Dean River VMS

The Chilcotin basalts of west-central B.C. represent a vast area where bedrock consists of Miocene-aged volcanic flows, including those associated with active “Anaheim Lake hotspots”. Like the McDermmitt Caldera, these volcanic flows are associated with on-going and active volcanism, driven by on-going Coast Mountain tectonism.

The volcanic flows have largely been considered a hindrance to exploration in the area. However, in the unexplored southern Dean River valley area approximately 20km north of Anaheim Lake, regional stream geochemistry reveals indicators of critical metal enrichment, specifically ZINC, MOLYBDENUM with lesser ANTIMONY and PHOSPHOROUSresponses. These are located in a compelling structural zone, along the regional and economically significant Yalakom Fault zone.

This area represents an underexplored “gap” in the distribution of known mineralization between the Taseko Lakes and Blackwater districts, where active and recent volcanism has confounded the Mesozoic bedrock associated with known exploration models in B.C