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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  09-Jun-2020 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI
Name VALENTINE MOUNTAIN, BLAZE, C VEIN, B VEIN Mining Division Victoria
BCGS Map 092B051
Status Developed Prospect NTS Map 092B12W
Latitude 048º 31' 05'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 123º 53' 07'' Northing 5374261
Easting 434626
Commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Arsenic, Lead, Zinc Deposit Types I01 : Au-quartz veins
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Pacific Rim
Capsule Geology

The Discovery Zone (B and C veins) is located on Valentine Mountain at approximately 820 metres elevation.

The occurrence lies within the Jurassic to Cretaceous Leech River Complex (Formation), a fault-bounded block of metamorphosed pelitic, arenaceous and volcanic rocks. The complex lies north of the Leech River fault, south of which lie the tholeiitic basalts of the Eocene Metchosin Volcanics and coeval intrusive rock of the Sooke Gabbro. To the north, across the San Juan fault, are the various volcanic and sedimentary packages of the Sicker, Vancouver and Bonanza groups, and their related intrusive rocks. To the east, across the Survey Mountain fault, are the Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks comprising the Colquitz and Wark gneisses.

The rocks of the Leech River Complex have been metamorphosed to low-pressure greenschist and amphibolite assemblages, and display evidence of two regional deformational events. The prospect is underlain by a refolded sequence of metasedimentary rocks with at least two volcanic units, now represented by amphibolite. The dominant structural feature is a gently eastward-plunging anticlinal structure.

The rocks are dominantly metasandstone and metapelites, the latter represented by various types of schist, ranging from biotite- chlorite through garnet-chlorite to andalusite-staurolite-biotite, plus or minus garnet. The volcanic rocks are either represented by chlorite-epidote (or zoisite) -actinolite-albite or hornblende- epidote-quartz-plagioclase amphibolites. The metasediments were intruded by complex granitic sills of intermediate composition, and by related pegmatite dykes and sills (see Peg, 092B 111). Many of these sills have been folded along with their enclosing rock.

Narrow quartz veins cutting both metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks carry spectacular coarse free gold. These veins, occurring as an en echelon swarm, are from 2 to 50 centimetres in width, strike about 067 degrees and are nearly vertical in dip. The veins seldom exceed 10 centimetres in width and can be traced for ten's of metres, apparently barren for parts of their length. The zone, along which these gold-bearing veins occur, trends east for a distance of almost 3 kilometres and is from 200 to 300 metres in width.

Rare sulphide minerals generally consist of disseminations of pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and occasionally chalcopyrite. Large arsenopyrite crystals have locally been fractured and infilled by fine gold. Gold smears have also been noticed along slickensided fracture surfaces and as small specks in the wallrock, a few centimetres from vein material. Most of the higher grade gold values appear in either fracture or quartz veins within biotite schist.

The property has been extensively trenched, drilled and bulk sampled by Beau Pre Explorations Ltd. In 1984, the company treated 6 tonnes of ore, yielding 160 grams of gold, 2541 grams of silver, 47 kilograms of lead and 19 kilograms of zinc. Indicated reserves (in 1992) are 30,660 tonnes grading 14.7 grams per tonne gold estimated on the basis of 10 core holes of one C zone vein within a 100 metre block with a width of 1.2 metres (Assessment Report 22683, page 1).

During the summer of 1996 a small gravity gold mining plant was erected on the property to test the feasibility of a larger operation. The small mill operated from September 18 to November 22, processing a total of 68 tonnes of ore from the "C" vein. The grade was calculated at 9.9 grams per tonne gold, over a 1-metre width (George Cross News Letter No. 3 (January) 1997).

The history from 1979 to 1994 is summarized below. The details of this historical work are well-summarized in Assessment Report 27726.

In 1979, detailed prospecting by Robert Beaupre and Alex Low led to the discovery of native gold in the “A” vein located on the eastern end of the area presently known as “Discovery Zone”. Subsequent staking of Valentine Mountain and surrounding areas was carried out over several years.

In 1980, property examinations and reports by T.E. Lisle, P.Eng. and G.A. Noel, P.Eng. were completed on behalf of Beau Pre Explorations Ltd. Low Minerals processed a 351.5 kilogram sample in Tacoma, Washington taken from the “A” trench which returned a grade of 9.26 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 27726). In 1981, A program of geological mapping, geochemistry (96 rock chips, 378 stream sediment samples) was performed by Beau Pre Explorations Ltd.,

In 1982/83, the property work directed by Beapre csisted of trenching a strike ength of 107 metres along the “36” vein and 43 metres along sub-parallel veins within the Discovery zone. A total of 9 diamond drill holes were collared 5 to 50 metres fiom the “36” trench and 3 holes were located 30 to 100 metres from the “A” trench.

In 1984, Western Geophysical Aero Data Ltd. flew a regional magnetometer and VLF-EM survey which totaled 2,400 line kilometres on 300 metres spaced north-south lines. In 1985, Falconbridge Ltd. optioned the property and excavated two 50 metre. long, north-south trending trenches (known as #I and #2) situated at the east end of the east-west trending “36” trench. They also mapped and sampled the “36” and “A” trenches.

In 1987 and 1988, Valentine Gold Corp. optioned the property from Beau Pre Explorations and drilled 43 core holes (28 in the Discovery and 15 in Jordan R. Zones). Additional work by Valentine Gold included; bulk sampling pilot plant, metallurgical testing, and rock chip sampling of the ‘‘Discovery Zone”, as well as property wide soil and silt sampling, prospecting & rock chip sampling, Mag/VLF-EM/Max-Min/IP geophysics, and petrographic analysis.

In 1989, Noranda Exploration Ltd. optioned the property to explore for Kolar, India and/or Bendigo, Australia type auriferous quartz systems. The detailed exploration program focused on the “Discovery Zone” (west extension), “Braiteach:”and “BN, and Walker Ck. areas and consisted of 17.8 line kilometres of IP, 51.6 kilometres of magnetometer surveys, geological mapping (81.4 kilometres grid lines), 1,355 soil samples, 1,121 rock chip samples and 727.2 metres of diamond drilling in five holes.

In 1992, Beau Pre Explorations Ltd. shipped 2.196 tons of crushed ore from the “C” vein system to Nesmont Precious Metals Corp. In 1994 and 1995, Fairbank Engineering Ltd. performed programs of detailed mapping and channel sampling of the “C” vein across widths of 0.1 to 1.2 metres, at 5 metres intervals, along a total strike length of 35 metres. In 1998, a geological and exploration evaluation of the Valentine Mountain Gold Property was carried out by Burgoyne Geological Inc. The report concluded that the highest priority exploration targets include the areas 50 to 300 metres east of and 200 to 600 metres west of the mill site. The high priority areas include Discovery (“B” and “C” Veins) depth extension, Discovery West (D vein), and Log Dam.

In 2000 through 2003, Beau Pre, carried out fieldwork included surveying, road improvements hand trenching, prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical analysis. Trenching in 2002 is reported at 300 metres in 5 trenches. In late 2003 and early 2004, Beau Pre drilled one hole, totalling 304.8 metre, testing projections of “C”, “D”, and “G” veins at depth. In late 2004, Beau Pre drilled a further 422.16 metres in 5 holes. The best intercept on the “C” vein was 3.77 grams per tonne gold over 1.55 metres from DDH 4 (Assessment Report 30402).

In 2008, Mill Bay Ventures acquired the Valentine Mountain property and completed a program of soil, rock and moss mat sampling and prospecting. In 2009, five diamond drill holes, totalling 544.6 metres, were completed on the Log Dam and Discovery North zones. In 2011, twenty-two diamond drill holes, totalling 4489.6 metres, were completed across the property. The same year an indicated mineral resource was released (Assessment Report 32500):

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Zone/Vein Tonnes Gold Gold

(indicated) (grams per tonne; uncut) (grams per tonne; cut)

Discovery C 22,663 33.8 17.1

Discovery B 32,100 4.1 3.8

Total 54,763 16.4 9.3

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In 2012, six diamond drill holes, totalling 1250.6 metres, were completed on the Discovery and Discovery West zones.

Bibliography
EMPR EXPL 1976-E108; 1977-E103; 1978-E118; 1979-120;1994-69,70; 1998-47-55; 1999-25-32; 2000-25-32; 2001-23-31; 2003-62; 2004-79
EMPR BC METAL MM00047
EMPR IR 1986-1, p. 112
EMPR MAP 65 (1989)
EMPR OF 1992-1
EMPR PF Article in Juan de Fuca News, Dec.7, 1982; Article in Goldstream Gazette, Dec.8, 1982; Press Release: Feb. 16, 1984; Oct.9, Nov.12, 1985; Dec.10, 1987; Jan.27, Feb.9, Jul.14, Oct.11, 27, 1988; Jun.12, Aug.17, 1989; Feb.23, Dec.17, 2001; Apr.09, 2002; Jan.30, 2003; District Geologist: assays 2001, photos 2001, photos 1994; Memo, Rock Acid/base results Jul 21, 1987; Prospector article, Jan-Feb, 1983 Company map, 19??; Maps, ????; Project update June 1994; Drill logs, 2000; Brochure 19??; ore reserves calculations, "C"-zone, 1989; Drill site map 19??; Epp, W.R. (1998): Subduction Related Mineralization in the Leech River Formation; A New Exploration Model Anon. (1997): Summary report of exploration activities to date and recommendations for exploration in 1997; Garratt, G.L. (1986): An evaluation of the Valentine Mountain Gold Property, 34 pp. incomplete; Burgoyne, A.A. (1988): Geological and Exploration Evaluation Report on the Valentine Mountain gold property, 31 pp.; Stockwatch: Sept.14, 24, Nov.3, Dec.21, 1993; Apr.13, Aug.17, Oct.17, 31, 1994; May 29, Oct.26, Nov.1, 1995; Dec.18, 1996; May 16, Dec.11, 18, 1997; Jan.12, Feb.23, Mar.12, Apr 29, 1999; GCNL: #136(Jul 16) 1984; #238(Dec 11) 1985; #106(Jun 3) 1986; #90(May 11), #151(Aug 7) 1987; #97(May 10), #101(May 27), #193(Oct 7), #236(Dec 9) 1991; #165(Aug 27), #245(Dec 22) 1993; #199(Oct 18) 1994; #3(Jan.6) 1997
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IPDM Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, Aug/Sept, 1984
N MINER Nov.12, 1982; Jan.4, 1987
PR REL Beau Pre Explorations Ltd., Nov.1,Dec.17, 2001; Apr.9, 2002; Jan.22,31, Feb.13, 2003; Feb.24, Mar.16, 2004V STOCKWATCH Aug., Sept.30, Dec.17, 1987; Jan.7, 1988
TC "Pursuing the Motherlode", Saturday, January 10, 2004, pp. C1-C2
Hudson, R. (1997): A Field Guide to Gold, Gemstone & Mineral Sites of British Columbia, Vol. 1: Vancouver Island, p. 84
Rusmore, M.E. (1982): Structure and Petrology of Pre-Tertiary rocks near Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, University of Washington, p. 124
Wingert, G.A. (1982): Structure and Metamorphism of the Valentine Mountain Area, Unpublished B.Sc. Thesis, University of British Columbia
Houle, J. (2008-03-10): Summary Report on the Valentine Mountain Project
Houle, J. (2013-03-27): Technical Report on the Valentine Mountain Property

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