The Cat Mountain occurrence is located on Cat Mountain about 9 kilometres west of Uslika Lake and approximately 52 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.
The occurrence is just east of the contact between Upper Triassic Takla Group volcanic rocks and the eastern edge of the Early Jurassic Hogem Plutonic Suite. The Takla Group and its southern equivalent, the Nicola Group, define the Quesnel Terrane or Quesnellia. The northwest-elongate Hogem Plutonic Suite, 170 kilometres long and 40 kilometres wide, is intruded into this terrane.
The Cat property is underlain primarily by augite andesite-basalt porphyry, andesite ash tuff, andesite lapilli tuff and andesite-basalt agglomerate of the Upper Triassic Plughat Mountain Formation (Takla Group). These are intruded by syenomonzonite porphyry and by a northwest trending, elongate body of hornblende diorite. Both intrusions are believed to be satellites of the Hogem Plutonic Suite which outcrops 2.5 kilometres west of the property.
A major northwest-striking fault following Anomaly Creek bisects the property. The Anomaly Creek fault strikes 040 degrees and dips 60 degrees northwest. Other, less prominent faults and shear zones strike north, north-northeast and northwest. Some of these faults appear to postdate alteration and mineralization (the Anomaly Creek fault) while others are mineralized. This suggests a complex faulting history which may involve reactivation of early, and possibly syn-intrusive structures (F. Ferri, personal communication, 1991).
High-angle faulting, striking approximately north and northwest (015 to 315 degrees) and dipping 75 to 90 degrees east, controls quartz-calcite and quartz-magnetite veins carrying copper and gold mineralization. Massive magnetite zones are localized along north and west-trending structures.
Three types of mineralization are evident on the property: 1) massive magnetite-quartz veins with associated copper-gold mineralization; 2) disseminated and; 3) fracture-filling copper mineralization.
Massive magnetite and magnetite-quartz-calcite veins, from 0.1 to 0.6 metres wide, are iron stained and in part weathered to gossan and minor boxwork of limonite and quartz. The veins may contain variable amounts of chalcopyrite, pyrite, native gold, minor bornite, chalcocite, specular hematite, malachite, and azurite. Other documented copper minerals identified include native copper, cuprite, tetrahedrite and chrysocolla (Assessment Report 7999).
Early work at Cat Mountain focussed on the narrow, high-grade gold-silver-copper-magnetite veins exposed at the summit. Mineralization at the discovery showing is comprised of a number of steeply dipping magnetite and magnetite-quartz-calcite veins of variable thickness; often weathered to gossan and a box-textured aggregate of limonite and quartz. Variable amounts of chalcopyrite, pyrite, native gold, hematite, malachite, and azurite are also reported present. The No. 1 vein contains visible gold and has returned assays up to 548 grams per tonne gold. More typical assays are 0.49 per cent copper and 11.7 grams per tonne gold over 1.1 metres, and 0.58 per cent copper and 9.6 grams per tonne gold over 2.3 metres. In 2014, a select rock chip sample (96901) across 1.2 metres of the No.1 vein assayed 72.7 grams per tonne gold, 11.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.33 per cent copper (Assessment Report 35216).
Disseminations and fracture-filling chalcopyrite with secondary malachite, azurite and chalcocite occur within intrusive rocks, coarse fragmental basaltic augite porphyry flows, finer pyroclastics, and volcanic sediments. Propylitic (epidote, chlorite, pyrite, calcite) and potassic (potassium feldspar, biotite, quartz, sericite) alteration characterize mineralized rock.
In 1990, diamond drilling yielded samples from an intersection which assayed 0.12 per cent copper and 1.19 grams per tonne gold across 97 metres (George Cross News Letter No. 128, July, 1991).
In 1994, four diamond-drill holes totalling 464 metres were drilled to test gold-copper mineralization intersected by earlier trenching and drilling. The drilling of the Upper Copper zone was successful in confirming the previous results and extending the area of known mineralization to the north; the Upper Copper zone is open at depth (Assessment Report 23631).
In 1995, with Explore B.C. Program support, Lysander Gold Corporation carried out a modest program of geological mapping, sampling and 178.12 metres of diamond drilling in three holes on the Upper Copper zone. The drill program was unsuccessful because of inadequate equipment unable to penetrate the badly broken ground. This work did not improve or harm the potential of the Upper Copper zone; gold mineralization remains open at depth (Explore B.C. Program 95/96-M87).
In 2005, the primary targets of an eight-hole drill program of Lysander were the Bet and Hoffman prospects. The Bet prospect is the main 800-metre north trending structural corridor that displays impressive zones of magnetite, pyrite and chalcopyrite stockworking accompanied by potassium-feldspar flooding of the host volcanic rocks. Hole 13 intersected 14 metres of 1.01 per cent copper and 60 parts per billion gold (Assessment Report 28330). To the east about 200 metres, the Hoffman prospect is defined by a coincident copper and gold soil geochemical anomaly. Hole 17, in the Hoffman zone, intersected 17 metres of 0.24 per cent copper and 81 parts per billion gold (Assessment Report 28330).
In 2007, the drilling tested 300 metres of strike length of the north trending Hoffman copper-gold anomaly. All drillholes intersected copper mineralization with semi-massive sulphides of chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and magnetite occurring in ‘core zones’ controlled by shearing and bounded by disseminated pyrite-chalcopyrite margins extending for tens of metres away from the core zones. Drilling yielded intercepts of up to 1.11 per cent copper over 29.7 metres, including 5.7 per cent copper, 3.1 grams per tonne gold and 4.6 grams per tonne silver over 5.15 metres in hole 07-21 and 0.31 per cent copper over 46.4 metres in hole 07-24 (MacDonald, K. (2013-05-17): NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Cat Mountain Property).
In 2011, a sample (638039) from a trench exposing the Magnetite No. 1 vein assayed 0.535 per cent copper, 24.8 grams per tonne silver and 139.0 grams per tonne gold (MacDonald, K. (2013-05-17): NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Cat Mountain Property).
In 2016, a 1 metre chip sample (5677579) from a blast trench in a partially sheared copper- and iron oxide stained zone striking 150 degrees, dipping vertical assayed 1.42 per cent copper, 2.25 grams per tonne gold and 1.04 grams per tonne silver. The sample was from a dark grey to black amphibole-rich volcanic with epidote-carbonate veinlets, potassium-feldspar veinlets, and is malachite stained; a 10-to-20-centimetre magnetite-rich zone was included in the sample (Assessment Report 36385).
Historically, prospecting to the west and south discovered numerous other showings comprising disseminations and fracture fillings of malachite, azurite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and chalcocite in intrusive rocks and coarse fragmental rocks of the Witch Lake Formation, collectively known as the Bet zone. The latter was tested by some 21 drillholes by BP Resources and Lysander Minerals between 1989 and 1995. Core recovery from most of these holes was poor and results inconclusive. Lysander Minerals re-commissioned the property in 2004 and drilled two deep diamond-drill holes to confirm prior drill results and to test the Bet zone at depth. Work in 2005 continued exploration of the Bet zone, tested the Hoffman zone soil anomaly to the east, and completed grid preparation, soil sampling and 10 kilometres of 3D induced polarization work on the North zone.
Exploration work dates back to 1957 when Croyden Mines completed trenching and two short drillholes on magnetite bodies exposed on the summit area of Cat Mountain. Croyden dropped their interest in 1963 and the prospect was later staked by A. Gerun who located the Bet 1 claim in 1972. A limited amount of geological mapping and ground magnetic surveys were completed at that time. BP Resources Canada (BP) staked the property in 1975 and completed soil and silt sampling along with geological mapping. In the following year, BP completed 100 kilometres of grid, geological mapping and soil sampling delineating a large copper anomaly (Hoffman zone), ground magnetic surveys and 6 kilometres of induced polarization work. A low-level magnetic survey was also completed at this time. A number of small drilling campaigns were completed following BP’s work: two holes in 1977 totalling 315 metres and seven EX drillholes (214 metres) in 1979.
BP Resources acquired the property in 1986 forming a joint venture with Lysander Gold Corporation and exploration resumed in 1989 completing 47 kilometres grid work (magnetic and soil surveys) and trenching. In the same year, Lysander, as operator, completed 552 metres of drilling on the Bet zone (holes 89-1 to 6) and on the south magnetic anomaly (89-7). In 1990, BP completed extensive induced polarization and magnetic surveys over the grid area, trenching, geological mapping (1:5000), and 14 diamond-drill holes (2165 metres, holes 90-1 to 14). Drilling work continued into 1991 with BP completing a further 15 holes (91-15 to 29) comprising 2122 metres of core drilling. A small program was conducted by BP in 1992 including a low-level airborne magnetometer survey (results of this work are no longer available). Lysander Minerals as sole owner carried out two drilling campaigns in 1994 and 1995 completing seven diamond-drill holes on the Bet zone - holes 94-1, 2, 3 (465 metres) and 95-4, 5, 6, 7 (178 metres). This program suffered difficult drilling conditions giving encouraging but inconclusive results.
Lysander recommissioned the property in 2004 successfully completing holes 04-8 and 04-9, a total of 1117 metres, with combined NQ-2 and HQ equipment. Eight holes were drilled in 2005 recovering 1447 metres of NQ-2 core along with induced polarization (10 kilometres), grid preparation, and soil sampling (336 samples collected). In 2007, Fugro Airborne Surveys carried out heliborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveying over the large Cat Mountain property of Lysander Minerals. The purpose of the survey was to assist in the search for copper-gold porphyry deposits along the eastern extremity of the Hogem batholith by using the magnetic and resistivity results to provide information on stratigraphy and structures.
Cadillac Mining Corporation optioned the property in September 2007 from the owner Lysander Minerals Corporation and completed seven NQ drillholes totalling 1290.8 metres on the Hoffman zone. During 2008, the company conducted a surface magnetometer survey to assess characteristics of magnetite-bearing mineralized zones thought to control mineralization. A detailed magnetic survey was conducted on the summit and western flank of Cat Mountain to identify the strike and continuity of magnetite-bearing mineralization of the type intersected in drilling. A total of 46.5 line-kilometres were surveyed. In 2009, Cadillac returned the property to Lysander.
In 2011, Lysander determined to concentrate on coal exploration and allowed some claims to lapse; these were re-staked by the Cat Syndicate under D.K. Bragg. Other claims were signed over by Lysander to D.K. Bragg. In 2011, Meridian Mapping Ltd. completed a ground magnetometer survey over a portion of the Cat Mountain property on behalf of owner D.K. Bragg and partners, and Rift Valley Resources Ltd. A total of 37.1 line-kilometres were surveyed. In 2013, Rift Valley Resources conducted limited prospecting and mapping and submitted an 11 kilogram sample for metallurgical testing. In 2014, Rift Valley Resources Corp. undertook an exploration program which consisted of metallurgical testing and the collection of 24 grab rock samples, the blasting of the No. 1 vein, and excavation of the blast material.
In 2016, D.K. Bragg and B.J. Price conducted a program of silt and rock sampling on Cat Mountain, and rock and soil sampling west of the junction with Haha Creek and along Osilinka River and access roads; 193 samples were collected during the program (151 rocks and 42 soils and silts). A number of small magnetic and Spontaneous Potential (SP) grids were completed and hand trenching was done on nine, short, hand trenches within which channel samples were cut with a rock saw.
