The Downs showing occurs about 1.8 kilometres southeast of Niut Mountain peak, just east of the southeast side of a small lake.
The showing is located about 1 kilometre west of the Niut Fault in area underlain by basaltic rock of the Middle to Upper Triassic Cadwallader Group. The volcanics are in contact to the immediate west with a pluton of the Cadwallader Plutonic Suite consisting of tonalite, quartz diorite and diorite.
Several anomalous samples were collected in 2006 at the Downs showing. Two such samples of brown-purple stained, sulphide-rich quartz vein material yielded strongly elevated gold (0.18 gram per tonne and 0.23 gram per tonne), zinc (0.37 per cent and 0.49 per cent), anomalous copper (0.03 per cent and 0.42 per cent), and silver (2.3 and 3.2 grams per tonne) (Figures 6 to 9, Assessment Report 29245). A northwest-southeast trending string of soil samples collected from the Downs area in 2006 produced moderately to strongly anomalous value for copper (369 to 1000 parts per million), gold (23 to 190 parts per billion), and silver (0.6 to 3.1 parts per million) (Assessment Report 29245). These samples were collected over a distance of 400 metres in an area underlain by Cadwallader Group volcanic rocks.
In 2015, Sample K289034 was collected from a milky white, manganese-yellow-green stained quartz vein hosting minor malachite staining on fractures and dissemination. Chalcopyrite, pyrite and trace arsenopyrite was reported also. The sample was collected as float (at UTM 396058E, 5720762N) but the source was a 50 centimetre-wide showing on a cliff above. The vein trends 117 degrees with a 60-degree northeast dip. A second sample K289035 (at 396108E, 5720756N) was taken across a 30-centimetre wide rusty weathered, green-yellow stained quartz vein hosting minor malachite along fractures. The strike of the vein was 110 degrees with a 50-degree dip to the northeast. It was reported to be the continuation of the Downs showing. A three-piece composite chip sample of mineralized float (K289034) yielded 0.15 grams per tonne gold, 0.12 per cent copper and 0.55 per cent zinc, while two continuous chip samples (K289035 and M898415, respectfully) graded 0.19 and 0.35 grams per tonne gold, 0.005 and 0.10 per cent copper, and 0.02 and 0.89 per cent zinc over 30 and 20 centimetres respectively (Assessment Report 35815).
WORK HISTORY
In 2006, ATAC Resources Ltd. staked the Buzz property (12 mineral tenures) to cover the historically anomalous areas, with 4 previously documented MINFILE occurrences: Fly (092N 056), Niut Mountain (092N 020), Clipboard (092N 065), and Rusty (092N 044). ATAC performed a brief exploration program comprising prospecting and stream sediment and contour soil geochemical sampling; 117 soil, 16 stream sediment and 25 rock samples were collected during the two-day field program (Assessment Report 29245). Some of the mineral tenures were allowed to expire before ATAC Resources sold the Buzz property to Strategic Metals in fall 2009. Mineralization at the Downs showing area was first sampled in 2006. The Fly and Niut were not visited in 2006. Six samples were collected from the Anthony Showing (092N 064) in 2006.
In early 2011, Geotech Ltd. of Aurora, Ontario conducted helicopter-borne magnetic and Z Axis Tipper Electromagnetic (ZTEM) geophysical surveys over the Buzz property of behalf of Strategic Metals (Assessment Report 32233). A total of 772-line kilometres of EM and magnetic data were recorded. In spring of that year, the data from those surveys were evaluated by Condor Consulting (as follows in 2012). In 2012, Strategic Metals compiled data from Condor Consulting’s geophysical interpretation together with previously obtained geochemical and geological data collected by other operators (Assessment Report 33014). MINFILE occurrences within the area of the geophysical survey include: Nuit Mountain (092N 020), Rusty (092N 044), Anthony (092N 064), Clipboard (092N 065), Fly (092N 044), Creek (092N 074), Harvey Gold (092N 073), and Downs (this occurrence).
In 2015, Strategic Metals Ltd collected a total of 28 rock samples on the Buzz property from the Fly, Downs, and Niut Mountain showings. The other showings were not revisited in 2015. Sample locations and significant results from all programs were plotted on Figure 5 of Assessment Report 35815.
In 2021, Goldplay Mining Inc. conducted prospecting and geochemical sampling on the Goldstorm South project (Assessment Report 40017). This assessment report describes a new discovery, the Travler showing, 1700 metres southeast of the Downs. Six rock samples collected from the showing in 2021 ranged from 0.201 to 21.8 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 40017).
Refer to Fly (092N 056) for further geological and work history details.
