Work History

Discovered in 1965 during reconnaissance geochemical program and staked as Klazan cl (Y8375) in July 1966 by Coranex L (Frobex L, Inco, Dome EL, Denison ML, and McIntyre Porcupine ML), which explored with a geochemical survey and mapping in 1966 and bulldozer trenching in 1968. Optioned in 1970 by a joint venture between Atlas EL and Caltor Synd (Rayrock ML; Can Industrial G OL; Ashland O Can L), which conducted grid soil sampling, a ground magnetic survey, bulldozer trenching and 966.5 m of drilling in 5 holes later in the year before dropping the option. Klotassin JV (Newconex Can EL, Marietta Res Int L, and Molybdenum Corp of America) tied on 200 Roc & Jen cl (Y91802) in December 1974 and Skunk cl (YA4049) in December 1975 to the northwest and southeast and performed mapping, geochemical surveys and a magnetic survey in 1975 and 1976.

Re-staked as Nitro cl 1-24 (YA60232) in June 1981 by Nat Joint Venture (Armco Mineral Exploration Ltd. and Chevron Canada Ltd.), which performed mapping and geochemical sampling in 1981 and 1982. In June 1985, the Freegold Venture staked Nitro cl 25-50 (YA87375) to the west and north and carried out geochemical soil sampling of the newly staked claims later in the year. Chevron optioned the property in 1987 to Big Creek JV (Big Creek Res L & Rexford Mls), which conducted bulldozer trenching in 1988.

Regional & Property Geology

The occurrence is partly underlain by Yukon-Tanana Terrane (YTT). The rocks of the YTT in this region consist of Early Mississippian metamorphic rocks separated into meta-sedimentary and meta-igneous suites. The meta-sedimentary suite consists of micaceous quartz-feldspar gneiss, schist and quartzite. The meta-igneous package is comprised of biotite-hornblende feldspar gneiss and coarse-grained granodiorite orthogneiss with lesser amphibolite.

The YTT basement rocks are cut by numerous plutonic and volcanic events from the Mesozoic (Allan & Friend, 2018; AR 091804), including:
1. Early Jurassic monzonite to syenite plutonic suites;
2. Mid-Cretaceous Mount Nansen Suite andesite and rhyolite tuff-breccia;
3. Mid-Cretaceous Whitehorse granodiorite;
4. Late Cretaceous Carmacks rhyodacites;
5. Late Cretaceous Casino calc-alkaline suites; and,
6. Quartz feldspar and feldspar hornblende porphyry dykes and plugs.

The Klazan occurrence is located on the south side of the Big Creek Fault and associated with a brecciated, leached, quartz-veined rhyolite surrounding a stock of altered orthoclase porphyry (AR 091438; Allan & Friend, 2018). 

Mineralization & Results

The Klazan claims were staked to cover geochemical anomalies associated with a strong gossan. Mineralization at the Klazan occurrence was noted as disseminated pyrite and occasional molybdenite, galena and sphalerite in surface trenches in the leached and gossaned rhyolite (AR 091438).

The best grade intersections reported from the 1970 drilling are 44.2 m of 0.17% Cu and 3.0 m of 0.16% Cu and 0.68% MoS₂ (AR 091329).

The Klotassin JV property completely covers the parts of the valley which lie below the level of effective conventional prospecting. Mapping of rock chips collected during soil sampling outlined areas of thick alluvial overburden and delineated several small porphyry stocks and related dyke swarms. The 1981 by Nat JV sampling located a 700 by 200 m gold soil geochemical anomaly coincident with the gossan, and rock chips from the gossan returned up to 212 ppb Au. A silver soil anomaly up to 10.7 ppm Ag partly coincides with the gold anomaly (AR 091438).