General Information
Primary Commodities: copper, gold
Aliases: Whitehorse Copper
Deposit Type(s): Skarn
Location(s): 60.631210 N, -135.061180 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 105D11
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
The Whitehorse Copper Belt is located west of Whitehorse and contains 30+ mines, deposits and showings. Many of the occurrences in the Copper Belt are skarns. The skarns form on or near the contact between the Whitehorse batholith and the Lewes River group. The Whitehorse batholith is commonly a grey coarse-grained hornblende granite and ranges from quartz monzonite to granodiorite to diorite. The Lewes River group contains numerous different rock types, most importantly of which is the limestone group, which is essential in the formation of skarns in the area. A small number of occurrences within the Copper Belt are vein and/or replacement and occur within the Whitehorse batholith granite.
The Valerie deposit occurs at the contact between the Whitehorse batholith granite and Lewes River limestone. The deposit contains minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, magnetite, augite, garnet and calcite. The deposit is outlined by a geophysical anomaly that is 450ft (137 m) long. In the immediate vicinity to the north, geophysical work has identified 4 more anomalies totalling 1200ft (366 m) in 2800ft (853 m). Drilling in 1963-64 encountered copper magnetite mineralization.
Production between 1899 and 1907 totalled 127 tonnes at 1.65% Cu and 0.68 g/t Au. Elements such as cobalt, nickel, palladium and platinum were detectable during assay.
The Valerie deposit occurs at the contact between the Whitehorse batholith granite and Lewes River limestone. The deposit contains minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, magnetite, augite, garnet and calcite. The deposit is outlined by a geophysical anomaly that is 450ft (137 m) long. In the immediate vicinity to the north, geophysical work has identified 4 more anomalies totalling 1200ft (366 m) in 2800ft (853 m). Drilling in 1963-64 encountered copper magnetite mineralization.
Production between 1899 and 1907 totalled 127 tonnes at 1.65% Cu and 0.68 g/t Au. Elements such as cobalt, nickel, palladium and platinum were detectable during assay.
Location Map
Last Updated: Apr 15, 2019
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Drilling: Diamond | |
| 1974 | Geochemistry: Drill Core | |
| 1974 | Ground Geophysics: IP | |
| 1973 | Drilling: Diamond | 1 hole completed |
| 1973 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1973 | Lab Work/Physical Studies: Petrographic | |
| 1973 | Pre-existing Data: Research/Summarize | |
| 1969 | Studies: Feasibility | |
| 1966 | Studies: Feasibility | |
| 1964 | Drilling: Diamond | |
| 1963 | Drilling: Diamond | 3 holes completed |
| 1963 | Ground Geophysics: Magnetics |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Intermontane
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: Stikinia
Realm: peri-Laurentian
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Whitehorse
Formation:
Member:
Terrane:
Period Max: Cretaceous
Age Max: 112 MA
Period Min: Cretaceous
Age Min: 105 MA
Rock Major: granodiorite/quartz diorite
Rock Minor:
Reference: Hart & Radloff (1990) - YGS OF 1990-4
Geological Unit (1M): mKW
Geological Unit (250K): mKgW
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 061173 | 1974 | Report on Exploratory Work on Whitehorse Copper Belt | Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, IP - Ground Geophysics | 10 | 2222.29 |
| 060525 | 1973 | [Proposed Surface Drill Programs on the Little Chief-Big Chief-Valerie Properties] | Research/Summarize - Pre-existing Data | ||
| 062018 | 1973 | Preliminary Report on Geological Control to Ore Distribution in the Whitehorse Copper Belt | Reverse Circulation - Drilling, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Petrographic - Lab Work/Physical Studies | 665 | 5555 |
| 062228 | 1969 | Feasibility Study for the Underground Development of the Little Chief Orebody | Feasibility - Studies | ||
| 092558 | 1967 | [Drilling of the Little Chief Orebody] | Diamond - Drilling | 21 | |
| 062227 | 1966 | An Evaluation of the New imperial Mines Ltd. | Feasibility - Studies | ||
| 091123 | 1964 | Summary of assessment work for 316 claims | Diamond - Drilling | 46 | 3652.57 |
Related References
| Number | Title | Page(s) | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-1 | The Whitehorse Copper Belt - A Compilation | Open File (Geological - Bedrock) | |
| ARMC004893 | Magnetic survey map - sheet 460N/610E - Big, Middle & Little Chief and Valerie claims | Geophysical Map | |
| ARMC014222 | Claim map with grid - Valerie-North Star | Geoscience Map (General) | |
| ARMC004791 | Summary and map - Valerie | Report | |
| ARMC004797 | Map showing Valerie, Big Chief, Little Chief | Geoscience Map (General) | |
| ARMC004805 | Map of Valerie, Arctic Chief, and War Eagle | Geoscience Map (General) |
| Citations |
|---|
| Kindle, E.D., “Summary of Research: Field, 1962”; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper no. 63-1, 1963, https://doi.org/10.4095/121464 (Open Access) |
| The mineral industry of Yukon Territory and southwestern District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories, 1963; Godwin, C I; Green, L H. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 64-36, 1964, 94 pages, https://doi.org/10.4095/101004 (Open Access) |
Drill Core at YGS Core Library
| Number | Property | Year Drilled | Core Size | Photos | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDH-V-19 | Valerie | 1974 | NTW-BTW | 62 | 0 |
| DDH-V-17 | Valerie | 1973 | AQ | 44 | 2 |
