The McIntosh (Hushamu South) occurrence is located on Hushamu (McIntosh) Mountain, approximately 850 metres southwest of Hushamu Lake.
Regionally, the area is underlain by northwest-trending belts of basaltic volcanics and carbonate sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen and Quatsino formations (Vancouver Group) and mafic volcanics and sediments of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group (Holberg volcanic unit, Nahwitti River wacke and Parson Bay Formation). These volcanic and sedimentary rocks have been intruded by granodioritic rocks of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite.
Locally, highly silicified andesites with minor quartz-filled fractures and stringers host pyrite mineralization. Chalcopyrite, bornite and molybdenite have been identified in drillcore associated with silicified and brecciated andesite and pyrophyllite tuffs. See the Hushamu (MINFILE 092L 240) occurrence for further information.
In 1985, drillhole EC-154 yielded approximately 0.265 per cent copper, 0.015 per cent molybdenum and 0.29 gram per tonne gold over 94.2 metres (Assessment Report 14058). This hole was continued in 1990, yielding up to 0.219 per cent copper and 0.18 gram per tonne gold over 3.0 metres (Assessment Report 20117).
In 1988, a rock sample (34556) assayed 1.21 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 19386).
In 1990, two rock samples (41631 and 41632) yielded 1.65 and 0.41 grams per tonne gold, whereas another sample (41625), taken a few hundred metres to the northwest, yielded 0.98 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 19388). Later that year, drilling yielded intercepts of 0.244 per cent copper with 0.21 gram per tonne gold over 9.0 metres in hole EC-172; 0.221 per cent copper with 0.28 gram per tonne gold over 130.3 metres in hole EC-173 and 0.23 gram per tonne gold over 203.6 metres, including 0.195 per cent copper with 0.31 gram per tonne gold over 42.0 metres, in hole EC-175 (Assessment Report 20117).
In 1991, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of 0.259 per cent copper with 0.48 gram per tonne gold over 111.4 metres in hole EC-190 and 0.193 per cent copper with 0.35 gram per tonne gold over 106.0 metres in hole EC-191 (Assessment Report 21759).
In 1994, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of 0.177 per cent copper with 0.28 gram per tonne gold over 109.0 metres in hole EC-211 and 0.29 gram per tonne gold over 87.8 metres in hole EC-213 (Assessment Report 23407).
In 2017, a drillhole (H17-05) on the southeastern margin of the known mineralized zone yielded 0.11 per cent copper, 0.010 per cent molybdenum and 0.22 gram per tonne gold over 123 metres (Assessment Report 37243).
The area has been explored since the 1960s in conjunction with the nearby Hushamu (MINFILE 092L 240) occurrence. In 1985, BHP-Utah Mines completed six diamond drill holes, totalling 970.2 metres, on the area as the Expo claims. During 1988 through 1992, Moraga Resources Ltd. and BHP-Utah Mines completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and 31 diamond drill holes, totalling 9935.2 metres, on the area.
In 1994, Jordex Resources Inc. and BHP Minerals Canada Ltd. completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 972.1 metres, on the area. In 1997, a 156.1 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey was completed on the area.
In 2005, Luminar Resources Corp. completed a program of rock, silt and soil sampling, geological mapping, a 2687.0 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic survey and 18 diamond drill holes, totalling 3154.0 metres, on the area.
In 2011, NorthIsle Copper and Gold Inc. completed a program of re-sampling of historical drillcores, including a re-interpretation of the lithology, structure, and alteration on the Hushamu property. Results from re-assaying correlated well with documented historical abundances of gold, molybdenum, and copper.
In 2017, North Isle Copper and Gold Inc. completed six diamond drill holes, totalling 1848.0 metres, on the North Island property. Three holes drilled on the south-central part of the Hushamu deposit, previously identified as being low grade, yielded appreciable mineralization, indicating that previous drilling passed along or near vertical, post-mineral breccia dikes. Other holes identified oxidized or leached mineralization in the 100- to 150-metre thick ‘leached’ cap zone associated with narrow north-easterly dipping fault zones.