| Title | Mineral and geochemical signatures of porphyry copper mineralization: work in progress for the Casino Cu-Au-Mo-Ag porphyry deposit, Yukon |
| Download | Download (whole publication) |
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| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | McClenaghan, M B ;
McCurdy, M W; Garrett, R G; Beckett-Brown, C E; Leybourne, M I; Casselman, S G; Pelchat, P |
| Source | Targeted Geoscience Initiative: 2018 report of activities; by Rogers, N (ed.); Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8549, 2019 p. 333-344, https://doi.org/10.4095/313667  Open Access |
| Year | 2019 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | open file |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is contained in Targeted Geoscience
Initiative: 2018 report of activities |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Yukon |
| NTS | 115J/09; 115J/10; 115J/11; 115J/14; 115J/15; 115J/16 |
| Area | Casino Creek |
| Lat/Long WENS | -139.1667 -138.1667 63.0000 62.5000 |
| Subjects | economic geology; mineralogy; geochemistry; surficial geology/geomorphology; mineral deposits; porphyry deposits; copper; mineral exploration; ore mineral genesis; mineralization; ore controls;
exploration methods; mineral occurrences; gold; molybdenum; silver; zinc; stream sediment geochemistry; bulk samples; silts; stream water geochemistry; heavy mineral analyses; isotopic studies; hydrogen isotopes; oxygen isotopes; Casino Deposit;
Yukon-tanana Terrane; Intermontane Belt; Canadian Cordillera; alluvial sediments; Phanerozoic; Cenozoic; Quaternary; Tertiary; Mesozoic; Cretaceous; Paleozoic; Permian; Carboniferous; Mississippian; Devonian; Precambrian; Proterozoic |
| Illustrations | geoscientific sketch maps; photomicrographs; geochemical plots |
| Program | Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-5) Knowledge Management Coordination |
| Program | Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-5) Intrusion/Porphyry ore systems - porphyry processes - mineral markers |
| Released | 2019 03 01 |
| Abstract | This paper reports preliminary results for a detailed indicator mineral and geochemical study of the Casino porphyry Cu-Au-Mo-Ag deposit, one of the largest and highest grade porphyry deposits in
Canada. The calc-alkaline porphyry is hosted in a Late Cretaceous quartz monzonite and associated breccias in the west central Yukon. This deposit is an ideal study site because it has not yet been disturbed by mining, contains tourmaline, and
metal-rich stream sediments were previously identified around the deposit. At 22 sites around the deposit, one bulk stream sediment sample for recovery of indicator minerals, two water samples and one stream silt sample for geochemical analysis, and
one pebble sample were collected. Preliminary results indicate that chalcopyrite, pyrite, gold, molybdenite, sphalerite, scheelite and tourmaline in the heavy mineral fraction of stream sediments are indicators of the porphyry mineralization and
demonstrate that indicator mineral methods are a viable exploration tool in this unglaciated terrain. The geochemical signature of the deposit is best defined by Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Pb, U and Zn in stream silt (<0.177 mm), a
well-established exploration method in the region, and by Cd, Co, Cu, Mo, Pb and Zn in stream water, a new tool for mineral exploration. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
The Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI) is directed towards providing next generation knowledge and methods to facilitate more effective targeting of
buried mineral deposits. The program aims to enhance the effectiveness of exploration for Canada's major mineral systems by resolving foundational geoscience problems that constrain the geological processes responsible for the liberation metals from
their source region, transportation of these ore metals and control their eventual deposition. TGI supports projects on gold, Ni-Cr-PGE, porphyry-style mineralization, uranium and volcanic- and sedimentary-hosted base metal mineralization ore
systems, with each project divided into subprojects focused on resolving specific knowledge gaps by integrating data and studies from multiple sites across Canada. Herein, we present interim results and interpretations from a selection of the
research activities currently being conducted under the auspices of TGI. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 313667 |
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