Work History

Originally staked as Divide cl 1-2 (57473) in November 1948 by G.F. Dickson and K.J. Springer, who carried out trenching in 1949 and 1950. Re-staked as Alcoy cl 1-24 (63614) in September 1952 by Dickson and as Klaya cl 1-8 (73544) and Billy cl 1-8 (73553) in May 1958. Dickson added Klaza cl 10-48 (73646) and Billy cl 9-16 (73710) to the claim group in June and July 1958, before optioning them later in the year to Asbestos Corporation (Explorations) Ltd. Asbestos Corporation carried out bulldozer trenching and geological mapping in 1958 and drilled 8 packsack holes (122.8 m) in 1959. The Klaza group was later optioned to Peso Carmacks Gold Mines Ltd. (controlled by Peso Silver Mines Ltd) in 1962, which carried out geochemical sampling and bulldozer trenching in 1963.

The target was partially overstaked on the west side as Gun cl 1-56 (Y59942) in January 1971 by A. Arsenault. The Twin cl 1-2 and Ann cl 1-2 (Y67234) were staked as two blocks 1.5 and 5.5 km to the east in September 1972 by G. Muff.

Re-staked as Vic cl 3-46 (Y76003) in July 1973 by G.F. Dickson and optioned to Skyline Explorations Ltd., which carried out extensive bulldozer trenching and bulk sampling in 1974, reportedly in a joint venture with Dynasty Exploration Ltd.

Re-staked as Vic cl 1-6, 8, 10-23, 25 and 27-32 (YA86308) in December 1984 by Dickson, who also staked a separate block of VG cl 1-8 (YA86406) 1.5 km west at the same time. Kerr Addison optioned the Vic and VG claims from Dickson in July 1985, staked Vic cl 33-118 (YA93037) to the north in August 1985 forming a contiguous claim block with the earlier staked claims and carried out geological mapping and geochemical rock and soil sampling during this period. In 1986, Kerr Addison carried detailed geological mapping, extensive geochemical rock and some silt and soil sampling, VLF- EM, magnetometer and self-potential surveying, bulldozer trenching and drilling of 19 holes (1,594.41 m).

In 1987, Chesbar Resources Incorporated and States Exploration Ltd optioned the claims from Kerr Addison and carried out road building, bulldozer trenching and reportedly (Aurchem, January 2003) drilled 12 holes (1,291 m) in 1987 and 9 holes (1,081 m) in 1988. The claims were transferred to Chesbar in March 1989 but were returned to Dickson in October 1989. In July 1993, the claims were transferred to Dickson's widow, who reportedly carried out trenching in August 1993.

In March 1995 the Vic and VG claims were transferred to Aurchem Exploration Ltd and combined with the company's other claim holdings in the area, which collectively became known as the Discovery Creek project (MINFILE occurrence 115I 066, 093, 096 and 117).

In July 1996, BYG Natural Resources Inc. signed a letter of intent to explore Aurchem's claims in the Mount Nansen area. The Vic and VG claims reverted to Aurchem after the federal government took over maintenance of the adjoining Mount Nansen mine site in July 1999. Aurchem carried out prospecting, reconnaissance soil and limited rock geochemical sampling at the Maverick occurrence in 2001 and excavator trenching in 2002 on the Vic claims as part of their ongoing work in this area. Five zones, covering an area approximately 1,400 m by 700 m, have been outlined to date. Previously these zones have been described as the North zone (northernmost or `A' location marker) which was defined by high-grade gold in quartz float discovered during trenching that was ultimately determined to be sourced from occurrences located upslope in the Main or War zone (identified by the more southerly or `B' location marker) which was initially located by soil geochemical sampling. Following compilation of historic exploration data by Aurchem in 2001, the company subdivided the Main zone into four separate zones of mineralization which they called, the Dickson, Number One Vein, West and South zones.

In 2003, the company soil sampled on the east grid and cleaned out and sampled 5 historic trenches dug before 1988. In 2004, Aurchem drilled 26 diamond drill holes (2,535 m) centered on the Dickson zone of the Maverick prospect, followed by 3 diamond drill holes (220 m) and 3 reverse circulation holes (108m) in 2005. In 2006 the company trenched on the 2800, 2650 and 2500 vein (part of the Dickson zone) and in 2007 bulk sampled and trenched at Maverick. In 2008, Aurchem explored the Maverick area with trenching, mapping and sampling of the veins, renamed the Maverick (2800 vein), Skyline (2650 vein) and L (2500 vein) veins.

In 2020, Hill 79 Gold Corp. optioned the property from Aurchem and conducted a program of rock and soil geochemical sampling.

Regional & Property Geology

Located at the southeastern end of the Dawson Range, this occurrence lies just north of the 12 km long by 3 km wide northwest-trending corridor called the Nansen trend, which is host to the deposits and other occurrences of the Mount Nansen gold camp. Regionally the area is within the Yukon-Tanana Terrane and is composed of variable amounts of Devonian and older meta-igneous and metasedimentary rocks. Micaceous quartz-feldspar gneiss, schist and quartzite of the Nasina assemblage comprise the meta-sedimentary rock package, while the meta-igneous suite includes biotite-hornblende feldspar gneiss and coarse grained granodiorite orthogneiss with lesser amphibolite.

The former Main zone occurrences, which are underlain by Early Jurassic orthoclase-hornblende syenite of the Mount Freegold Meta-Plutonic Suite (Big Creek Meta-Plutonic Suite of Templeman-Kluit (1984)).

Mineralization & Results

Mineralization is hosted in syenites that have been intruded by several steeply-dipping, narrow quartz veins containing minor sulphides and sporadic high gold values. The quartz veins, which average roughly 40 cm in width, are generally associated with east to northeast trending clay-limonite-hematite alteration or shear zones and felsic dykes of the mid-Cretaceous Mount Nansen Group volcanic suite.

Skyline reported that the Number One Vein (`Main') zone vein structure could be traced for a length of 425 m and that preliminary sampling indicated that grades ranged from about 15 to 35 g/t Au. The 1974 trenching and bulk sampling returned disappointing results though, but assay results from the 1986 to 1988 drilling produced a few intersections which returned up to 14.7 g/t gold over 1.6 m. Specimens from trenches assayed up to 98.5 g/t gold and 192 g/t silver.

Drilling by Kerr Addison indicated that the quartz veins are discontinuous, while the associated alteration zones have more continuity and that most of the mineralization is in the quartz, but locally extends into the clay altered host rocks. They also determined that magnetometer surveying was the most useful ground geophysical technique for tracing the mineralized alteration zones and quartz veining.

Aurchem divided the Maverick occurrence into three zones: the Dickson, West and South zones. The Dickson zone (northwest portion of the former Main zone) consists of a narrow vein that is 3 to 5 cm wide and has yielded values ranging from 8.2 to 52.9 g/t Au along a 35 m strike length; the West zone (southwest portion of the former Main zone) consists of a poorly defined quartz vein in syenite with values from historic sampling up to 35.8 g/t Au; and the South zone (southeast portion of the former Main zone) consists of an alteration zone centered on an easterly trending zone of quartz-limonite veining within a broad clay altered system that has been exposed by trenching over a strike length of 40 m. Previous testing by drilling on the South zone returned grades up to 10.9 g/t Au from samples of a 0.4 m wide quartz vein, while samples from trenching carried out by Aurchem in 2002 on this zone averaged 2.55 g/t Au across 5.4 m in trench T-1, 1.13 g/t Au across 6.6 m in trench T-2 and 2.13 g/t Au across 3.0 m in trench T-3.

Limited exploration carried out during this period by Aurchem outside of these zones and based on their compilation work indicated an area underlain by quartz-feldspar porphyry on the Vic claims just northwest of the North zone on the north side of the upper reaches of Iron Creek. Regional airborne radiometrics revealed anomalous potassium response in this area, possibly representing a source for anomalous silt sediment samples collected in the downstream drainage. Soil sampling and prospecting of the area revealed the presence of a quartz-feldspar porphyry stock reportedly similar to those related to gold-silver mineralization elsewhere in the Mount Nansen camp. Low but detectable gold values in the range of 5-20 ppb Au were reported from sampling near the margins of the stock. Corresponding silver values were below detection however and other results were not suggestive of either argillic or phyllic alteration associated with the stock in this area.

The 2003 soil sampling program covered an area located east of known mineralization and returned values from below detection to 339 ppb gold. The gold anomalies did not relate to any other elements including sulphide minerals. The trenching program was centered on the West zone and exposed a strong deformation zone that has disrupted the gold-bearing zones located in the area. The light grey vein material forms small discontinuous lenses trending east-westerly in an en echelon type distribution. Gold grade were low to moderate with chip samples grading up to 4.2 g/t gold and vein lens grab samples grading up to 11.6 g/t gold.

Details on the 2004 and 2005 drilling programs by Aurchem are limited. The company changed the names of the zones and began to report the areas based on UTM coordinates, such as 2800 vein, 2650 vein and 2500 vein. Eight holes were formally reported and three tested the 2800 extension vein while the five remaining holes tested the 2800 main vein. At the end of the program the company had drilled on 12.5 m intersections. The company used the results to determine a preliminary ore resource. In 2006 Aurchem reported a preliminary ore resource for the 2800 zone (vein) of 23 720 tonnes grading 12.63 g/t gold.

In 2008, Aurchem explored the Maverick area with trenching, mapping and sampling of the veins, renamed the Maverick (2800 vein), Skyline (2650 vein) and L (2500 vein) veins. Samples from the Maverick vein returned significant gold values ranging from 2.33 g/t Au to 281 g/t Au. The vein system is persistent with fault structures trending 090° with veining attitudes ranging from 080° to 115° dipping steeply to the north. A close spatial association was noted between fine-grained felsic dykes and the thickest sections of quartz veining as veining is thickest where dykes are absent. Samples taken from the Skyline vein returned anomalous gold values ranging from 1.41 g/t to 36 g/t Au. Samples taken from the L vein returned anomalous gold values ranging from 2.35 g/t to 27.5 g/t Au.