The New Nanik occurrence is located on the western side of Nanik Lake, approximately 3.5 kilometres south- south west of the mouth of Mortella Creek.
The area lies approximately 4.8 kilometres east of the main contact between the Tertiary–Jurassic Coast Plutonic Complex to the west and various Mesozoic sediments and volcanics, principally Lower–Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group, to the east. A block of Hazelton Group rocks approximately 3.2 kilometres in length is present lying along the western shoreline of Nanika Lake.
The Nanika Lake mineralized zone lies along a large shattered and faulted zone trending 030 degrees and dipping from 20 to 40 degrees west. The tabular zone follows the western contact of intrusive rocks and Hazelton Group rocks. Thin sections suggest the principal host rock is dacite porphyry; however, it is intensely altered and identification is inconclusive. The principal intrusive is quartz monzonite. A younger, fine-grained, magnetite-rich quartz diorite has been intruded along the footwall of the southern portion of the mineralized zone; it is apparently post-mineral.
The main structural control of mineralization appears to be the faulted and shattered contact zone. Two east-west faults cut the zone suggesting block faulting. No folding is evident (Assessment Report 18656).
Sulphide mineralization occurs as disseminations, fracture-filling and veinlets. Sulphide minerals in order of abundance are pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and molybdenite. Pyrrhotite is a minor constituent in the mineralized zone and occurs in a few massive lenses a few centimetres wide. Molybdenite in minute amounts is widespread.
Alteration minerals in the mineralized dacite porphyry include biotite, silica and chlorite and are locally intensely developed. The alteration minerals do not necessarily occur together. Only minor, spotty alteration has been noted outside the mineralized zone. No significant pyrite halo has been observed.
In 1968, one hole intersected a 48 metre section of 0.75 per cent copper (Property File Cyprus Anvil H.H. Shear, 1971).
Inferred reserves are 16,458,422 tonnes grading 0.437 per cent copper (George Cross News Letter October 30, 1973).
WORK HISTORY
The Nanak Lake Copper showing was first detailed in a 1924 summary report from the Geological Survey of Canada.
In 1966 Silver Cup Mines staked the ground around the New Nanik MINFILE occurrence. These claims were optioned by the Quintana Group in 1967. Along with prospecting and limited surface sampling that returned some elevated copper values, Quinatana completed a total of 14 diamond drill holes. Several of the 1969 drill holes intersected significant copper. Quintana geologists interpreted the mineralisation as being localized to a fault zone within rock that they interpreted as belonging to Hazelton volcanics, but which has subsequently found to be intrusive in nature.
In 1969, as part of the Nanika Lake program, Quintana staked the Tsah claims on the eastern shore of the lake over the Tsah showing (MINFILE Occurrence 093E 054). The 1969 and 1970s programs included trenching, prospecting, an IP and ground magnetometer survey and the drilling of 2 diamond drill holes on the Tsah property. On the basis of the interpretation of the mineralisation being confined to a fault zone, Quintana dropped the property.
In 1971, Scurry Rainbow completed an induced polarization survey on the area, identifying three zones of anomalous chargeability.
In 1972 a reinterpretation of the previous results was undertaken by J. Poliquin on behalf of Aston Resources. This reinterpretation concluded that insufficient work had been done to justify the interpretations of the size, orientation and nature of the mineralisation. Following this reinterpretation, Aston completed an IP survey, identifying three zones for follow-up. Between 1973 and 1974 Aston Resources drilled 12 holes for a total of 1715 meters of drilling.
During 1988 through 1991, Placer Dome and New Canim completed programs of rock and soil sampling and 5 diamond drill holes, totalling 457.8 metres.
In 2011 the area covering the showing was staked by Richard Billingsley. In 2012, New Chris Minerals completed a program of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping and airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys. A total of 1688 soil samples and 30 rock samples were taken. The soils showed a distinct approximately north-south trending anomalous zone of elevated copper and molybdenum broadening to the south where the Gamsby granodiorites predominate. The highest values were associated with an approximately 150 metres wide linear zone in which fault gouge zones and abundant small-scale contacts between granodiorite phases, subvolcanic dikes and intense alteration were mapped. This is likely the fault zone that was considered the locus of mineralisation by earlier workers. New Chris also conducted a 638 kilometres airborne magnetic and radiometric survey.
Exploration at the New Nanik Property in 2013 consisted of two days of work, one site visit to survey the state of camp equipment and landing, do a flyover for silt planning, and a single day (October 1st) completing a silt sampling program along the western drainage. The copper results were low overall; with only two samples showing higher than 45 parts per million copper (Figure 7, Assessment Report 34660). The best results were returned from the easternmost sample (H215905) with coincident copper and molybdenum.
