South Lead / Whistler Gulch Gold Project
The South Lead / Whistler Gulch project was staked between June and September 2021 and is comprised of 783 unpatented claims (13,188 acres) and 255 acres of mineral rights covering a total of approximately 13,443 mineral acres located in the western portion of Lawrence County, South Dakota, USA. More specifically the claims lie within the Black Hills Meridian, Township 4N, Range 2E, covering portions of Sections 2, 9, 10, 11,14,15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36, and Township 4N, Range 3E, covering portions of Sections 1, 2, 11,12,13,14,15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, and Township 4N, Range 4E, covering portions of Sections 18 and 19 and Township 5N, Range 3E, covering portions of Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36.
The South Lead portion of the claims is not contiguous but is generally located south of the City of Lead extending as a band approximately 9 miles across the southern end Homestake District from Highway 85/14A at the west side to US Highway 385 on the east side. Multiple points of access to the property are gained from the paved State and Federal highway systems, as well as from numerous all-weather secondary paved and gravel roads maintained by Lawrence County. A network of BLM and Forest Service roads cut the property. The Whistler Gulch section of the property is generally located immediately south of the City of Deadwood and extending south and east from Whistler Gulch. Access to the property is gained from streets within the City of Deadwood, US Highway 385 along at the western property boundary, and from numerous all-weather gravel roads maintained by Lawrence County. A network of BLM and Forest Service roads cut the property.
Dakota Gold maintains 100% ownership of the project. There are no known private surface rights owners within the bounds of the claims with all surface rights on the property under the control of the USFS or BLM. The annual claim maintenance fees total $129,195.
The South Lead / Whistler Gulch project has been subject to extensive historic prospect and mining activity, primarily related to Tertiary-aged gold mineralization in the Deadwood formation, Tertiary-aged intrusives and Precambrian basement rocks. Dakota Gold believes the South Lead / Whistler Gulch project area holds potential for Homestake-style iron-formation hosted mineralization down plunge from the Homestake mine under cover of the younger rocks that dominate the surface.
The South Lead / Whistler project area is extensive. Significant historic mining activity is evident by the presence of numerous prospect pits and adits scattered throughout the area, as mapped on published geological quadrangle maps. However, neither Homestake Mining Company records nor the US Government mineral records (MRDS) have recorded the mining and commodity information for the area associated with the old mine workings.
Data compilation and reconnaissance field work is scheduled for 2024 using the Company's proprietary regional geophysical surveys as guides.
