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File Created: 29-Jan-2006 by Garry J. Payie (GJP)
Last Edit:  03-Jun-2020 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI
Name SPELLBOUND, WOODJAM Mining Division Cariboo
BCGS Map 093A024
Status Showing NTS Map 093A06W
Latitude 052º 15' 30'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 121º 20' 50'' Northing 5791058
Easting 612806
Commodities Copper, Gold Deposit Types D03 : Volcanic redbed Cu
L01 : Subvolcanic Cu-Ag-Au (As-Sb)
L03 : Alkalic porphyry Cu-Au
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Quesnel
Capsule Geology

The Spellbound occurrence is located 1.9 kilometres southeast of the Deerhorn zone and 3.5 kilometres northeast of the Takom zone (MINFILE 093A 206) on the Woodjam North property, approximately 10 kilometres south of Horsefly and 65 kilometres northeast of Williams Lake.

The property is underlain by a succession of Triassic to Jurassic Nicola Group volcanics and sedimentary rocks intruded by the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Takomane Batholith to the south. To the west, these units are overlapped by younger Miocene basalts. In the vicinity of the Woodjam property, the Takomkane Batholith typically consists of medium- to coarse-grained, white, equigranular granite to quartz monzonite. Mineral occurrences on the Woodjam property, including Megabuck, Megabuck East, Deerhorn, Takom, Tisdall Lake and the Southeast zone, consist of near-surface copper-gold±molybdenum mineralization similar to that of large tonnage low-grade alkalic porphyry-type deposits typical of the Quesnel Belt. Deposits on the Woodjam North property are silica-saturated alkalic copper-gold porphyries with mineralization dominated by visible chalcopyrite, minor bornite, rare molybdenum and rare native copper.

The showing consists of surface chalcopyrite within float and subcrop. Exposure along a road cut consists of pervasive epidote and tourmaline replacement in hornfelsed volcanics adjacent to a quartz diorite intrusion. A weak quartz stockwork here contains minor quantities of chalcopyrite. Mineralization occurs as fine-grained disseminated chalcopyrite and quartz±chalcopyrite veins. Drilling encountered minor bornite in quartz veinlets, rare disseminations of native copper and rare molybdenum in quartz veinlets and fractures. A northwest-southeast–trending weak induced polarization anomaly and approximately coincident gold-copper-molybdenum soil geochemical trend suggest the possible presence of a porphyry system. Drilling within the Spellbound zone intersected Takomkane monzonite similar to the well-mineralized monzonite in the Southeast zone (MINFILE 093A 251) but lacked significant copper mineralization.

Geology in the Spellbound zone consists of young vesicular basalts, Nicola Group volcanic sandstones and Nicola Group felsic fragmental to the north, possibly overlying the Takomkane Batholith. Numerous faults are present in the area and might have caused some offset of the Takomkane Batholith.

Exploration first began in the area in the 1800s. The first mineral occurrence discovered on the Woodjam property was the Megabuck zone, discovered in the late 1960s in a small hand trench on the northern slope of a small knoll. Between 1966 and 1967, Helicon Exploration Limited and Magnum Consolidated Mining Company completed induced polarization and geological surveys in the area. From 1973 to 1977, Exploram Minerals Limited conducted an exploration program consisting of induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveys, soil samplings and 1056 metres of drilling on the Megabuck and Takom zones.

In 1983, Placer Development Company optioned the claims in the Megabuck zone and conducted surface geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys and completed 15 diamond drill holes totalling 1266 metres. At the same time, Archer Cathro & Associates Limited staked the Ravioli claims adjacent to those held by Placer Development and conducted soil sampling to the west and south of the Megabuck occurrence. In 1984, Rockridge Mining Corporation optioned the claims from Archer Cathro and completed a soil and rock sampling program. In 1986, Big Rock Gold Limited optioned the claims from Rockridge as well as claims over the Takom zone and southern portion of the Megabuck zone. Big Rock carried out a trench sampling program, completing two trenches in the Megabuck zone and three in the Takom zone. In 1990, Auspex Gold Limited carried out a soil geochemistry program over the Takom zone. The claims were reassembled by Noranda Exploration Limited in 1991 and an exploration program carried out the following year consisted of airborne geophysical surveys, reconnaissance mapping and excavator test-pitting over the Megabuck and Takom zones.

The Spellbound occurrence was discovered in by Noranda in 1992. A very small soil sampling program completed by Noranda in 1992 returned anomalous values to the edge of the survey approximately 150 metres east of the road cut with the most easterly soil sample returning 0.08 per cent copper (Assessment Report 32302). Very little additional work has been completed at the Spellbound zone subsequent to its 1992 identification by Noranda. The true size of the Spellbound zone remains unknown.

In 1998, Wildrose Resources Limited (now known as Cariboo Rose Resources Limited) began acquiring property in the area. The following year, the property was optioned to Phelps Dodge Corporation of Canada Limited, who further expanded the property and conducted reconnaissance mapping and prospecting and completed four diamond drill holes totalling 198 metres before withdrawing from the project for corporate reasons. In 2001, Cariboo Rose granted Fjordland Exploration Incorporated a 60 per cent option on the property, forming the Woodjam Joint Venture. That same year, 23 line kilometres of induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveys were carried out over the Megabuck, Deerhorn and Megabuck East zones. Exploration the following year consisted of five diamond drill holes totalling 1009.4 metres drilled to the north, northeast and southwest of the Megabuck zone. In 2003, three diamond drill holes totalling 460.85 metres were drilled to test the Megabuck East mineralization corridor and the periphery of an induced polarization anomaly identified during the 2001 exploration program. In 2004, 11 diamond drill holes were completed in the Megabuck zone, totalling 3967.6 metres. The drilling was designed to test the Megabuck zone to depth and delineated a large, irregular, complex pipe-like intrusive body hosting copper and gold mineralization, trending northeast and dipping approximately 45 degrees to the southeast. In 2005, soil sampling over an area stretching from the Megabuck East zone south to the Southeast zone identified copper anomalies coincident with induced polarization chargeability anomalies over the Megabuck East and Southeast zones. Additional exploration included six diamond drill holes totalling 2017.6 metres and 907.4 metres of reverse circulation drilling over 10 drillholes—one in the western portion of the Megabuck zone, one in the Megabuck East zone and eight in the Takom zone—targeting the copper soil anomalies identified by the soil sampling program.

Fjordland Exploration staked additional ground surrounding the existing claims in 2006, effectively doubling the size of the property. Exploration work that year consisted of one diamond drill hole totalling 526.4 metres in the Takom zone, one diamond drill hole abandoned at 136.3 metres in the Megabuck East zone and 21 diamond drill holes totalling 7654.7 metres, intended to test the southern downdip extension of known mineralization in the Megabuck zone. In 2007, Fjordland and Cariboo Rose carried out induced polarization and ground magnetic geophysical surveys, expanding the existing grids to the south and outlining a large induced polarization chargeability anomaly. Part of the induced polarization survey covered the area over the Spellbound occurrence, marking the first exploration work completed on the occurrence since 1992. Drill testing of the anomaly led to the identification of the Southeast zone mineralization on the Woodjam South property. Four drillholes were completed on the Southeast zone, totalling 1157.07 metres, in addition to one drillhole (370.9 metres) on the Megabuck zone and three drillholes (859.9 metres) on the Takom zone. In 2008, work continued with induced polarization and ground magnetic geophysical surveys and a three-phase diamond drill program of 20 drillholes totalling 7574.6 metres. Four drillholes totalling 1176.6 metres were completed in the Takom, Deerhorn and Megabuck East zones on the Woodjam North property.

In 2009, the Woodjam property was divided into the Woodjam North and Woodjam South properties. Gold Fields Horsefly Corp. optioned the Woodjam North property, followed by the Woodjam South property in 2010. The property is now jointly held by Gold Fields and Woodjam Copper Corporation, an amalgamation of the Woodjam interests held by Fjordland Exploration and Cariboo Rose Resources Limited. A two-phase exploration program was carried out in 2009. Phase one consisted of geological mapping, prospecting, 9859 line kilometres of airborne magnetic survey, silt sampling (42 samples) and, within the core area around the Megabuck zone, ground geophysical surveys, soil sampling (4216 samples), relogging of Megabuck core, petrographic work and environmental and archaeological studies. Phase two of exploration consisted of 14 diamond drill holes totalling 4538.29 metres. Results from the drill program expanded the known extent of mineralization in the Takom and Deerhorn zones. In 2010, exploration consisted of geological mapping and prospecting, induced polarization/resistivity and ground magnetic geophysical surveys, a surface geology mapping survey over the core area of the Woodjam North property and the Southeast zone of the Woodjam South property, the collection of 200 rock samples, 532 soil samples and 19 silt samples, and the completion of 55 diamond drill holes totalling 14 613.41 metres. That year, 2.1 kilometres of induced polarization surveying was completed over the Spellbound zone

No drilling had been performed on the Spellbound occurrence prior to 2010, when 11 NQ-size diamond drill holes totalling 2181.72 metres were completed. Significant drill intersections occurred within broader zones of mineralized Takomkane quartz monzonite containing finely disseminated chalcopyrite and rare molybdenite and bornite in quartz veinlets.

Exploration in 2011 consisted of ground magnetic, airborne magnetic and gravity geophysical surveys and a 57-hole drill program totalling 17 195.57 metres. A 42-hole infill diamond drill program focused on the mineralization in the Southeast zone. Results from the drilling confirmed the presence of continuous copper-molybdenum±gold mineralization and enabled the completion of a geological model and an estimation of inferred mineral resources. Additional exploration on the property included three unsuccessful reverse circulation drillholes and 12 diamond drill holes located around and to the south of Cossack Lake. An airborne magnetic survey was flown over parts of the Woodjam South property and a gravity geophysical survey was completed over the Woodjam North and Woodjam South properties.

Significant results from the 2010 drilling include 7.67 metres of 0.34 per cent copper and 0.28 gram per tonne gold and 15 metres of 0.01 per cent copper and 1.01 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 32302).

Bibliography
EMPR EXPL 2003-28; 2004-47, 48; 2005-51
EMPR MER 2004-14; 2005-17
EMPR FIELDWORK 1988, pp. 159–165
EMPR OF 1992-1
EMPR PF RIMFIRE (Watson [1984]: Report on the Starlike Property; Davidson [1984]: Re: Starlike Property)
GSC MAP 1424A
PR REL Consolidated Woodjam Copper Corporation, Mar. 2, Jul. 27, 2012; Fjordland Exploration Inc., Aug. 7, 2001; Jul. 11, Aug. 14, Sep. 23, Oct. 30, Nov. 18, 2002; Jul. 21, Oct. 22, 31, Nov. 5, Dec. 10, 24, 2003; Jan. 26, Mar. 2, May 31, Jun. 4, Jul. 6, 7, 15, Aug. 3, Sep. 15, 16, Oct. 7, 20; Nov. 18, 25, 29, 2004; Jan. 1, Feb. 24, May 26, Jun. 14, Oct. 24, 2005
N MINER Jul. 6, 20, Oct. 8, Dec. 13, 2004
MacDonald, R. (2011-06-17): NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Woodjam North and Woodjam South Property
Sherlock, R., Poos, S. & Trueman, A. (2012): NI 43-101 Technical Report for 2011 Activities on the Woodjam South Property, Gold Fields Horsefly Exploration Corp. and Consolidated Woodjam Copper Corporation, Vancouver, Canada
EMPR PFD 821192, 821193

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