The Liard fluorspar deposits are analogs with the Mississippi Valley Type, the most common geological setting for the largest economic Fluorspar deposits worldwide.
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The Liard fluorspar deposits are analogs with the Mississippi Valley Type, the most common geological setting for the largest economic Fluorspar deposits worldwide. -----
Liard Fluorspar District
The Liard Fluorite project has several deposits near the Besa River and Dunedin formations’ boundary, consistently found along fault lines, covering 8,551 hectares, similar to the Illinois-Kentucky District, which was the largest US fluorspar district.
The Liard Project’s historic resource estimates include the accessible TAM, Coral, TEE, and FIRE targets. Further exploration will expand known drilled targets.
The project remains open for exploration in all directions, with significant potential to expand both in length and depth, thereby adding more resources from similar exposed deposits.
The six principal zones commonly referenced as forming the core of the Liard deposit are:
Tam
Coral
Tee
Fire
Cliff
Camp
Below are a description of each.
TAM DEPOSIT
Location: Exposed on steep east- and south-facing slopes near the head of Mould Creek, about 7 km south of Tee and 12 km north of Liard Hot Springs.
Geology & Mineralization: Mineralization is at the brecciated contact between limestone and overlying Besa River shales, dipping easterly. The zone extends 274 m along the hillside, widths from 49 to 168 m. The best mineralization is in limestone breccia, with almost complete replacement by fluorite and barium minerals (witherite, barytocalcite, baryte). Fluorite is generally purple to black.
Historic Resource: Boasts an impressive 2 million tons of historic mineralized material at 31.5% CaF2, extending over a 300-meter strike length at surface level.
Notable Features: Multiple forms of brecciation (chaotic, crackle, mosaic). Trenching and drilling revealed high grades (e.g., up to 74% CaF₂ in channel samples). This is the primary exploration target due to size and grade
Accessibility and Richness: This deposit is not only easily accessible but also exceptionally rich, with grades nearly twice as high as those found in comparable mines.
Strategic Location: The Tam Deposit’s surface-level and along-strike positioning enhances its near-term and cost-effective mining potential, promising a highly efficient and profitable operation.
TAM Long Section A-A1
2. CORAL
Location: On gentle slopes of a small limestone hill, just over 1 km southwest of Tam, 900 m west-southwest of Camp.
Geology & Mineralization: Fluorspar mineralization is at the gently south-dipping limestone-shale contact, with brecciation of both units. The largest exposure is 91 m long and 46 m wide, but appears to be a thin remnant on top of the limestone. Trenching exposed mineralization over 183 x 61 m.
Historic Resource Estimate of 589,000 tons at 36.6% CaF2
Notable Features: High grades in channel and bulk samples (e.g., up to 88% CaF₂ in channel samples, 64.88% CaF₂ in bulk). Drilling returned 39% CaF₂ over 26.5 m
12 drill holes, 1 bulk sample and various channel samples.
High-grade (>30% fluorspar) mineralization right at surface shallowly plunging over an average of 25 vertical m followed for over 250 m of strike length(open to the south) and up to 75 m wide
Large fluorite showing trenched located 100 m west of the main drilled zone
Very clean mineralogy comprised of coarse Fluorite, Calcite, Witherite and Quartz
Channel Sample #1– 33.5 m @ 58.5% CaF2 (Historic)
DDH 72-43 – 25.5 m @ 39% CaF2 (Historic)
Bulk Sample #4 - 64.88% CaF2 (Historic)
CORAL Long Section
3. TEE
Location: Northernmost showing, about 18.5 km north of Liard Hot Springs.
Geology & Mineralization: Exposures are found on northeast-facing slopes west of Teeter Creek and on south-facing slopes north of a tributary. Mineralization is generally at the contact of the Dunedin limestone with overlying Besa River shale, which dips about 25° east. Four sub-zones (A–D) were mapped:
Zone A: Highly mineralized limestone, mostly colorless fluorite, up to 5 m thick, mapped over 4,645 m².
Zone B: At the shale-limestone contact, with replacement of both lithologies; significant vertical interval (up to 18 m), mineralization extends 213 m along slope, 61 m wide.
Zone C: Discontinuous lenses along limestone cliffs, possibly related to thrusting.
Zone D: Exposures of mineralized shale and shale breccia, area of 76 x 91 m.
Notable Features: Both limestone and shale host fluorite, with colorless and purple varieties. Some drilling intersected mineralization up to 18.3 m thick, grading 8.8% CaF₂
4. FIRE
Location: Southern part of the property, on gentle southwesterly slopes, about 10 km north of Liard Hot Springs.
Geology & Mineralization: Limestones are generally flat-lying, with widespread remnants of overlying brecciated and mineralized shales. A narrow, highly mineralized zone extends 274 m, with widths between 30.5 and 61 m. Most mineralization is in shale breccia, with some in underlying limestone breccia. Thickness generally less than 15 m.
Historic Resource Estimate of 160,000 tons at 37% CaF2
Notable Features: High-grade channel samples (e.g., 50.75% CaF₂ over 21.3 m; best drill hole: 37% CaF₂ over 19.8 m). Mineralized argillite breccia contains black and purple fluorite, baryte, and loose carbon
18 drill holes, 1 bulk sample and various channel samples
High-grade (>35% fluorspar) mineralization right at surface over an average of 6 to 15 vertical m followed for over 700 m of strike length
A second mineralized zone is identified in the northernmost drill 350 m away from the main drilled zone
Very clean mineralogy comprised of coarse Fluorite, Calcite, Witherite and Quartz
Semi Continuous Chip Sample – 21.3 m @ 57.9% CaF2 (Historic)
DDH 72-37 – 19.8 m @ 37% CaF2 (Historic)
FIRE Long Section
5. CLIFF
The Cliff Zone is one of the historic fluorspar showings within the Liard Fluorspar Project, located approximately 11 km north-northwest of Liard Hot Springs and nearly 2 km west-northwest of the Fire showing. It is situated near the crest of a hill east of Teeter Creek, with an access road constructed from the Fire zone during early exploration efforts.
Geology and Mineralization:
The Cliff Zone is characterized by a linear exposure of mineralization along a series of low limestone cliffs, extending for about 500 feet (152 m) north-south and up to 100 feet (30.5 m) wide.
The main exposure is bounded to the east by a bench of flat-lying barren limestone and to the west by another hill of barren limestone, separated by an overburden-covered pass.
The mineralization is notable for its horizontal banding in the main exposure, which is unusual for the Liard camp. Much of the fluorite here is colorless, although purple varieties are also present.
The banded “ore” is quite siliceous and has been mapped as impure quartzite, suggesting either original siliceous zones within the limestone or silica addition during fluorite mineralization.
South of the main exposures, shale debris and an outcrop of shale have been observed. Drilling in this southern area intersected a thin layer of fluorite mineralization at the contact between shale and underlying limestone.
Exploration and Results:
Four drill holes were completed at the Cliff Zone. The most significant result was from hole 72-39, which intersected 15.2 meters grading 39.6% CaF₂.
The historic (non-NI 43-101 compliant) tonnage and grade estimate for the Cliff Zone is 90,000 tons (81,650 tonnes) at 35% CaF₂, classified as “inferred” in 1983 internal company documents.
Key Features:
Linear, banded mineralization with both colorless and purple fluorite.
Significant silica content, mapped as impure quartzite.
Mineralization occurs primarily in limestone cliffs, with minor mineralization at the shale-limestone contact.
Drill results confirm the presence of high-grade fluorspar over notable widths.
In summary, the Cliff Zone represents a distinct, banded, and locally high-grade fluorspar occurrence within the Liard project, with unique geological features compared to other zones, particularly its horizontal banding and siliceous character.
6. CAMP
The Camp Zone is a historic fluorspar showing within the Liard Fluorspar Project, located on the northeast slopes of a small hill about 600 meters downslope and south-southeast of the main Tam zone, and approximately 11 km north of Liard Hot Springs. It is named for its proximity to the site of the historic exploration camp established in the early 1970s, when an access road and some bulldozer stripping were completed.
Geology and Mineralization:
The Camp Zone hosts mineralization at the contact between limestone (to the west and northwest) and overlying shale (to the southeast).
The principal mineralized body is a shale breccia zone, occurring over an area about 150 feet (approximately 46 meters) in diameter.
The underlying limestone is also mineralized in places, especially close to the exposure of the mineralized shale breccia.
Overburden in the area is thick, but abundant fluorite-bearing float (mostly shale breccia) is reported throughout the till, indicating the potential for more extensive subsurface mineralization.
Exploration and Work:
Historic work at Camp included bulldozer stripping, but there is no record of drilling at this showing.
The Camp Zone is often grouped with the nearby Coral Zone due to their close physical proximity and similar geological setting.
Recent aerial surveys (2021) confirmed the presence of historic workings, though they are now largely overgrown by deciduous regrowth.
Significance:
The Camp Zone, together with Coral, is considered a secondary target after Tam for future exploration due to its geological similarities and evidence of significant fluorite mineralization.
Historic tonnage and grade estimates (not NI 43-101 compliant) for Camp are 19,200 tons (17,425 tonnes) at 20% CaF₂, classified as “inferred” in 1983 internal company documents