Work History

Staked as AB cl 1-60 (Y28488) in Jan/69 by Canol Mines Ltd, which explored with prospecting and trenching later in the year. Restaked as Sun cl 1-16 (Y93793) and DM cl 1-12 (Y93809) in Oct/75 by Nithex Exploration & Development Ltd and optioned in 1976 to Welcome North Mines Ltd, which transferred the option to DuPont of Canada Exploration Ltd, late in the year following mapping and geochemical surveys. In 1977, DuPont formed the Seagull Creek Joint Venture with Aquitaine Company of Canada and Rosario Resources Canada Ltd and explored with geochemical and EM surveys and mapping and drilled 1 hole (18.6 m) on the main showing, before dropping the option.
United Keno Hill Mines Ltd added JD cl 1-12 (YA20753) to the east in Aug/76 and JD cl 13-24 (YA12305) in Jan/77. The company explored the claims with mapping and geochemical surveys in 1977.
Restaked as part of a block of 730 Ram cl (YA71576) in Sep/84 by Regional Resources Ltd, which performed an extensive program of mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys in 1985 and transferred its interest to Fairfield Minerals Ltd in 1986. In 1987 Fairfield performed mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys in a joint venture with Equity Silver Mines Ltd.
Pacific Comox Resources Ltd acquired a 100% working interest in the Ram claims in Jan/93, subject to a 1% net smelter return interest held by Fairfield. In the summer of 1994, Pacific Comox used a reverse circulation drill to test previously flown airborne magnetic and VFL-EM anomalies. The company completed 30 holes totaling 412 m, including seven holes (86 m) near this occurrence. Upon completion of the project, Pacific Comox consolidated its claim holdings by lapsing a large number of claims covering non-mineralized areas. Only those Ram claims adjacent to Seagull Creek were retained.
Around 2000, Pacific Comox divested itself of the Ram claims and the claims reverted to Fairfield (exact process unknown, but probably related to net smelter return interest). In May 2000, Fairfield optioned the claims to Ross River Gold Ltd (a private company). The following month, Ross River optioned the claims as part of a larger claim group, that included the adjoining Tay-LP claims, to Newmont Exploration of Canada Ltd. Between May and Aug/2000 Newmont carried out airborne electromagnetic and magnetic surveys, geological mapping, prospecting, soil sampling and auger soil sampling over the claim block. Newmont continued exploring the property in 2001 but little work was carried out on the Ram claims. In Dec/2001 Newmont dropped the option and returned all the claims to Ross River.
In Feb/2002, Fairfield merged with Almaden Resources Ltd to form a new company, Almaden Minerals Ltd. In May/2002 Ross River Gold Ltd, re-organized and under went a reverse take over with Panamex Resources Inc to emerge as Ross River Minerals Ltd. Later in the year, the company contracted S.J.V. Consultants to reinterpret the 1991 Dighem and 2000 Furgo airborne geophysical surveys using 3-D magnetic inversion software. The company hoped to better target existing anomalies and outline new anomalies. Ross River followed-up the reinterpretation with 11 diamond drill holes (914 m), of which 1 hole (hole 8 = 91.14m) tested an EM anomaly associated with the Wolf gold soil anomaly.
In 2003 the company continued exploring their claims with prospecting, geological mapping, stream sediment sampling and water analysis. The majority of work was centered over the south end of the property i.e. the area located from Tolbert Creek, south to the end of the property. Also in 2003, J. Bond and K. Kennedy of the Yukon Geological Survey studied the surficial geology and ice-flow patterns in the Seagull Creek area.
In 2004 Ross River carried out ground VLF and magnetic geophysical surveys and drilled 9 additional diamond drills holes (1 001.6 m) at the south end of the Tay-LP property. None of the holes were associated with this occurrence.

Capsule Geology

The occurrence is located southwest of the Tintina Fault in the Ketza-Seagull district of the Cassiar Terrane (Platform). The Ketza-Seagull district is underlain by thick (400 m or greater) successions of miogeoclinal clastic, volcanic and carbonate rocks, ranging in age from Upper Proterozoic to Mississippian that were deformed during Mesozoic arc-continental collision, and by mid-Cretaceous intrusions. A series of thrust faults combined with crustal shortening associated with the Seagull Uplift has resulted in older rocks being thrust overtop younger rocks. The Seagull Uplift is thought to be related to uplift above one or more buried Cretaceous intrusions. The Seagull Creek area is known to host at least 19 occurrences consisting of veins, skarns, breccia pipes, disseminated pyrite gossans, stockworks and replacement mantos in volcanics, sediments and carbonates associated with Mississippian age syenite bodies.
The original discovery in 1969 consisted of two small quartz veins containing chalcopyrite-arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite, located along a branch of the Seagull Fault, which juxtaposes Cambrian to Ordovician sediments and Mississippian volcanics. A piece of semi-massive arsenopyrite in quartz vein float collected by Regional Resources Ltd returned 9.9 g/t silver and 0.72 g/t gold. Later work has shown that the showings occur within the pyritic facies of a sequence of graphitic shale and intercalated phyllite and andesite that is associated with a rhyolite dome and overlain by Mississippian felsic flows and tuffs. The 1977 drill hole appears to have intersected Devonian to Mississippian platform dolomite and graphitic shale (based on Regional Resources 1985 geology map), although DuPont recorded it as Upper Cambrian in their drill logs.
Several veinlets of galena and sphalerite were found on the JD group.
Soil sampling completed by Fairfield Minerals in 1987 outlined a strongly anomalous gold anomaly called the Wolf. The Wolf anomaly is centered approximately 1.5 km northwest of the occurrence, on a gentle wooded slope situated on the east side of Seagull Creek. The anomaly consists of several narrow linear zones that returned gold values between 30 and 320 ppb. Fairfield theorized that the zones represent north-trending vein mineralization.
Previous work by Pacific Comox determined that VLF-EM anomalies that are non-coincident with magnetic anomalies are more likely to contain gold bearing mineralization. Pacific Comox concentrated its efforts on these targets. The best result from the seven holes drilled near this occurrence, returned 121 ppb gold and 3 220 ppm bismuth from a one foot intersection consisting of sand and quartz vein chips containing pyrrhotite, pyrite, bismuth and arsenopyrite. Pacific Comox summarized that gold mineralization in the area takes the form of (a) pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite-arsenopyrite-bismuth bearing quartz veins and (b) manto-replacement style of mineralization.
Following the completion of the 1994 drilling program the Ram claims remained dormant and most of the outlying claims were allowed to lapse. By the time Ross River Gold and subsequently Newmont Exploration assumed the option in 2000, the property was reduced to 69 claims centered over Seagull Creek.
Soil sampling by Newmont re-defined the previously discovered gold-bismuth Wolf anomaly. This anomaly returned values up to 250 ppb gold and 53.9 ppm bismuth. Two samples collected by power auger from this anomaly returned 155 and 435 ppm gold. The latter sample was collected from the north side of the anomaly while the former was collected from the south side.
The airborne geophysical reinterpretation outlined several broad trends. One trend is thought to represent a series of depth limited sources, most likely skarn deposits. A second trend is thought to represent buried intrusives. Still another trend is thought to represent the trend of the Seagull Fault. The contractor strongly suggested that all identified targets be verified on the ground before drilling was attempted.
The 2002 drill hole was drilled in a northeast direction. It intersected calcareous phyllite and minor sericitic phyllite and no significant mineralization. Computer modeling carried out over the winter of 2003 showed that the mineralized structures present on the property dip west, thus the hole was likely drilled on the wrong side of the mineralization.
Limited prospecting and geochemical sampling carried out in 2003 in the vicinity of this occurrence returned a few anomalous results, none of which identified new targets. Field work by Kennedy and Bond (2004) determined that glacial flow in the Seagull Creek area was to the north, up-valley, in the opposite direction to what had previously been believed. These results have a significant bearing on the interpretation of soil geochemical anomalies and the potential of known mineralized occurrences in the area. Ross River hopes to use this data to improve their search results.
Diamond drilling carried out in 2004 on the south end of the property, taking into account the western dip of the mineralization, successfully intersected quartz-pyrrhotite veins in eight of the nine holes drilled. Some of the better intersections were hole 5 which returned 2.0 g/t gold over 10.52 m, hole 2 which returned 3.96 g/t gold over 10.5 m and hole 4 which returned 3.0 g/t gold over 11.0 m.

References

ALMADEN MINERALS LTD, Apr/2003. Web Site: www.almadenminerals.com/

CANADIAN MINES HANDBOOK 2000-01. p.150. (Indicates return of Ram claims to Fairfield Minerals Ltd).

CANOL MINES LTD, Nov/69. Assessment Report #061527 by D.D. Campbell.

DUPONT OF CANADA EXPLORATION LTD, Oct/77. Assessment Report #091144 by F. M. Smith.

FAIRFIELD MINERALS LTD, Jun/86. Assessment Report #062259 by C.G. Westman.

FAIRFIELD MINERALS LTD, Sept/87. Assessment Report #092096 by J.J. Hylands.

GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 18 Jan/93.

KENNEDY, K.E. AND BOND, J.D., 2004. Evidence for a late-McConnell readvance of the Cassiar Lobe in Seagull Creek, Pelly Mountains, central Yukon. In: Yukon exploration and Geology 2003, D.S. Emond and L.L. Lewis (eds.), Yukon Geological Survey.

MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT, 1976, p. 195-6; 1977, p. 79-80, 82.

NEWMONT EXPLORATION OF CANADA LTD, Jan/2001. Assessment Report #094189 by A.T. Montgomery and M.A. Stammers.

NORTHERN HORIZON RESOURCE CORPORATION, Dec/80. Assessment Report #091148 by L.D. Nicole.

PACIFIC COMOX RESOURCES LTD, Jan/95. Assessment Report #093286 by M.A. Mitchell.

PANAMEX RESOURCES INC, Jul/2001. Preliminary Exchange Offering Prospectus. (Outlines reverse take over and re-organization of Ross River Gold Ltd).

REGIONAL RESOURCES LTD, Jan/86. Assessment Report #091768 by M.A. Stammers.

ROSS RIVER MINERALS LTD, Jun/2003. Assessment Report #094416 by R.S Tolbert.

ROSS RIVER MINERALS LTD, Mar/2004. Assessment Report #094445 by R.S. Tolbert.

ROSS RIVER MINERALS LTD, Apr/2003; Jun/2005. Web Site: www.rossriverminerals.com/

ROSS RIVER MINERALS LTD, Press Release: 14 Apr/2002.

SEAGULL JOINT VENTURE, Oct/77. Assessment Report #092044 by G.M. Ditson, L.K. Eccles, G.P. McLaren and F.M. Smith.

UNITED KENO HILL MINES LTD, Oct/77. Assessment Report #090244 by J. McFaull and H.F. Keats.

WELCOME NORTH MINES LTD, Oct/76. Assessment Report #090133 G.F. McAuthor

YUKON EXPLORATION 1985-86, p. 219-221; 1987, p. 154.

YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 2002, p. 9-10, 25, 26; 2003, p. 13, 26; 2004, p. 12-13, 32, 33.

YUKON MINING & EXPLORATION OVERVIEW, 1988, p. 23.