The Yard 2 occurrence is located southeast of Yard Creek and between Vidette and Enright lakes.
The area is underlain by mafic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group exposed in a window eroded through flat-lying Miocene sedimentary rocks and plateau basalts of the Chilcotin Group. The uppermost Chilcotin Group strata form an extensive layer of plateau basalts of the Chasm Formation, underlain by volcanic ash and fluviatile and lacustrine sedimentary strata of the Deadman River Formation which occupy a northwest-trending Miocene channel. Nicola mafic volcanic rocks are generally augite andesites, and commonly show alteration to epidote, chlorite, calcite and disseminated pyrite. Argillite layers are intercalated with the mafic volcanic rocks and are commonly silicified and brecciated. Silicification, carbonatization and chloritization are other alteration features common in the Nicola rocks.
Locally, a zone of chalcedony (quartz-calcite-fluorite) veins, veinlets, stockworks and matrix breccia cuts hangingwall Eocene volcanics and footwall Nicola rocks. Diamond drilling has identified an epidote-chlorite-pyrite-calcite-hematite–altered diorite and granodiorite cut by quartz-calcite stockworks with local brecciation.
Work History
The area has been explored since the early 1900s in conjunction with the nearby Vidette (MINFILE 092P 086) mine.
In 1972, the area was staked as the VID group of claims by Keda Resources Limited (Assessment Report 4257), who completed a soil geochemical survey (355 samples). In 1981, Cominco Limited staked the property as a molybdenum prospect and completed widely-spaced reconnaissance magnetic and induced polarization surveys on what was then called the Gala property (Assessment Report 9223). Chevron Canada Resources Limited re-staked the property as the Gnome claim and undertook magnetometer surveys, soil and silt geochemical surveys (377 samples) and lithogeochemical surveys (59 samples) during an exploration program for molybdenum in 1983 (Assessment Report 12021). In 1986, Noranda Exploration Company completed a single NQ diamond drill hole (312.4 metres) under an option agreement with Chevron. In 1988, The Canadian Nickel Company optioned the Gnome claim from Chevron and completed a program of geological mapping, lithogeochemistry (17 samples), soil geochemical sampling (933 samples) and diamond drilling (825 metres in two holes; Assessment Report 18492). Mr. M. Dickens staked the adjoining EPI group and optioned the claims to the Canadian Nickel Company, who in 1988 (Assessment Report 17810) completed a program of geological mapping, soil geochemical surveying (961 samples) and lithogeochemistry (17 samples).
In 1989, Inco (Assessment Report 19136) completed five diamond drill holes (1140 metres) on the Yard 1 and 2 claims. A diamond drill hole (no. 72493) yielded intercepts of 1.08 gram per tonne gold over 14 metres and 4.55 grams per tonne gold over 2.77 metres, whereas another hole (no. 72495), located a short distance west, yielded up to 1.81 grams per tonne gold (Property File - C.J. Clayton [1990-12-13]: Re: EPI and Yard property exam).
In 2005 and 2006, Amarc Resources completed programs of prospecting, geochemical (stream sediment, soil and till) sampling and an induced polarization survey on the area immediately north as the Tulox property. This work identified at least three anomalous zones of gold values located in the Joe Ross Creek, Lastcourse Lake and Scot Creek areas to the east and northeast. Two rock float samples (RH-R-152 and HC-R-510) yielded 30.4 and 1.1 grams per tonne gold, respectively (Raven, W. (2008-01-08): Summary Report on the Tulox Property).
In 2007 and 2008, 0789982 BC Ltd. and Sitec Ventures Corp. examined the Tulox property. In 2012, Newlox Gold Ventures Corp. examined the Tulox property.
In 2020, Kermode Resources Ltd. completed a minor program of prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling on the area. A rock sample (108056) from the Yard 2 occurrence area assayed 5 grams per tonne silver and greater than 1.00 per cent copper (Davison, J.G. [2021-03-15]: Technical Report on the Vidette Lake Project: The X and Yard Claim Groups, Vidette Lake Area, South-Central Mining Region, B.C.).
