The Log Dam zone is located on Valentine Mountain, on a westerly flowing tributary of Tripp Creek. The occurrence has been explored in conjunction with the Valentine Mountain (Discovery Zone, MINFILE 092B 108) occurrence, located approximately 1,100 metres to the east.
The zone 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 lay 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 that comprise 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 ±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 dikes and sills (see Peg, 092B 111). Many of these sills have been folded along with their enclosing rock.
Locally, the zone features silicification (quartz carbonate vein/replacement) with minor amounts of pyrite, pyrrhotite (0.1 to 2 per cent) and trace chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite hosted in chloritized, silicified and carbonate altered amphibolite (metavolcanic). Pyrite and pyrrhotite occur as disseminations and veinlets, and in quartz vein/replacement.
In 1997, a sample of mineralized quartz vein assayed 94.7 grams per tonne gold across 0.4 metres (Assessment Report 30402). In 2001, Beau Pre Explorations completed a program of rock chip sampling on thirteen quartz veins in the immediate area. Sample 599250 assayed up to 32.02 grams per tonne gold over 0.4 metres (Assessment Report 30402).
In 2008, Mill Bay Ventures acquired the Valentine Mountain property and completed a program of rock and moss mat sampling, prospecting and five diamond drill holes, totalling 544.6 metres. Diamond drilling was centred on the Log Dam and Discovery North zones. Drill hole V09DDH-3 intercepted 1.5 metres yielded 0.83 grams per tonne gold from 88.4 to 89.9 metres depth (Assessment Report 31548). In 2009, five diamond drill holes, totalling 544.6 metres, were completed on the Log Dam and Discovery North zones. In 2011, 22 diamond drill holes, totalling 4489.6 metres, were completed across the property. In 2012, six diamond drill holes, totalling 1250.6 metres, was completed on the Discovery and Discovery West zones.
