The Midway occurrence is located west of Guichon Creek, approximately 6.5 kilometres northeast of the Bethlehem Copper (MINFILE 092ISE001) pit.
The area is located at the eastern edge of the Upper Triassic to Middle Jurassic Guichon Creek Batholith and overlies the contact between Hybrid phase and Guichon variety (Highland Valley phase) rocks. Three main rock types are evident: diorite, quartz diorite and granodiorite. Fracturing and shearing are abundant in the diorite and quartz diorite but markedly less so in the granodiorite.
Locally, a fractured, silicified and chlorite-altered diorite hosts chalcopyrite and pyrite with minor sphalerite and galena mineralization. The chalcopyrite and pyrite occur as disseminations to massive stringers or veinlets in the diorite, whereas quartz and quartz carbonate veins host disseminated to massive stringers of chalcopyrite and pyrite with disseminated sphalerite and galena. Malachite and azurite occur along fractures and breccias. The mineralization is concentrated in areas of fracturing.
In 2009, diamond drill hole 09-SND-14 yielded 0.17 per cent copper over the last 168 metres of the hole, including 0.24 per cent copper over 85 metres and 0.24 per cent copper over 17.9 metres; whereas another hole (09-SND-13) yielded 0.16 per cent copper and 0.42 per cent zinc over 5.7 metres and up to 0.15 per cent lead over 1 metre (Assessment Report 32153). During the following year, diamond drilling yielded 0.2 per cent copper over 24.05 metres, including 1.84 per cent copper over 1.4 metres, in hole 10-LCD-19 (Assessment Report 32980).
In 2018, a grab sample (HVP-2018-005) of granodiorite from a new showing approximately 750 metres northwest of the Midway occurrence was reported to yield 0.961 per cent copper (Assessment Report 37643).
Work History
In 1956, Deerhorn Mines Ltd. held the Witches Brook (Heather, Fran and Gisselle) group of 24 claims and completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and soil sampling.
In 1962, Noranda Exploration Company Limited held the PG group of 99 claims, located along and mainly west of Guichon Creek to the north of Witches Brook. This property was partly a relocation of the claims held by Deerhorn Mines Ltd. Geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys were carried out during 1963. The CL group, apparently staked by C.W. Dansey in 1964, was partially located on ground that was formerly part of the PG group. During 1964, North Pacific Mines Limited carried out a program of trenching, soil sampling and magnetometer and geological surveying on the property. In 1965, North Pacific Mines Ltd. carried out an induced polarization survey, which outlined an anomaly approximately 914 metres in length over a width of 244 metres. Other work consisted of trenching, road building and eight diamond drill holes, totalling 1280 metres. In 1968, an airborne magnetometer survey (202 kilometres) was flown on behalf of North Pacific Mines Ltd. and Comet-Krain Mines Ltd. In 1969, Noranda Exploration Company Limited conducted a soil geochemical survey and induced polarization surveys over the Mike, Bill, Tom and JB claims.
In 1973, North Pacific Mines Ltd. completed five percussion drill holes, totalling 384 metres, on the Tom claims. In 1978, Bethlehem Copper completed a regional program of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and a 101.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the TL and GC claims.
In 2007, L. Sookochoff completed a photogeological (lineament) study. In 2008, SNL Enterprises collected soil samples in the area. During 2008 through 2010, Logan Copper completed programs of ground geophysical surveying and 20 diamond drill holes on the area. Reports were made on 12 of the drillholes, which totalled 3181.8 metres.
During 2014 through 2016, photogeological structural analysis programs were completed on the area as the Bertha and Toni claim groups. Also, in 2016, a 5.4 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey was completed on the area immediately to the east as the Dansey East claim.
In 2018, C. Delorme and G. Delorme completed a prospecting and rock sampling geochemical program. The program located new zones of mineralization on the property and five rock samples were submitted for analysis. In 2019, C. Delorme conducted a geochemical sampling program comprising two soil sampling grids, totalling 30 B-horizon soil samples, one silt sample and one rock sample, on the Highland Valley property.
