Tombstone Gold Belt Properties
The Tombstone Gold Belt is part of the Tintina Gold Province that extends through more than 1000 km of the northern North American Cordillera that includes Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
In Yukon and Alaska, the belt is host to a number of large Reduced Intrusion-Related Gold System (RIRGS) deposits. These gold systems are characterized by sheeted, auriferous quartz veins forming in the carapace zones of reduced felsic plutons. They have a characteristic geochemical signature containing Au-Bi-Te-As-W metal assemblage within and surrounding the intrusion and a characteristic geophysical signature of a magnetic low (ie. reduced) and conductivity low centered on the intrusion.
These occurrences can form large, truly world class deposits. Currently, the Fort Knox mine in Alaska and the Eagle mine in Yukon are producing from RIRGS deposits and historically, the Brewery Creek mine in Yukon was a RIRGS producer.
A recent major discovery by Snowline Gold Corp at their Valley occurrence in the Selwyn Basin of Yukon, indicates these deposits can be discrete, yet significant gold occurrences.
Rackla Metals is targeting RIRGS mineralization in the southeastern part of the Belt in eastern Yukon and western Northwest Territories. The company presently owns a portfolio of over 59,000 hectares of multiple high quality exploration targets, within the highly prospective Tombstone Gold Belt.
RIRGS deposits occur in clusters. In Yukon, the western cluster consisting of the Eagle, Aurmac, Brewery Creek, RC Gold, Florin and Raven deposits contains +20 million ounces of gold1. The eastern cluster being explored by Snowline Gold at their Rogue Plutonic Complex and Rackla at the Astro Plutonic Complex is rapidly developing and may offer similar potential.
The Astro Plutonic Complex is comprised of four Cretaceous-aged intrusions. The western most Keele Pluton belongs to the Mayo Suite, the northern Canol Trail Stock belongs to the Tungsten Suite, the eastern most Border Pluton and southern most Kelvin Stock are both Tombstone Suite.
Rackla is continuing to build on this significant land package through staking and strategic acquisitions. Our management team has substantial experience in this belt and has compiled a large historic geochemical and geophysical database to provide a roadmap for discovery.
(1) Yukon Geological Survey, 2023. Yukon Mineral Deposits Summary 2023. Yukon Geological Survey, 18 p.
Astro Project
The Astro Project is a 288 square-kilometre exploration property located in the Northwest Territories along the Yukon border close to the Canol Road. The project lies within the Tombstone Gold Belt, part of the Tintina Gold Province. The western Tombstone Gold Belt hosts world class Reduced Intrusion-related Gold System (RIRGS) deposits such as the Fort Knox mine in Alaska and the Eagle mine in Yukon.
The eastern part of the belt has long been recognized for hosting intrusion-related tungsten deposits, such as the Mactung and Cantung deposits. But only recently has the gold potential of the eastern part of the belt been recognized with the discovery by Snowline Gold Corp of a significant occurrence at their Valley property in 2021.
Rackla, an early mover in the eastern part of the belt, has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Astro property from Orogen Royalties. The target at Astro is intrusion-hosted gold related to a Reduced Intrusion-related Gold System (RIRGS). The property is relatively under-explored, but with the limited amount of work that his been performed, significant gold anomalies have been identified and these show the classic geological, geochemical and geophysical signatures of an RIRGS setting.
Exploration History
There is no record of any exploration activity on the Astro property prior to 2017.
In 2017, a joint venture (the Mackenzie Alliance) between Newmont and Evrim resources Corp. conducted a preliminary geological reconnaissance and stream sediment sampling program along the Misty Creek Embayment in Northwest Territories with the target model being a Carlin-type gold system. The program included a large, generative BLEG survey along the border region of the NWT covering and area measuring 200 km x 80 km. This survey identified an area anomalous for gold in the southern portion of the survey. Follow-up stream sediment sampling defined a ten-kilometre-long corridor of anomalous gold adjacent to intrusive centres along the Yukon-NWT border. This area was staked as the Astro property.
In 2018, the joint venture completed infill stream sediment sampling, contour and grid soil sampling, geological mapping, prospecting and trenching.
In 2019, the joint venture conducted an airborne magnetic survey and reverse circulation drill program consisting of 11 holes for 1,111 meters.
Newmont relinquished its option in the project in 2020. Later that year, Evrim merged with Renaissance Gold Inc. to become Orogen Royalties Inc.
Property Agreement
Rackla optioned the property from Orogen Royalties in September 2022. Rackla can acquire a 100% interest in the property by:
- Issuing 120,000 common shares (done).
- incurring $250,000 in exploration expenditures within twelve-months.
- making a final payment totaling $382,000 through a combination of a cash payment and/or issuance of common shares within twelve months.
Orogen will retain a 2.5% NSR royalty on the project.
Geological Setting:
The Astro project area lies within the Misty Creek Embayment, a north‐eastern extension of the deep‐water sedimentary rocks of the Selwyn Basin. In this part of the embayment, the Selwyn Basin rocks consist of Proterozoic to Devonian shale, quartzite, conglomerate and carbonate rocks that have been intruded by Late Cretaceous quartz-monzonite of the Tombstone Suite Border Pluton. As the name implies, the Border Pluton straddles the Yukon-NWT border.
Exploration Highlights:
The stream sediment sampling and BLEG survey identified the Astro area as being significantly anomalous for gold (Figure 2). The soil sample survey identified anomalous gold concentrations in the hornfelsed margins of the Border Pluton (Figure 3). The hornfelsed margins of the intrusion are also highlighted as being magnetic high “shoulders” surrounding the intrusion.
Trenching at the Radio target returned 30 m containing an average of 17.7 g/t gold and at the Microwave target returned 18 m containing and average of 3.6 g/t gold in chip channel samples (Figure 3).
Because the focus of the Mackenzie Alliance exploration program was for Carlin-style gold, their work was focussed on the sedimentary rocks and a very limited amount work was done in areas underlain by intrusive rocks. However, from the few samples collected within the intrusion, significant results were obtained including: rock samples returning up to 3.93 g/t gold; stream sediment samples returning up to 60 ppb gold; and 15 soils returning averaged 670 ppb gold. The limited drilling done on the property did not identify Carlin-style mineralization, but it did return the best results for gold from intercepts within the quartz-monzonite intrusion. RC hole RAD19-04 returned an intercept in silicified granodiorite of 7.6 m containing 0.67 g/t gold. Hole RAD19-02 also contained anomalous gold with coincident, elevated bismuth values (Figures 4 and 5). Rackla has performed statistical analyses on all the data provided to the company and found that correlation matrices on stream sediment samples, soil samples, rock and drill core samples shows that the gold is associated with bismuth, tellurium, tungsten, tin, arsenic and copper. This metal association is typical of RIRGS occurrences. Rackla believes that there is a significant opportunity for discovery of a RIRGS at the Astro Property and our initial Summer 2023 drill program will focus on the intrusive bodies at Astro.
Hit Property
Target Type: | Intrusion-hosted Gold |
Location: | Yukon, Canada |
Overview
The Rackla team made a Reduced Intrusion-Related Gold System (RIRGS) discovery at the Mehitabel prospect on the HIT property in 2023 and is currently planning a 2024 follow-up drill program to vector towards the heart of this system. The HIT intrusion is one of three intrusions that make up the Astro Plutonic Complex (Astro, HIT and SER properties} that covers approximately 22,500 Hectares.
The company intercepted significant gold mineralization in 2 of the first 5 holes on the HIT property. Highlights of the discovery includes:
- Sheeted quartz-sulphide veins occurring throughout holes HIT-003 and HIT-004, across a total width of 273 m
- Both holes were on the Mehitabel prospect and ended in the sheeted vein system
- The best grade occurred at the bottom of hole HIT-004 and is open to the west
- Only a small portion of the Mehitabel target has been tested by drilling
- The density of sheeted quartz-sulphide veins observed on surface and in drill holes was up to 55 veins per metre.
Broad and dense veining is characteristic of the plumbing system of prolific Tombstone Gold Belt deposits that include the Fort Knox Mine in Alaska, the Eagle Mine in Yukon and Snowline Gold’s newly discovered Valley gold occurrence.
The mineralization observed at the Mehitabel zone is open in all directions, particularly to the southwest towards the heart of the Gold-Bismuth-Arsenic talus-fine geochemical anomaly.
Rackla’s surface mapping and drill intercepts have identified an extensive and high-density sheeted quartz-sulphide vein network in the host intrusion. Samples collected from surface and drill core have returned numerous values greater than 0.5 g/t gold and as high as 26.5 g/t gold. The gold mineralization exhibits the typical RIRGS association of gold with bismuth, tellurium, arsenic, and tungsten. Additional information about this RIRGS at HIT includes:
- The HIT property is underlain by the Canol Trail Stock, a monzogranite intrusion of the Cretaceous Tungsten Suite.
- Soil and talus-fine sampling has identified a 1,500 m by 1,000 m Au±Bi±As anomaly.
- A prominent corridor of intense sheeted quartz-sulphide veining within the intrusive and coincident with the Au±Bi±As anomaly has been mapped on surface.
- Prospecting and rock sampling has returned numerous rock samples containing greater than 3 g/t gold.
The HIT property consists of 30 Quartz claims, covering 473 hectares, and is strategically located a short distance from the Canol Road. Rackla Metals acquired 100% interest in the property, subject to a 2.5% NSR royalty by exercising the option on the property in the fall of 2023.
Drill Results
The 2023 drill results from the HIT property are:
Photos
Core Photos
AST-012
HIT-003
HIT-004
SER Property
The SER property surrounds Rackla’s recently optioned HIT property in Yukon and adjacent to the Astro property in the NWT. The property is comprised of 376 mineral claims located in the Mayo Mining District and it is close to the Canol Road and Macmillan Pass airstrip. The property surrounds the HIT property on three sides and extends 16 km to the southwest and 18 km to the northwest. The property further adds to Rackla’s mineral property interests in the Tombstone Gold Belt within the Selwyn Basin and is considered to be very prospective for RIRGS.
The SER property contains a series of small to medium-sized intrusive centres with highly anomalous stream sediment geochemistry (up to 0.510 ppm Au) and associated geophysical anomalies characteristic of a RIRGS. A limited prospecting and rock sampling program returned one float sample that contained 27.5 g/t Au and 35 ppm Bi.
JOS Project
Rackla staked the JOS Property after identifying potential intrusive centres from a previously flown ZTEM survey conducted in the area. The company identified strong alteration and quartz veining from a field visit to site in 2022. Comparing the magnetic signature at JOS to that at Snowline Gold’s Valley and Gracie discoveries, shows amazing similarity (Figure 9). The company plans to follow-up the work on the JOS targets with more stream sediment sampling, soil sampling and prospecting in 2023.
RAK Main Project
The RAK Main project is defined by strong alteration halos around mapped intrusions with anomalous stream sediment geochemistry (120 ppb gold, plus bismuth, arsenic, and antimony) along the Yukon-NWT border. The intrusions are also defined by an airborne magnetic and ZTEM survey. The Yukon side of the intrusion is covered by claims belonging to Snowline Gold, while the NWT side is partially covered by the RAK Main property (Figure 10).
Cinnabar project
Rackla staked the Cinnabar Project in the Astro project region to cover an area with observed vein breccias containing strong mercury and arsenic anomalies, which were identified by prospecting. The area has seen very little work and is an early-stage target.
Excite Property
The Excite project is located within the eastern Tombstone Gold Belt (Figure 11), and the bedrock geology consists mostly of the lower Proterozoic Windermere supergroup, which is composed of metamorphosed clastic and carbonate rocks of the Blueflower and Narchilla formations. Scarce metamorphosed volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks of the Gull Lake formation occur on the southwestern half of the property. Local clastic and chert units of the Duo Lake/Elmer Creek formation are present on the northwestern end of the property. The Cretaceous Mayo Suite consisting of felsic intrusive occur within 7 km of the property to the southeast.
Historical work
Very little exploration work has been performed on the project area, with the most significant being a 2012-2013 exploration program which consisted of the collection of 7 heavy mineral and 6 rock samples, of which only 5 heavy mineral samples have disclosed results. These samples highlighted 4 anomalous gold values, two of which are above 10 ppm (Figure 11) and associated with arsenic-antimony higher than 6,000 ppm and 30 ppm. The two other anomalous gold samples (1.74 and 0.461 ppm) are also respectively anomalous in antimony (>30 ppm) and mercury (>300 ppm).
The regional geochemical sample data from government sources have returned moderately anomalous values for gold, arsenic and antimony from a stream draining the center area of the claims. Enhanced interpretation of the weighted sums model for intrusion-related gold deposits (Mackie, 2016) indicates that the stream sediment samples on the southern property boundary are within the 90-95th percentile for the intrusion-related gold deposit type (Figure 12).
The government airborne magnetic survey of the area shows a magnetic low in the central part of the property surrounded by magnetic-high shoulders.
Mineral Potential
The center of the claims is characterized by a circular magnetic-low feature, which is surrounded by heavy mineral and RGS anomalies in gold-arsenic-antimony. The magnetic low may represent a blind Mayo Suite intrusion and could constitute a premium, fully preserved, target for a Reduced Intrusion-related Gold System (RIRGS) as this type of mineralization is often best developed at the top of intrusions.