The Lone Star (Rey Oro and C.D.) property lies in the Zeballos gold camp on the northeast side of Goldvalley Creek, approximately 2.2 kilometres south of the creekâs junction with the Zeballos River.
Regionally, the area is underlain by Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group basaltic to rhyolitic volcanic rocks. Conformably underlying the Bonanza volcanic rocks are limestones and limy clastics of the Triassic to Lower Jurassic Parson Bay Formation (Bonanza and Vancouver groups) and Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation (Vancouver Group), and tholeiitic basalts of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). Dioritic to granodioritic plutons of the Zeballos intrusion phase of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite have intruded all older rocks. The Zeballos stock, a quartz diorite phase of the Eocene to Oligocene Mount Washington Plutonic Suite, is spatially related to gold-quartz veining in the area. Bedded rocks are predominantly northwest striking, southwest dipping, and anticlinally folded about a northwest axis.
Locally, several quartz veins have been identified covering an area of approximately 460 metres and are located near the centre of the Eocene Zeballos quartz diorite stock. A vertical, 1.2-metre wide andesite dike, striking 050 degrees, is the only other rock type present. The veins range from 1.0 to several centimetres in width, are steeply dipping, strike between 045 and 074 degrees and generally occupy narrow shear zones. Mineralization consists of pyrite with lesser amounts of arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite and locally chalcopyrite in a quartz gangue.
The Main (No. 4) vein strikes 045 degrees and dips 80 degrees south and has been traced over a strike distance of 219 metres and vertically for 98 metres. It was developed by the 1200, 1300 and 1400 level drifts and associated sublevels, raises and winzes. The vein was stoped from the surface to the 1400 level. On the 1200 level the vein follows a shear zone 5 to 45 centimetres wide. Vein material consists of quartz, pyrite and arsenopyrite, with minor sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite. Particles of native or free gold have been reported associated with streaks or lenses of sulphides. The vein ranges generally from 2.5 to 12.5 centimetres in width but in places the shear is occupied by only sheared rock and gouge. Several diagonal veins are present, dipping vertically and striking east, suggesting that the northwest or hangingwall of the vein moved northeast and down. Also, at the 1200 level, several quartz stringers parallel to the main vein are found in crosscuts. They are 5 to less than 0.5 centimetres wide. Narrow zones of bleaching envelope all veins.
The Main (No.4) vein structure is believed to intersect the main Rimy (MINFILE 092L 016) vein structure to the northeast.
Assays range from less than 3 grams per tonne gold to 494 grams per tonne gold in the Number 4 vein (Bulletin 27, page 100), whereas a sample over 10 centimetres of high-grade material on the 1200 level assayed 145.4 grams per tonne gold and 51.4 grams per tonne silver (Bulletin 27, page 98).
In 1938, channel sampling is reported have an average grade of 145.6 grams per tonne gold over an average width of 18 centimetres along a strike length of 55 metres, or a diluted 28.98 grams per tonne gold over a mining width of 76 centimetres (Geological Survey of Canada Paper 40-12, page 24).
In 1940, a select sample from the underground workings on the No. 4 vein yielded 724.5 grams per tonne gold over a width of 4.5 centimetres (Property File - C.C. Starr [1940-08-15]: Notes of Preliminary Examination of the C.D. Mine, formerly known as the Rey Oro Mine).
In 1941, underground sampling of the No. 1 ore shoot, located northeast of the shaft, yielded averages of 467.1 grams per tonne gold from 10 samples over a width of 9.5 centimetres and a length of 18.0 metres on the 1300 level, 114.3 grams per tonne gold from 15 samples over a width of 7.0 centimetres and a length of 18.0 metres on the 1400 level and 82.0 grams per tonne gold from 10 samples over a width of 16.4 centimetres and a length of 21.9 metres from the east side of an ore shoot located approximately 6.6 metres above the 1400 level (Property File - P.E. Hopkins [1941-02-26]: Report on C.D. Mining Company Limited [Lonestar and Adjoining Claims]). Underground sampling of the No. 2 ore shoot, located southwest of the shaft, averaged 129.8 grams per tonne gold over a width of 10 centimetres and a length of 40.2 metres on the 1250 level and 167.4 grams per tonne over a width of 6 centimetres and length of 39.0 metres on the 1300 level (Property File - P.E. Hopkins [1941-02-26]: Report on C.D. Mining Company Limited [Lonestar and Adjoining Claims]).
In 1981, samples from a recently identified section of the No. 4 vein, located east and above the original No. 4 vein workings at an elevation of approximately 480 metres, yielded up to 124.8 grams per tonne gold over 15 centimetres (Property File - Angle Gold Exploration Ltd. [1983-06-08]: Report on the Angle Gold Exploration Ltd. Zeballos Property).
In 1983, a surface chip sample (7980), taken from the same section of the No. 4 vein as the previous sample in 1981, yielded 128.5 grams per tonne gold over a length of 2.4 metres, whereas underground sampling from the new adit on the 1550 level yielded up to 11.5 grams per tonne gold over 30 centimetres (Property File - Angle Gold Exploration Ltd. [1983-06-08]: Report on the Angle Gold Exploration Ltd. Zeballos Property).
Other veins include the No. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (McDonald) veins, and the J & E vein.
The No. 1 vein is located along Goldvalley Creek approximately 75 metres northwest and downstream of the main tunnel on the No. 4 vein. Gold values are reported from the vein, but no further information has been reported.
The No. 2 vein, located approximately 69 metres northwest and downstream of the main tunnel, comprises narrow quartz fractures with minor pyrite and galena in a granodiorite host and associated with a 0.9-metre wide andesite dike that strikes northeast-southwest.
The No. 3 vein, located approximately 9 metres below the main tunnel, comprises quartz fractures hosting pyrite over a width of 45 centimetres. The fractures strike northeast-southwest and dip nearly vertical.
The No.6 and 7 veins, located approximately 78 metres southeast of the main tunnel, have been explored by an opencut and a 24.6-metre adit. The veins strike north 70 degrees east and dip nearly vertical. Rare visible gold has been reported from the veins.
The McDonald (No. 8) vein is exposed by an opencut located approximately 210 metres northeast of the main tunnel on the No. 4 vein and comprises a fissure or shear zone, up to 1.8 metres wide, with a 2.5- to 5.0-centimetre wide quartz vein hosting minor pyrite, arsenopyrite and sphalerite mineralization with some gouge and associated with an aplite dike along the footwall of the shear zone. The vein strikes north 55 degrees east and dips 70 degrees northwest to near vertical.
In 1940, select samples from the McDonald vein yielded up to 2.5 grams per tonne gold over a width of 9 centimetres (Property File - C.C. Starr [1940-08-15]: Notes of Preliminary Examination of the C.D. Mine, formerly known as the Rey Oro Mine).
In 1941, a select sample from the McDonald vein assayed 3.1 grams per tonne gold (Property File - P.E. Hopkins [1941-02-26]: Report on C.D. Mining Company Limited [Lonestar and Adjoining Claims]).
The J & E vein is reported to be exposed by two opencuts near the centre of the J. & E. (L.1056) Crown grant to the west of the No. 4 vein and associated workings at an elevation of approximately 488 metres. The 0.6- to 2.5-centimetre wide quartz vein strikes north 50 degrees east with a dip of 70 degrees northwest and hosts minor galena, sphalerite and pyrite. Either side of the vein the host diorite is altered and pyritized with some gouge over widths of 0.6 to 15 centimetres.
In 1941, 2.5- to 5.0-centimetre wide grab samples of the J & E vein yielded from 5.6 to 13.1 grams per tonne gold (Property File - P.E. Hopkins [1941-02-26]: Report on C.D. Mining Company Limited (Lonestar and Adjoining Claims).
In 1983, reserves for the No. 4 vein were reported at approximately 4364 tonnes grading 15.6 grams per tonne gold between the 1300 and 1400 levels (Property File - Angle Gold Exploration Ltd. (1983-06-08): Report on the Angle Gold Exploration Ltd. Zeballos Property).
In 1934, the C.D. claims and associated Lone Star (L.1052), J. & E. (L.1056), K Fraction (L.1751) and Axe Fractions (L. 1752) Crown grants were staked. In 1937, Ry Oro Gold Mining Company developed the main 1200 level adit, located at an elevation of approximately 417 metres, and the 590-level adit. During 1939 through 1941, the C.D. Mining Company Ltd. completed a winze between the 1200 and 1400 levels and developed the 1300 and 1400 levels from the winze. Development work by this time included 493.5 metres of drifting and crosscuts on three levels and a 37.5 metre winze on the No. 4 vein, and three short tunnels, totalling 37.5 metres, on other veins.
During 1938 through 1941 production of 6779 tonnes of ore from the Main vein yielded 143 kilograms gold, 44 kilograms silver, 470 kilograms copper and 2982 kilograms lead (Bulletin 27, page 98).
During 1980 through 1983, Ange Gold Exploration Ltd. examined the property and completed 25.5 metres of drifting along the No. 4 vein from an adit (1550 level) located east of the previous workings at an elevation of approximately 465 metres.
