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.
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 |