Exploration History

The claim block covering the occurrence was staked (Val cl 1-318, YA30884 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). Work in 1978 included trenching, sampling, diamond drilling, soil sampling and ground geophysics. In 1979, Dome Petroleum Ltd replaced Siebens in the joint venture. Work in 1979 included drilling, trenching and mapping. In 1980, diamond drilling was carried out on the extension of the South Hill Zone Vein. Dome dropped its interest and E & B's was transferred to Imperial Metals Ltd in 1983. In Oct/97, 15966 Yukon Inc a wholly owned subsidiary of Manson Creek Resources Ltd staked Rusty cl 1-131 (YB99989). 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 South Hill Zone is underlain by laminated grey and white dolomite, referred to as the Val Dolomite in historical records. It is likely correlatable with Profeit Formation dolostone. Northeast trending fractures and minor faults with steep northeasterly dips are common. Mineralization is similar to the Big Red Zone (MINFILE 106C 115), which is coarse high-grade vein type mineralization in a carbonate breccia zone. Main minerals are galena, sphalerite and tetrahedrite. Small needles of quartz crystals line the vugs in the surrounding carbonate (AR 090511). The vein-like zone has an average width of 4.5 m and strike length of 300 m. 
 
The best trench channel sample in 1978 returned 3.2 m of 42.35% Pb, 9.5% Zn and 1886.56 g/t Ag (AR 090511). Step out sampling to the west and north of the occurrence returned significant results, e.g. , 300 m to the west, channel sample of 15 cm of 35.91% Pb, 25.64% Zn and 898.34 g/t Ag.
 
In 1978, nine diamond drill holes targeted the South Hill Zone.  Five holes intersected significant mineralization, two hit weak or narrow mineralization and two holes were dry. DDH-8-78 intersected 3.12 m of 19.85% combined Pb-Zn and 291.2 g/t Ag and a second interval of 3.26 m of 12.95% combined Pb-Zn and 266.37 g/t Ag. Mineralization consisted of galena, sphalerite, minor tetrahedrite, pyrite and possibly jamesonite in a gangue of white dolomite (AR 090511)
 
Drilling in 1979 (14 holes, 1483.5 m) targeted the downdip extension of mineralization drilled in 1978. Drilling indicated that the South Hill zone may consist of two areas of mineralization separated by a section of unmineralized dolomite (AR 090615). One of the better drillholes (DDH 1979-3) intersected 7.25 m of 550 g/t Ag, 5.45% Pb and 11.73% Zn. Later in the summer of 1979, six more holes were drilled to the southwest and one more hole to the northeast. The mineralization in these holes were lower grade than drilling earlier in the season.

In 1980, the projected extension of the South Hill Zone Vein was diamond drilled with nine holes. Four of the holes intersected mineralization. DDH 80-3 intersected 341 g/t Ag, 1.19% Pb, 4.78% Zn over 1.60 m. The work confirmed vein mineralization to a depth of 200 m below the ‘apex’ of the vein (AR 090721).