Projects
OVERVIEW
The Red Mountain property is geographically centered at 60°59’21” N and 133° 44’41” W (UTM: 567900, 6762250, Zone 08V), on NTS sheet 105C/13 (Figure 1). The property is centered 79 km ENE of Whitehorse, Yukon and can be reached by helicopter from the Whitehorse airport. The property may also be accessed by road from the Sydney Ravine road, which extends west for 72 km from the South Canol Road to the property.
The property comprises 22 Yukon quartz mining claims covering 299.33ha (739.66 acres) and located in the Whitehorse mining district. All claims are 100% held by Tintina Mines Ltd. with no underlying agreements, encumbrances or royalties on the property.
PROJECT HISTORY
Geologists from the Geological Survey of Canada, during regional exploration works, identified the mineralized area in 1936.
Between the years 1966 and 1967, the Company Boswell River Mines conducted geological surveys, geochemistry and geophysical survey fieldworks, which resulted in the identification of several anomalies. In 1969, they completed the first campaign of drill holes, including 16 drill holes for a total of 3,126 meters, identifying ore bodies with low grades of molybdenum up to 0.084% Mo. Between the years 1971 and 1975, additional geological mapping was carried out and properties were sold to Tintina Silver Mines Limited in 1975.
During the period 1977 and 1982, the property was leased with purchase option to a third party, terminating in a “joint venture” agreement of 50 and 50% between Amoco and Tintina. During this period, detailed geological mapping, topography using orthophotos of the area, metallurgical tests, petrographic analyses and 45 drill holes with 23,590 m was completed. Results indicate the existence of an elongated molybdenum mineralized zone of 1,050 m (NW trending mayor axis) by 450 m and 1,150 m depth.
There is no information about exploration works for the period 1983 to 2005.
In 2006, geotechnical works, hydrogeological works and databases review were performed to visualize underground development options.
A resources estimate review by Golder Associates in 2008.
In 2013, Mr. Manuel Arre from Innovation SST submitted a reassessment of the same database used by Golder reporting relatively similar values.
In 2016, Consulting Geologist Eugenio Ferrari provided a revised non-compliant resource estimate of 101,882,813 tonnes grading 0.28% MoS2 at a cut-off of 0.20% MoS2.
Finally, in 2020, Carl Schulze, P.Geo with Aurora Geosciences Ltd., completed a desktop study summarizing the history, geological and mineralogical settings, deposit status, metallurgy and a Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Red Mountain molybdenum project located in south-central Yukon.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION
The Red Mountain property is located within the Yukon-Tanana Terrane, a pericratonic terrene that represents a mid- to late- Paleozoic continental arc system. The northeast boundary of the Yukon-Tanana Terrane is characterized by the Tintina Fault system, a dextral strike-slip fault with a displacement of about 450 kilometers.
The Red Mountain property covers a late Cretaceous-aged intrusive complex (Red Mountain stock) hosted within metasediments and metavolcanics overlain by volcano-sedimentary units. Stratigraphy comprises a basement of Devonian metamorphic rocks (Snowcap assemblage) unconformable overlain by a volcano-sedimentary rocks of Late Devonian to Early Mississippian age (Finlayson assemblage). The Snowcap assemblage is commonly intruded by early Mississippian tonalite to granodiorite plutons. Finlayson rocks are intruded primarily by early Cretaceous monzonite and granodiorite plutonic rocks. The Red Mountain stock has been designated as a member of the 82 to 77 Ma Rancheria intrusive suite (Upper Cretaceous).
The property covers a porphyry-style molybdenum deposit contained within a quartz-monzonite porphyry (QMP) phase of the Red Mountain stock. The QMP is bounded to the north by a quartz-eye diorite dyke and to the south by a vertical fault. Two major faults, spaced about 325 m apart and including the southern vertical fault, define the deposit boundaries. The deposit is enveloped by a hornfel zone within the intrusive complex and also extending outbound into the host Paleozoic sediments.
The Red Mountain deposit is classified as a porphyry-style low-fluorine “En
dako-type” MoS2 deposit system. The Red Mountain deposit is a brecciated molybdenum porphyry system hosted in a mid-Cretaceous quartz monzonite.
Mineralization is characterized by a stockwork of molybdenite-bearing quartz veinlets and fractures, hosted in an intermediate to felsic intrusive and associated country rocks.
Hydrothermal alteration assemblages mapped includes propylitic, potassic, phyllic, silicic, argillic and pyritic zones.
Metallurgical Studies
During 1980 and 1981, Amoco Canada Petroleum Company Ltd. (Amoco) completed metallurgical studies using fresh unoxidized and partially oxidized surface material. Tests preformed were based on conventional rod and ball mill grinding followed by four cleaner stages of flotation.
Metallurgical testing processing fresh material yield a recovery of 92% Mo, with a final concentrate grade of 53% Mo. Testing of a surface sample had Mo recoveries of about 40%, with a final concentrate grade of 51% Mo. Further test work-studies, focused on reduction of Pb content in concentrates, improved the recoveries up to 98% Mo in fresh rocks and up to 53% Mo for partially oxidized samples.
Exploration Upside
The deposit is truncated on the south by a fault striking northwest, but is open at depth to the north, and possibly to the east. A barren quartz-eye diorite dike is present to the northern extend of the deposit, however, one hole located north of the dike had grades of 0,176% MoS2 over 61m.
Mo grades increase with depth, ranging from <0.10% MoS2 near surface, to >0.20% MoS2 at depth, and include a portion exceeding 0.30% MoS2 at depths below 600m. The deposit remains open beneath 1,150m below surface, although becomes increasingly constrained with depth.
MAPS AND FIGURES
PHOTO GALLERY
