General Information
Secondary Commodities: copper, nickel, silver, zinc
Deposit Type(s): Sediment hosted Shale-Hosted Ni-Zn-Mo-PGE (Nick)
Location(s): 62.551670 N, -129.734440 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 105I12
Location Comments: 1 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Staked as Tam cl 1-48 (Y71437) by Welcome North Mines Ltd in Nov/72 and optioned to Selwyn Project (Dynasty Explorations Ltd, Cima Resources Ltd, Precambrian Shield Resources Ltd and Numac Oil and Gas Ltd), which carried out geological mapping and geochemical sampling in 1973 and 1974.
Other claims staked nearby in late 1972 and early 1973 included a large block of Pos and Fos cl (Y72699) to the south which were divided into smaller groups owned by L. Harta, Fosco Mining Ltd, Thor Mines Ltd and Mundee Mines Ltd, which were geochemcially soiled sampled during 1973 and 1974; Pell and Deux cl (Y70453) by Vestor Exploration Ltd; Sam cl 1-12 (Y72348) by Thor Mines Ltd; MTX cl 1-63 (Y70899) by NRD Mining Ltd (earlier optioned to Worldex Ventures Ltd); and Bel cl (Y71353) and Sha cl (Y71982) in the stakers' names. NRD Mining performed hand trenching and Thor carried out geochemical sampling in 1974.
Canex Placer Ltd partially restaked the Pell, Deux and MTX groups as OP cl (Y93875) in Oct/75.
The original property was restaked in Mar/90 as the Falcon cl 1-148 (YB16746) by Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Ltd on behalf of NDU Resources Ltd, which carried out prospecting and geochemical sampling during a brief examination in Sep/90. The property was subsequently optioned to Falconbridge Ltd in Jun/91. Falconbridge funded a geochemical and geological program which was carried out by Archer, Cathro in July and Aug/91, during which time the Falcon cl 149-180 (YB34088) were staked along the northern boundary of the property. Falconbridge carried out further mapping and sampling in 1992, before relinquishing its option in Feb/93. In Jun/94, NDU attempted four hand trenches in the most northwesterly of the anomalous areas identified during the 1991 and 1992 work programs.
In Mar/98, NDU merged with United Keno Hill Mines Ltd and the property was subsequently purchased by Expatriate Resources Ltd. In Jul/98 Expatriate deepened one of the four trenches, which NDU had abandoned in frozen ground in 1994.
Restaked as Eagle cl 1-142 (YB92213) in Jun/99 by Nickelodeon Minerals Inc. The claims surrounded Expatriate¿s surviving Falcon claims. Later in the summer, Nickelodeon carried out contour and small detailed grid soil sampling and reconnaissance silt and rock sampling programs on the portion of the claim block located south of the Pelly River.
Nickelodeon changed its name to Strongbow Resources Inc in Aug/2000.
Capsule Geology
The Tam claims and surrounding area are mainly underlain by grit and basinal shale of the Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group and chert and shale (siliciclastic turbidite and debris flows) of the Ordovician to Lower Devonian Road River Formation. Four zinc anomalies and minor gossans are reported on the MTX group and separate lead and zinc soil anomalies were reported on the Sam group. Above-threshold zinc values were found on the Tom, Pos and Pell ground and all were attributed to high metal background in shales.
The Falcon claims were staked to cover an area with anomalous nickel and zinc in silt samples collected by Archer, Cathro & Associates in the late 1970's. Six strongly anomalous areas appear to coincide with a recessive, metal-rich horizon which marks the contact between calcareous shale and mudstone of the Road River Formation and turbidite deposits of the Earn Group. The anomalies are centred around a calcareous spring deposit (tufa) which assays up to 18.5% zinc and 0.9% nickel. Soil samples returned values up to 11.4 ppm silver, 405 ppm arsenic, 1 105 ppm copper, >100 ppm cadmium and 330 ppm molybdenum. A similar suite of elements is found on the Nick property (Minfile 106D 092) where a layer of exhalative NiS2 occurs in black shale of approximately the same age.
Falconbridge's 1992 work outlined a 1 400 x 200 m soil anomaly with nickel values between 1 440 and 2 600 ppm, and zinc values ranging from 0.61 to 3.1%. The anomaly appears to coincide with a willow bog with thick accumulations of organic material, which may have concentrated the metals. A 5 m hand trench across the prospective Road River-Earn Group contact failed to encounter sulphides. Archer, Cathro dug five trenches in four areas of previously defined grid soil geochemical anomalies.
None of the 1994 trenches reached bedrock due to the presence of permafrost. Soil samples collected from the bottom of the trenches returned assay results similar to samples collected in 1991 and 1992. Field work also determined that the soil anomalies did not result from surficial enrichment in organic-rich soils.
In 1998 Expatriate focused on deepening NDU¿s 1994 Trench D1. Grey to brown weathering, thin bedded Earn Group shale was exposed at the east end of the trench and Road River Group carbonaceous cherty argillite and silty mudstone was exposed at the west end of the trench. Chip sampling of these units returned only background values for zinc, nickel and other base metals, leading Expatriate to suggest that a recessive and frozen zone of deep overburden still covering the central portions of the trench at the assumed position of the favorable contact between the Earn and Road River Groups may be the source of the anomalous geochemical response in this area.
Nickelodeon originally staked the Eagle claims on the suspicion that the neighboring Falcon claims were the site of Expatriate¿s 1998 emerald discovery. When Expatriate announced that their emerald find was located at Regal Ridge (Minfile Occurrence #105G 147), Nickelodeon conducted a small exploration program to evaluate their claims for emerald, nickel-molybdenum-zinc +/- platinum group elements and massive sulphide potential. The geochemistry results returned several zinc anomalies thought to be related to calcareous spring deposits and high background levels in shales. No evidence of emeralds appears to have been found.
References
DYNASTY EXPLORATIONS LTD, Dec/73. Assessment Report #060127 by C. Godwin.
DYNASTY EXPLORATIONS LTD, Dec/74. Assessment Report #061090 by T.J. Adamson.
EXPATRIATE RESOURCES LTD, Mar/99. Assessment Report #093984 by R.F. Gish.
FALCONBRIDGE LTD and NDU RESOURCES LTD, Dec/91. Assessment Report #092992 by R.C. Carne.
FALCONBRIDGE LTD, Jan/93. Assessment Report #093067 by M.D. Edwards.
GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 10 Jul/91.
GORDEY, S.P., 1992. Geology, Little Nahanni River, Northwest Territories-Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1762A, scale 1:250 000.
HART, L., Nov/73. Assessment Report *#060130 by R.S. Adamson.
HART, L., Nov/73. Assessment Report *#060131 by R.S. Adamson.
HART, L., Nov/73. Assessment Report *#061227 by R.S. Adamson.
HART, L., Feb/75. Assessment Report *#060132 by R.S. Adamson.
HULBERT, L.J., CARNE, R.C., GREGOIRE, D.C., and PAKTUNC, D., 1992. Sedimentary nickel, zinc, and platinum group element mineralization in Devonian black shales at the Nick property, Yukon, Canada: a new deposit type. Exploration and Mining Geology, Vol. 1, p. 39-62.
MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1973, p. 95, 100-102; 1974, p. 164-165.
NDU RESOURCES LTD, Mar/91. Assessment Report #092948 by R.C. Carne.
NDU RESOURCES LTD, Mar/95. Assessment Report #093254 by R.C. Carne.
NRD MINING COMPANY LTD, 1973. Assessment Report *#060142 by R.S. Adamson and P.J. Street.
NRD MINING COMPANY LTD, 1973. Assessment Report *#060143 by R.S. Adamson.
NICKELODEON MINERALS INC, Jun/2000. Assessment Report #094176 by A. Travis.
THOR MINES LTD, 1973. Assessment Report *#060133 by R.S. Adamson and L. Hart.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1999, p. 20, 29.
Staked as Tam cl 1-48 (Y71437) by Welcome North Mines Ltd in Nov/72 and optioned to Selwyn Project (Dynasty Explorations Ltd, Cima Resources Ltd, Precambrian Shield Resources Ltd and Numac Oil and Gas Ltd), which carried out geological mapping and geochemical sampling in 1973 and 1974.
Other claims staked nearby in late 1972 and early 1973 included a large block of Pos and Fos cl (Y72699) to the south which were divided into smaller groups owned by L. Harta, Fosco Mining Ltd, Thor Mines Ltd and Mundee Mines Ltd, which were geochemcially soiled sampled during 1973 and 1974; Pell and Deux cl (Y70453) by Vestor Exploration Ltd; Sam cl 1-12 (Y72348) by Thor Mines Ltd; MTX cl 1-63 (Y70899) by NRD Mining Ltd (earlier optioned to Worldex Ventures Ltd); and Bel cl (Y71353) and Sha cl (Y71982) in the stakers' names. NRD Mining performed hand trenching and Thor carried out geochemical sampling in 1974.
Canex Placer Ltd partially restaked the Pell, Deux and MTX groups as OP cl (Y93875) in Oct/75.
The original property was restaked in Mar/90 as the Falcon cl 1-148 (YB16746) by Archer, Cathro & Associates (1981) Ltd on behalf of NDU Resources Ltd, which carried out prospecting and geochemical sampling during a brief examination in Sep/90. The property was subsequently optioned to Falconbridge Ltd in Jun/91. Falconbridge funded a geochemical and geological program which was carried out by Archer, Cathro in July and Aug/91, during which time the Falcon cl 149-180 (YB34088) were staked along the northern boundary of the property. Falconbridge carried out further mapping and sampling in 1992, before relinquishing its option in Feb/93. In Jun/94, NDU attempted four hand trenches in the most northwesterly of the anomalous areas identified during the 1991 and 1992 work programs.
In Mar/98, NDU merged with United Keno Hill Mines Ltd and the property was subsequently purchased by Expatriate Resources Ltd. In Jul/98 Expatriate deepened one of the four trenches, which NDU had abandoned in frozen ground in 1994.
Restaked as Eagle cl 1-142 (YB92213) in Jun/99 by Nickelodeon Minerals Inc. The claims surrounded Expatriate¿s surviving Falcon claims. Later in the summer, Nickelodeon carried out contour and small detailed grid soil sampling and reconnaissance silt and rock sampling programs on the portion of the claim block located south of the Pelly River.
Nickelodeon changed its name to Strongbow Resources Inc in Aug/2000.
Capsule Geology
The Tam claims and surrounding area are mainly underlain by grit and basinal shale of the Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group and chert and shale (siliciclastic turbidite and debris flows) of the Ordovician to Lower Devonian Road River Formation. Four zinc anomalies and minor gossans are reported on the MTX group and separate lead and zinc soil anomalies were reported on the Sam group. Above-threshold zinc values were found on the Tom, Pos and Pell ground and all were attributed to high metal background in shales.
The Falcon claims were staked to cover an area with anomalous nickel and zinc in silt samples collected by Archer, Cathro & Associates in the late 1970's. Six strongly anomalous areas appear to coincide with a recessive, metal-rich horizon which marks the contact between calcareous shale and mudstone of the Road River Formation and turbidite deposits of the Earn Group. The anomalies are centred around a calcareous spring deposit (tufa) which assays up to 18.5% zinc and 0.9% nickel. Soil samples returned values up to 11.4 ppm silver, 405 ppm arsenic, 1 105 ppm copper, >100 ppm cadmium and 330 ppm molybdenum. A similar suite of elements is found on the Nick property (Minfile 106D 092) where a layer of exhalative NiS2 occurs in black shale of approximately the same age.
Falconbridge's 1992 work outlined a 1 400 x 200 m soil anomaly with nickel values between 1 440 and 2 600 ppm, and zinc values ranging from 0.61 to 3.1%. The anomaly appears to coincide with a willow bog with thick accumulations of organic material, which may have concentrated the metals. A 5 m hand trench across the prospective Road River-Earn Group contact failed to encounter sulphides. Archer, Cathro dug five trenches in four areas of previously defined grid soil geochemical anomalies.
None of the 1994 trenches reached bedrock due to the presence of permafrost. Soil samples collected from the bottom of the trenches returned assay results similar to samples collected in 1991 and 1992. Field work also determined that the soil anomalies did not result from surficial enrichment in organic-rich soils.
In 1998 Expatriate focused on deepening NDU¿s 1994 Trench D1. Grey to brown weathering, thin bedded Earn Group shale was exposed at the east end of the trench and Road River Group carbonaceous cherty argillite and silty mudstone was exposed at the west end of the trench. Chip sampling of these units returned only background values for zinc, nickel and other base metals, leading Expatriate to suggest that a recessive and frozen zone of deep overburden still covering the central portions of the trench at the assumed position of the favorable contact between the Earn and Road River Groups may be the source of the anomalous geochemical response in this area.
Nickelodeon originally staked the Eagle claims on the suspicion that the neighboring Falcon claims were the site of Expatriate¿s 1998 emerald discovery. When Expatriate announced that their emerald find was located at Regal Ridge (Minfile Occurrence #105G 147), Nickelodeon conducted a small exploration program to evaluate their claims for emerald, nickel-molybdenum-zinc +/- platinum group elements and massive sulphide potential. The geochemistry results returned several zinc anomalies thought to be related to calcareous spring deposits and high background levels in shales. No evidence of emeralds appears to have been found.
References
DYNASTY EXPLORATIONS LTD, Dec/73. Assessment Report #060127 by C. Godwin.
DYNASTY EXPLORATIONS LTD, Dec/74. Assessment Report #061090 by T.J. Adamson.
EXPATRIATE RESOURCES LTD, Mar/99. Assessment Report #093984 by R.F. Gish.
FALCONBRIDGE LTD and NDU RESOURCES LTD, Dec/91. Assessment Report #092992 by R.C. Carne.
FALCONBRIDGE LTD, Jan/93. Assessment Report #093067 by M.D. Edwards.
GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 10 Jul/91.
GORDEY, S.P., 1992. Geology, Little Nahanni River, Northwest Territories-Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1762A, scale 1:250 000.
HART, L., Nov/73. Assessment Report *#060130 by R.S. Adamson.
HART, L., Nov/73. Assessment Report *#060131 by R.S. Adamson.
HART, L., Nov/73. Assessment Report *#061227 by R.S. Adamson.
HART, L., Feb/75. Assessment Report *#060132 by R.S. Adamson.
HULBERT, L.J., CARNE, R.C., GREGOIRE, D.C., and PAKTUNC, D., 1992. Sedimentary nickel, zinc, and platinum group element mineralization in Devonian black shales at the Nick property, Yukon, Canada: a new deposit type. Exploration and Mining Geology, Vol. 1, p. 39-62.
MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1973, p. 95, 100-102; 1974, p. 164-165.
NDU RESOURCES LTD, Mar/91. Assessment Report #092948 by R.C. Carne.
NDU RESOURCES LTD, Mar/95. Assessment Report #093254 by R.C. Carne.
NRD MINING COMPANY LTD, 1973. Assessment Report *#060142 by R.S. Adamson and P.J. Street.
NRD MINING COMPANY LTD, 1973. Assessment Report *#060143 by R.S. Adamson.
NICKELODEON MINERALS INC, Jun/2000. Assessment Report #094176 by A. Travis.
THOR MINES LTD, 1973. Assessment Report *#060133 by R.S. Adamson and L. Hart.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1999, p. 20, 29.
Location Map
Last Updated: Sep 15, 2011
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1999 | Geochemistry: Silt | |
| 1999 | Geochemistry: Soil | Both grid and reconnaissance scale soil sampling. |
| 1998 | Trenching: Hand | |
| 1994 | Trenching: Hand | NDU trenched four areas previously identified as anomalous in 1991. |
| 1992 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1992 | Other | |
| 1991 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1991 | Other | |
| 1973 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1973 | Other |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Ancestral North America
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: North America - basinal strata
Realm: Laurentia
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Earn
Formation: Portrait Lake/Prevost
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Devonian
Age Max: 385 MA
Period Min: Carboniferous
Age Min: 345 MA
Rock Major: siltstone/sandstone/conglo
Rock Minor: barite/limestone
Reference: Gordey (1992) - GSC Map 1762A
Geological Unit (1M): DME
Geological Unit (250K): DME1
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 094176 | 1999 | Geological and Geochemical Assessment Report Undertaken on Nickelodeon Minerals Eagle 1-142 | Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology | ||
| 093067 | 1992 | Report on Geological Mapping and Geochemical Sampling at the Falcon Property, Yukon | Soil - Geochemistry | ||
| 092992 | 1991 | Report on Geological Mapping and Geochemical Sampling on the Falcon Property, Yukon Territory | Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology | ||
| 092948 | 1990 | Report on Prospecting and Geochemical Sampling on the Falcon Property, Yukon Territory | Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry | ||
| 061275 | 1973 | Report on the Geology and Mineralization Summit Lake Area, Y.T.-N.W.T. | Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Regional Bedrock Mapping - Geology | ||
| 060127 | 1973 | Geological and Geochemical Report | Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology |
