Work History

Staked as Eagle cl 1-70 (YA12644) in Apr/77 by G. Harris, A. Carlos and H. Johannes who formed Pelly Banks Syndicate to explore the claims. Between Oct/77 and May/78 the syndicate added Fred cl 1-58 (YA26405) to the south and Shale cl 1-82, (YA12317) and Reno cl 1-66, (YA26449) along strike to east (Minfile Occurrence #105G 070). The syndicate explored the Eagle and Fred claims with airborne and ground mag and EM surveys, geochemical sampling and a gravity survey in 1978, hand trenching in 1978-80 and an EM survey in 1980.
In Oct/79 Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Ltd optioned the Shale and Reno and parts of the Fred claims from the syndicate. In Mar/80 the Eagle and remaining Fred claims were optioned to Arbor Resources Ltd who subsequently carried out an EM geophysical survey over them and then optioned them to Hudson Bay. In May/80 Hudson Bay staked Bingo cl 1-16 (YA54549) overtop lapsing Fred claims. In the summer of 1980, Hudson Bay carried an extensive exploration program on the adjoining Shale and Reno claims, the cost of which was partially credited to the Bingo and Eagle claims. In Mar/81 Hudson Bay cut a grid on Bingo cl 1-4 (YA54548) with the intension of carrying out a ground EM/magnetic geophysical survey. Equipment malfunctions at the time prevented the survey from proceeding. In Mar/82 Hudson Bay drilled 3 diamond drill holes ( 250.8 m) on the Eagle claims to test surface mineralization at depth. Low metal prices later in the year, caused Hudson Bay to curtail exploration activities. The company never returned to the claims and the various options were later allowed to lapse without further exploration work being carried out.
In Jun/93 the occurrence was restaked within Reno cl 1-56 (YB35389) by B. Harris, who subsequently optioned them to Otis J. Exploration Corporation. The claim block included Minfile Occurrence #105G 070, located 5 km to the east. In May/94 The company carried out a soil sampling program east of the Pelly River.
In 1996, the area was restaked as the Why cl 47-57 (YB82916) and cl 277-355 cl (YB80592) by Lawrence Barry who subsequently optioned the ground to Condor International Resources Limited. These claims, along with others contiguous to the west, were explored as part of Condor¿s Lip property. During the summer of 1996, Condor carried out airborne geophysics, prospecting, preliminary geological mapping and silt and soil sampling.
In Dec/96 Expatriate optioned Condor International¿s Lip property (including the Why claims) and in the summer of 1997 carried out extensive soil sampling, followed by limited prospecting and geological mapping. In Nov/97 Expatriate dropped its option on the Lip property. In May/99 Condor International re-organized and changed its name to Northern Empire Minerals Ltd.

Capsule Geology

The Finlayson Lake region is dominantly underlain by a layered sequence of Devonian to Early Mississippian metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Yukon-Tanana Terrane (YTT) that have been intruded by Mississippian granitic intrusions and later Jurassic, Cretaceous and Eocene intrusions (Murphy et al., 2001). The YTT is a volcanic-plutonic pericratonic arc assemblage that was strongly deformed and metamorphosed by Late Triassic time. Volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits exist at different stratigraphic positions within the YTT, including the Fyre Lake deposit (Minfile Occurrence #105G 034) in the Devonian to lower Mississippian(?) Fire Lake mafic metavolcanic unit, the Kudz Ze Kayah deposit (Minfile Occurrence #105G 117) in the Mississippian Kudz Ze Kayah felsic metavolcanic unit, the Wolverine deposit (Minfile Occurrence #105G 072) within the Lower Mississippian Wolverine Succession and the Ice deposit (Minfile Occurrence #105G 118) in Early Permian Campbell Range basalt.
According to regional mapping (Murphy et al., 2001), the occurrence is underlain by Upper Devonian Fire Lake metavolcanics. Kudz Ze Kayah felsic metavolcanic rocks occur to the north, and are in fault-contact with younger undifferentiated layered rocks to the north. The contact between the meta-basalts and other units is covered by deep overburden and has been traced largely from airborne geophysics.
Carlos' prospecting report described several distinctive units in the area of the original Eagle claims including a quartz-rich chlorite schist with locally abundant pyrite, a green schist, chert with locally abundant pyrite, and a locally occurring fresh K-feldspar-rich volcanic rock. He described the geology as being predominantly volcanic rocks to the north with concordant sedimentary rocks to the south. The original occurrence was described as an outcrop of quartz-chlorite hornblende phyllite containing siliceous bands of pyrite, sphalerite and galena grading up to 5% Zn, 1.55% Pb and 160 g/t Ag.
Several geophysical surveys were conducted over the property in the late 1970's and early 1980's including a horizontal loop EM-17 survey which produced four conductive zones and gravity and magnetic surveys reported in 1978. The 1980 EM-16 survey outlined a conductive horizon overlying the mineralized showing. Hudson Bay's drilling program did not intersect any significant mineralization. Two narrow (1-2 mm) bands of galena-sphalerite hosted by chloritic phyllite were intersected at 29.8 m in hole EA-2.
Line cutting carried out on the Bingo claims, southwest of the occurrence, by Hudson Bay in 1981 totalled 3.5 km. Magnetic and EM surveys were never completed due to equipment failure. Otis J. Exploration limited their work to the Reno claims on the east side of the Pelly River and never carried out any exploration work around the Harris occurrence.
Condor International's airborne geophysical survey identified 3 EM conductors with magnetic associations at the northern edge of the Why claim block within the Lip property. The company attributed the anomalies to underlying massive basaltic flows of the Campbell Range succession. The company's 1996 field program was reconnaissance in nature. Three lines of soil samples collected 1 km north of the occurrence returned several Cu and Zn spot anomalies. A silt sample collected south of the occurrence returned anomalous values for Ba and Au. Examination of the original showing revealed a small trench exposing quartz-ankerite-fuchsite-sphalerite-galena veining and alteration in a pervasively chlorite-quartz-ankerite schist that likely represents a meta-andesite or basalt. Sphalerite and galena occur as poddy lenses and possible replacements with calcite. Two grab samples of some of the best mineralization returned greater than 13% Zn 2% Pb and 14 g/t Ag; however, mineralization is inconsistent and extends across less than 2 m apparent thickness. Airborne geophysics suggests the showing is correlative with the Reno occurrence (Minfile Occurrence #105G 070) located 5 km to the east.
In 1997 Expatriate explored the Why claims by collecting soil samples along claim lines, that for the most part, run perpendicular to stratigraphy. Survey results outlined anomalous Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag+/-Au values slightly north of the occurrence. Expatriate recommended further work in and around the occurrence, but the company dropped its option at the end of 1997 to concentrate its efforts on its Ice deposit and other company-owned prospects located in the region.

References

AERODAT LTD, Feb/79. Assessment Report #090442 by W. P. Boyko and R. F. Sheldrake.

BOND, J.D., MURPHY, D.C., COLPRON, M., GORDEY, S.P., PLOUFFE, A., ROOTS, C.F., LIPOVSKY, P.S., STRONGHILL, G., AND ABBOTT, J.G., 2002. Digital compilation of bedrock geology and till geochemistry, northern Finlayson Lake map area, Southeastern Yukon (105G), Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Open File Report, 2002-7(D) and Geological Survey of Canada Open File 4243.

CONDOR INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES LTD, Feb/98. Assessment Report #093668 by M. Baknes.

EXPATRIATE RESOURCES LTD, May/98. Assessment Report #093812 by M. Baknes.

HUDSON BAY EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD, Jun/81. Assessment Report 090835 by R. Stroshein.

HUDSON BAY EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD, Apr/82. Assessment Report 091017 by R. Stroshein.

HUDSON BAY EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD, Apr/81. Assessment Report #091774 & 092917 by R. Stroshein.

HUNT, J.A., 2001. Volcanic-associated massive (VMS) mineralization in the Yukon-Tanana Terrane and coeval strata of the North American miogeocline, in the Yukon and adjacent areas. Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Bulletin 12, 107 p.

MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1978, p. 66.

MORTENSEN, J.K., AND JILSON, G.A., 1985. Evolution of the Yukon-Tanana terrane: evidence from southeastern Yukon Territory. Geology, vol. 13, p. 806-810.

MURPHY, D.C., 1998. Stratigraphic framework for syngenetic occurrences, Yukon-Tanana Terrane south of Finlayson Lake: A Progress Report. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1997, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p. 51-58.

MURPHY, D.C., AND PIERCEY, S.J., 1999a. Finlayson project: Geological evolution of Yukon-Tanana Terrane and its relationship to Campbell Range belt, northern Wolverine Lake map area, southeastern Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1998, C.F. Roots and D.S. Emond (eds.), Exploration and Geological Services Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p.47-62.

MURPHY, D.C. AND PIERCEY, S.J., 1999b. Geological map of parts of Finlayson Lake (105G/7, 8 and parts of 1, 2, and 9) and Frances Lake (parts of 105H/5 and 12) map areas, southeastern Yukon (1:100 000-scale). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Open File 1999-4.

MURPHY, D.C. AND PIERCEY, S.J., 2000. Syn-mineralization faults and their re-activation, Finlayson Lake massive sulphide district, Yukon-Tanana Terrane, southeastern Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1999, D.S. Emond and L.H. Weston (eds.), Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p. 55-66.

MURPHY, D.C., COLPRON, M., GORDEY, S.P., ROOTS, C.F., ABBOTT, G., AND LIPOVSKY, P.S., 2001. Preliminary bedrock geological map of northern Finlayson Lake area (NTS 105 G) Yukon Territory (1:100 000 scale). Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Open File 2001-33.

MURPHY, D.C., COLPRON, M., ROOTS, C.F., GORDEY, S.P. AND ABBOTT, J.G., 2002. Finlayson Lake Targeted Geoscience Initiative (southeastern Yukon) , Part 1: Bedrock geology. 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. 189-207.

OTIS J. EXPLORATION CORPORATION, Nov/94. Assessment Report #093226 by P. Southam.

PELLY BANKS SYNDICATE, Apr/78. Assessment Report #061792 by A. Carlos.

PELLY BANKS SYNDICATE, Apr/80. Assessment Report #090725 by A. Carlos.

PIERCEY, S.J., HUNT, J.A. and MURPHY, D.C., 1999. Lithogeochemistry of meta-volcanic rocks from Yukon-Tanana Terrane, Finlayson Lake region, Yukon: Preliminary results. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1998, C.F. Roots and D.S. Emond (eds.), Exploration and Geological Services Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p.125-138.

YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1982, p. 128.

YUKON EXPLORATION 1985-86, p. 236.

YUKON GEOLOGY AND EXPLORATION 1979-80, p. 182.