Work History

The claim block (Val cl 1-318, YA30884) covering the occurrence was staked in July and Aug 1978 by Prism Joint Venture (Asamera Oil Corporation, Chieftain Development Company Ltd, Prism Resources Ltd, Siebens Oil and Gas Ltd and E & B Exploration Ltd). In 1979, Dome Petroleum Ltd replaced Siebens in the joint venture. Dome dropped its interest and E & B's was transferred to Imperial Metals Ltd in 1983. In 1985, Prism changed its name to International Prism Exploration Ltd. The occurrence has been explored with prospecting, soil sampling, trenching, IP and self-potential surveys, mapping, airborne magnetics and diamond drilling. A regional airborne geophysical survey was conducted over the claim block in 2001 (no report available). Manson Creek Resources optioned the Val claims in 1998. Archer Cathro and Associates Ltd. re-staked the area as the Rusty series claims (e.g., Rusty 241, Y33481) in 2010, covering the occurrence.

Capsule Geology

The occurrence is located at the southern edge of the Mackenzie Platform, a predominantly shallow water carbonate and clastic sequence that formed on the western margin of the North American craton during Lower Proterozoic through Paleozoic times. The regional geology consists of Upper Proterozoic Rapitan(?) Group mudstones overlain by Upper Proterozoic Profeit Formation dolostones and Upper Proterozoic Nadaleen Formation silty limestone. Over these units are minor clastic and carbonate rocks of the Neoproterozoic to Lower Cambrian Hyland Group. Lower Paleozoic platform carbonates unconformably overlie these units.
 
The Big Red occurrence is hosted in grey dolomite of the Profeit Formation. Mineralization encountered in drilling in 1979 (AR 090615) at the occurrence ranged from minor fracture filling to massive mineralization in brecciated grey dolomite and intermittent sections of white, recrystallized sparry dolomite. The best two mineralized intervals in DDH 79-14 were at 24.4 m and 51.2 m depth. The upper interval consists of nearly massive reddish-brown sphalerite with disseminated galena, averaging 6.6% Pb, 49.9% Zn and 158 g/t Ag over 4.1 m. The lower interval was massive coarse-grained galena, sphalerite and tetrahedrite averaging 53.22% Pb, 10.9% Zn and 4377 g/t Ag over 3.8 m, including 1.5 m of 7390 g/t Ag.
 
The 1998 Induced Polarization survey was centred on the Big Red Zone (BRZ). The total chargeability produced a bulls-eye anomaly over the BRZ, indicating that BRZ is a pipelike vertical structure with limited lateral extent. Landsat imagery acquired in 1998 and processed to enhance areas of alteration highlighted the BRZ, but was of limited usefulness in identifying unknown targets.