The Q7a occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 900 metres, north of the Nation River and approximately 3.3 kilometres east-northeast of the rivers’ outlet near the east end of Chuchi Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by coarse volcaniclastic and pyroclastic volcanic rocks of the Lower Jurassic Chuchi Lake Formation (Takla Group) and undivided sedimentary rocks of the Eocene to Oligocene Nechako Plateau Group. To the west the volcanic Takla Group rock have been intruded by quartz monzonitic to monzogranitic rocks of the Lower Jurassic Hogem Plutonic Suite.

In 2014, four historical drillholes (CF-91-01 through -04), likely dating to 1991, were identified in the area with core samples yielding up to 0.073 per cent copper and 0.102 gram per tonne gold over the final 2.3 metres of hole CF-91-03 (Assessment Report 35530). The lower 30 metres of the hole contained patchy to pervasive potassium feldspar with lesser biotite and magnetite alteration with pyrite and calcite-pyrite veins and minor disseminated chalcopyrite in a feldspar-hornblende porphyritic andesite. This drillhole was located a short distance northeast of the 2016 drillhole Q7a-16-003, reported below.

In 2016, drillhole Q7a-16-003 intersected a series of amygdaloidal basalts crosscut by several subvolcanic plagioclase-phyric dikes. A series of steeply dipping fault zones with quartz veins and occasional gouge are associated with strong argillic alteration along with relic chlorite-magnetite alteration and up to 10 per cent pyrite. Two sections yielded 0.12 and 0.18 per cent copper with 0.12 and 0.18 gram per tonne gold over 6.3 and 6.0 metres (273.0 to 279.3 and 300 to 306 metres down hole), respectively (Assessment Report 36994).

Another drillhole (Q7a-16-001), located approximately 400 metres northwest of the previous hole, intersected a series of volcanic rocks consisting of variably amygdaloidal basalts and an intrusive complex consisting of a variety of monzonitic, trachytic to ophitic-textured, fine- to medium-grained alkalic intrusions. Both the volcanic and intrusive intervals are crosscut by several metre-scale plagioclase-phyric andesitic dikes. Mineralization consists primarily of pyrite with very patchy minor chalcopyrite as disseminations in pyrite veinlets and occasional isolated clots. Drilling intercepts included 0.27 per cent copper and 0.34 grams per tonne gold over 0.3 metre, 0.71 gram per tonne gold over 2.2 metres and 0.11 per cent copper with 0.06 gram per tonne gold over 5.4 metres (Assessment Report 36994).

Work History

During 1989 through 1991, BP Resources Canada Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, soil sampling, a 250 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey and a 44.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic and induced polarizations surveys on the area immediately west as the Goldfinger 1-4 claims. Later work identified four unreported drillholes in the Q7a area likely dating to this time.

In 1995 and 1997, Nation River Resources Ltd. completed programs of soil and till sampling on the area as the Skook 13 Group. Three till samples were reported to contain visible grains of gold.

During 2013 through 2016, Vale Exploration Canada Inc. completed program of prospecting, geochemical (rock, soil and silt) sampling, a 396.9 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey and three diamond drill holes, totalling 1101.0 metres, on the area as the Q7a 1-10 claims.