The Hanson Lake West (Kimura) occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1150 metres on a northwest-facing slope, approximately 2.3 kilometres north of the west end of Hanson Lake.
The area is underlain by a metamorphic complex comprising metamorphosed equivalents of the Carboniferous to Jurassic Cache Creek Group and a gneissic complex of granodiorites and quartz diorites. These were intruded by Neogene to Paleogene intrusives. Basic to acid dikes and stocks are common. Lithologies include quartz monzonite, quartz porphyry, quartz feldspar porphyry, acid breccia, quartz diorite and amphibolite. Argillic and chloritic alteration is evident in the quartz monzonite. The other lithologies show strong argillic, silicic and sulfidic alteration.
Mineralization in the area consists of 1) fracture-filling copper and molybdenum in quartz monzonite; 2) silicified zones containing gold, silver, zinc and lead in quartz porphyry/quartz feldspar porphyry; 3) silicified zones containing zinc, lead, gold and silver in north-trending acid breccias and 4) a shear zone containing copper and gold in quartz diorite/amphibolite. Sulphides occur mainly as pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, molybdenite and galena.
The majority of the Kimura zone is characterized by a very coarse-grained quartz monzonite/granite that grades to pegmatite locally with feldspar crystals reaching up to 2 centimetres. This intrusive phase is distinguished by large, quartz phenocrysts up to 1.0 centimetre in diameter. Andesitic dikes commonly intrude the plutonic rocks. The dikes are massive, fine-grained and locally feldspar porphyritic. They commonly contain small amounts of disseminated pyrite and often magnetite. Propylitic alteration, characterized by chloritized mafic minerals, is pervasive throughout the zone. Epidote is seen in several trenches along the west side of the Kimura zone. Silicic alteration appears to form a core within the zone. Mineralization in the Kimura zone occurs mainly as disseminated sulphides with locally occurring massive sulphides. Sulphides are mostly pyrite and chalcopyrite with minor amounts of bornite.
In 1988, re-sampling of drill cuttings from the 1973 Placer Dome drilling yielded 0.1 per cent copper over 91.44 metres, including 0.10 to 0.12 per cent copper with 2.8 to 3.0 grams per tonne silver in three separate 3-metre intervals in hole P8, 0.1 per cent copper over 33.53 metres in hole P11, 0.1 per cent copper with 0.3 per cent zinc over 27.43 metres in hole P15 and 0.3 per cent zinc over 60.96 metres in hole P32 (Assessment Report 18398 and 34832).
In 1989, reverse circulation drilling yielded intercepts of up to 0.18 gram per tonne gold and 54.2 grams per tonne silver over 2 metres in hole RC89-04 (Assessment Report 19155).
In 1990, a 90-metre section of the Kimura zone graded 0.15 per cent copper and 0.012 per cent molybdenum sulphide (Property File Rimfire, Bruaset, R.V., 1991).
In 2004, samples from historical trenches on the Kimura zone yielded up to greater than 1.00 per cent copper and 78.2 grams per tonne silver from a sample (VKO10-1a) of massive sulphides from trench 48 (Assessment Report 27865).
Work History
During the 1960s and 1970s, a regional stream sediment reconnaissance program was conducted in the Hanson Lake area by Endako Mines staff. Anomalous metals were found in streams draining into Hanson Lake from the north and south. A 2- by 9-kilometre zinc-lead anomaly with locally high silver-copper and outlying areas of high copper-molybdenum was defined by soil sampling. Induced polarization and magnetic anomalies were tested by trenching and diamond drilling, which intersected subeconomic mineralization. The property was acquired by Placer Dome in the mid-1970s, and widely spaced diamond drilling was performed in 1977 and 1979 on monzonite targets south of Hanson Lake (MINFILE 093K 081).
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cazador Explorations conducted geological mapping, rock sampling, geochemical and geophysical surveys and an extensive diamond-drilling program on the Hanson Lake property.
In 1995, Columbia Yukon Resources, under an option with Metamin Enterprises Inc., completed four drillholes, totalling 961 metres, on the Bysouth zone.
In 2004, Abel Exploration Ltd. completed a small program of lithogeochemical sampling of historical trenches on the Kimura and Cyr zones.
In 2006, G.W. Kurz restaked the area and completed a small program of soil and stream sampling south of Hanson Lake. In 2010, the area was restaked by John Chapman and KGE Management Ltd.
During 2012 through 2015, the area was examined by Stone Ridge Exploration Corp. with programs of prospecting, soil, till and rock sampling; structural analysis and a 288 line-kilometre airborne ZTEM and aeromagnetic survey being completed.
In 2018, the area was prospected and sampled by J.B. Kreft.
