The Sheba (West, North Group) occurrence is located east of Highmont (Sheba) Creek and on the south side of the Highland Valley, at an elevation of approximately 1400 metres.
The area is situated in the central part of the Jurassic Guichon Creek Batholith. The northeast portion of the property is underlain by Guichon and Chataway quartz diorite and granodiorite. These varieties belong to the Highland Valley phase of the batholith and differ only slightly in texture and colour index. To the west they are flanked by Bethlehem phase rocks. The central and western portions of the property are underlain by Skeena variety quartz diorite to granodiorite. This unit is texturally and compositionally transitional between the Bethlehem phase to the east and the Bethsaida phase, which forms the core of the batholith. A small body of Bethsaida phase quartz monzonite lies in the north central area, along with several related swarms of north and east-northeast-trending quartz-plagioclase porphyritic and aplite dikes.
Weak argillic and propylitic alteration is widespread. Kaolinite, chlorite, epidote and calcite are common. Sericite-feldspar alteration is moderately to intensely developed in areas affected by faulting, heavy fracturing and porphyry dike emplacement. The predominant fault trend is 100 degrees with well-developed, steeply inclined joint sets striking 025, 065 and 160 degrees.
Locally, disseminated and quartz vein-fracture-controlled mineralization is hosted by altered Skeena and Bethlehem rocks. Chalcopyrite, bornite, pyrite and possible chalcocite replace mafic minerals and occur on fractures in quartz-epidote, pyrite-chlorite-epidote-chalcopyrite and quartz-sericite veins. Molybdenite coats fractures and shears and occurs in quartz or quartz-chalcopyrite veins. Oxidized zones contain limonite, malachite, molybdenum oxides, chrysocolla, native copper and cuprite. Other zones of similar mineralization, referred to as the North Group and Den zones, are located approximately 600 metres to the north and 300 metres to the southeast, respectively. The Den zone is described as a gossanous-oxidized zone hosting chalcopyrite and minor pyrite with malachite alteration.
In 1969, a drill hole (A69-1) on the North Group zone yielded 0.130 per cent copper at 266.7 metres depth (Property File - Waterman, G.C. [1969-05-30]: Letters Re: Sheba Drill Logs).
In 1971, diamond drilling yielded 0.78 per cent copper, 0.013 per cent molybdenum with 3.8 grams per tonne silver over 15 metres, including 1.21 per cent copper, 0.022 per cent molybdenum with 3.8 grams per tonne silver over 9 metres in hole S-71-11 and 0.86 per cent copper with 0.003 per cent molybdenum over 6 metres in hole S-71-10, located to the south-southeast on the Den zone (Property File - Sheba Copper Mines Ltd. [1971-08-03]: Drill Logs - S71-10 and S71-11 - Sheba).
In 1972, diamond drilling yielded 0.21 per cent copper over 3 metres from an oxidized zone in hole S-72-2 and 0.12 per cent copper over 3 metres in hole S-72-1, located on the North Group zone (Property File - Dowa Mining Co. Ltd. [1972-06-28]: A Report on Phase I Diamond Drilling - Summary Report - Sheba Project).
In 1974, a diamond drill hole (S-74-2) yielded 0.11 per cent copper and 0.02 per cent molybdenum over 39 metres near the end of the hole (Assessment Report 5365).
In 1976, percussion drilling on the North Group zone yielded: 0.17 per cent copper over 6 metres in hole W-7; 0.11 per cent copper over 27 metres, including 0.18 per cent copper over 9 metres, in hole W-18 and 0.245 per cent copper over 42 metres, including 0.360 per cent copper over 21 metres and 1.12 per cent copper over 3 metres, in hole W-21 (Assessment Report 6241).
In 1958, Sheba Copper Mines completed a program of geochemical sampling and an induced polarization survey on the area as the Sheba property. During the early 1960’s, the area was examined by Peel Resources Ltd. In 1965, Anaconda American Brass completed six drill holes on the Jay 101 area. In 1967, Sheba completed a 67.2 line-kilometre induced polarization survey, while Sumitomo Metal is reported to have completed 15 diamond drill holes, totalling 1970.7 metres, and 21 percussion drill holes, totalling 1574 metres, on the property. In 1969, Anaconda is reported to have completed seven diamond drill holes, totalling 1564.2 metres, on the property. During 1971 through 1974, Dowa is reported to have completed 36 diamond drill holes, totalling 7830.6 metres, on the property. In 1974, Sheba completed three diamond drill holes, totalling 636.0 metres, on the Lynn 7, J 4 and J 6 claims. In 1976, Western Mines Ltd. completed 61 percussion drill holes, totalling 3518.0 metres, on the property. In 1977, Bethlehem Copper Corp. completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 953.1 metres, on the Sheba East area. In 1984, Cominco Ltd. completed an induced polarization survey on the area.