESTMIN RESOURCES LTD, Dec/92. Assessment Report #093119 by M.A. Stammers.

YUKON EXPLORATION & GEOLOGY 1995, p. 12, 16; 2006, p. 34 and 45.

Location Map

Last Updated: Aug 27, 2018

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2006 Airborne Geophysics: Gravity
2006 Geochemistry: Rock Also soil and silt sampling. Reconnaissance in scale.
2006 Geology: Bedrock Mapping Reconnaissance in scale.
2006 Other: Prospecting
1995 Drilling: Diamond Four holes. Data not released to public.
1994 Development, Surface: Air Strip
1994 Drilling: Diamond One hole, 294 m. Drill hole located on Slab claim # 5
1994 Geochemistry: Rock
1994 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1994 Lab Work/Physical Studies Prepared thin sections from rock samples.
1993 Airborne Geophysics: Magnetic Also radiometric survey.
1993 Geochemistry: Soil
1980 Drilling: Diamond One hole, 152 m.
1976 Geochemistry: Soil
1976 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1968 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1968 Other: Prospecting

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
093181 1993 1993 Summary Report on the Slab 1-208 Claims Orthophoto - Airphotography, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, IP - Ground Geophysics, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics
093119 1992 1992 Geochemical Report on the Slab 1-84 Mineral Claims Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other
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
060926 1973 Report on the D.I.T. Group of Mineral Claims, Fairchild Lake Area Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other
019407 1968 Geological Report on Slab Mountain, Fairchild Lake Area Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
ARMC004979 Correspondence Re: MINEX Development Ltd. - D.I.T. claim group Miscellaneous Company Documents
Citations

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