The Tennyson area is underlain by lapilli and ash tuffs, ash/crystal tuff breccias, volcanic conglomerate, flow breccia and lesser sediments of the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation, Hazelton Group. Highly foliated sections of tuff pass into silver coloured talcose-sericite schist. Cataclasite, quartz-sericite schist and quartz-feldspar- sericite schist also occur, with the latter being a highly altered fine-grained andesitic volcanic.
A gossanous outcrop approximately 750 by 500 metres is bounded to the north, south, east and west by Berendon Glacier and associated icefield and to the east by a steeply dipping northwest trending fault.
Large scale folding and the development of 30 degree striking regional foliation and schistosity characterize the main deformation event. Joints and fractures are common in all volcanic/sedimentary sequences. Alteration assemblages include propylitic and quartz-carbonate-chlorite zones peripheral to a main zone of sericite-pyrite alteration which contain local areas of silicification and clay alteration.
The most prominent form of mineralization is the pervasive pyritization with pyrite concentrations averaging between 5 and 10 per cent and locally up to 20 per cent. Other types of mineralization include: 1) Foliation parallel, stratabound sulphide layers and/or distinct veins varying from several centimetres to 0.31 metres in width. These ubiquitous massive, banded sulphides consist mainly of pyrite with lesser sphalerite, tetrahedrite, galena, chalcopyrite and gold. Polished sections studies indicate that gold is present in the form of electrum inclusions in tetrahedrite. 2) Discordant veins of quartz, calcite, dolomite and chlorite contain, in order of abundance, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and gold. 3) Quartz-carbonate-chlorite stockwork bearing chalcopyrite but low gold and silver. 4) Garnet-epidote-magnetite skarn with development of base metal sulphides. No appreciable gold and silver occur. 5) Carbonate healed breccia zones plus or minus base metals but low
Results indicate that gold occurs mainly within the foliation parallel banded sulphide layer/vein zones of type 1. A 3.1 metre interval of this type was intersected in diamond-drill hole 86-1 and contained 2.84 grams per tonne gold. The gold mineralization is spatially related to black carbonaceous pelitic horizons. Black tuffs are also observed with gold mineralized sections of drill hole 86-4. A second type of gold mineralization was indicated from diamond-drill hole 86-4 where an argillic altered pyritized section, 2.14 metres in length, assayed 40.8 grams per tonne gold and 284.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 15789).
According to J.M. Logan, the author of the above Assessment Report, the alteration assemblages, peripheral base metal veins and associated precious metal values suggest a volcanic hosted epithermal precious metal deposit.
Work History
In 1984, snow and ice ablation exposed a prominent gossan at the head of Berendon Glacier which was then staked as the Tennyson claims on behalf of Teuton Resources Corp. An airborne survey carried out over the property by Teuton Resources Corp later that year disclosed a sharp, localized magnetic anomaly on the Tennyson 1 and 2 claims. Samples taken at that time showed copper values to 6 per cent in the vicinity of the anomaly, and gold values to 12.0 grams per tonne gold in bedded sulphides 100 metres west of the anomaly.
In 1985, Teuton defined several promising areas of gold mineralization within a large gossaned area measuring 750 by 450 metres. Gold values were obtained primarily in association with pyritic bands, and were accompanied, variously, by values in silver, copper, lead, zinc, and molybdenum. Limited geochemical soil sampling of the overburden covered central portion of the gossan yielded values from 105 to 2320 ppb and averaging 628 ppb in gold.
Six holes drilled in 1986 by Consolidated BRX Mining and Petroleum Ltd., at the time an optionee of the property, tested various portions of the gossan. The fourth hole of this program intersected a high-grade section featuring pervasive clay alteration and hydrothermal brecciation, and assaying 41.14 grams per tonne gold over 2.1 metres (Assessment Report 15789). During the same period, minor surface sampling was undertaken. This work partially tested the