The Clyde occurrence is located on the north side of Canyon Creek at an elevation of 400 metres, approximately 1.5 kilometres southwest of the creek mouth on Neroutsos Inlet.
Regionally, northwest striking, moderately west dipping, calcareous sediments of the Parson Bay Formation overlie Karmutsen Formation tholeiitic basalts, both of the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group. These are overlain by Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group andesitic to rhyodacitic lava, tuff and breccia, which are coeval with, or genetically related to Early-Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite granodiorite, occurring as small isolated plutons.
The occurrence lies in skarn-altered limy tuffs. The tuffs, with agglomerates, lenses of limestone and a 30-metre-thick limestone unit, form a 300-metre-thick assemblage overlying andesitic lava and underlying andesitic flows and tuffs. These rocks have been folded about a northwest plunging and trending axis. The beds on the southwest limb dip 35 to 55 degrees west. Basalt, diabase and feldspar porphyry dikes have intruded all rocks. A small diorite stock lies nearby on Mount Comstock.
Several northeast trending, ore-localizing faults are indicated, including a major 45 degree striking, 70 degree south dipping shear zone on the New Comstock claim. Lesser, steeply dipping, 330-degree striking faults contain mineralization.
Epidote-garnet skarn is confined to three stratigraphic horizons and contains most of the mineralization. The skarn is in altered tuff. Limestone beds have been recrystallized but are otherwise unaltered. Mineralization includes pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and sparse pyrite. Magnetite and specular hematite are locally present.
In 1953, two short diamond drill holes were completed on the portal of Tunnel 1 and intersected 5.55 metres averaging 1.42 per cent copper. During the same time, underground sampling of Tunnels 1, 2 and 3 yielded similar copper grades with up to 1.7 grams per tonne gold and 102.9 grams per tonne silver from sulphide zones (Assessment Report 25797).
In 1998, chip sampling of the Clyde occurrence yielded up to 1.95 per cent copper, 35.7 grams per tonne silver and 0.294 gram per tonne gold over 6 metres. Another, chip sample, taken 120 metres northeast of the Clyde portals, assayed 2.09 per cent copper, 31.7 grams per tonne silver and 0.914 gram per tonne gold over 3.5 metres. A select grab sample from the Clyde dump assayed 14.848 per cent copper, 1.25 per cent zinc, 188.3 grams per tonne silver and 1.87 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 25797).
Work History
The area has been explored in conjunction with the Yreka (MINFILE 092L 052) mine and was first staked in 1898. In 1903 and 1917, two test shipments were made. No information on these is reported. In 1970 and 1971, Green Eagle Mines completed programs of airborne electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical surveys, rock and soil sampling and ground magnetic survey on the area. In 1972, Iso Explorations completed a program of ground geophysical surveys, geological mapping and soil sampling. In 1998 and 1999, Talltree Resources completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and a ground electromagnetic survey on the area. During 2015 through 2019, Karmamount Mineral Exploration Inc. completed minor programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) and biogeochemical sampling and a 12.9 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Yreka property.
