The Mount Reed occurrence is located on Mount Reed, approximately 2 kilometres north of McDame Creek and 101 kilometres north of the community of Dease Lake.

Lower Cambrian Atan Group siltstones, quartzites, dolomites and argillites are 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.

The main stage of skarn development produced inner and outer zoned systems in metacarbonate rocks. The inner system progresses outward from massive magnetite skarn with garnet, diopside and rare molybdenum-rich scheelite to concentrically banded skarn with clinopyroxene, phlogopite, magnetite, chondrodite, vesuvianite and minor molybdenite-rich scheelite and molybdenite, to stockwork skarn of ludwigite-magnetite and magnesium-silicate veinlets. The outer system of characteristically banded skarn progresses outward from wollastonite skarn to andradite-pyroxene (-fluorite) skarn, to pyroxene-rich skarn. Scheelite, but not molybdenite, occurs in outer skarn zones.

Later-stage skarn consists of tabular vesuvianite-garnet bodies crosscutting both inner and outer zones. These are associated with narrow quartz veins and coarse, interstitial molybdenum-poor scheelite and molybdenite.

Endoskarn development occurs along the margins of the stock and in granitic dikes and consists of fine-grained garnet, clinopyroxene fluorite and scheelite.

Metapelitic hornfelses adjacent to carbonate beds or along fractures have also undergone skarn alteration, consisting of diopside-plagioclase-quartz skarn and scheelite-bearing quartz veinlets with biotite envelopes.

The southeastern part of the Mount Reed stock is cut by a weak molybdenite-pyrite-quartz stockwork with muscovite vein envelopes. Argillic alteration is well developed in the western part of the stock.

At least two small massive pyrrhotite-garnet skarn bodies occur just west of the stock near carbonate-hornfels contacts. Sphalerite and minor chalcopyrite, galena and arsenopyrite occur in these bodies.

Several sphalerite-bearing quartz veins occur in the area near the periphery of the mineralizing system approximately 1.3 kilometres southeast (see Joe Reed, MINFILE 104P 021).

Drilling, through 1981, has indicated that the skarn zones occur as isolated lenses formed within limestone-skarn embayments at the granite stock contact, with the best skarn zones being developed at the stratigraphic upper and lower transition zones of the limestone member with lack of continuity due to the variability in the attitude of the contact of the granite stock. The variability of the granite contact results in the skarn zones being cut-off by the granite.

In 1970 and 1971, diamond drilling is reported to have yielded up to 0.16 per cent tungsten tri-oxide over 73.8 metres, including 0.133 per cent molybdenite and 0.24 per cent tungsten tri-oxide over 6 metres, in hole 70-6 and 0.211 per cent molybdenite with 0.17 per cent tungsten tri-oxide over 68.1 metres in hole 71-1 (Assessment Report 7069).

In 1978, drillhole 78-2 yielded 0.219 per cent molybdenum and 0.15 per cent tungsten tri-oxide over 67.5 metres (Assessment Report 7069). The following year, drillhole R-79-3 yielded 0.130 per cent molybdenum and 0.33 per cent tungsten tri-oxide over 48.9 metres (Assessment Report 7572).

In 1980, diamond drilling on the southwest extension of the mineralized zone yielded intercepts of up to 0.174 per cent molybdenite, 0.18 per cent tungsten tri-oxide and 0.013 per cent tin over 32.7 metres in hole R-80-3 (Assessment Report 8421). The following year, drilling yielded up to 0.23 per cent tungsten tri-oxide over 65.1 metres in hole 81-11 (Assessment Report 9809).

Work History

The area of the Joe Reed silver-lead-zinc vein (MINFILE 104P 021) was staked and worked from 1947 to 1949 by Yukon Ranges Exploration. In 1955 and 1956, Cominco optioned the property and drilled five holes, totalling 455 metres, on the Joe Reed vein.

In 1968, the claim block was extended to the northwest to cover the Mount Reed granite porphyry stock. In 1969, the property was optioned to Brettland Mines Ltd. and Glen Copper Mines Ltd. Work consisted of geological, geochemical, magnetic and induced polarization surveys. Later in 1969, the property was option from J. Reed by Glen Copper Mines Ltd and Brettland. Work in 1969 included geological mapping, silt and soil geochemistry, induced polarization and magnetometer surveys. The geochemistry highlighted areas of molybdenum and tungsten mineralization. In late 1969, Pacific Petroleum Ltd optioned a one-third interest in the property. In 1970, geological mapping, magnetometer survey, trenching and a 14-hole, 1250-metre drilling program was completed. All the options were dropped by 1971.

In 1971, Reed Mines Ltd optioned the property from J. Reed. The property was optioned from Reed Mines by Glen Copper and four holes, totalling 375 metres, were drilled.

In 1978, Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. optioned the property from J. Ashton and A. Macdonald and carried out a bedrock geochemical survey and drilled three holes totalling 153 metres. In 1979, Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. drilled four holes totalling 406 metres. In 1980, Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. mapped the geology in the immediate area of the Mount Reed granite porphyry stock and drilled seven holes totalling 863 metres. A report by R. Lasmanis, P.Eng., stated that all holes “encountered significant intercepts of tungsten/molybdenum.” In 1981, work comprised the construction of access roads and drill pads, the drilling of 18 holes totalling 2668.2 metres, geological mapping of the skarn types marginal to the Mount Reed stock, and geological mapping in the area of Mount Reed.

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

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.

In 2014, the area was held as part of the Haskins Reed property.