The Luna occurrence is located approximately 3 kilometres southeast of the summit of Mount Haskin and 102 kilometres north of the community of Dease Lake.
Regionally, the area is underlain by quartzite and quartz arenite sedimentary rocks of the Boya Formation and limestone, marble and calcareous sedimentary rocks of the Rosella Formation, both of the Lower Cambrian Atan Group, and limestone, slate, siltstone and argillite of the Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group. The sedimentary units have been intruded by granites of the Eocene Mount Reed stock.
Locally, magnetite skarn with sphalerite-chalcopyrite was reported in Lower Cambrian Atan Group limestone; the limestones contain some skarn alteration. More recent geological mapping has identified the primary lithologies underlying the showing area as a package of Atan Group sediments composed of interbedded quartzite with phyllite and limestone with dolostone.
Later work, in 2009, describes the MEE grid zone, located in the approximate area of the original Luna occurrence, and comprises a magnetite-wollastonite-tremolite skarn, developed in a carbonate-rich rock, containing bands of semi-massive magnetite, including concentrations up to 10 centimetres thick of high-grade sphalerite and lesser chalcopyrite, along with some pyrite and pyrrhotite. Several semi-parallel bands of magnetite and associated sulphides have a maximum total width of approximately 60 centimetres within a zone 1.3 metres wide.
Approximately 390 metres south of the original Luna occurrence, strongly mineralized magnetite skarn, 2 metres wide by 4 metres length, strikes 150 degrees and dips approximately 80 degrees northeast. The western contact of the skarn is with limestone and the eastern contact with hornfels. Massive replacement mineralization consists of sphalerite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite-pyrite and is greater than 1 metre wide at surface. The skarn alteration is within an area of strong faulting with strong epidote development.
See Joe Reed (MINFILE 104P 021) and Mount Reed (MINFILE 104P 043) occurrences for related geological and historical information.
Work History
In 1969, Brettland Mines Ltd. completed a 165.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the area as part of the Krain Option property.
In 1996, Daniel W. Brett completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Reed property. In 1997, Demand Gold Ltd. completed a program of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, nine diamond drill holes, totalling 1025.0 metres, and a 14.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Haskin Reed property.
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.
In 2009, Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. evaluated their Haskins-Reed property by geological mapping and prospecting. Reconnaissance and trench mapping were also performed. Several grids were established for control and soil (413) and rock (125) sampling conducted. Work confirmed a polymetallic showing and a large polymetallic soil anomaly on the property.
The initial phase of the 2009 exploration program comprised reconnaissance prospecting and grid construction to provide control for subsequent soil and rock sampling. The MEE grid was established on the western flank of Mount Reed. A total of 54 rock samples and 357 soil samples were collected from the 2200-metre-long by 600-metre-wide grid. The soil geochemical survey over the MEE grid was designed to test unexplored ground for potential mineralization. This subsequently resulted in the documentation of very high background lead, zinc and copper values and elevated to strong anomalous values for molybdenum and tungsten. Using the previous year’s airborne geophysical survey in combination with the geochemical survey, follow-up trenching took place using a small backhoe to expose the high zinc, lead and copper source within the MEE grid. A total of 44 metres of trenching was performed in six trenches.
During the 2009 exploration season, six trenches were excavated and several new skarn outcrops were discovered of the MEE grid. Lithogeochemical sampling throughout the grid has yielded elevated to strongly anomalous lead, zinc and copper with molybdenum and bismuth values. Samples FMR 0907 through FMR 0911 were collected from skarn outcrop. FMR 0907 yielded 1.93 per cent zinc, 0.0082 per cent tungsten, 0.0984 per cent lead, 0.0012 per cent molybdenum, 0.01918 per cent copper and 0.0074 per cent bismuth (Assessment Report 31584). Moving west across the outcrop at sample FMR 0909 the gold, bismuth and tungsten values increase, yielding up to 0.12 gram per tonne gold, 0.0446 per cent bismuth and 0.074 per cent tungsten, whereas the zinc and lead values drop (0.02151 per cent zinc, 0.0027 parts per million lead; Assessment Report 31584). Sample FMR 0968 was taken 5 metres north of the original MEE skarn discovery trench. The sample was taken over a 1.6-metre width and yielded 5.16 per cent zinc, 0.735 per cent copper, 0.073 per cent bismuth, 22.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.049 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 31584). A rock sample (FMR09016) of mineralized skarn material assayed 1.4 per cent zinc, 0.15 per cent copper and 5.5 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 31584).
In 2014, the area was held as part of the Haskins Reed property.
In 2017, Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd. completed a 2.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area immediately north of the occurrence. No significant anomalies were identified.
