The Phi showing is located on the east side of the Nilkitkwa River, approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Smithers and 76 kilometres east of Hazelton.
The property is underlain by locally graphitic shales and sandstones with thin coal seams of the Lower Cretaceous Kitsuns Creek Formation (Skeena Group). These are intruded by dikes or sills of pyritized biotite feldspar porphyry, probably of the Eocene Babine Intrusions.
‘Occasional’ chalcopyrite is present in the porphyries, which also show local chloritization and carbonatization of biotite phenocrysts.
Work History
In 1967 and 1968, airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveying of the northern Babine Valley by Scintrex Ltd., under contract to Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd., covered the property. Anomalies prompted a work program on the lower elevations, including mapping and induced polarization surveying.
In 1969 and 1970, Canadian Superior Exploration Ltd. Completed significant mapping, soil sampling, magnetometer and electromagnetic surveying, line mapping and an induced polarization survey. Two main zones of mineralization were found during the induced polarization survey: zone A on the West grid and zone D on the East grid associated with the porphyry. Though not reported in Assessment Report 02723, Assessment Report 05078 states: “Early in 1971, Canadian Superior drilled several holes that intersected graphitic sediments, considerable pyritized biotite feldspar porphyry and occasional chalcopyrite. It was noted in the that the porphyry was ‘washed out’ in places, but otherwise unaltered”.
In 1973, Evergreen Explorations Ltd. examined a previous drillcore from the 1970s fieldwork and determined that the ‘washed out’ zones described were chlorite-carbonate zone alteration. Evergreen Explorations also completed a magnetometer survey and found weak local magnetic highs.
In 1986, Placer Development Limited completed three reconnaissance soil lines (187 samples) and two compass and chain and soil grids (163 and 164 samples, respectively) for a total of 514 samples from the B-C horizon (Assessment Report 14957). The results showed one strong lead and zinc anomaly and two weaker anomalies, one copper-zinc and the other copper. The source of the mineralization was not located in outcrop.
In 1997, Hewitt and Day performed reconnaissance prospecting and sampling of silt and talus fines on the area of the property previously known as the Tip claim. They found up to 1.755 per cent copper and up to 0.24 gram per tonne gold in silts and 2.5 grams per tonne gold in talus fines (Property File 888875; Assessment Report 25413).
In 2010, Teck Resources completed a program of prospecting, mapping and geochemical sampling on the former Cirque (now called Babe) claim. The program found a multi-element ICP anomaly including anomalous copper, gold and molybdenum based on silt and talus fine samples.
In 2018 to 2019, Commander Resources Ltd. performed an airborne magnetic survey of the property. Silt sampling of most of the drainages on the property was completed and soil sampling was done in areas with magnetic anomalies or with known Babine Plutonic Suite intrusions. The entire property was mapped and prospected. A total of 579 soil, 89 silt and 85 rock samples were collected. Several anomalous gold-copper-molybdenum zones were identified in the Main zone, including a zone in the western Main zone where soil samples yielded up to 3.9 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 38758). Silt samples from a creek flowing north in the Main zone yielded anomalous gold, copper and molybdenum throughout. A rock sample from the west side of the Main area returned 6.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 38758).
