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Occurrence Details


Occurrence Number
106D 064
Occurrence Name
Blende-West (Main)
Occurrence Type
Hard-rock
Status
Deposit


General Information

Primary Commodities: lead, zinc, silver
Secondary Commodities: copper
Aliases: Braine
Deposit Type(s): Sediment hosted Mississippi Valley-Type Pb-Zn (MVT)
Location(s): 64.406930 N, -134.667610 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 106D07
Location Comments: Location based on collar of drillhole B88-1 (Moose Mountain Technical Services, 2018)
Hand Samples Available at YGS: Yes
Last Reviewed: May 23, 2019

Capsule

Last Updated: May 23, 2019

Work History

Mineralization was originally noted in this vicinity by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1961 and the area was first staked as Will cl 1-60 in Jul/75 by Cyprus Anvil Mining Corporation, which carried out geological mapping, geochemical silt and soil sampling and prospecting later in the year.

Restaked as Blende cl 1-15 in Mar/81 by Archer, Cathro and Associates (1981) Ltd which carried out geochemical rock sampling in 1981; geochemical rock sampling, prospecting and airphoto interpretation in 1982; and hand trenching and geochemical rock sampling in 1984. The property was subsequently optioned by Canadian Nickel Company Ltd, which staked Blende cl 16-88 to surround the existing claims in 1984 and carried out geological mapping in 1985 before dropping the option.

In 1986 the Blende 1-15 claims were sold to NDU Resources Ltd which staked surrounding Blende claims 16-66 in 1988 and carried out 720.3 m of diamond drillholes in three holes from a single set-up on the Blende 10 claim. In 1989, NDU Resources staked Blende 67-122 claims and carried out geological mapping, grid geochemical soil sampling, road construction and geophysical magnetometer and VLF-EM surveying.

Billiton Metals Canada Inc optioned the property in Oct/89 and the following year carried out geological mapping, baseline water quality testing, road construction, drilled 15 holes (3659.7 m) and staked Blende 123-128 claims and 1fr-28fr.

Billiton's 1991 work included completion of the soil geochemical and geophysical coverage, drill-testing (15 holes southeast, south and west of the occurrence), preliminary metallurgical testing and the staking of Blende cl 129-169 in Jun/91 and Zinc cl 1-48 in Jul/91.

Eagle Plains Resources Ltd restaked the land over the occurrence as Mix cl 1-8 in Mar/2002 and carried out a one day property examination to assess the property's infrastructure. Eagle Plains staked Trix cl 1-46 to surround the Mix claims in Apr/2004; announced that it had executed an option agreement with Shoshone Silver Mining Company whereby Shoshone could earn a 60% interest in the Blende deposit in May/2004; and staked Trix cl 47-56 contiguously to the southeast in Aug/2004. Shoshone released a technical report in Oct/04 which verified the resource calculations originally prepared in 1991 by Billiton Metals Canada Ltd. Shoshone terminated its option in May/2005.

In Aug/2005 Eagle Plains optioned the property to Blind Creek Resources Ltd which carried out an exploration program consisting of re-logging historical diamond drill core, a ground-based gravity survey, and rock sampling. In Mar/2006 Blind Creek constructed a winter road into the property, mapped surface showings in old trenches and carried out diamond drilling just southwest of the occurrence. In 2007 the company carried out further geological mapping. In 2009, Blind Creek Resources finalized the purchasing agreement for the entire Blende property from Eagle Plains Resources and assumed 100% interest in the property. In 2018, a NI 43-101 resource estimate for the Blende deposits was calculated.

In 2020, Blind Creek Resources Ltd changed their name to Blende Silver Corp. and in 2021, Blende Silver drilled 3 holes on the Blende-West target (1,082.14 m).

Capsule Geology

The Blende West Main Zone occurrence is a zinc-lead-silver Mississippi Valley type deposit located on the south edge of the Mackenzie Platform, just north of the regional scale Kathleen Lakes Fault Zone. It is hosted in the upper part of the Lower Proterozoic Gillespie Lake Group dolomite, a thick sequence of interbedded clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks that transitions upward from deep water mudstones to shallow water stromatolitic dolomite. Extension after deposition led to the deposition of Late Proterozoic sedimentary rocks in small local basins. Paleozoic limestone and dolomite unconformably overlie these strata. Mesoproterozoic Hart River gabbro and diorite sills cross-cut stratigraphy.

The deposit is tabular and steeply dipping, cutting bedding at moderate to high angles. Mineralization occurs intermittently along a shear zone about 6 km long and up to 200 m wide in a series of parallel breccia zones. The breccia zones occur in the core of a broad southeast-plunging anticline and are parallel to the axial planar cleavage which strikes northwest and dips steeply to the southwest. The age of mineralization is estimated to be between 1490 and 1300 Ma (Moroskat).

The mineralization consists mostly of yellow sphalerite, which is difficult to distinguish from the host dolomite. Other sulphide minerals include galena, pyrite and minor chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite. Some syngenetic or early diagenetic mineralization has been found associated with oolites and dewatering structures.
On surface, the deposit is outlined by soil anomalies up to 10,000 ppm zinc. Billiton's 1991 drilling established that the west zone mineralization is predictable and extends more than 400 m continuously down dip. Billiton suggested the deposit could be mined by open pit since the deposit is located on a ridge crest and the ore is non-acid generating.
 
The 2006 drill program tested the Main zone to the southeast with three drillholes. Diamond drillhole BE06108 intersected 16.50 m of 2.82% Zn and 4.83% Pb and a deeper intersection of 65.10 m of 1.53% Zn and 1.85% Pb. Diamond drilling in 2008 was carried out to provide material for metallurgical test work.

A National Instrument 43-101 mineral resource on the Blende deposits was released in March 2017. The West Pit was calculated at 2.585 Mt @ 1.78% Zn, 2.21% Pb, 45.0 g/t Ag at a zinc-equivalent cutoff grade of 2.0% (indicated); and, 29.538 Mt @ 1.96% Zn, 2.00% Pb and 34.7 g/t Ag at a 2.0% zinc-equivalent cut-off grade (inferred).

Location Map

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2022

Work History

Year Work Type Comment
2021 Drilling: Diamond 3 holes, 1082.14 m
2021 Geochemistry: Drill Core
2018 Studies: Heritage/Archeological
2018 Studies: Resource Estimate
2008 Drilling: Diamond Seven holes, 1,047 m.
2007 Geology: Detailed Bedrock Mapping
2006 Drilling: Diamond Twenty-three holes, 4,233 m.
2006 Development, Surface: Winter Road
2006 Geology: Detailed Bedrock Mapping mapped old trenches
2005 Geochemistry: Drill Core Re-analyzed historic drill core.
2005 Geochemistry: Rock
2005 Ground Geophysics: Gravity Survey
2004 Studies: Pre-feasibility Technical report released.
2002 Other: Property Evaluation One day visit.
1991 Drilling: Diamond 15 holes - southeast, south and west of the occurrence.
1990 Geochemistry: Water Base line surveys.
1990 Drilling: Diamond Fifteen holes, 3,659.7 m.
1989 Development, Surface: Access Road
1989 Geochemistry: Soil
1989 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1989 Ground Geophysics: Magnetics Also VLF-EM surveys.
1989 Ground Geophysics
1988 Drilling: Diamond Three holes, 718 m.
1985 Geochemistry: Rock
1985 Other: Prospecting
1984 Geochemistry: Rock Sampled known showings.
1984 Geology: Bedrock Mapping
1984 Trenching: Hand
1982 Airphotography: Interpretation Interpretation of linear structures.
1982 Geochemistry: Rock Also chip sampling of known showings.
1982 Other: Prospecting
1981 Pre-existing Data: Data Compilation Compiled all previous geochemical data.
1981 Geochemistry: Rock Re-sampled some of the existing showings.
1975 Geochemistry: Soil Also silt sampling.
1975 Geology: Bedrock Mapping

Regional Geology - Terrane

Group: Ancestral North America
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: North America - platformal strata
Realm: Laurentia


Regional Geology - Bedrock

Supergroup: Wernecke
Group/Suite: Gillespie Lake
Formation:
Member:
Terrane: Laurentia
Period Max: Statherian
Age Max: 1800 MA
Period Min: Statherian
Age Min: 1600 MA
Rock Major: mudstone/shale/siltstone/sandstone/conglo/dolostone
Rock Minor:
Reference: Green & Roddick (1972) - GSC Map 1282A
Geological Unit (1M): lPG
Geological Unit (250K): lPG

Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence

Report Number Year Title Worktypes Holes Drilled Meters Drilled
097178 2018 Assessment Report on Cores from Diamond Drill Holes reported from the Blende Property East Zone and West Zone Metallurgical Tests - Lab Work/Physical Studies, Resource Estimate - Studies
097217 2018 Assessment Report Describing Heritage Resource Overview & Impact Assessments of the Blende Property Heritage/Archeological - Studies
095670 2008 Diamond Drilling for the Blende Property Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry 7 1047.30
095641 2007 Diamond Drilling, Geological and Geochemical Report for the Blende Property Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other 15 3410.90
094955 2006 Diamond Drilling, Geological and Geochemical Report for the Blende Property Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology 23 5550.40
094971 2005 Geological Report for the Target Evaluation 05-043, Blende Deposit Area - Far East Zone Gravity - Airborne Geophysics, Reverse Circulation - Airborne Geophysics, Rock - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Prospecting - Other, Research/Summarize - Pre-existing Data
094407 2003 Assessment Report for the Blende Property, Mix 1-16 Claims Property Evaluation - Other
093005 1991 Assessment Report, Blende 123-169, Fr 1-28 and Zinc 1-48 Claims Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry 62 11525.10
092942 1990 Assessment Report, Blende 1-128 and Fr. 1-28 Claims] Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Environmental Assessment/Impact - Studies 15 3659.70
092795 1989 Blende Property 1989 Final Report Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, EM - Ground Geophysics 3 720.32
092684 1988 Geological Report on the Blende Mineral Property, Blende 1-66 Quartz Claims Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry, Prospecting - Other, Hand - Trenching 3 718
092683 1988 [Diamond Drilling Logs on the Blende Property] Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry 3 720.30
062294 1987 Geologic Report on the Blende Mineral Property Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology
091665 1985 Geological Report, Blende 16-88 Claims Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology
091586 1984 Geologic Report Blende 1-15 Claims Rock - Geochemistry, Hand - Trenching
091475 1982 Geologic Report Blende 1-15 Claims Rock - Geochemistry, Prospecting - Other
090998 1981 Geological and Geochemical Report Rock - Geochemistry, Data Compilation - Pre-existing Data
090076 1975 Geological and Geochemical Report on the Will Claims Silt - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other

Related References

Number Title Page(s) Document Type
ARMC005012 Report on Blende property Report
ARMC004985 Notes on Nick, Marg and Blende claims of NDU Resources Miscellaneous Company Documents
ARMC004987 Mineral claims map - NDU Resources Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC004996 Joint venture proposal - Blende project Report
ARMC007336 Geological and geochemical compilation map - Blende property Geoscience Map (Geological - Bedrock)
YEG1990-pg19 Blende property, central Yukon Annual Report Paper
ARMC007820 Map - Reef project - Figure 19 Geochemical Map
ARMC020120 Location map - July 1988 - Yukon properties - NDU Resources Ltd. Geoscience Map (General)
ARMC020121 Economic analysis - Blende property Report
ARMC020124 News release - Assay results of drilling on Marg property and location map of Mayo M.D. properties News Release
ARMC020128 Geological report on the Blende mineral property - Blende 1-66 quartz claims for NDU Resources Ltd. - Mayo Mining District Report
ARMC020133 Prospectus: NDU Resources Ltd. with report on the Blende property Report
YEG1981 Yukon Exploration and Geology 1981 Pages 195-196. Annual Report
YEG1983 Yukon Exploration and Geology 1983 Pages 233-234. Annual Report
YEG1985_86 Yukon Exploration 1985-86 Page 296. Annual Report
YEG1991 Yukon Exploration 1991 Pages 6, 8, 12. Annual Report
YEG2005 Yukon Exploration and Geology 2005 Pages 22 & 39. Annual Report
YEG2006 Yukon Exploration and Geology 2006 Pages 25, 43, 46. Annual Report
YEG2007 Yukon Exploration and Geology 2007 Pages 21-22, 37, 41. Annual Report
YEG1988_OV Yukon Mining and Exploration Overview 1988 Page 31. Annual Report
YEG1989 Yukon Exploration 1989 Page 7. Annual Report
Citations
097217. Assessment Report Describing Heritage Resource Overview & Impact Assessments of the Blende Property, 2018
Moose Mountain Technical Services, 2018. NI 43-101 Resource Estimate for the Blende Property. Submitted to Blind Creek Resources Ltd, May 24, 2018. <accessed from www.sedar.com on November 12, 2019>
YMIP 2004-072 Eagle Plains Resources. GEOLOGICAL REPORT for the FOCUSED REGIONAL MODULE 04-072 BLENDE DEPOSIT AREA

Drill Core at YGS Core Library

Number Property Year Drilled Core Size Photos Data
DDH-B88-1 Blende 1988 NQ 4 1
DDH-B88-2 Blende 1988 NQ-BQ 10 1

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