Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The Yukon and adjacent parts of eastern Alaska are currently experiencing a remarkably high level of gold exploration activity, with more claims staked and more dollars being spent on gold exploration in the Yukon than at any other time in the Territory's history. Our understanding of the regional geological setting and controls on gold mineralization in this region has improved somewhat over the last decade through investments by the Geological Survey of Canada, the Yukon Geological Survey, and the mineral exploration industry; however, the knowledge-base that industry now utilize to execute exploration decisions and expenditures in the region is still relatively poor. A new generation of improved geological tools and an understanding of the controls of gold deposits formation is required to facilitate a new era of improved exploration and discovery for Yukon. We will undertake a two-year, joint industry-NSERC supported research project aimed at developing integrated models of geological settings for gold districts in western Yukon Territory and eastern Alaska. The key objective of this new knowledge is to increase gold exploration effectiveness to assist in discovery of new gold resources for the benefit of northern Canada. The project will focus on the emerging Dawson Range and White Gold districts of western Yukon, which have recent announcements of at least two new million(+) ounce gold resources and a substantial number of other exciting new gold discoveries. We will carry out regional, district, and property scale studies to determine the nature, origin and controls of formation of gold deposits and occurrences throughout the Dawson Range/White Gold region. We will also refine existing exploration technologies (soil geochemistry) and develop new methods (targeting lode gold from characterization of placer gold) that will be particularly applicable to the unglaciated parts of northern Canada. A total of 12 researchers will be involved in the project, including the applicants and one collaborating scientist, as well as 9 other HQP (a Research Associate, a post-doctoral fellow, five graduate and two undergraduate students), all of whom will gain valuable training and experience in the fields of geology, geochemistry, and mineral exploration.