Find publications, data and maps managed by the
Yukon Geological Survey

Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
106C 077
Occurrence Name
Pyramid
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Prospect


General Information

Secondary Commodities: lead, zinc, silver, gold, thallium, mercury, arsenic, antimony
Aliases: Jam
Deposit Type(s): Carbonate-Hosted Disseminated Au-Ag (Carlin-type), Sediment hosted Mississippi Valley-Type Pb-Zn (MVT)
Location(s): 64.146590 N, -132.758390 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 106C02
Location Comments: Coordinates supplied by ATAC 2019
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Last Reviewed: Mar 3, 2020

Capsule

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2020
WORK HISTORY

Staked as Jam cl 1-32 (YA15914) in Jul/77 by McIntyre Mines Ltd, which explored with reconnaissance geological mapping, silt and grid soil sampling later in the summer. 
 
Restaked within Jam cl 1-32 (YD08501) in Nov/2009 by ATAC Resources Ltd. In Mar/2010, following the discovery of prospective Carlin type mineralization in late 2009 on the company’s Sten claim block located approximately 24 km to the east; ATAC Resources began staking a large group of various claims eastward towards the Jam claims.
 
In Jun/2010 ATAC Resources flew an airborne ZTEM geophysical survey over eastern end of the larger Rau Gold Belt, which this occurrence lies within. The Rau Gold Belt covers the company’s entire claim holdings in the region and includes the Tiger deposit (Minfile Occurrence #106D 098) located approximately 100 km to the west. In the summer of 2010 the company carried out regional stream sediment sampling in the vicinity of the Jam claims. In Mar/2011 the Jam claims were surrounded by a large block of T claims (T claim 2650 etc.).
 
In 2011 ATAC Resources carried out detailed silt sampling on all drainages associated with the Jam claims. The company also carried out contour soil sampling and prospected and rock sampled various areas of interest. In July ATAC Resources flew an airborne magnetic and radiometric survey over the Pyramid target. After receiving the results of the airborne survey and the geochemical sampling programs the company collared 5 diamond drill holes (739.74 m) to test an area where massive orpiment boulders and realgar cobbles were found in soil. Minor trenching was also completed in the area.
 
In Apr/2012 ATAC Resources drilled approximately 56 auger drill holes on and around the occurrence location in an attempt to vector in on a bedrock source for mineralized boulders and cobbles discovered in 2011. Following the receipt of assay results the company collared 2 diamond drill holes (296.87 m) to test the presumed source of the mineralization observed at surface. Reconnaissance scale soil sampling was also completed over the Pyramid occurrence. 
 
In 2013 and 2014 ATAC Resources carried out prospecting and rock geochemistry over the occurrence. No further work has been completed.

GEOLOGY

The occurrence area is located in east-central Yukon within an area geologists have referred to as the Rackla belt. The Rackla belt straddles the northern edge of the Selwyn basin, where Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic rocks of the basin are juxtaposed against Paleozoic and older slope and basin rocks of the Ogilvie platform along the Dawson thrust zone. Selwyn basin rocks in the occurrence area are dominated by slope and facies carbonate, clastic rocks and siltstone with significant deep water black shale and chert, whereas the Ogilvie platform is dominated by shallow water platformal carbonate. The occurrence area is bound structurally to the south by the Dawson thrust and to the north by the Kathleen Lake fault. The Dawson thrust is believed to be a reactivated Neoproterozoic normal fault that lies at the northernmost boundary of the Selwyn basin and is generally marked by an abrupt facies change to the Ogilvie platform.
 
The Pyramid occurrence (occurrence location) was discovered through regional stream sediment sampling carried out in the summer of 2010. Highly anomalous arsenic values led ATAC Resources to surround the Jam claims with a large number of T and other claims. Follow-up grid soil sampling in 2011, outlined a 500 m long by 200 wide arsenic, thallium, mercury and antimony anomaly (no values publically reported). Prospecting located an extensive glacially dispersed orpiment/realgar cobble field measuring approximately 150 m by 80 m within the larger soil anomaly. The anomaly appears to be underlain by Colpron’s unit mDc (Middle Devonian (Eifelian)); a light grey crinoidal limestone containing “two-hole” and “star crinoids.
 
The five diamond drill holes collared in 2011 all intersected significant disseminated realgar and orpiment accompanied by anomalous levels of gold, thallium, mercury and antimony accompanied with characteristic Carlin-type alteration. The company noted that drilling was hindered by rubbly and gougy conditions that the drill could not penetrate and many of the holes were abandoned short of the projected target depth. The airborne magnetic and radiometric survey outlined broad curvilinear lineaments trending east-southeast. The magnetic signature of subsurface features, mimic the general trend of lithologies and structures depicted by surface mapping.
 
The 2012 auger sampling program was designed to test the 500 m by 250 m soil anomaly. Drill holes were placed approximately every 300 m along east-west oriented section lines in an effort to penetrate the thick till overlying the anomaly. Samples returned values up to 13 150 ppm arsenic and 0.16 g/t gold and although the program did not outlined any new targets the program exceeded expectations in terms of depth and rate of augering at the drill sites. Interpretation of the results indicated the source of the anomaly was from downslope hydromorphic transport from a known alteration site that had been drilled in 2011l. One of the 2012 diamond drill holes intersected realgar mineralization but gold values were low throughout the hole. No further work has been undertaken on the anomaly.

Location Map

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2020

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2014 Geochemistry: Rock
2013 Geochemistry: Rock
2012 Drilling: Auger Approximately 56 holes spread out over Pyramid anomaly.
2012 Drilling: Diamond Two holes (296.87 m) drilled to try and vector in on target.
2012 Geochemistry: Soil
2011 Airborne Geophysics: Magnetic Also radiometric survey over Jam claims.
2011 Airborne Geophysics: Radiometric
2011 Drilling: Diamond Five holes (739.74 m), drilling hindered by poor conditions.
2011 Geochemistry: Rock
2011 Geochemistry: Silt Detailed sampling over claims.
2011 Geochemistry: Soil Contour and Ridge and spur sampling.
2011 Trenching: Backhoe
2010 Airborne Geophysics: ZTEM Flown over entire Nadaleen trend.
2010 Geochemistry: Silt Regional sampling program.
1977 Geochemistry: Silt
1977 Geochemistry: Soil Grid based.
1977 Geology: Regional Bedrock Mapping
1977 Other: Prospecting Carried out while sampling.

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:
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Devonian
Age Max: 385 MA
Period Min: Carboniferous
Age Min: 345 MA
Rock Major: shale, sandstone, conglomerate
Rock Minor: chert
Reference: Colpron et al. (2013) - YGS OF 2013-13
Geological Unit (1M): DME
Geological Unit (250K): DME1

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
096607 2012 Assessment Report Describing Metallurgical Testing, Wildlife Monitoring, Heritage Evaluation, and Water Quality and Climate Monitoring Surveys Water - Geochemistry, Metallurgical Tests - Lab Work/Physical Studies, Environmental Assessment/Impact - Studies, Heritage/Archeological - Studies
096597 2012 Assessment Report Describing Geochemical Sampling, Auger Sampling, Geological Mapping, Diamond Drilling, and Geophysical Surveys Air Strip - Development, Surface, Auger - Drilling, Diamond - Drilling, Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, EM - Ground Geophysics, Gravity Survey - Ground Geophysics, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other, Hand - Trenching 172 37340.37
095938 2011 Assessment Report Describing Geochemical Sampling, Geological Mapping and Remote Sensing Surveys at the Rackla Gold Property Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, LIDAR - Remote Sensing, Heritage/Archeological - Studies
095902 2011 Assessment Report Describing Geological Mapping, Diamond Drilling and Geophysical Surveys at the Nadaleen Trend Project Rackla Gold Property Gamma-Ray Spectrometry - Airborne Geophysics, Magnetic - Airborne Geophysics, Diamond - Drilling, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology 89 26675.84
090308 1977 Summary Report on Jam Claims Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
2013-13 Geological map of the Rackla belt, east-central Yukon (NTS 106C/1-4, 106D/1) Open File (Geological - Bedrock)
YEG2013_11 Bedrock Geology of NTS 106B/04, Eastern Rackla Belt 147-167. Annual Report Paper
YEG2011_OV Yukon Exploration and Geology Overview 2011 24-25, 67, 73. Annual Report
2014-1 Geological map of NTS 106B/04, east-central Yukon Open File (Geological - Bedrock)
YEG2012_OV Yukon Exploration and Geology Overview 2012 33-34, 62, 65. Annual Report
MIR1977 Mineral Industry Report 1977 36. Annual Report
Citations
ATAC RESOURCES LTD, Aug/2014. Assessment Report# 096725 by J. Lane and R. Phillips.
ATAC RESOURCES LTD, Jan/2016. Web Site: www.atacresources.com.
ATAC RESOURCES LTD, News Release. 8 Mar/2010, 15 Sep/2010, 28 Oct/2010, 31 May/2011, 3 Oct/2011, 2 Nov/2011, 23 Nov/2011, 1 Mar/2012, 15 May/2012, 23 Jan/2013, 14 Jan/2014.
BLUSSON, S.L., 1974. Five geological maps of northern Selwyn Basin (Operation Stewart), Yukon Territory and District of Mackenzie, N.W.T.; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 205, 1974.
HORNBROOK, E.H.W., AND FRISKE, P.W. B., 1990. Regional stream sediment and water geochemical data, East Central Yukon (106D, parts of 106c, 106E and 106F). Geological Survey of Canada Open File 2175.

Submit Information to Yukon Geological Survey

Name:

E-mail:

Comment: