The Seneca deposit is located on the east side of the Chehalis River on the west side of Harrison Lake, about 8 kilometres north of Harrison Mills, British Columbia.

The Seneca occurrence has been explored by mining companies since the 1920s. In the 1970s, Cominco Ltd. delineated a small Kuroko-type, stratiform, volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit.

The area of the Seneca deposit and its related occurrences, the Vent (092HSW139) and the Fleetwood/33 zones (092HSW165), are underlain primarily by volcanic rocks of the Lower-Middle Jurassic Harrison Lake Formation. In general, the strata on the property strike approximately northwest and are essentially flat lying or moderately east dipping. The stratigraphy has undergone very little deformation or metamorphism and retains pristine volcanic textures. Metamorphic grade in the area is zeolite facies.

McKinley et al. (Fieldwork 1994) have subdivided the property stratigraphy into three principal volcanic facies as follows: 1) Facies 1 - Lavas (vent-proximal facies) consist of basaltic to rhyolitic composition flows, domes and associated in situ hyaloclastites and autoclastic breccias. 2) Facies 2 - Volcaniclastic rocks (vent-proximal to distal facies) consist of juvenile to reworked, coarse volcanic breccia and tuffs to fine-grained siltstone. 3) Facies 3 - Synvolcanic intrusions consist of basaltic to rhyolitic sills and dikes that have intruded lavas and wet volcaniclastic sediments.

A fourth facies consists of an argillite that often contains flattened pumice clasts and is commonly in close proximity to mineralization. This fourth facies is restricted to the main Seneca deposit, also referred to as the Pit area, and does not correlate across the property.

Three types of mineralized zones are present in the Seneca area: 1) Conformable massive sulphide lenses. 2) Semimassive and disseminated sulphides associated with volcaniclastic rocks. 3) Stockwork and stringer mineralized zones.

Conformable, stratabound lenses of semimassive sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite with lesser galena are exposed in the Pit area. The sulphides are hosted by fragmental rocks and occur as discontinuous pods that do not correlate between adjacent drillholes. Unlike the 33 zone, the massive sulphides in the Pit area are underlain by siliceous stringer and disseminated mineralization.

Massive to disseminated sulphides are hosted in the volcaniclastic 'ore zone conglomerate', tending to be restricted to the upper part of the unit. The 'ore zone conglomerate', part of Facies 2 and found only in the Pit area, varies from 1 to 15 metres in thickness. The unit consists of moderately silicified, mostly subrounded dacite lava clasts ranging from sand size up to 3 centimetres in diameter in a sandy or silty matrix. The unit can be matrix or clast supported, and also contains clasts and matrix that have been replaced and/or infilled by sulphides. A dacite lava clast breccia occurs stratigraphically below the 'ore zone conglomerate'. One of the better drillhole intersections (drillhole 85-03) cut 0.5 metre of massive pyrite, sphalerite and barite with lesser chalcopyrite, underlain by 3.5 metres of mostly semimassive pyrite. More commonly, the mineralization hosted by the 'ore zone conglomerate' consists of clasts that are partially replaced, or matrix that is partly infilled by pyrite and occasionally sphalerite. Some of the clasts are rimmed with later pyrite. Tetrahedrite has been microscopically recognized.

Faulting is evident in several directions and may have exerted some control on the mineralization.

Generally, most of the rocks at the Seneca occurrences are relatively unaltered, exhibiting pristine preservation of volcanic textures. Macroscopically recognizable alteration is restricted to the Vent and Fleetwood zones where it is characterized by intense silicification and sericitization associated with massive to flow banded and flow brecciated dacite porphyry. The volcanics are pyritized to varying degrees over much of the area.

In 1984, combined (drill indicated, possible and inferred) reserves at Seneca were reported at 1,506,239 tonnes grading 3.57 per cent zinc, 0.15 per cent lead, 0.63 per cent copper, 0.82 gram per tonne gold and 41.13 grams per tonne silver. This reserve also includes 898,573 tonnes grading 1.09 grams per tonne gold, 55.53 grams per tonne silver, 0.84 per cent copper and 5.17 per cent zinc (undiluted) (Filing Statement 200/85, International Curator Resources Ltd.).

Work History

In the 1920s, high grade massive sulphide float was identified from a creek in the Seneca pit area.

In 1950, mineralized float/outcrop (?) was found during road building for logging operations. The property was subsequently optioned by Noranda who completed 14 drill holes, totalling 126.9 metres.

During 1960 through 1962, M & H Mining Co. excavated an open-cut and developed a 143-metre long adit eastward towards the open-cut and 13.5 metres below it. Limited diamond drilling was also reported. In 1961, approximately 260 tonnes of ore was shipped from a small open pit that constituted the Lucky Jim (Seneca) prospect and shipped to the Britannia Mine (092GNW003). The ore graded 1.55 per cent copper, 8.15 per cent zinc, 154.28 grams per tonne silver and 4.11 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23417).

In 1962, the property was optioned by Continental Consolidated Mines Ltd. who completed nine drill holes. In 1964 and 1965, Noland Mines Ltd. held the property and completed a self potential survey and two diamond drill holes south of the open pit, assuming a steep southerly dip to mineralization in the pit area. No mineralization was found and the option dropped. In 1969, Zenith Mining Corp. acquired the property and outlined an anomalous zone southwest of the occurrence through an induced polarization survey. The company drilled 10 closely spaced diamond-drill holes across the anomaly finding only minor mineralization.

During 1971 through 1976, Cominco completed programs of geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, geological mapping and 36 diamond drill holes. Drilling highlights included 9.1 per cent zinc, 1.0 per cent copper, 84.6 grams per tonne silver and 2.8 grams per tonne gold over 7.8 metres in hole 71-6 and 11.3 per cent zinc, 0.6 per cent copper, 125.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.9 gram per tonne gold over 5.0 metres in hole 74-31 (Allen, D.G. (2014-09-19): Technical Report on the Seneca VMS Project).

During 1977 through 1981, Chevron Canada Ltd. completed programs of extensive geological sampling and mapping and 25 diamond drill holes, totalling 2816 metres. In 1982, Chevron in joint venture with Curator Resources completed induced polarization surveys over three areas along with geological mapping and geochemical sampling. The following year, Curator Resources drilled 18 diamond drill holes, totalling 2558 metres. Drill hole 83-6 is reported to have yielded 17.7 per cent zinc, 5.11 per cent copper, 144.3 grams per tonne silver and 6.96 grams per tonne gold over 1.3 metres (Allen, D.G. (2014-09-19): Technical Report on the Seneca VMS Project).

In 1985, Curator changed its company name to International Curator Resources. The company discovered the Vent Zone (MINFILE 092HSW139) 2 kilometres to the northwest along strike with the Seneca deposit and completed 12 diamond-drill holes, totalling 1375 metres. A drill hole on the northeast side of the Seneca deposit intersected 0.6 metre of massive sulphides which assayed 5.97 grams per tonne gold, 246.85 grams per tonne silver, 10.1 per cent zinc, 0.36 per cent copper and 0.7 per cent lead. The deposit is considered still to be open in this direction.

In 1986, BP-Selco optioned the property and continued exploration, primarily on the Vent Zone, drilling 28 diamond drill holes, totalling 2672 metres. In 1987, International Curator Resources reacquired the property and drilled 12 diamond drill holes, totalling 3042 metres.

In 1990, Metall Mining Corp. optioned the property to evaluate the Seneca deposit and the VMS potential for the remainder of the property. During 1990 through 1993, Metall Mining Corp. and Minnova collected over 2,700 soil and rock samples, completed 67 line-kilometres of geophysical surveys, conducted downhole geophysical testing on 9 holes and completed 41 diamond drill holes, totaling 12,109 metres. In 1991 and 1992, the Fleetwood and 33 zones (MINFILE 092HSW165) were discovered in the same area located approximately 1.5 kilometres northwest of the Vent zone.

In 1994, Minnova became Inmet Mining and continued diamond drilling on the property. Drillhole S-94-41 was drilled to test the Seneca horizon, 700 metres downdip of previous drillhole S-91-02 and 800 metres north east of the Seneca deposit, which intersected 0.24 per cent copper, 1.58 per cent zinc, 4.34 grams per tonne silver and 0.034 gram per tonne gold over 3 metres and which showed the most noticeable alteration to date. The hole also tested a mercury anomaly outlined and tested by Cominco Ltd. in 1972. The hole collared into dacite feldspar porphyritic flow and is underlain by dacitic feldspar phyric lapilli tuff. The dacitic package is underlain by a thick sequence of andesitic lapilli tuff and massive mafic flow and flow breccias. A 3.30-metre wide interval, at a depth of approximately 622.0 metres, yielded 2.16 per cent zinc, 0.10 per cent copper, 4.0 grams per tonne silver and 0.1 gram per tonne gold (Allen, D.G. (2014-09-19): Technical Report on the Seneca VMS Project).

In 1995, International Curator Resources Ltd. conducted two days exploration work on the Dorothy 12 and 13 claims to determine the source of a coincident copper, lead, and zinc anomaly outlined by previous soil sampling. The area of these claims is underlain by a series of volcanic sediments, and rhyolitic to andesitic flows, tuffs and breccias that have been variable sericitized and silicified. Thirteen rock samples were taken from outcrops. The highest results were from sample JC-6, which yielded 0.07 per cent lead, 0.02 per cent zinc, 2.0 grams per tonne silver and 0.02 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24318).

During 1996 through 1998, Riverstone Resources Inc. prospected and sampled the area. Six drill holes, totalling 693.4 metres, were completed on an induced polarization anomaly located on the IC claims, north of Vaughan Creek, but no significant base metal sulphides were encountered.

In late 2002, the area was staked by Efrem Specogna. In 2004, the claims were optioned by Carat Exploration Inc and through 2007, programs of geological mapping, rock and stream sediment sampling, 347.2 line-kilometres of airborne geophysical surveys and 19 diamond drill holes, totalling 2473 metres, were completed on the Seneca zone and electromagnetic anomalies. Drill hole SN05-57 yielded 0.94 per cent copper, 20.28 per cent zinc, 100 grams per tonne silver and 3.05 grams per tonne gold over 2.6 metres (Allen, D.G. (2014-09-19): Technical Report on the Seneca VMS Project).