The Hanson Lake Central (Upper Freds Creek Copper) occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1200 metres on a south-facing slope, north of Hanson Lake and approximately 10 kilometres east-southeast of the southeast end of Taltapin Lake.

The area is underlain by a metamorphic complex comprised of metamorphosed equivalents of the Carboniferous-Jurassic Cache Creek Group and a gneissic complex of granodiorites and quartz diorites. These were intruded by Neogene to Paleogene intrusives. Basic to acid dikes and stocks are common. Lithologies include quartz monzonite, quartz porphyry, quartz feldspar porphyry, acid breccia, quartz diorite and amphibolite. Argillic and chloritic alteration is evident in the quartz monzonite. The other lithologies show strong argillic, silicic and sulfidic alteration.

Mineralization in the area consists of 1) fracture-filling copper and molybdenum in quartz monzonite; 2) silicified zones containing gold, silver, zinc and lead in quartz porphyry/quartz feldspar porphyry; 3) silicified zones containing zinc, lead, gold and silver in north-trending acid breccias and 4) a shear zone containing copper and gold in quartz diorite/amphibolite. Sulphides occur mainly as pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, molybdenite and galena.

In 1988, re-sampling of drill cuttings from the 1970s Placer Dome drilling yielded up to 2.02 grams per tonne gold and 55 grams per tonne silver over 3 metres in hole H2 (Assessment Report 18398).

Work History

During the 1960s and 1970s, a regional stream sediment reconnaissance program was conducted in the Hanson Lake area by Endako Mines staff. Anomalous metals were found in streams draining into Hanson Lake from the north and south. A 2- by 9-kilometre zinc-lead anomaly with locally high silver-copper and outlying areas of high copper-molybdenum was defined by soil sampling. Induced polarization and magnetic anomalies were tested by trenching and diamond drilling, which intersected subeconomic mineralization. In the mid 1970s, the property was acquired by Placer Dome and, in 1977 and 1979, widely spaced diamond drilling was performed on monzonite targets south of Hanson Lake (MINFILE 093K 081).

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cazador Explorations conducted geological mapping, rock sampling, geochemical and geophysical surveys and an extensive diamond-drilling program on the Hanson Lake property.

In 2004, Abel Exploration Ltd. completed a small program of lithogeochemical sampling of historical trenches on the Kimura and Cyr zones.

In 2006, G.W. Kurz restaked the area and completed a small program of soil and stream sampling south of Hanson Lake. In 2010, the area was restaked by John Chapman and KGE Management Ltd.

During 2012 through 2015, the area was examined by Stone Ridge Exploration Corp., who completed programs of prospecting; soil, till and rock sampling; structural analysis and a 288 line-kilometre airborne ZTEM and aeromagnetic survey.

In 2018, the area was prospected and sampled by J.B. Kreft.