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Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
105D 208
Occurrence Name
North Star
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Deposit


General Information

Secondary Commodities: copper, gold, silver
Aliases: Whitehorse Copper
Deposit Type(s): Skarn
Location(s): 60.625020 N, -135.042960 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 North Star pendent is located just south of the Little Chief mine, and is located within the Lewes River limestone formation. It is located within a pendent which is contained on three sides by the diorite of the Whitehorse batholith. The mineralization at the pendent is erratic which is partly controlled by the proximity to the irregular and variably gradational intrusive contact. The copper minerals occur as grains, blebs, pods, and stringers that seem to postdate skarn minerals, and silver concentration is proportional to copper grade while gold is more erratic. These copper minerals include bornite, chalcopyrite, and minor magnetite and the calc-silicate minerals include serpentine, phologopite, red garnet and tremolite.  

In estimates from 2010, the North Star Foot Wall Zone contains 750 000 tons grading 1.5% copper. This deposit is open in all directions and total tonnage is unavailable.

Location Map

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2019

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2012 Drilling: Diamond 11 holes completed
2012 Geochemistry: Drill Core
2010 Drilling: Diamond 2 holes drilled
2010 Geochemistry: Drill Core
2010 Ground Geophysics: Magnetics
1982 Drilling: Diamond 23 drill holes completed
1979 Drilling: Diamond 3 holes completed
1973 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1973 Lab Work/Physical Studies: Petrographic

Regional Geology - Terrane

Group: Intermontane
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: Stikinia
Realm: peri-Laurentian


Regional Geology - Bedrock

Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Lewes River
Formation: Aksala
Member: Hancock
Terrane: Stikinia
Period Max: Triassic
Age Max: 217 MA
Period Min: Triassic
Age Min: 204 MA
Rock Major: conglo/limestone/dolostone
Rock Minor: chert
Reference: Hart & Radloff (1990) - YGS OF 1990-4
Geological Unit (1M): uTrAK
Geological Unit (250K): uTrAK2

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
095383 2010 [2010 Exploration Program on the YT Claims] Magnetics - Ground Geophysics
091394 1982 [Diamond Drill Logs on the Bob and Emidell Claims] Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry 5 2321.96
092763 1982 [1982 Diamond Drill Logs on the North Star Copper Skarn of Whitehorse Copper Belt] Diamond - Drilling 23 8848.30
091126 1979 [Drilling on the Bill 1, Emidell 15 and Snell 3 Claims] Diamond - Drilling 3 535.83
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

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
ARMC004808 Geology geology map - North Star and Little Chief Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC004876 Magnetic survey map - I.P. chargeability - North Star grid Geophysical Map
ARMC004906 Re: Data on War Eagle to the North Star occurrences Miscellaneous Company Documents
ARMC004807 Geology and DDH plan map - North Star Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC004809 Cross section maps - North Star - Figure 7 Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC004812 Report - Possible reserves - North Star Report
ARMC004806 General geology map - North Star and Little Chief Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC004800 Geology map - North Star Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC014222 Claim map with grid - Valerie-North Star Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC004801 General geology map - North Star and Little Chief Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC004804 Map - Diagram to illustrate North Star drill program Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC004877 Magnetic survey map - I.P. chargeability - North Star grid Geophysical Map
ARMC004813 Correspondence Re: The North Star mineralized skarn zone Miscellaneous Company Documents
ARMC004811 Summary report - North Star Report
ARMC014221 Claim map - North Star-Arctic Chief Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC004799 Correspondence Re: North Star drilling Miscellaneous Company Documents
ARMC004878 Magnetic survey map - I.P. mag & geology - Line 128N - War Eagle and North Star Geophysical Map
ARMC004810 Plan map - North Star Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC004802 Summary report and recommendations - North Star area Report
Citations
AR# 096464, 2012 Drilling on North Star Property, D. Heon
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)

Drill Core at YGS Core Library

Number Property Year Drilled Core Size Photos Data
NS-11 North Star 1981 NQ 6 2
NS-13 North Star 1981 NQ 6 1
NS-14 North Star 1981 NQ 18 2
NS-15 North Star 1981 NQ 12 2
NS-15-W1 North Star 1981 NQ 2 2
NS-15-W2 North Star 1981 NQ-BQ 8 2
NS-9 North Star 1981 NQ 16 2
NS-6 North Star 1980 NQ 74 1
NS-7 North Star 1980 NQ 54 1
NS-8 North Star 1980 NQ 70 2
NS-5 North Star 1979 NQ 4 1
NS-5A North Star 1979 NQ-BQ 6 2
NS-3 North Star 1976 BQ 10 1

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