The Crow-Rea (Lori) molybdenum occurrence is located approximately 1.75 kilometres southeast of Rowley Creek and 5.5 kilometres south of Trout Creek.
The area between Rowley and Lost Chain creeks is underlain by two intrusive phases of the Middle Jurassic Osprey Lake Batholith. The more prominent unit consists of coarsely porphyritic granite to granodiorite, characterized by large pink orthoclase phenocrysts up to 2.5 centimetres in diameter. The second phase is comprised of fine- to medium-grained quartz monzonite to granodiorite.
The main (Noranda-Lori) zone consists of a zone of disseminated to rosettes, up to 3 centimetres across, of molybdenite and disseminated pyrite with trace chalcopyrite, 16.8 metres long and averaging 3 metres wide, in sheared and moderately silicified, medium- to fine-grained granodiorite, near the contact with the orthoclase porphyry to the east. Grab sampling indicates the zone averages 0.1 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 5177, Map 2b).
Diamond drilling (1974) in the vicinity of the main zone intersected minor fine-grained molybdenite in partially silicified and occasionally chloritized fine-grained granodiorite. Traces of molybdenite and chalcopyrite were also detected in the orthoclase porphyry. Alteration styles include silicification, open-space quartz fillings in breccia, potassium metasomatism, clayed feldspars, sericite-clay alteration and propylitic alteration.
Smaller showings of disseminated molybdenite, sometimes accompanied by pyrite, occur in fine- to medium-grained granodiorite in the vicinity of the main zone. Silicification usually accompanies this mineralization.
A second major zone of mineralization, referred to as the Webbsite or Webb zone, was identified in 1995 and is located approximately 450 metres northwest of the main (Noranda-Lori) zone. The zone comprises similar styles of mineralization and ‘classical’ porphyry alteration including potassium metasomatism with chloritic and clay alteration (Assessment Report 24558). The best developed mineralized and brecciated body is reported to strike 060 degrees and dip 40 degrees to the north. Later work, in 2005, indicated that the Webb zone comprises a granitic dike-like structure, up to 30 metres wide, that projects 450 metres to the southeast towards the main (Noranda-Lori) zone and 600 metres northwest to an area of anomalous historical geochemical samples, referred to as the Swamp anomaly. The dike structure trends northwest and dips northeast at 60 to 70 degrees with molybdenite occurring mainly along the upper or hangingwall of the dike.
Another zone of molybdenite mineralization, referred to as the A9 zone, is reported approximately 3.5 kilometres southwest of the main zone. This zone may correspond to the East Empress zone described in the (West) Empress (MINFILE 092HNE044) occurrence.
Work History
In 1974, Noranda Exploration Ltd. drilled two holes, totalling 301 metres, after completing geological, magnetometer, stream silt and soil geochemical surveys in the same year. Drilling yielded intercepts of up to 0.054 per cent molybdenum over 2.4 metres in hole CM-1, whereas grab samples from the area of the drillhole yielded values up to 0.22 per cent molybdenum and 0.65 per cent tungsten trioxide (Assessment Report 5177).
In 1979, Amoco Canada Petroleum Company Ltd. held the area as the Chain 1 claim.
In 1995 and 1996, Verdstone Gold Corporation and Molycor Gold Corporation completed a program of soil sampling, geological mapping, ground magnetic and induced polarization surveys, trenching, 56 diamond drillholes, totalling 8230 metres, and 4 percussion drill holes, totalling 365.8 metres, on the area as the Crow-Rea property. One drillhole intersected 9 metres of 0.26 molybdenum (0.44 per cent MoS2; Northern Miner, January 1, 1996). Other drilling intercepts are reported to include 0.273 per cent molybdenite over 38.4 metres in hole 95-9 and 9.7 per cent molybdenite over 0.6 metre in hole 95-02 (Assessment Report 24558).
The companies have reported a drill-indicated reserve on the Webb Site zone of 500 000 tonnes grading 0.19 per cent molybdenum (Information Circular 1997-1, page 27).
In 2005, Molycor Gold Corp. and Goldrea Resources Corp. completed 26 diamond drill holes, totalling 969.3 metres, on the Crow-Rea property. Drilling yielded intercepts including 0.292 per cent molybdenum over 10.6 metres in hole 05-06 and 0.117 per cent molybdenum over 16.7 metres in hole 05-11 (Assessment Report 28512).
In 2007, Molycor Gold Corp. and Goldrea Resources Corp. completed a further 10 diamond drill holes, totalling 720.0 metres, on the Crow-Rea property. Drilling yielded intercepts including 1.11 per cent molybdenum over 0.6 metre in hole 07-03 and 0.148 per cent molybdenum over 3.0 metres (Assessment Report 30080).
In 2014, Goldrea Resources Corp. and Nevada Clean Magnesium Inc. completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a 4.2 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Crow-Rea property. An outcrop rock sample (164960) from the main zone yielded 0.263 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 34818).
