Work History
Originally staked as Cameron cl 1-3 (16473) in Sep/17 by J. Alverson, J. Scougale and J. Philip who carried out trenching, drove a 13 m adit and completed a single crosscut. The Geological Suvey of Canada (GSC) visited the area in 1921 and carried out geological mapping and geochemical rock sampling.
Restaked by Hoyle Mining Company Ltd as Paul cl 1-8 (56420) in Jun/47 and likely drove a second adit on the showing about 1948. The property was transferred to Beaver River Silver Lead Mines Ltd in 1952, surveyed in 1953, taken to lease in 1956 and transferred to Ventures Claims Ltd in 1959 which was taken over by Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd in 1962.
In 1964 the GSC carried out reconnaissance geochemical stream sediment sampling of this area as part of a larger survey encompassing the Keno Hill area. The results of this work were subsequently published as a series of 14 preliminary maps.
In Apr/68, Bullion Mountain Mining Ltd tied on the Priority cl 1-64 (Yl4570) to the north. The property was extensively fringe staked in Feb/72 as Star and C cl (Y57196) to east by Pine Lake Mines Ltd; Rex cl (Y57164) to south by Highhawk Mines Ltd and Marshall Creek Copper Company Ltd; and Command cl (Y57232) to the west by Command Resources Ltd. The Rex group was partially restaked as Tom cl (Y69404) in Jul/73 by G.A. Whatley.
In 1974, Bullion Mountain Mining Ltd optioned the Paul claims and carried out geological mapping, bulldozer trenching and drilled 7 holes (356.9 m) later that year. Bullion Mountain subsequently dropped the option and the claims reverted to Ventures Claims Ltd (Falconbridge) which obtained a second 21 year mining lease on the claims
In Aug/87 NDU Resources Ltd staked Lark cl 43-113 (YA83566) to surround the Paul claims after optioning the adjoining Clark deposit (Minfile Occurrence # 106D 011), which is located 4.8 km to the north-northeast. They carried out geochemical stream sediment sampling of the area surrounding this occurrence in conjunction with their work program on the Clark deposit.
Restaked as Cam cl 1-48 (YC02682) in Feb/2001 by Tanana Exploration Inc, which carried out prospecting before optioning the claims to Noranda Inc in Jul/2001. Noranda drilled 3 holes (296.6 m) later in the year before dropping the option and returning the claims to Tanana.
Capsule Geology
The claims are underlain by northwest-southeast striking, moderately to steeply south dipping quartzite, chloritic to graphitic phyllite, chert and limestone of the Upper Proterozoic to Lower Cambrian Hyland Group and are situated in one of several thrust panels south of the regional scale Dawson Fault.
The original adit was driven in a mineralized zone 15 m wide which consists of bands of galena and sphalerite 5 to 15 cm wide, which occur with pyrite, chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite in siderite. A character sample of galena collected by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in 1921 assayed 2 605.6 g/t silver, 56.8% lead and trace gold. A similar character sample of picked material from the adit dump, also collected by the GSC, assayed 1 388.5 g/t silver, 40.9% lead, 10.8% zinc, 0.3% copper, 0.09% antimony and 0.17 g/t gold. This mineralization closely resembles the mineralization at the nearby Clark deposit (Minfile Occurrence # 106D 011) located 4.8 km to the north-northeast.
The mineralized zone, which occurs along a strong fault striking N 27E and dipping 60 to 70 degrees to the southeast, has been traced on surface for a length of 290 m in trenches and adits before disappearing under overburden. An iron cemented conglomerate (ferrecrete ?) was noted by the GSC on trend with the line of trenches, approximately 75 m beyond the last trench to the northeast in a small creek. The best mineralization occurs along 121.9 m of strike length where both walls of the fault are in limestone.
During 1974, six holes were drilled along 198.1 m of the strike length of the fault, which is still open in both directions. The following results were reported:
Length of Grade of Intersection
Hole Intersection (m) silver lead zinc
(g/t) (%) (%)
74-1 7.0 38.36 0.23 7.20
74-2 14.0 9.93 0.09 8.40
74-3 11.3 119.86 3.50 4.60
74-4 13.4 36.30 0.57 20.40
74-5 6.1 286.99 5.78 26.50
74-6 0.9 4.11 0.08 7.68
Noranda's drilling in 2002 intersected mineralized fault breccia in Hole CA-01-02, which was drilled 50 m further south-west of the most southerly of Bullion Mountain's six holes. The first hole collared at this location was stopped short of its targeted depth due to intensely fractured core, resulting in poor core recovery and loss of water return. A second hole, recollared at a steeper angle from the same setup, intersected limestone and shale fragments in a siderite/ankerite matrix from 74.7 to 77.9 m down hole with the best interval returning 3% zinc, 0.19% lead and 21.4 g/t silver over 0.8 m. A third hole drilled 175 m to the north, between previous holes 74-4 and 74-5, failed to intersect the fault breccia as it was apparently drilled under the mineralized structure.
References
BULLION MOUNTAIN MINING LTD, Feb/75. Assessment Report #062020 by L.S. Trenholme.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Map 27-1964, 28-1964, 45-1965, 46-1965, 47-1965, 48-1965, 49-1965, 50-1965, 51-1965, 52-1965, 53-1965, 54-1965, 55-1965, 56-1965.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Memoir 357, p. 63-64.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA Summary Report 1921, Part A, p. 5-6, 113.
GORDEY, S.P. and MAKEPEACE, A.J., 2003. Yukon Digital Geology, version 2.0, S.P Gordey and A.J. Makepeace (comp); Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 1749 and Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2003-9(D).
MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1974, p. 16-17.
MORIN, J.A., 1989. Yukon Gold-Silver File. Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Open File 1989-3.
NORANDA INC, Jan/2002. Assessment Report #094276 by A.L. Smith.
YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 2001, p. 12, 24, 25.
