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.