The AC occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1480 metres, immediately east of Kirby Creek and approximately 2 kilometres east-northeast of Hensall Lake.
The area is underlain by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. The volcanic rocks consist of andesitic and basaltic flows, augite porphyry, agglomerate, breccia and tuff. These are interbedded with minor argillite, conglomerate and limestone units that define an asymmetric, south-plunging anticline with its axis passing through Swakum Mountain. The Nicola Belt is bounded to the east and west by the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Nicola and Guichon granodiorite batholiths, respectively.
At the AC occurrence, drilling is reported to have intersected copper sulphides occurring as disseminations in quartz-carbonate-altered zones. Geological mapping (1988) of trenches identified andesite tuff, andesite feldspar porphyry, quartz-sericite schists, phyllites and a quartz monzonite hosting quartz-carbonate veins and variable amounts of malachite, chalcocite and chalcopyrite.
Another zone of gold-silver mineralization, referred to as the A occurrence, is reported along Kirby Creek, approximately 800 metres north of the AC occurrence.
Work History
The A group of claims was staked by F.W. Humble in 1944 on a gold-silver discovery.
In 1967, Valnicla Copper Mine Ltd. completed three diamond drill holes, totalling 60 metres, on the AC group of claims. No results are known.
In 1969, Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. completed a 12.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area immediately east of the occurrence as the Coke 1-21 claims of the Mab Lake property.
In 1972 and 1973, Hesca Development Corp. Ltd. completed a program of rock, silt and soil sampling on the area as the Kay and Lyn claims of the Swakum Mountain property.
In 1985, Rea Gold Corp. completed a soil sampling program on the area immediately east of the occurrence as the Reakel claims. The following year, Trans-Arctic Explorations Ltd. completed a 10.5 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the AC claim.
In 1988, Kerr Addison Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, soil and heavy mineral) sampling and a 14.0 line-kilometre electromagnetic survey on the area as the Clapper 1-4 claims. Four samples (128679 through 128682) from a historical trench on the AC occurrence yielded from 6.8 to 50 grams per tonne silver, whereas a sample (239646) of greenstone with quartz carbonate veinlets and pyrite, taken approximately 600 metres to the east-northeast of the AC zone, yielded 0.100 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18042).
In 2001, John Kerr completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Dart 1-20 claims. This work identified historical trenches and drillholes, of unknown age, on the AC occurrence area.
In 2010 and 2012, Pan Andean Minerals Corp. completed programs of soil sampling on the area immediately north of the occurrence as the Dartt Lake claims.
In 2014 and 2015, Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. completed programs of prospecting and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Kirby Gold property.
