The RDN property covers a felsic centre which lies near the top of the Early to Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group. Variably altered dacitic to trachytic volcanics and subvolcanic intrusives, with lesser rhyolite, are overlain by carbonaceous, pyritic argillite and pillow basalt.
Mineralization in the Blind Fault area is concentrated around structures, as veins, and also associated with several rhyolite lenses that occur within the intermediate volcanic stratigraphy of the area. New mineralization was identified in 2004 at the RTB Showing, the Red Creek showing in the south part of the area, and at the Was showing to the north. All three showings are characterized by fractured and veined siliceous host rock, possibly rhyolite, and pervasive iron carbonate alteration. Pyrite, galena, tetrahedrite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite are the most common sulphides.
The RTB Showing is a 65 by 35 metres zone of quartz veins, quartz stockwork and silicification hosted by fine grained clastic rocks and rhyolite. Sericite and ankerite alteration is ubiquitous. Tetrahedrite, galena, sphalerite, pyrite and native silver are present as well as malachite and azurite. The mineralization occurs up to 1 per cent in veinlets and fractures and 1-3 per cent disseminated in the host rock around the mineralized structures. About 50 metres north, minor mineralization occurs in fractured and flow banded rhyolite but with conspicuously less copper oxides and more pyrite.
A series of 31 channel samples, along with numerous grab and select samples, were taken over the RTB Zone. The channel samples were laid out to cross the showing in a semi-contiguous string perpendicular to the strike of the overall zone. The best interval sampled returned an average of 24.9 grams per tonne silver over 24.7 metres (Assessment Report 28107).
The Red Creek showing is located in a structurally controlled gully, 230 metres north of the RTB showing. The vein follows a structure oriented at 165 degrees and dipping 80 degrees west and is located at the contact between maroon massive dacite with about 1 per cent disseminated hematite to the west and dacite lapilli tuff to the east. The vein consists of brecciated quartz and iron carbonate with up to 5 per cent galena, sphalerite and pyrite. The zone is not fully exposed but may be as wide as 3 metres, and extends for 20 metres along strike where it is covered by overburden.
A third similar showing, the Was Showing, occurs about 550 metres to the north of Red Creek, exposed in a narrow sliver of outcrop surrounded by glacier. This showing consists of several imbricated, 0.6 to 1.0 metre thick lenses of rhyolite hosted within an ankeritic, brown weathering dacite crystal tuff. The rhyolite is brecciated with about 1 per cent galena and pyrite disseminated throughout the zone.
A new showing, the Carl Marks, was found to the south of the RTB Zone. Chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite and possibly bornite or covellite, occur in brecciated and veined intermediate tuff. The Carl Marks Showing is characterized by relatively high gold (up to 1.2 grams per tonne gold) and surprisingly low silver (up to 15 grams per tonne). Mapping in the area has not indicated large extent to this zone (i.e. several metres largest dimension). This mineralization lies structurally above a narrow rhyolite body which has also been mapped south of the RTB Zone.
In 2005, Equity Engineering Ltd conducted geological work and supervised a six-hole (1470 metre) drill program on behalf of Northgate Minerals Corporation. Work was divided between the RTB silver showing discovered in 2004, and the Arctic grid (see the new MINFILE occurrences RTB and Black Bear).
Please refer to the RDN (Wedge) MINFILE description - 104G 144, for a complete history of the property.
