The Free Gold occurrence is located on the eastern side of Warn Bay, approximately 1.3 kilometres east of the mouth of Bulson Creek at Warn Bay, and 19 kilometres northeast of Tofino, B.C.
The region is underlain by Devonian Sicker Group rocks comprised of cherts and argillites covered by meta-andesites and meta-dacites. The Sicker rocks are overlain by the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group consisting of Karmutsen Formation volcanics and Quatsino Formation limestone. Stocks of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite consisting of granodiorite to quartz diorite intrude the strata. An assemblage of rocks belonging to the pre-Jurassic Westcoast Complex also occurs in the area. The assemblage consists of gneiss, amphibolite, agmatite, and quartz diorite or tonalite. This complex is considered to be derived from Sicker and Vancouver group rocks which were migmatized in early Jurassic time. Its mobilized granitoid part is thought to have become the source of the Island Plutonic Suite.
The Free Gold prospect consists of a quartz vein within a shear zone hosted by quartz diorite of the Westcoast Complex or Island Plutonic Suite. Small bodies and angular fragments of altered volcanics (Sicker Group) are found within the intrusive. The vein, from 0.2 to 1.0 metre in width, strikes at 080 degrees and dips steeply to the north. Mineralization consists of native gold and trace amounts of galena. The vein has been traced for over 50 metres on surface before being covered by overburden and is reported to be cut-off to the southwest by a fault that parallels the creek.
A plan of the workings (undated) shows three adits.
The No.1 adit is at 343 metres in elevation and shows about 57 metres of underground development. The adit has been driven on a quartz vien which pinches and swells from 0.2 to 1.0 metres in width, and is orientated at 262 degrees and dips 82 degrees north. In 1981, a sample of quartz vein, taken 7 metres in from the adit, assayed 39.5 grams per tonne gold over 0.3 metre (Assessment Report 9418). In 1984, a sample from the back of the adit assayed 8.2 grams per tonne gold over 0.25 metre (Assessment Report 13281). In 1988, sampling of the quartz vein assayed 157.8 grams per tonne gold and 91.2 grams per tonne silver over 0.1 metre (Assessment Report 17589).
The No.2 adit is at 373 metres elevation and shows about 51 metres of workings.
The No.3 adit is at 381 metres elevation and shows 7 metres of drifting. This adit follows the same quartz vein as the first adit. In 1981, a sample of quartz vein from the face of the adit assayed 27.1 grams per tonne gold over 1 metre (Assessment Report 9418). In 1984, a chip sample assayed 22.3 grams per tonne gold over 0.1 metres, while a sample of dump material yielded 32.7 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 13281).
All three adits are adjacent a northwest flowing creek and were driven toward the east.
The occurrence was originally discovered in the 1930’s. Three bulk samples were shipped in 1941 and 1942. One 0.90 tonne sample was found to contain 309 grams per tonne gold and 96 grams per tonne silver (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1942).
In 1981, Summit Pass Resources completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling. In 1984, Royalon Petroleum Corp. completed a program of prospecting and geochemical sampling. In 1986, W. Guppy completed a program of prospecting and geochemical sampling on the area as the Baycrest 1-3 mineral claims. During 1988 through 1990, Arklow Resources and Strabane Resources options the property and completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, rock and soil sampling and ground magnetic and electromagnetic surveys. Later in 1988, Stork Ventures Ltd. conducted a program of prospecting, mapping, soil sampling and ground geophysics over the Free Gold area. Seven quartz vein samples collected showed values between 5 and 115 parts per billion. Seven of the thirty-two soil samples collected showed anomalous gold values of 100 to 662 parts per billion. In 1994, S. Salmon prospected the area as Auric claim. In 2009 and 2011, Selkirk Metal Corp. completed programs of silt and soil sampling on the area as part of the Fandora Property.
