The Van Decar asbestos showing occurs in a region underlain mainly by the Mississippian to Triassic Cache Creek Group rocks. Into these, ultramafic rocks of the Trembleur Intrusives have been emplaced.

Asbestos mineralization occurs as veins within serpentinized peridotite of the Trembleur Intrusives. Three veins have been recognized, each 10 to 24 centimetres wide and 61 metres apart, outcropping over a distance of 6 metres. The asbestos fibres are tremolitic in composition and have their long axis normal to vein walls. The fibres are very brittle and are associated with some picrolite serpentine.

Work History

In 1987, the Mount Sidney Williams area was explored by Lacana Mining Corporation under an option agreement from Ursula Mowat. Rock, soil, silt, and heavy mineral samples were taken over the Van 1-2, Klone 1-2 and Mid claims; the Klone 3-8 and One-Eye 1 claims were also staked at this time. In 1988, Lacana Mining Corporation carried out an exploration program on the Klone Group and Van Group. Line cutting, geochemical (soil, silt, and rock) sampling, prospecting, geological mapping. and trenching were performed on the property.

Viceroy Resources Corporation optioned the property in 1989 and completed an extensive program of soil, silt, and rock sampling; geological mapping and seven diamond drill holes, totalling 305.3 metres, the following year. In 1991, Minnova Inc. completed a program of geological mapping and five diamond drill holes, totalling 511.4 metres. In 1994, Teryl Resources Corp. conducted a program of drilling and minor soil sampling on the Mount Sidney Williams property, which was 100 per cent owned by Ursula Mowat. Ten holes totalling 742.7 metres were drilled. These work programs were centered on the One Eye 1 and Klone 1 (MINFILE 093K 043) claims.

In 1996 and 1997, First Point Minerals Corp. explored the area for nickel-iron alloy (awaruite) potential. During 1998 through 2008, programs of geological mapping and sampling were completed on the Mount Sidney Williams and Decar properties by Ursula Mowat and FPX Nickel Corp. See the Mount Sidney Williams (MINFILE 093K 043) occurrence for further information on this work.

In 2009, First Point Minerals entered into a joint-venture option agreement with Cliffs Natural Resources Exploration Canada Inc. From 2010 to 2012, drilling, geophysical and geochemical surveys were conducted on the property delineating a large-scale, low-grade nickel deposit. In 2012, exploration focused on resource definition drilling on the Baptiste (MINFILE 093K 116) zone. Refer to Baptiste (Decar) for a detailed work history of the area.

During 2013 through 2018, further exploration programs were completed on the Decar property and focused on the Baptise (MINFILE 093K 116) occurrence.