The New Moon prospect is located on New Moon Mountain, 6 kilometres west of Morice Lake.

The New Moon property lies at the western limits of the Lower-Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group close to the contact with the Tertiary-Jurassic Coast Plutonic Complex. The Telkwa Formation underlies most of the property and consists of a thick suite of calc-alkaline volcanic rocks. A small Eocene stock of the Coast Plutonic Complex intrudes the strata to the immediate southwest of the New Moon area. Extensive masses of quartz diorite of the Middle Jurassic Trapper Plutonic Suite intrude to the north, west and south.

The New Moon occurrence area is underlain by intermediate to felsic volcanics and volcaniclastics of the Telkwa Formation which have been cut by various dikes and intrusive bodies of the Topley Intrusions. The volcanic rocks consist of andesitic tuffs, hornfels, dacite porphyry flows, dacitic tuffs and agglomerates, rhyolitic flows and tuffs, cherty tuffs, maroon tuffs, felsic crystal tuffs, andesite flows and andesite sills/flows. The Topley Intrusions include granite, quartz monzonite and granodiorite. Dikes are mainly aplite.

The tuffs and flows on the property are generally flat to moderately dipping. Structurally, faulting has had the most significant effect on the volcanic stratigraphy and is the prime localizing factor in the development of mineralized zones. Predominant faults occur along either a northwest or northeast trend with steep to moderate dips. Displacement for the most part is generally minor (less than 5 metres).

The property is host to several styles of alteration. The Telkwa rocks are regionally metamorphosed to zeolite facies which is best exemplified in andesitic rocks. Epidote, prehnite and calcite occur as veins (1 to 30 centimetres wide), amygdules and as a matrix component in pyroclastics and flows. Silicification is evident along shear and fault zones, feldspars have been moderately altered to clay, mafic constituents in some volcanic rocks have been chloritized, and minor potassium feldspar rims quartz veins.

The New Moon property is host to precious metal-bearing, polymetallic vein showings. At least 37 mineralized zones have been discovered to date in an 89 square kilometre area and are named: North Extension, Phobos, Northeast, North, CR, D, BR, Scree, Misty Day, Splay, Main, Twilight, Camp, Creek, Copper Cliff, North Canyon, Rhyolite Flats, PB, Shadow, Boulder, Full Moon, Kumar, Bird, V Bowl, Landsat, Elmo, Bumblebee, Telly, Oscar, Computer, Lunar 4, Diakow (Radio), Diakow North Spires, Pond, Lunar 12, Gossan Creek (Gossan).

These zones appear to be controlled by regional north-northwest trending structures, several of which transect the property. Mineralization also appears to be lithologically controlled. Shallow dipping rhyolites, near the top of the stratigraphic succession exposed on the property, are the primary host rocks. Mineralized veins have also been noted in the andesites and tuffs, but in general they are less extensively developed and have lower concentrations of sulphides and precious metal values. Exceptions occur marginal to the rhyolites.

The New Moon prospect (as distinct from the New Moon property) is the main area where 15 showings occur along a major north-northwest structure over a strike length of 3.0 kilometres. These include from north to south: North Extension, Phobos, Northeast, North, CR, D, BR, Scree, Misty Day, Splay, Main, Twilight, Camp, Creek and Copper Cliff.

Zones of economic significance include the Main, Scree, North, Northeast and Phobos zones. These host several vein systems that are of significant strike length (North zone up to 780 metres and the Main zone to 250 metres), are open along strike and at depth and lie along structures that could host additional mineralized zones. Diamond drilling of the Main zone in 1990 has tested the structure to 220 metres down-dip where a 4.2-metre wide section assayed 0.23 per cent copper, 3.6 per cent lead, 12.24 per cent zinc, 21.2 grams per tonne silver and 1.4 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 20542).

Two types of mineralization have been observed on the property and include epithermal base and precious metal-bearing veins and magnetite skarns. The bulk of the mineralized zones fit into the epithermal vein category. Vein gangue is predominantly quartz with lesser amounts of carbonate, although carbonate-rich veins have been observed. Calcite predominates with local concentrations of orange-brown iron/magnesium carbonates. In general, the vein showings occupy varying levels within an epithermal system. Textures which support this include brecciation and rebrecciation, colloform and banded quartz, open spaces filled with crystalline quartz plus or minus carbonate, and several stages of local chalcedonic veinlets. The vein systems range from 1 to 25 metres in width with the individual veins themselves ranging from 0.2 to 7.6 metres in width. The zones pinch and swell along strike and dip (Assessment Report 20542).

Mineralization consists primarily of sphalerite and galena with minor amounts of chalcopyrite, pyrite, malachite and azurite. Gold and silver values occur generally in association with the sulphides. Polished section studies show electrum is associated with pyrite. The sulphides occur both as distinct semi-massive to massive bands up to 10 centimetres wide and as disseminations. At surface the mineralized zones are characterized by manganese, limonite and hematite staining. Gossan has formed in areas of heavy sulphide. In drill core, oxidation has been noted at depths of up to 200 metres (Assessment Report 16870).

In general, the wallrock adjacent to the vein systems are highly silicified, weakly to moderately sericitized and chloritized. In drill core, the alteration extends up to 50 metres from the mineralized zone in both the footwall and hanging wall.

North-northwest trending faults are the dominant control on the mineralizing system, with north-easterly trending dilatant zones being developed locally within these broader structures. These dilatant zones extend up to 780 metres in length (North zone). Easterly trending faults may locally offset the northerly trending structures, but more importantly they may have acted as a barrier to mineralized fluids (Assessment Report 20542).

Numerous float boulders containing massive sulphide high-grade copper and silver mineralization, 7 to 9 per cent copper and 51.6 to 68.8 grams per tonne silver, have been discovered in terminal and medial moraines (Property File Rimfire Carter, N.C., 1982). A suggested source of this float is that of coming from an occurrence under the small glaciers south of the major valley.

WORK HISTORY

The Property was originally explored by Phelps Dodge during 1967 and 1968 as the PC 1-36 claim group, with an exploration program of geological mapping and eight trenches. Sampling of the trenches returned an average of 3.66 per cent zinc, 6.60 per cent lead, 0.24 per cent copper and 68.8 grams per tonnes silver over 4.5 metres (Property File Chevron: Kowall, C.F., 1979). Immediately after the Phelps Dodge program, Silver Standard Mines staked claims adjoining to the south of the property, covering several mineralized boulder trains.

In 1971, Aggressive Mining Limited restaked the claims as the JOW 1-20 claims covering the previously trenched zone and conducted a Crone geophysical survey over the mineralized zone. The next year, geochemical, magnetic and electromagnetic surveys, trenching (45 metres) and five diamond-drill holes, totalling 307.5 metres, were completed on a shallow lens-shaped conductor. This work indicated a zone about 165 metres by 10.5 metres and 75 metres deep, grading an average 8 per cent combined lead-zinc and 17.2 grams per tonne silver (Property File Chevron: Kowall, C.F., 1979).

The property lay dormant until it was restaked by Silver Standard Mines in 1977. In 1978, Norcan Energy Resources optioned the property in partnership with Aquataine Limited. The Norcan program consisted of prospecting, detailed mapping, geophysical surveys and soil sampling.

The ground was held in 1978 as the Misty Day, Copper Cliff, New Moon and Half Moon claims (52 units) by Charles Kowall of Whale Town, Cortes Island, B.C. Great Plains Development Company of Canada, Ltd. held an option and carried out geological mapping, magnetometer and electromagnetic surveys over 16 km, and a geochemical soil survey (57 samples). Great Western Petroleum Corporation optioned the Misty Day, Copper Cliff and New Moon claims from Mr. Kowall in February 1981.

In 1981, Great Western completed an AEM (VLF) geophysical survey on the property, noting several areas worthy of follow-up. The survey consisted of an airborne magnetometer and VLF electromagnetic Survey. The Great Western airborne survey revealed three weakly anomalous magnetic trends striking south-southeast which appeared to reflect narrow, vein-like zones.

Great West re-optioned the property to St Joe Canada Inc in 1982; and airborne geophysical survey was carried out. St. Joe’s work between 1982 and 1984 was directed to the search for volcanogenic massive sulphides and initially consisted of 613 line-km of helicopter-borne Questor INPUT magnetic and electromagnetic surveys conducted on 200 metres spaced northeast-southwest flight lines (Assessment Report 11153). Significant magnetic anomalies and coincident electromagnetic conductors included a weak conductor under the New Moon glacier and two conductors, associated with magnetic features, in the valley below the glacier northeast and east of the Boulder zone. An additional conductive zone was detected in the vicinity of the North Canyon zone.

Results of the airborne survey led to surface UTEM and magnetometer surveys in the area of New Moon glacier in 1983 (Assessment Report 11764) in addition to an Induced Polarization (IP) and magnetic survey in the Plateau area. Two magnetometer lines were also completed across the Shadow zone. Results of these surveys yielded inconclusive results but geological mapping and bedrock sampling within and adjacent to the New Moon glacier indicated that the source of the sulphide float in the Boulder zone lay beneath the glacier, possibly only a few hundred metres from the upper end of the closest boulder train. Mapping also identified the presence of granitic rocks beneath the southeast lobe of the glacier.

Four BQ-size (3.64 centimetres diametre) diamond drill holes, for a total of 936 metres were completed from two set-ups on a nunatak in the southeastern part of the New Moon glacier in 1984. This drilling did not adequately test the geophysical anomalies identified beneath the glacier and at least one hole reportedly intersected granitic rocks of unknown age.

As previously noted, most of the previous exploration work within the present New Moon property was directed to the numerous polymetallic, gold and silver-bearing quartz veins in the Plateau Area. These were investigated in a limited way by St. Joe in 1983 and 1984 but the most detailed investigations were carried out by Newmont between 1985 and 1987. This work resulted in the identification of most of the known mineralized zones by way of prospecting, geological mapping and some surface (VLF-EM, magnetometer) geophysical surveys. Most of the mineralized zones were explored and sampled by way of a number of hand and mechanical trenches and by 2800 metres of BQ-size diamond drilling in 36 shallow, inclined holes (Assessment report 16757).

In 1987, American Reserve Mining Corporation optioned 22 claims consisting of 375 units from Newmont Mines Limited. Apparently American Reserve then dropped the option and in 1989 Lucero Resource Corp optioned the property. From previous work there was outlined an open geologic reserve of 609,919 tonnes of 1.9 per cent lead, 5.8 per cent zinc, 15.43 grams per tonne silver, 0.99 gram per tonne gold in the Main showing. (Lucero Resource Corp. News Release, May 9, 1990).

Surface work undertaken by Maple Resource Corporation in 1990 (Crowe and Laird, 1990) included magnetometer and VLF-EM surveys which were of limited use due to the difficulties encountered in establishing survey grids in areas of steep terrain. Additional surface work, including geological mapping and prospecting, was directed to tracing the various mineralized zones, previously investigated by Newmont, along strike to the north. Twenty-six hundred soil (talus fines) samples, collected along topographic contour lines between the Plateau area and Atna Bay to the north, returned some anomalous values which confirmed the northerly trend of most veins. This work also resulted in the discovery of two additional zones (Phobos and Spires). Heavy mineral stream sediments were also collected from drainages north of the Plateau Area; results obtained were inconclusive.

A subsequent 725 metres diamond drilling program, recovering BDBGM-size (4.18 centimetres diametre) core, consisted of seven inclined holes designed to further assess the strike and down-dip potential of the North, Scree and Main zones. Two holes completed on the Scree zone returned low precious and base metal values while one of three holes on the North zone yielded 1.2 per cent lead, 1.7 per cent zinc, 0.48 gram per tonne silver and 0.20 gram per tonne gold over a hole length of 0.9 metre (Assessment Report 21602). Two holes on the Main zone confirmed the zone to be open both along strike and to depth; one of the holes intersected the zone at a depth of 220 metres where a 4.2 metres interval returned 0.2 per cent copper, 3.6 per cent lead, 12.2 per cent zinc, 21.2 grams per tonne silver and 1.4 grams per tonne gold. The claims were allowed to lapse.

Preliminary indicated and inferred geological reserves for the Main, Misty, Day and Twilight zones in the "Plateau" area are 688,712 tonnes grading 1.82 per cent lead, 5.51 per cent zinc, 58.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.99 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 21602, page 1). Maple Resource Corporation drilled (7 holes, 728 metres) on the property in 1991. The main showing contains a drill-indicated reserve of 607,000 tonnes grading 5.18 per cent zinc, 1.9 per cent lead, 15.5 grams per tonne silver and 0.998 gram per tonne gold (Property File Rimfire Daubeny, P., 1995).

In early 1996, four equal-sized, 500-hectare claims (Bay 1-4) were staked by Frank Onucki to cover most of the mineral showings in the area. An orthophoto map of the claims area was prepared but a planned program of surface work in October of that year was curtailed by inclement weather conditions. These claims were subsequently acquired by Seamus and Timothy Young and allowed to lapse. The 28 mineral claims that currently comprise the New Moon property were electronically staked by Seamus and Timothy Young in 2006 and 2007.

The 2007 exploration program for Anglo Columbia Mines Inc. consisted of a 645 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey, rock and HMC stream sediment sampling, geological mapping and digital data compilation from old maps and assessment reports (Assessment Report 29585). A total of 699 rock samples and 134 stream sediment samples were taken over the 6 week field program.