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File Created: 20-Jul-2013 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)
Last Edit:  09-Jun-2020 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name DISCOVERY WEST ZONE, D VEIN, G VEIN, DISCOVERY NORTH, VALENTINE MOUNTAIN Mining Division Victoria
BCGS Map 092B051
Status Prospect NTS Map 092B12W
Latitude 048º 30' 57'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 123º 53' 45'' Northing 5374020
Easting 433845
Commodities Gold Deposit Types I01 : Au-quartz veins
Tectonic Belt Insular Terrane Pacific Rim
Capsule Geology

The Discovery West Zone (D and G veins) is located on a westerly flowing un-named tributary of Tripp Creek, approximately 1.5 kilometres north of the Bear Creek Reservoir. The occurrence has been explored in conjunction with the Discovery Zone (MINFILE 092B 108) occurrence.

The occurrence 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 comprising 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, plus or minus 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 D and G veins consist of a surface fault zone with quartz-pyrite-marcasite and native gold mineralization localized along a schist/amphibolite contact with minor tourmaline and garnet alteration located 50 metres to the north.

The Discovery North gold bearing mineral zone, located 100 metres to the north of the D and G veins, follows an east-west trend (dipping steeply south), adjacent to the contact between the amphibolite and schist rock unit. The amphibolite/schist contact is characterized by shearing/faulting and silicification (quartz carbonate vein/replacement). Mineralization consists of minor amounts of pyrite, pyrrhotite (0.1 to 2 per cent), with trace chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite hosted in chloritized, silicified and carbonate- altered amphibolite (metavolcanic) and schist (metasediment). The amphibolite/schist contact related quartz-carbonate fissure veining is similar to the D vein structure.

In 1989, Noranda Exploration Ltd. optioned the property to explore for Kolar, India and/or Bendigo, Australia type auriferous quartz systems. The detailed exploration program focused on the “Discovery Zone” (west extension), “Braiteach:”and “BN, and Walker Ck. areas and consisted of 17.8 line kilometres of IP, 51.6 kilometres of magnetometer surveys, geological mapping (81.4 kilometres of grid lines), 1,355 soil samples, 1,121 rock chip samples and 727.2 metres of diamond drilling in five holes. DDH 89-24 intersected the D vein at 59.15 to 59.52 metres depth and assayed 73.3 grams per tonne gold across 0.37 metre. DDH 89-24 intersected the G vein at 65 metres depth and yielded 5.21 grams per tonne gold over 0.53 metre (Assessment Report 30402).

In 1998, a geological and exploration evaluation of the Valentine Mountain Gold property was carried out by Burgoyne Geological Inc. The report concluded that the highest priority exploration targets included the areas 50 to 300 metres east of and 200 to 600 metres west of the mill site. The high priority areas include Discovery (“B” and “C” veins) depth extension, Discovery West (Noranda DDH 89-24), and Log Dam zone.

In 2001 and 2002, Beau Pre Explorations completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and trenching. A sample (599332) from the D vein, containing trace visible gold, assayed up to 100.08 grams per tonne gold over 0.5 metre; another sample assayed 11.4 grams per tonne silver over 1.0 metre (Assessment Report 30402). In late 2003, a single diamond drill hole, totalling 305 metres, was completed to test the projections of the D and G veins. The D vein was intercepted at 172.5 to 180.9 metres depth and yielded 0.12 gram per tonne gold over 8.4 metres; while the G vein was intercepted at 215.03 to 223.54 metres depth and yielded 0.088 grams per tonne gold 8.51 metres. The North Zone was tested by drill hole V09DDH-5 and assayed 0.62 gram per tonne gold over 0.3 metre (Assessment Report 31548).

In 2008, Mill Bay Ventures acquired the Valentine Mountain property and completed a program of soil, rock and moss mat sampling and prospecting. 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. An indicated mineral resource was released the same year:

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Zone/Vein Tonnes Gold

(grams per tonne; uncut)

Discovery West 12,215 35.4

(Assessment Report 32500)

-------------------------------------------------------

In 2012, six diamond drill holes, totalling 1250.6 metres, were completed on the Discovery and Discovery West zones.

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Houle, J. (2013-03-27): Technical Report on the Valentine Mountain Property
EMPR PFD 672878, 672879, 680524

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