The JM occurrence is located on the south side of Juliet Creek, approximately eight kilometres up from its confluence with the Coldwater River.
Geological mapping in the immediate area of the Juliet claim in 1994 outlined six major lithological units. These include Late Triassic Nicola Group volcanics, granodiorite and breccia of the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Eagle Plutonic Complex, Early Tertiary Rover (Keystone) quartz diorite, quartz stockwork breccia, quartz-eye porphyry, and dacite and feldspar porphyry dikes. The dominant rock type in the Juliet Creek area is foliated, biotite-rich, leucocratic granodiorite of the Eagle Plutonic Complex which has been brecciated, the resulting rock comprising angular to subrounded fragments of granodiorite cemented by a fine grained, dark green matrix.
A second breccia, referred to as the quartz stockwork breccia, occurs as a southeast trending, finger-like body, approximately 100 metres wide and 900 metres long. This unit, which is characterized by semi to non-rotated fragments supported by reticulate, massive, vuggy quartz stockwork veins, has undergone weak but pervasive propylitic alteration. Sulphide mineralization occurs in the quartz
The following three types of economic mineralization have been identified: 1) individual quartz-sericite veins with pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite; 2) quartz stockwork breccia with pyrite; chalcopyrite and minor galena and molybdenite; and 3) weakly silicified, sericite and carbonate altered zones with molybdenite. Precious metal values are associated with the first two types of mineralization. Quartz-sericite veins range from 5 to 140 centimetres wide, generally striking north to northeast and dipping east and west. Narrow, randomly distributed quartz veinlets, 1 to 5 millimetres wide carry pyrite, chalcopyrite, magnetite and molybdenite and are hosted in Eagle Plutonic Complex breccia and quartz stockwork. Type II quartz stockwork breccia mineralization consists of up to 90 per cent quartz but locally up to 50 per cent carbonate. Pyrite, chalcopyrite, magnetite and molybdenite occur as disseminations in this zone. Type III mineralization contains weak silicification along with sericite and carbonate alteration. The zone occurs intermittently over 30 metres and is adjacent to the quartz stockwork breccia.
In 1978, rock samples (R1-2 and R4-2) of quartz veining with pyrite and molybdenite from the Rover occurrence area yielded up to 0.051 per cent molybdenum and 17.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 7135).
The best assay to date from surface samples has come from quartz stockwork breccia sampled at the Lower Cut zone where a rock sample assayed 1.75 grams per tonne gold and 100 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 16436).
The best intersections from diamond drilling in 1994 were from drillhole 94-3, which intersected three intervals of quartz stockwork breccia totalling 33 metres thickness. The remainder of the drillhole intersected Eagle Plutonic Complex breccia. The quartz stockwork breccia hosts 15 to 20 per cent quartz veinlets with 1 to 2 per cent pyrite and traces of chalcopyrite, magnetite and molybdenite. The interval between 38 and 88 metres averaged 0.07 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23480). Copper values averaged 0.022 per cent from 3.35 to 14 metres and 0.028 per cent between 34 and 85 metres. This interval included 0.09 per cent copper between 42 and 45 metres, and 0.12 per cent between 65 and 70 metres (Assessment Report 23480).
Work History
The Coquihalla area has been actively explored since the early 1900s. The first mining exploration activity in the Juliet and Mine creeks area was in 1936 at the Keystone claims (MINFILE 092HNW024).
In 1969, J. Christie staked the JM claims over anomalous copper-molybdenum soil values. The following year, a ground magnetometer survey, soil sampling survey and trenching were completed on the claims.
During 1977 through 1979, Western Mines Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling, trenching, a 15.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and four diamond drill holes, totalling 3569 metres, on the area as the Rover and Keystone properties.
The property was re-staked in 1986 by G.F. Crooker as the Juliet claims. Reconnaissance soil and rock sampling were conducted. Encouraging results prompted Leigh Resource Corp. to option the property in 1987. A comprehensive work program was carried out on the property. Another exploration program was carried out in 1992. These two latter programs outlined a quartz stockwork breccia, approximately 900 metres long and 100 metres wide. Soil samples outlined anomalous gold, silver and copper. Rock samples also yielded anomalous values. In 1994, six diamond drill holes, totalling 457.32 metres, were completed in addition to geological mapping and geophysical surveys.
