Annual report for MCC 1438

Abstract

MCC 1438 has been worked using small-scale prospecting, metal detecting, panning and alluvial gold mining. Historically, the area has yielded 2 oz nuggets and host rock samples that carried as much as 12 oz of gold when dollyed. A small hill locally known as Ten Ounce Hill has been investigated. Although it contains numerous veins, very few showed any gold at all. The current leaseholder has subdivided the claim into 36 blocks. Work started in 1995 and has progressed systematically block by block allowing restoration to proceed behind exploration. Gold nuggets from 1 g to 5 g were found between up to 10 cm deep in Block 1 in 2. Block 3 contained more iron when panned. It showed colour that was thought to equate to about 2 g/t Au and nuggets were generally larger, up to about 10 cm. They were also more roughly textured as if they had not been transported. Two nearby reefs were investigated as the possible source, but neither had any trace of gold. The gold was traced to gravels about 3 m thick under up to 4 m of clay and sand. MCC is also used as the camp for the leaseholders and other nearby small-scale miners.