The Della B (B Zone) occurrence is located on the eastern slopes of Haskins Mountain, approximately 3 kilometres south of Poorman Lake.

The area is underlain by a northwest-trending belt of Lower Cambrian Atan Group limestone and argillite, southeast of the Eocene Major Hart pluton granite stock. Mineralization occurs in a northwest-trending belt of Lower Cambrian Atan Group limestones, chert and argillite. West-dipping strata are locally deformed by small folds and steep faults trending both parallel and transverse to bedding. Base metal-rich garnet skarn lenses with pyrrhotite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, some pyrite, galena and reportedly native bismuth and bismuthinite, occur along carbonate-hornfels contacts and near contacts with granitic dikes and sills related to the Eocene Major Hart pluton. Both massive and disseminated sulphides occur.

It has been reported that trenching, drilling and underground development on the B zone shows that skarn-hosted mineralization occurs as three lenses with an aggregate strike length of 308 metres, an average true width of 8 metres and an average dip of minus 40 degrees with strong vertical continuity. Later, the B Zone was reported to have been traced on surface for 700 metres and comprise skarn with sulphides and magnetite. Underground development and drilling indicate that the B Zone had strong vertical continuity.

Work History

Claims were staked in this vicinity prior to 1906 by John W. Haskins of Victoria, and associates. In 1907, the claims were acquired by James Rosenthal and Adolph Kurz of Chicago. Some of the claims were surveyed that year and apparently subsequently Crown granted (Lot 301-303 and 330). Assessment work was reported in 1908 and 1909. The showings were reportedly inspected by A. Brindle, of Victoria in 1921, and restaked by him in 1923.

The area was staked in part by Yukon Ranges Prospecting Syndicate in the spring of 1948 and the following year a program of geological mapping, sampling and trenching was performed. Sampling of the “East Slope” zone yielded an average of 7.61 per cent zinc and 76.3 grams per tonne silver over 9.45 metres, whereas samples from the “Top” and “New Top” zones, located north of the previous sample, yielded 8.25 and 9.29 per cent zinc with 31.3 and 63.8 grams per tonne silver over 2.4 and 1.65 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 00048).

In 1961, prospectors R. Coutts and Emil Krysko staked several claims in the Joem and Rain groups, adjacent to the Snow property, and subsequently expanded their holdings to 47 claims almost surrounding the Snow property; the claims cover a molybdenum deposit located on the northwest side of the mountain and the lead-zinc mineralization described.

In 1965, United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Company discovered the “Main Zone” on Mount Haskins. This corresponds to the B Zone. In 1969, an aeromagnetic survey was flown for Brettland Mines Ltd. over an area that also included the Luna occurrence (MINFILE 104P 039).

In 1968, R & P Metals Corporation Limited and Iso Explorations Ltd in 1968 acquired an option on one-third interest each in the 47 claims. Under the agreement the option was transferred to Della Mines Ltd. Additional staking was done to a total of 165 claims.

In 1969 Ashland Oil Canada Limited purchased a one-third interest in the two-thirds interest held by R & P and Iso. In the same year, Spartan Explorations Ltd optioned from Della Mines Ltd. seven claims covering Della Mines' B Zone. A program of geological mapping, trenching, sampling and diamond drilling was carried out. Based on four drill holes, the main zone contained an indicated 250,000 tons (226,750 tonnes) with an average grade of 4 per cent lead, 5.5 per cent zinc (9.41 per cent combined lead-zinc), 0.1 per cent copper and 49.71 grams per tonne silver (Northern Miner, December 25, 1969).

In 1970, Della Mines began exploration of the B zone. Geological mapping on Joem 1 and 2, a geochemical soil survey (265 samples) covering Kao 4-15 and diamond drilling in seven holes, totalling 979 metres, on Joem 1 and 2 and Dako 8 were carried out. Underground exploration began in 1971, when the upper adit at 1542 metres elevation (5060 level) was driven 324.6 metres and underground drilling began.

In 1972, a shipment of approximately 90 kilograms of diamond drill core from the B Zone was submitted by Della Mines to Lakefield Research of Canada Limited. Lakefield determined the head grade to be 0.75 per cent copper, 0.47 per cent lead, 3.90 per cent zinc, 0.33 per cent bismuth and 120 grams per tonne silver (as reported by Carpenter and Gilmour [2008]). Lakefield found that better metal recoveries were obtained by selective flotation.

During 1972, the upper adit was extended a further 281 metres and underground drilling was completed to a total of 1060 metres. A lower adit, at the 1460-metre elevation (4790 level), was begun in 1972 and driven as a crosscut for 128 metres. In 1973, this adit was extended 445 metres, reaching the mineralized zone at approximately 442 metres from the portal. Surface diamond drilling was done in two holes, totalling 180 metres, on Rain 2. During 1974, surface diamond drilling was done in four holes, totalling 137 metres, on the Tibor 1 claim. In 1976, surface diamond drilling was done in four holes, totalling 119 metres, on Rain 2.

In the early 1970s, a non–NI 43-101 compliant combined ‘developed and inferred’ reserve estimate was reported at 1,723,652 tonnes grading 3.00 per cent zinc, 0.52 per cent copper, 0.24 per cent bismuth and 62.4 grams per tonne silver (George Cross News Letter No.151 [August 7], 1997).

in 1979, Ashland Oil changed its name to Kaiser Petroleum Ltd. In September, 1979, Iso Mines Limited amalgamated with Highmont Mining Corporation under the latter name. In 1979, Della Mines was owned by R & P Metals Corporation Limited (35 per cent), Kaiser Petroleum Ltd (35 per cent), Highmont Mining Corporation (23 per cent) and the vendors (7 per cent).

The claims were held by cash in lieu from the mid-1970s until 1993. In 1994, the area was prospected and sampled by Daniel W. Brett and the Debby claims.

In 1996, Daniel W. Brett completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Reed property. Two grab samples (FR96-84 and -85) of ore dumped at the entrance to the upper drift assayed 0.25 and 1.13 per cent lead, 5.07 and 6.07 per cent zinc, 1.64 and 0.73 per cent copper, 1.31 and 1.30 per cent bismuth, 0.21 and 0.06 per cent tungsten and 166.4 and 321.8 grams per tonne silver with 0.23 and 0.47 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24667).

In 2006, the area was prospected and sampled by G. Diakow and J. Hope as the Haskin claim.

In 2008, Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. completed a 917.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the Haskin-Reed property. The following year, a program of geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and trenching was completed on the property. On the Della B Grid and trenching zone, lithogeochemical sampling yielded strong analytical values for zinc, lead, copper, bismuth, silver and gold. Three trenches were dug over the massive sulphide outcrop, which occurs in the southwest quadrant of Crown grant L303. Samples FMR0966, FMR0989 to FMR 0997 were taken as 2- to 3-metre-long chip samples along the length of Della B Trench #1. Samples FMR0992 to FMR0997 recorded an average of 4.00 per cent zinc and 72.8 grams per tonne silver, 1.08 per cent lead, and 0.188 per cent copper over 18 metres along with strongly anomalous values for bismuth and tungsten (Assessment Report 31584). Samples FMR09107 to FMR09109 were collected from Trench #3, which was dug approximately 25 metres northwest of Trench #1. Analysis yielded 6.5 per cent zinc, 63 grams per tonne silver, 0.670 per cent lead and 0.110 per cent copper over 6 metres (Assessment Report 31584).

The following is taken from the Pacific Bay Technical Report by Carpenter and Gilmour (2008): “A historically reported 369,000 tonnes were developed at the 5060 level, 15 metres above and 15 metres below the level, grading 56.9 grams per tonne silver, 0.53 per cent copper, 2.77 per cent zinc, 0.47 per cent lead and 0.24 per cent bismuth (Lamont, 1974a). These figures were called “developed ore reserves” in a report by G.L. Lamont, PEng, dated February 7, 1974. These historical numbers were based on underground muck sampling and diamond core drilling. Also, in the same report, an “inferred ore reserve” of 1,370,000 tonnes was estimated from surface to the 4790 level, there are, excluding the developed reserves [369,000 tonnes described above]. The authors of this report (Carpenter and Gilmour (2008)) stated that they had not verified the grade and tonnage numbers of the 369,000-tonne zone, but the estimate appeared to have been "carried out in a professional manner acceptable for the time" and that inventory could be termed "a reliable historical estimate". No grades were assigned by Lamont to the 1,370,000 “inferred” tonnes, although later in his report the same grades as for the 369,000 tonnes were assumed in “potential value” calculations. [Total combined at the same grades are 1,739,000.] The reader is referred to Carpenter and Gilmour (2008) for further clarification. It should be noted that these combined values were reported differently in 1997 as 1,723,652 tonnes grading 3 per cent zinc, 0.52 per cent copper, 62.4 grans per tonne silver and 0.24 per cent bismuth (George Cross News Letter No.151 (August 7), 1997).

In 2011, drill hole 11BZ-10 was reported to have targeted the B Zone, intersecting 14 metres grading 102.59 grams per tonne silver, 0.52 per cent copper, 4.96 per cent zinc and 0.29 per cent bismuth (Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd, News Release, January 25, 2019).

In 2014, the Haskins Reed property contained the Della B (B Zone). The Haskins Reed property also contained the following occurrences: Joe Reed (MINFILE 104P 021), Luna (MEE) (MINFILE 104P 039), Mount Reed (Dome) (MINFILE 104P 043), Cobra (Tibor; MINFILE 104P 058), Brett (MINFILE 104P 136), Dako (MINFILE 104P 139), C Zone (Lot 303; MINFILE 104P 138), and Meteor (L330; MINFILE 104P 137).

In 2017, Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. completed a 2.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area immediately east of the occurrence. No significant anomalies were identified.