Work History

Staked as Lugdush cl (Y56063) in Jul/71 by a joint venture between Canada Tungsten Mg CL and Standard OC of BC L, which performed grid soil sampling and mapping later in the year.
Restaked as Hop cl (YA39833) in Apr/79 by Amax Potash L, which conducted mapping and geochem sampling later in the year. Restaked as Spud cl (YA63537) in Aug/81 by Canada Tungsten Mg Corp L , which conducted geological and geochemical surveys later in 1981 and 1982.
Restaked Nov/91 as Van 1-158 cl (YB28010) by Placer Dome Inc., which performed grid soil sampling and geological mapping in 1992.
L.M. Hart staked Les 1-30 cl (YB43877) and JD cl 65-70 (YB2708) 5 and 7 km respectively to the northwest in Jan/95. The Les 25-30 cl were later refused by the Mayo Mining Recorder. J. Wheelton staked Pluvan cl 1-6 (YB65926) 2.5 km to the southwest in Oct/97.

Capsule Geology

Dark green skarn float was found in 1971 containing scheelite with minor pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite. Assays ranged from 0.1% to 1.0% WO3. The 1982 mapping identified four skarn assemblages within a calc-silicate hornfels zone near a Cretaceous stock of megacrystic biotite-muscovite granite. They are pyroxene-quartz-calcite, garnet-epidote, pyroxene-garnet and wollastonite-quartz-calcite. The garnet-bearing varieties contain little or no tungsten, but Emond and Lynch (1992) reported the presence of tin on this property.
Weak skarn is developed for a length of about 800 m and a thickness of 150 to 200 m but grades of over 0.1% WO3 are confined to narrow beds. The best section graded 2.2% WO3, across 0.2 m of biotite-quartz hornfels. Narrow galena-bearing veins cut the section within 500 m of the intrusive contact, a specimen of which assayed 645 g/t Ag and 8% Pb.
Emond and Lynch demonstrated a strong positive correlation between gold and bismuth in rocks from this area, and suggested that although background gold values from skarn on the Lugdush property have been low to date, bismuth values up to 208 ppm may indicate that the property has gold potential.
In 1992 Placer Dome explored the Van claims for Fort Knox-type gold mineralization in 1992. Results were disappointing and the claims were allowed to lapse.

References

CANADA TUNGSTEN MINING CORPORATION LTD, Sep/82. Assessment Report *#091082 by R.H. Rainbird.

CHEVRON STANDARD LTD, 1972. Assessment Report *#061131 by R.J. Cathro.

EMOND, D.S., 1985. Tin and tungsten veins and skarns in the McQuesten River Area. In: Exploration in Yukon Overview, Appendix C; DIAND Open File.

EMOND, D.S., 1992. Petrology and geochemistry of tin and tungsten mineralized plutons, McQuesten River Region, Central Yukon. In: Yukon Geology, Vol. 3, Exploration and Geological Services Division, DIAND, p. 167-195.

EMOND, D.S., and LYNCH, T., 1992. Geology, mineralogy and geochemistry of tin and tungsten veins, breccias and skarns, McQuesten River region (115P (North) and 105M 13), Yukon. In: Yukon Geology, Vol. 3, Exploration and Geological Services Division, DIAND, p. 133-159.

MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT, 1971-72, p. 10.

MURPHY, D.C., AND HÉON, D., 1994a. Geological Map of Sprague Creek Map Area (NTS 115P/15), western Selwyn Basin, Yukon. Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Open File 1994-3(G).

MURPHY, D.C., AND HÉON, D., 1994b. Geology and Mineral Occurrences of Sprague Creek Map Area (NTS 115P/15), western Selwyn Basin, Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 1993, Exploration and Geological Services Division, Yukon, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, p. 29-46.

YUKON EXPLORATION AND GEOLOGY 1982, p. 216.