The Laidman occurrence is located approximately 3.1 kilometres northwest of Laidman Lake, 8 kilometres northeast of Johnny Lake and 120 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof.
The Laidman property is underlain by generally undeformed and unaltered granite (quartz monzonite) of a phase of the Late Jurassic Laidman batholith.
Extensive argillic alteration and quartz vein stockworks have been exposed by trenching in the Discovery and 110 zones. Trench exposures illustrate the nature of these zones as east-northeast striking shear zones within which the granitic host is fine-grained, grey-green in colour, well foliated and locally exhibits a brecciated quartz monzonite phase.
A shear containing quartz and pyrite cuts the granite at a 075 degree azimuth parallel to a forestry road and poorly outcrops on the roadbed and on a landing. Rock samples from this location were analyzed and yielded up to 2.5 grams per tonne gold and 25.5 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 23751). At another location, a quartz stockwork zone between 15 and 20 metres wide contained 1 to 2 metre thick quartz veins in intensely sericitized and silicified granite.
Quartz veins within the tectonized intervals are white to translucent, massive to vuggy and contain disseminated aggregates of sulphide minerals. Quartz veins are typically on the scale of centimetres in size and form sheeted vein sets over narrow intervals. Argillic and chlorite alteration is typical of these zones, with well constrained intervals of sericitization and silicification. Pyrite is common, varying from trace occurrences to less than 5 per cent occurring as fine disseminations, fracture fillings and veinlets. Rare traces of chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite and bismuthinite have locally been observed.
Work History
In 1981, Kennco Explorations Limited carried out a reconnaissance geological and geochemical survey over Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary Ootsa Lake Group acid volcanics in an area south of Burns Lake. The survey included geological traverses, silt, rock, soil, and heavy mineral in silt sampling. Based on results from the survey, claims were staked over three areas returning strong gold anomalies in heavy mineral in silt samples. The Tia claims were staked over the area now known as the Laidman property. Two heavy mineral in silt samples collected from the Tia claims returned strongly anomalous gold values of up to 1875 parts per billion gold, with one silt sample returning 105 parts per billion gold (Property File - Stevenson, R.W., 1982).
Cogema Resources Incorporated restaked the claims in 1994 as the Laidman property after encountering gold mineralization during prospecting. Exploration work that year consisted of geological mapping, prospecting, rock geochemistry and reconnaissance-style soil geochemistry. Mineralized and quartz-veined intrusive rocks of the Laidman batholith were first discovered by Cogema prospectors in October 1994.
Phelps Dodge Corporation of Canada Limited optioned the property in 1995, when they established 21.2-line kilometres of grid to evaluate the Discovery outcrop area and its potential strike extension and collected 746 soil samples and 190 rock samples. A 1:10,000-scale geological mapping program was undertaken, followed by 20 kilometres of magnetometer and very low-frequency electromagnetic geophysical surveys. As a result of this work, the anomalous Discovery zone was identified. The following year, Phelps Dodge extended the pre-existing grid by 32 line-kilometres. A total of 747 soil samples and 199 rock samples were collected and submitted for analysis. Approximately 10 square kilometres were prospected and 1:7500-scale geological mapping was completed over the grid area. Four mechanical backhoe trenches totalling 183 metres were excavated immediately east of the Discovery zone. A new zone of mineralization known as the 110 zone was identified approximately 1.2 kilometres northeast of the Discovery zone. The 110 zone coincided with an approximately 200 by 1000 metre area of partially exposed quartz breccia that returned anomalous gold and silver soil sample values. An angular float sample from a trench on the main (Discovery) zone yielded 19.6 grams per tonne gold, 10.0 grams per tonne silver and 1.75 per cent lead (Assessment Report 24234).
In 1996, 18 samples from the 110 zone yielded from 0.114 to 1.404 grams per tonne gold, whereas eight samples of quartz float and skarnoid material, taken several hundred metres west of the Laidman occurrence, yielded from 0.456 to 8.480 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24857).
In 1997, Phelps Dodge completed five diamond-drill holes totalling 1004.5 metres. Hole 97-1 tested the Discovery zone to a depth of 203.3 metres and holes 97-2 to 97-5 tested the newly discovered mineralization in the 110 zone. The primary hostrock intersected in all drillholes was quartz monzonite to diorite intrusive rock with local dacite dikes and quartz veins. Alteration intensity and type varied from weakly argillic to strongly sericitic with local zones of intense silicification. Pyrite commonly occurred but overall sulphide content was low, with only narrow intervals of up to 5 per cent pyrite and rare chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite. No further work was completed and the claims were allowed to lapse. The best results obtained from the 1997 diamond drill program were a 4.1-metre interval of heavily silicified material between two dacite dikes in hole 97-5 that averaged 0.643 gram per tonne gold and an 18-metre interval in hole 97-4 that averaged 0.116 gram per tonne gold, both on the 110 zone (Assessment Report 25380).
Geoffrey Goodall restaked the claims in 2001 as the Entiako 1 claim. Later that year, Goodall undertook a minor prospecting program that was cut short due to early snowfall. A total of 12 rock samples were collected, four of which returned anomalous values for gold. A rock sample (JB36) from the Discovery showing area yielded 4.70 grams per tonne gold and 10.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 26928).
In 2003, Bard Ventures Limited optioned the property, acquiring a 20 per cent stake from Goodall. Bard Ventures completed 18 line-kilometres of induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveying over the Discovery and 110 zones. The following year, Bard Ventures completed three NQ-size diamond-drill holes totalling 705.6 metres. No economic mineralization was encountered and the property was later returned to Goodall.
In 2010, National Gold Corporation acquired the property from Goodall and hired Goodall and Global Geological Services Incorporated to embark on an exploration program including 28 kilometres of grid expansion and infill and the collection and analysis of 996 soil samples from the central and northern portions of the grid.
In 2011, Global Geological Services completed a program of prospecting, rock sampling, trenching and 31.6 kilometres of induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveying over the northern portion of the property. Approximately 150 metres of trenching was completed over 19 trenches and 107 samples were collected from the trenches. Sampling of the trenches is reported to have yielded up to 0.552 gram per tonne gold from trench 9 (Assessment Report 38344).
In 2014, New Gold Inc. completed a program silt and till (indicator mineral) sampling on the area as part of the Blackwater and Capoose properties.
In 2018, National Golf Corp. completed a program of rock sampling on the Laidman property.
