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The Fraser River Platinum property, located 3 km northwest of Lytton BC in an area known as the Van Winkle Bar, consists of 4
claim units covering 248 hectares (612 acres) along the Van Winkle Bar, and traversing 4.5 km along
the Fraser
River. Platinum and iridium are known to occur in the black sands of Van Winkle Bar. The source rocks are believed to be
Carboniferous-Jurassic Cache Creek Complex volcanic and sedimentary rocks to the north, where the company has also staked
claims. According to BC Open File 1986-7, the sands of the Van Winkle Bar have assayed up to 5681.1 grams (182.67 ounces) per
tonne platinum.
On February 19, 2009, it was announced that gold had been discovered during the first phase of test excavations 400 metres
northwest of the Van Winkle Bar along an old river
channel situated 75 metres higher than the existing Fraser River channel. Prior to this there were no substantive indications
of gold
mineralization in the Fraser River deposit.
Initial reports from the site indicated that the first two test
pits revealed visible gold in the black sands within two feet
of the surface. The general matrix of the bench placer is described as having fine gold and platinum disbursed
throughout the deposit, but
at low
concentrations. However, pay streaks within the general deposit are distributed in bands throughout the orebody, and are much
more concentrated, especially closer to the original erosion channel. The orebody has been termed a "low velocity deposit,"
and a textbook example for carrying pay streaks at several depths and not just near the erosion channel.
Sources:
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