Work History

Originally staked as 192 Goz, Gin, Al, etc cl (Y70006) between July and Sep/73 by Barrier Reef Resources Ltd, which carried out prospecting, geological mapping and rock geochemical sampling in 1973. The property was subsequently optioned by Conwest Exploration Company Ltd which carried out geological mapping and drilled 20 holes (2 023.6 m) in 1974 and soil geochemical sampling, geological mapping and drilled 35 holes (4 195.3 m) in 1975.

The property was transferred to MFC Mining Finance Corporation and then to Fairfield Minerals Ltd in 1987.

Capsule Geology

The area is underlain by a large northwest-trending fault-bounded strip of Upper Proterozoic carbonate to siliciclastic rocks.
Sphalerite, often totally oxidized to smithsonite, occurs with quartz, lesser amounts of galena and minor pyrite and boulangerite in a flat-lying, grey, thick-bedded, porous, partly pisolitic and sandy dolomitized limestone unit 762 m thick mapped as Upper Proterozoic Risky Formation. The favourable unit can be traced for a length of 8 km and a width of up to 3.2 km.
Mineralization occurs as the matrix in silicified and brecciated beds, filling vugs and cross fractures, disseminated in coarsely crystalline horizons, and as the banded matrix of cross-bedded sandstone horizons, and displays both stratigraphic and tectonic controls. Mineralization was controlled initially by primary and secondary porosity, was later upgraded by tectonic brecciation and paleokarsting along faults with concomitant remobilization and was subsequently modified by supergene alteration during the Laramide uplift.

The principal showings occur over a length of 1 340 m within an upper dolomite layer 107 m thick that dips 5-10 degrees south. Other showings have been found at a second horizon 122 m lower in the section.

The 1974 drilling roughly outlined about 1 360 777 million tonnes grading 10% sulfide Zn and 3% oxide and carbonate Zn in a linear, steep-walled mass of collapse breccia about 30 m wide, with stratiform wings that average 6 m thick. The deposit is surrounded by irregular zones of lower grade disseminated mineralization. The sphalerite ranges from white to pale yellow (turkey fat ore) to honey brown to red. The 1975 work tested other zones and generally returned lower grades.

In 1989, Fairfield apparently recalculated the resource inventory for the deposit and reported an open pittable reserve of 2 494 758 million tonnes averaging 11% Zn (George Cross News Letter, 19 May/89).

Assay of select hand samples (Heon, 2006) from the DDH-8 area and HAB zone gave low silver values, typical of an MVT setting, but surprisingly high antimony values (e.g., 1818 ppm Sb).

References

BARRIER REEF RESOURCES LTD, Aug/74. Assessment Report #061056 by C.M. Hamilton.

BARRIER REEF RESOURCES LTD, 1975. Assessment Report *#091702 by T. Terriff and R. Lennox.

CONTRUBUTIONS TO GEOLOGY OF NWT, 1984, p. 95-106.

CONWEST EXPLORATION COMPANY LTD, Dec/74. Assessment Report #061075 by C.G. Verley.

DAWSON, K.M., 1975. Carbonate-hosted zinc-lead deposits of the Northern Canadian Cordillera. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 75-1A, p. 239-241.

GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 19 May/89.

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).

*GUTRATH, G.C., 1974. Report on the Bonnet Plume - Goz Creek Property, Yukon Territory, for Twin River Resources Ltd.

HEON, D., 2006. Isotope dating of lead-zinc occurrences in the Bonnet Plume area, Preliminary Report, Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 2006-16.

MINERAL INDUSTRY REPORT 1973, p. 23-24; 1974, p. 23-24; 1975, p. 44-47; 1976, p. 6-19.