Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number:
105D 210
Occurrence Name:
Grafter
Occurrence Type:
Hard-rock
Status:
Past Producer
Date printed:
12/12/2024 10:03:55 PM

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General Information
Capsule
Work History
Assessment Reports
References

General Information

Primary Commodities: copper, gold, silver
Aliases: Whitehorse Copper
Deposit Type(s): Skarn
Location(s): 60°40'13.85" N - -135°7'26.6" W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 105D11
Hand Samples Available: No
Last Reviewed:

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 Grafter deposit and mine is located in close proximity to the Best Chance deposit and therefore the geology is assumed to be quite similar. The geological description for the Best Chance deposit is given below as reference:

The Best Chance deposit is exposed as a large outcrop of magnetite and skarn over a maximum length of 420 ft (128 m) to the north and widths up to 80 ft (24 m). The deposit is bounded by limestone on the west and granite on the east. The ore within the garnet-magnetite skarn consists of chalcopyrite, bornite and sections of massive magnetite. The major part of the copper mineralization is concentrated near the roof or around a large unreplaced lens of limestone within the skarn and the copper values are frequently found in massive magnetite.

Production at the Grafter mine was 1 800 tonnes at 7.0 % Cu between 1899 – 1907, and 10 400 tonnes at 6.0% Cu between 1915 – 1917. The ore also contains small amount of Au and Ag. 

Work History

Date Work Type Comment
12/13/1990 Drilling 7 holes completed
12/13/1990 Ground Geophysics
12/13/1990 Lab Work/Physical Studies
12/13/1990 Geochemistry
12/13/1973 Geology
12/13/1973 Lab Work/Physical Studies
12/13/1966 Studies
12/13/1964 Drilling

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
092887 1990 Report on the 1990 Drill Program. Aurora Gold Ltd. Property, Whitehorse Copper Belt Reverse Circulation - Drilling, Drill Cuttings - Geochemistry, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics, Petrographic - Lab Work/Physical Studies 7 849.78
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
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) Reference Type Document Type
1984-1 The Whitehorse Copper Belt - A Compilation Indian & Northern Affairs Canada/Department of Indian & Northern Development: Exploration & Geological Services Division Open File (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC004821 Map of Best Chance/Grafter Property File Collection Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
ARMC004892 Induced polarisation report on the Grafter and Best Chance deposit - Whitehorse Copper Belt Property File Collection Report
ARMC004822 Sketch map of Grafter mine Property File Collection Geoscience Map (General)