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

Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
115P 031
Occurrence Name
Bix
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Prospect


General Information

Primary Commodities: tin
Secondary Commodities: zinc
Aliases: A, Sp, Sunshine
Deposit Type(s): Porphyry Sn
Location(s): 63.834154 N, -136.640664 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 115P15
Location Comments: based on location of DDH 79-5 from georeferenced map in AR 090713
Hand Samples Available at YGS: Yes

Capsule

Work History

Staked as Bix cl (YA38290) in Sep/78 by Cominco. The adjoining large block of A cl (YA30393) was staked in May/78 by G. Dickson and optioned to Cominco which added SP cl (YA39308) to the northeast in Mar/79 and explored by mapping, geochem sampling and 5 diamond drillholes (670 m) on the A 25 and Bix 4-6 claims. The claims were transferred to Pacific Ridge Res Corp, which performed mapping and geochem sampling in 1981.

Restaked as Sun 5-56 cl (YB19958) in Nov/91 by Placer Dome Inc., which performed a soil geochemical survey and geological mapping in 1992.

Restaked as SP claims by Goldspike Exploration Inc and explored in 2011 with mapping, soil, silt and rock sampling and an aeromagnetic geophysical survey. In 2012, rock and soil samples were collected. In 2020, the area was restaked as Bix 1-48; Strategic Metals performed rock and soil sampling.

In 2021, Strategic Metals expanded on the soil sample grid, prospected and collected a few rock samples.

Capsule Geology

The occurrence area is underlain by Lower Proterozoic to Upper Cambrian Hyland Group metasedimentary rocks intruded by the Late Cretaceous Sunshine Creek stock (McQuesten Suite). The stock and associated plugs consist of muscovite-biotite granite and porphyritic quartz monzonite, and are cut by several late-stage aplite and quartz-feldspar porphyritic dykes.The metasedimentary rocks consist of quartz±muscovite±biotite schist, quartzite and limestone. 

The occurrence is within a quartz-limonite breccia zone containing tourmaline and pyrite. The breccia zone is 1-10 m wide and 200 m long, and consists of quartzite fragments up to 5 cm across in a quartz-orthoclase-tourmaline-cassiterite matrix with up to 15% open space. Cominco's drilling in 1979 tested the zone. The best drill intersections for tin were 0.15% Sn over 5.0 m and 0.10% Sn over 5.0 m at the end of DDH SC 79-5 (141 m depth). DDH SC 79-3 intersected lower grade zinc toward the end of the hole: 12 m of 0.23% Zn. Emond and Lynch (1992) obtained anomalous values of Sb, As, Au, Bi, W and Ag from tourmalinite and breccia in this zone.

In 1992, Placer Dome evaluated the property for Fort Knox-type gold mineralization. Results were disappointing and the claims were allowed to lapse.

In 2011, Goldspike Exploration Inc. conducted widespread soil, silt and rock geochemical surveys. The company was exploring for intrusion-related gold mineralization, so no analyses were done for tin. Widespread ridge and spur soil lines (962 samples) returned subdued results for gold: 8 samples were higher than 25 ppb Au; the highest result was 61.2 ppb Au, 1 km southwest of this occurrence.

In 2020, Strategic Metals explored the property for its tin and porphyry copper-gold potential. A rock sample 1.7 km to the south of the occurrence returned 14.9% Sn; a rock sample 900 m to the east returned 2340 ppm Sn. Interestingly, the soil response in these areas with anomalous rock geochemistry tends to be muted.

Location Map

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2022

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2021 Geochemistry: Rock
2021 Geochemistry: Soil
2021 Other: Prospecting
2020 Geochemistry: Rock
2020 Geochemistry: Soil
2020 Other: Prospecting
2012 Geochemistry: Rock
2012 Geochemistry: Soil
2011 Airborne Geophysics: Magnetic
2011 Geochemistry: Rock
2011 Geochemistry: Silt
2011 Geochemistry: Soil
2011 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1992 Geochemistry: Soil
1992 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1981 Geochemistry: Rock Assume rock sampling, although it is not noted what type.
1981 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1979 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1979 Other
1979 Drilling: Diamond one hole at occurrence, two in the vicinity and two holes ~2.3 km to the northeast (5 holes, 670 m).
1979 Geochemistry: Rock Assume rock sampling although it is not noted.
1978 Other

Regional Geology - Terrane

Group: Ancestral North America
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: North America - basinal strata
Realm: Laurentia


Regional Geology - Bedrock

Supergroup: Windermere
Group/Suite: Hyland
Formation: Yusezyu
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Ediacaran
Age Max: 635 MA
Period Min: Ediacaran
Age Min: 542 MA
Rock Major: phyllite/shale/sandstone/grit/conglomerate/limestone
Rock Minor: marble
Reference: Green & Roddick (1972) - GSC Map 1283A
Geological Unit (1M): PCH
Geological Unit (250K): PCH6

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
095908 2011 2011 Soil, Silt and Rock Geochemical Surveys and Prospecting on the Bix Property Rock - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Prospecting - Other, Prospecting - Other
091070 1981 Preliminary Geochemical and Geological Assessment Report on the Bix, A and SP Claims Silt - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology
090794 1980 Geological and Geochemical Surveys Rock - Geochemistry, Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology
090713 1979 Diamond Drill Assessment Report on the A and SP Group of Mineral Claims Sunshine Creek area, Yukon Territory Diamond - Drilling 4 542.80

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
ARMC016644 Geology map - 115P/15 - Sprague Creek Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
YEG1981 Yukon Exploration and Geology 1981 p. 229 Annual Report
YEG1982 Yukon Exploration and Geology 1982 p. 217 Annual Report
YEG1979_80 Yukon Geology and Exploration 1979-80 p. 279 Annual Report
1994-3(G) Geological Map of the Sprague Creek Map Area (115 P/15), Western Selwyn Basin, Yukon Open File (Geological - Bedrock)
YEG1993-pg29 Geology and mineral occurrences of Sprague Creek map area (115P/15), western Selwyn Basin Annual Report Paper
1992GeolVol3_11 Petrology and geochemistry of tin and tungsten mineralized plutons, McQuesten River Region, Central Yukon Annual Report Paper
1992GeolVol3_09 Geology, mineralogy and geochemistry of tin and tungsten veins, breccias and skarns, Mcquesten River Region (115 P (north) and 105 M/13), Yukon Annual Report Paper
1986GeolVol1_13 Tin and tungsten veins and skarns in the McQuesten River area, central Yukon Annual Report Paper
Citations
Bix property. Strategic Metals website. https://www.strategicmetalsltd.com/assets/Brochures/Bix-summary-2021.pdf

Submit Information to Yukon Geological Survey

Name:

E-mail:

Comment: