The Joe Reed occurrence is located on the south slope of Mount Reed, between Good Hope and Hot lakes, approximately 101 kilometres north of the community of Dease Lake.

The area is underlain by Lower Cambrian Atan Group siltstones, quartzites, dolomites and argillites that have been intruded by the Eocene Mount Reed granitic stock. A contact aureole extends approximately 0.5 kilometre around the stock, with metamorphic conditions having attained pyroxene-hornfels facies adjacent to the stock. Early northwest-trending faults parallel stratigraphy and the long axis of the intrusion, and these faults are cut by later northeast-trending faults.

Locally, Lower Cambrian Atan Group quartzite, limestone and dolomite are cut by a persistent north-trending fault. A steeply west-dipping quartz vein averaging 1.5 metres wide can be traced along strike for 170 metres within the fault zone, locally along the clastic-carbonate contact. Footwall carbonates are brecciated. Sulphide mineralization consists of galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite and pyrite.

Work History

The first mineral discovery in the immediate area was made in 1937 by Joe Reed, who discovered a lead-zinc-silver vein on the southwestern flank of Reed Mountain and staked the first claims in the area on what is now known as the Joe Reed vein.

In 1949, the property was optioned to Yukon Ranges Exploration Ltd., where work consisted of trenching and sampling.

In 1955 the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (Cominco) optioned the property and, in 1956, drilled five diamond drill holes, totalling 457 metres, testing the Joe Reed vein to a depth of 60 metres and over a strike length of 170 metres. In 1956, indicated ore for the Joe Reed zone was reported to be 36,284 tonnes grading 219.39 grams per tonne silver, 5.5 per cent lead and 4.14 per cent zinc and 36,284 tonnes inferred resource at the same grade (J. Richardson, 1956, as quoted by J. Kruzick, 14/02/80 - in Gulf Titanium Ltd. Statement of Material Facts, Dec. 3, 1980 [Property File]).

In 1968, the claim block was extended to the northwest to cover the Mount Reed granite porphyry stock. The Iron Cap 7 and 8, and Dome 1-76 claims were optioned in 1969 by Brettland Mines Ltd. and Glen Copper Mines Limited as a joint venture. Work during the year included geological mapping, airborne magnetometer and ground induced polarization surveys, geochemical soil and silt sampling, and trenching. Molybdenum-tungsten mineralization was discovered on the Dome claims (MINFILE 104P 043).

Pacific Petroleum Ltd. funded the exploration work in 1970; geological mapping and a ground magnetometer survey were carried out over the Iron Cap claims. Glen Copper and Brettland Mines dropped their option on the property in Oct. 1970. The claims were subsequently transferred by Mr. Reed, then to Reed Mines Ltd., a private company incorporated in December 1970. Glen Copper Mines Limited re-optioned the property in 1971 and carried out 364 metres of diamond drilling in two holes. Reed Mines Ltd. was dissolved in March 1978. The Joe 1-8 claims were staked on the showings in July 1979 for G.H. and C.F. Brett, D. Farrell and associates, and transferred to Gulf Titanium Ltd. in May 1980.

Also during 1978 through 1981, Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and silt) sampling and diamond drilling on the area as the Mount Reed property. This work was centred on molybdenum-tungsten skarn mineralization associated with the nearby Mount Reed (MINFILE 104P 043) occurrence.

In 1997, International KRL Resources Corp. completed a 315.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area.

In 2008, a geochemical survey was performed on the southern flank of Mount Reed by Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. A soil geochemical grid established near the Joe Reed silver-lead-zinc vein outlined a large and strong multielement anomaly, 800 metres long and 125 to 500 metres wide (Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd, News Release, January 19, 2009). The second part of the 2009 exploration program consisted of trenching and geochemical sampling using the results of the 2008 survey and the airborne geophysical survey. Using the old Joe Reed vein road, a small backhoe was walked up the hill to perform follow-up trenching on the anomalous areas. Most of the trenching was performed along the road cut. A total of 234 metres of excavating was performed over 14 different trenches. A total of 11 soil, 46 rock and 5 silt samples were collected from the target area. Also in 2008, a 917.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey was completed on the area as the Haskin-Reed property.

Lithogeochemical results showed elevated to strongly anomalous analytical values for lead, tungsten, copper, bismuth and gold. Of the two anomalous specimens collected, sample FMR 0923 was collected from Trench #2. The trench was 1.5 metres deep and the rock sample was taken 0.5 metre up from bedrock and may have been transported material. Analysis yielded greater than 0.01 per cent tungsten, 0.058 per cent copper, 0.037 bismuth and 0.092 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 31584).

Another float sample (FMR09003), collected in 2009 from the occurrence area, assayed greater than 1.0 per cent zinc and lead, each, greater than 30 grams per tonne silver and 0.41 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 31584).