Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number:
115O 011
Occurrence Name:
Teachers Showing
Occurrence Type:
Hard-rock
Status:
Prospect
Date printed:
4/29/2025 3:05:38 AM

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General Information
Capsule
Work History
Assessment Reports
References

General Information

Secondary Commodities: antimony, arsenic, gold
Aliases: Shamrock, White Gold
Deposit Type(s): Plutonic Related Au
Location(s): 63°12'7" N - -139°33'37" W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 115O04
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available: Yes
Last Reviewed:

Capsule

Work History

     *This occurrence has been moved 1 km southwest and renamed Teachers Showing.
 
The original Shamrock occurrence was staked as Gold King Ledge claim (255) in July, 1898 and as Pole Star claim (4611) in July, 1900.  Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd staked Fry cl 1-92 (Y65750) immediately to the east in Oct/72, following  a reconnaissance exploration program. The company completed grid soil sampling and geological mapping in 1973. Recent exploration efforts has not found any evidence regarding the location or type of mineralization present at the original Shamrock occurrence.
 
The Teachers Showing was staked as White cl 1-91 (YC12858) in Dec/98 by Teck Corporation which carried out prospecting, geological mapping and preliminary soil sampling in 1999. In 2000 the company carried out hand trenching, expanded soil sampling and further prospecting.
 
Restaked as White cl 1-12 (YC23532) in Jan/2003 by S. Ryan. Ryan added White cl 13-46 (YC27120) to the southeast in Jun/2003 and White cl 47-106 (YC25657) to the southeast in Dec/2003. During the 2003 field season Ryan collected regional scale soil and rock samples across White cl 13-106 and areas outside the claim block.
 
In Jan/2004 Ryan optioned the White claims to Madalena Ventures Inc, which performed geological mapping, limited rock sampling and soil sampled the central portion of the claim block.  In 2005 Madalena carried out ground magnetic surveys and extended soil sampling to the east and west sides of the claim block. In Jun/2006 Madalena transferred its interest in the White claims to 638523 B.C. Ltd (Newco) a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company in order to concentrate on their oil and gas properties. The White claims option was dropped at the end of 2006 and the claims were returned to Ryan.

In Mar/2007 Ryan staked White cl 107-118 (YC60626) 7.5 km to the south east. In May/2007 Ryan staked White cl 119-199 (YC60719) around the outer boundary of the existing White claims. On May 16, 2007 Underworld Resources Ltd optioned the entire White claim block from Ryan. Underworld carried out soil sampling, geological mapping, trenching, rock sampling and IP ground surveys on the claim block. The Teachers Showing (this occurrence) was geologically mapped and sampled during this program.
 
In Jul/2008 White cl 200-303 (YC75721) were added to the northeast and in Oct/2008 Underworld added White cl 304-376 (YC84213) to their holdings. In 2008 Underworld Resources drilled 27 diamond drill holes (3 431 m) on  the larger White Gold property. None of the holes were collared at or near this occurrence. The company also carried out a large soil sampling program which covered this occurrence.
 
In Apr/2009 ATAC Resources Ltd staked SH cl 1-72 (YC93676) on the west side of the Yukon River approximately 5 km to the northwest. ATAC Resources named the claim block the Shamrock property and in Jun/2009 optioned a 50% interest in it to Arcus Development Group Inc. During the summer of 2009 ATAC Resources carried out prospecting and reconnaissaince rock and auger soil sampling programs.
 
In 2009 Underworld carried out further soil sampling around this occurrence. The company  followed up the soil sampling results by digging several trenches on Principal Ridge which is located near the center of the soil anomaly (approximately 750 m east of the Yukon river).  The company also carried out a three phase diamond drill program consisting of 25,670 m in 94 holes on the larger White Gold property. None of the holes targeted this occurrence. 
 
In Mar/2010 Kinross Gold Corp announced a proposed acquisition of all shares of Underworld Resources with the aim of acquiring control of the White Gold deposit and Underworld’s  various exploration properties located in the Dawson region of the Yukon. In Apr/2006 Kinross announced its successful acquisition of 87% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Underworld Resources. Kinross immediately took steps to acquire the remaining shares of the company and on June 30, 2010 took Underworld Resources private resulting in Underworld Resources becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kinross.
 
As a privately held company Underworld is not required to release exploration results. According to Yukon Exploration and Geology 2010, Kinross spent $14 000 000  exploring on both the White Gold and JP Ross properties (Minfile Occurrence #115O 160) located approximately 28 km to the northeast. Property-wide geological mapping, airborne geophysical surveys, soil sampling survey and over 25 000 m of diamond drilling was completed on the two properties. 
 
In Mar/2011 Arcus Development flew an airborne magnetometer survey over the entire Shamrock property.
 
GEOLOGY

The geology of the Stewart River Area was remapped by J. Ryan and S. Gordey (2004) of the Geological Survey of Canada beginning in 2000 as a component of the Ancient Pacific Margin NATMAP Project.  The NATMAP Project is a interagency project initiated by the Geological Survey of Canada, Yukon Geology Program (now Yukon Geological Survey) and British Columbia Geological Survey Branch to understand the composition, relationships and metallogenic of poorly understood pericratonic terranes lying between the ancestral North American margin and those known with more certainty to be tectonically accreted. The Stewart River component focuses on the Yukon-Tanana  terrane, comprising complexly deformed mostly (?) Paleozoic meta-igneous and metasedimentary rocks. In 2005 S. Gordey and J. Ryan released a geological compilation map for the Stewart River area. The map units generally remained the same as the 2004 geology map but age dates were changed to reflect new dates obtained through geochronology data.
 
J. Ryan reported that the Stewart River area is underlain by twice-transposed, amphibolite-facies gneiss and schist of mostly (?) Paleozoic age. These are intruded by younger plutonic rocks (Jurassic, Cretaceous and Eocene) and overlain by upper Cretaceous volcanic rocks. Metasiliclastic rocks are widespread and dominated by psammite and quartzite, with lesser pelite and rare conglomerate. Preliminary detrital zircon geochronology and geochronology for plutonic rocks constrain the siliclastic rocks to the Middle Paleozoic. Amphibolite interdigitates with and stratigraphically overlies the siliclastic rocks. Marble horizons ((?) reefs) occurs within the amphibolite and siliclastic rocks. Orthogneissic rocks with diorite, tonalite and granodiorite protoliths intrude both the siliclastic and amphibole assemblages; it is interpreted as a subvolcanic intrusive complex. 
 
Geological mapping by J. Ryan and S. Gordey shows the area surrounding the occurrence is dominated by an intensely folded package of felsic psammites with lesser quartzite, conglomerate and rare marble horizons, interdigitated with amphiboles of probable volcaniclastic protolith. A felsic orthogneiss has been thrust to the east. This package has been thrust over a weakly deformed garnet-biotite gneissic unit. This contact defines the tectonostraigraphic boundary between the underlying, weakly deformed garnet-biotite gneissic unit and the overlying, intensely deformed assemblage. The deformed assemblage (and most likely the undeformed unit) is cross-cut by quartz monzonite dykes, up to two metres thick with a minimum of three generations of emplacement (observed from cross-cutting relationships) Large quartz diorite dykes, displaying no deformation, have also been mapped to the north and the south. A cap of mafic-ultramafic rock has been thrust on top of the stratigraphic pile.
 
Little information exists, regarding the claims staked in the early 1900's that comprised the original Shamrock occurrence. It appears they were probably staked on quartz veins. Recent exploration programs have failed to locate any evidence of the Shamrock occurrence.
 
Teck staked their White claims based on the results of regional exploration work in the area and the discovery of quartz veins and float in several areas of the claim block. Prospecting in 1998 by Teck Corporation led to the discovery of the Teachers showing, located in a small cliff on the side of Yukon River. The showing consists of gold and silver bearing epithermal style veins and stockwork mineralization consisting of quartz, galena, stibnite and pyrite. The mineralization is hosted by feldspar porphyritic dykes likely Jurassic to Cretaceous in age. A grab sample of silicified and patchy dark grey granite containing fine grained arsenopyrite returned 5.84 g/t gold. The showing was re-examined by S. Ryan, Madalena Ventures and Underworld Resources.  Chip sampling in 2007 by Underworld Resources returned up to 0.91 g/t gold, 712.9 ppm arsenic and 2.3 ppm antimony.

A small soil sample grid established in 1999 by Teck and located southeast and along trend of the Teachers showing returned a strong anomaly 50 m southeast of the showing. The anomaly returned values up to 365 ppb gold, 630 ppm arsenic and 155 ppm antimony. Follow-up trenching conducted in 2000, over the anomaly encountered silicified and brecciated metasedimentary float which returned values ranging from nil  to 12.15 g/t gold. The highest assay also returned 13.0 g/t silver, 10 000 ppm arsenic and 275 ppm antimony. A sample of possible bedrock failed to return any anomalous values. Expanded soil sampling in 2000 returned several new multi-element anomalies, on trend with the Teachers showing.
 
S. Ryan systematically soil sampled the White claims extending his sampling as the claim block expanded. In 2005 Madalena Ventures soil sampled over Teck Corporation's former Teachers grid and results outlined anomalous gold and arsenic values.
 
Underworld’s soil sampling grid extended from the occurrence area to an area northwest of Frisco Creek, an area several times larger than Madalena Ventures’ grid. Results from 2008 outlined a 1 500 by 500 m area characterized by elevated gold, arsenic, antimony, mercury, molybdenum and silver values, with 21 of 206 samples exceeding 40 ppb gold with a maximum value of 235 ppb gold (Underworld news release 12 Feb/2008). The Teachers soil anomaly is part of a larger gold soil anomaly which to date measures 8.0 by 3.5 km wide across the length of the claim block. This anomaly contains numerous discrete gold anomalies defined by a threshold of 50 ppb gold.
 
In 2009 Underworld dug several trenches across Principal Ridge located on Frsico Creek approximately 750 m east of the Yukon River.  SRK Consulting’s report references the trenching but fails to provide any results suggesting nothing of substance was found. Due to its relatively small size and the success Underworld obtained at the Golden Saddle and Arc zones (Minfile Occurrences #115O 165 and 166) this occurrence has not yet tested by diamond drilling. Underworld planned to test the Teachers soil anomaly with diamond drilling in 2010 however the company was subsequently taken over by Kinross Gold Corp.    
 
Since its take-over of Underworld Resources, Kinross Gold has not publically released any detailed results from the White Gold project. 
 
Based on Gordey and J. Ryan's 2005 geological compilation map the Shamrock property is  underlain by a interlayered sequence of Devonian to Mississippian quartz-mica schist and amphibolite. A small mid-Cretaceous (?) granitic intrusion intrudes the sequence south of the claim block. A narrow northeast trending Eocene porphyry dyke cuts across the west-central portion of the claims. Auger soil sampling carried out in 2009 outlined two spot anomalies which returned 32 ppb gold and 242 ppm arsenic. The airborne magnetometer survey flown in the spring of 2011 did not identify any significant exploration targets and no further work was carried out in 2011.
 
REFERENCES
 
ARCUS DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC, News Release.  10 Jun/2009, 9 Dec/2009, 30 Mar/2011, 4 May/2011.
 
ARCUS DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC, Jan/2012.  Web Site: www: arcusdevelopmentgroup.com.
 
ATAC RESOURCES LTD AND ARCUS DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC, Oct/2009.  Assessment Report #095297 by H. Smith.
 
ATAC
RESOURCES LTD, News Release.  14 May/2009, 10 Jun/2009.
 
ATAC RESOURCES LTD, Nov/2009.  Web Site: www:atacresources.com.
 
GORDEY, S.P. AND RYAN, J.J. 2005.  Geology, Stewart River Area (115N, 115 O and part of 115J), Yukon Territory; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 4970, scale 1:250 000.
 
KINROSS GOLD CORP., May/2011.  Web Site: www.kinross.com.
 
MADALENA VENTURES INC, Jun/2005.  Assessment Report #094575 by R.A. Doherty and C.H. Ash. This report is considered closed by the EMR Library but a copy can be found in SEDAR under Madalena Ventures Inc –Technical Report, Jun 17/2005.
 
MADALENA VENTURES INC, Jun/2006.  Assessment Report #094607 by R.A. Doherty.
 
MADALENA VENTURES INC, Jan/2006.  Assessment Report #094646 by R.A. Doherty.
 
MORTENSEN, J.K., 1990. Geology and U-Pb geochronology of the Klondike district, west-central Yukon Territory. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, vol. 27, p. 903-914.
 
RYAN, J.J. AND GORDEY, S.P., 2002:  Bedrock geology of Yukon-Tanana terrane in southern Stewart River map area, Yukon Territory; Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research 2002-A1, 11 p.
 
Ryan, J.J. ET AL., 2003: Update on bedrock geological mapping of the Yukon-Tanana terrane, southern Stewart River map area, Yukon Territory; Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research 2003-A9, 7 p.
 
Ryan, J.J. AND GORDEY, S.P., 2004;  Geology Stewart River Area (Parts of 115N/1,2,7,8 and 115O/2- 12), Yukon Territory; Geological Survey of Canada, Open file 4641, scale 1:100 000.
 
RYAN. S., Dec/2004.  Assessment Report #094508 by S. Ryan.
 
RYAN. S., AND UNDERWORLD RESOURCES INC., Dec/2008.  Assessment Report #095034 by S. Ryan and A. Fleming, (two reports).
 
SHIVES, R.B.K., ET. AL. (2002):  Airborne multisensor geophysical survey, Stewart River area, Yukon Territory, Phase 1 and 2 (parts of 115N and 116B); Geological Survey of Canada, Open file 4311. (also Yukon Exploration and Geological Services Division, Open File 2002-17D).
 
SRK
CONSULTING (CANADA) INC. Mar/2010.  White Gold Property, Dawson Range, Yukon, Canada. By L Weirshauser, M Nowark and W. Barnett. (Project Number 2CU003.000).
 
TECK CORPORATION, Feb/2000.  Assessment Report #094079 and #094080 by M. Papageorge and J. Pautler.
 
TECK CORPORATION, May/2001.  Assessment Report #094230 by J. Pautler.
 
UNDERWORLD RESOURCESINC,  Annual Report 2007 – Management Discussion and Analysis p. 6, 2008 p. 7.
 
UNDERWORLD RESOURCES LTD, Jul/2009.  Assessment Report # 095090 by H.K. Paulsen.
 
UNDERWORLD RESOURCES INC, News Release,  16 May/2007,  12 Feb/200818 Feb/2008, 17 Jun/2008, 23 Jul/2008, 27 Aug/2008, 24 Sep/2008, 28 Sep/2008, 24 Nov/2008, 6 May/2009, 12 Jun/2009, 23 Jun/2009, 19 Oct/2009, 5 Jan/2010, 19 Jan/2010, 27 Jan/2010, 11 Mar/2010, 26 Ap/2010, 30 Jun/2010.
 
UNDERWORLD RESOURCES INC., Oct/2009.  Web Site: www.underworldresources.com
 
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 2003, p. 11-12, 2007,  p. 15, 2008, p.15-16, 2009, p. 24-25, 27, 55, 58, 2010, p. 26, 28,  61, 65.

 

Work History

Date Work Type Comment
3/1/2011 Airborne Geophysics Magnetometer survey flown over Arcus Development's Shamrock property.
12/31/2009 Geochemistry Samples collected from trenches, and during prospecting. No results reported. Reconnaissance rock sampling on Arcus Development's Shamrock property.
12/31/2009 Trenching Several trenches dug on Pricipal Ridge, no results reported.
12/31/2009 Geochemistry Some follow-up soil sampling was performed. Reconnaissance soil sampling on Arcus Development's Shamrock property.
12/31/2008 Geochemistry Follow-up sampling, grid based.
12/31/2007 Geochemistry Carried out to confirm earlier work.
12/31/2007 Geology Carried out to confirm earlier work.
12/31/2007 Geochemistry Carried out to confirm earlier work.
12/31/2005 Geochemistry grid based.
12/31/2004 Geochemistry
12/31/2004 Geology
12/31/2004 Geochemistry Grid based.
12/31/2003 Geochemistry Regional program.
12/31/2003 Geochemistry Regional program.
12/31/2000 Geochemistry
12/31/2000 Trenching
12/31/2000 Other
12/31/1999 Geology
12/31/1999 Geochemistry
12/31/1999 Other
12/31/1998 Other Teck prospected while staking claims.
12/31/1972 Geology Work completed by Canadian Occidental Petroleum on Fry claims.
12/31/1972 Geochemistry

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
097246 2017 Geochemical, Geophysical, Geological, and Drilling Assessment Report: White Gold Project Electromagnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Magnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Orthophoto - Airphotography, Diamond - Drilling, Reverse Circulation - Drilling, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry 35 5272.19
096402 2012 2012 Exploration Report, White Gold Claim Blocks Rock - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Gamma-ray Spectrometry - Ground Geophysics, Gamma-ray Spectrometry - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other, Prospecting - Other, Backhoe - Trenching, Backhoe - Trenching
096215 2011 White Gold, 2011 Surface Exploration Report Rock - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Regional Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Regional Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other, Prospecting - Other, Backhoe - Trenching, Backhoe - Trenching
096207 2010 High resolution Airborne Geophysical Report on the White and the Black Fox Group Electromagnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Gamma-Ray Spectrometry - Airborne Geophysics
096206 2010 Geological and Geochemical Report on the White Groups and Black Fox Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other, Backhoe - Trenching
095338 2009 Report on the 2009 Diamond Drill, Geological and Geochemical Work Program on the White Gold, Black Fox, Yellow, JP Ross and Maisy Properties All Weather Road - Development, Surface, Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Metallurgical Tests - Lab Work/Physical Studies, Prospecting - Other, Environmental Assessment/Impact - Studies, Resource Estimate - Studies, Backhoe - Trenching 94 25891.67
095090 2008 Drilling - Geochemical - Geological Report on the BLACK FOX CATH CATHY CCC WHITE and WS Claims Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Regional Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Backhoe - Trenching, Hand - Trenching 27 3433
094230 2000 2000 Geological Geochemical and Trenching Report on the White Property Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other, Hand - Trenching
094080 1999 1999 Geological and Geochemical Assessment Report on the White Property Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Reference Type Document Type
2003-9(D) Yukon Digital Geology (version 2) Yukon Geological Survey Open File (Geological - Bedrock)