Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Gold is synonymous with the Yukon Territory, but much of the gold has been won from surface gravels. The source of this ""placer"" gold is in the nearby bedrock, and this ""hardrock"" gold continues to be the focus of mineral exploration. In recent years, more than $750M has been invested in Yukon gold exploration, but much of this money was poorly spent because the geological controls on where the gold forms were not well understood. Establishing the geological features relevant to gold formation can reduce the risk of the exploration process and result in new discoveries. The Coffee deposit hosts more than four million ounces of gold, but the processes leading to its formation are not established. This research project will identify ore-controlling features at Coffee and the surrounding region, including the chemistry of the ore fluids, the geologic and structural setting, uplift of the crust, and timing of mineralization. These constraints can lead to predictions about where additional gold resources can be found, both at the deposit and regional scale.The project will provide a knowledge base for understanding controls on gold in Yukon and other parts of the Cordillera. The knowledge will be communicated for the benefit of prospectors, government geological surveys, policy makers, and academics. This research will provide exploration companies with practical concepts on which to base more confident and efficient exploration decisions. All steps in this process have economic benefits, from initial investments to acquire the property, to exploration activities, and hopefully to discovery, mine development, and mineral extraction. Economic projections of the Coffee gold deposit indicate that it will generate $2.4B in revenues over a 12-year period. Canada will benefit initially from the generation of new geoscientific information, but ultimately through the training, jobs, wealth creation and tax benefits that can arise from the application of this knowledge.