The Edson occurrence area is underlain by Upper Paleozoic metasediments of the Stikine Assemblage that consists of severely crumpled and folded quartz-chlorite-mica schists and phyllites. Ten per cent of these contorted sediments are made up of white quartz in the form of irregular masses, gashes and disconnected pods scattered throughout the sediments. These massive white quartz veins and gashes are deficient in sulphides, except for a trace of chalcopyrite and bornite observed at one locality.

The Edson showing consists of chalcopyrite and pyrite mineralization, observed in the above rock, in granular pods and massive blebs which at least in part are connected with folding. The mineralized outcrops are scattered over a strike distance of about 300 metres with widths less than 60 centimetres. The longest continual mineralized exposure was traced over 30 metres. A chip sample over 2 metres assayed 0.34 gram per tonne gold, 20.6 grams per tonne silver, and 0.70 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1966, page 24).

In the south part of the Gran 31 claim, are numerous outcrops of volcanics. These rocks are dark green and massive, they contain 1 to 3 per cent fine grained euhedral pyrite and locally, host thin quartz vein stockworks. At one outcrop, where the volcanics are cut by thin felsic dikes, the volcanics are intensely silicified and veined. Samples 31831 taken from this zone, yielded 0.43 gram per tonne gold. This was the highest value obtained from the property by Homestake in 1989.

Work History

The area was staked in 1966 as the Eldson Group which consisted of 64 claims. That year, Cominco carried out geological mapping, geophysical work, hand trenching and 50 meters of diamond drilling in three holes. The work was done to explore an area of scattered outcrops of phyllitic sediments containing minor disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite. The longest mineralized exposure was traced over 38 meters of strike.

In 1989, Homestake Mineral Development Company conducted prospecting as well as the collection of 23 rock samples, 16 silt samples, 1 soil sample and 2 heavy mineral samples (Assessment Report 19068). Also in 1989, Homestake Mineral Development Company conducted a program of geological mapping and rock sampling over the entire claim group with the exception of the precipitous southwest corner of the Gran 34 claim. During the course of the program, a total of thirty eight rock samples were collected for assay (Assessment Report 20151).

In 1990, operator Yukon Minerals Corp conducted a program of reconnaissance traverses on the property that targeted contacts between sedimentary rocks and gabbro, and several large fault zones. Eighteen rock samples and 112 soil samples were collected. One rock sample (BR90-9) of argillite containing lenses and veins of calcite, pyrite and chalcopyrite assayed 0.6 gram per tonne gold, 7.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.12 per cent copper (Assessment Report 21859).

The reported location of the Edson group is so vague that it is not necessarily contained within the Gran claims though Homestake describes it as part of the previous work history in its 1989 report. The fact that Homestake does not mention visiting the Edson showings indicates that it may in fact be located elsewhere.