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File Created: 26-Mar-1992 by Keith J. Mountjoy (KJM)
Last Edit:  04-Apr-2022 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI
Name SILVER POND (RIDGE), SILVER POND GROUP, SILVER CREEK, SILVER POND, SILVER POND FR., ASAP, SILVER SUN, SILVER PEAK FR., SILVER GRIZZLY FR., SILVER CLOUD 1-3, SILVER MARTEN, SILVER BULLET FR., HEAVY MINERAL GRID Mining Division Liard, Omineca
BCGS Map 094E034
Status Prospect NTS Map 094E06E
Latitude 057º 18' 18'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 127º 13' 20'' Northing 6352736
Easting 607104
Commodities Gold, Silver Deposit Types H05 : Epithermal Au-Ag: low sulphidation
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Stikine
Capsule Geology

The Silver Pond (Ridge) occurrence is located south of Notary Creek, approximately 5 kilometres south east of the creeks’ junction with Lawyers Creek.

The Lower Jurassic Toodoggone Formation (Hazelton Group) volcanic rocks form a northwest-trending belt, at least 90 kilometres long and 35 kilometres wide, preserved between undivided Lower to Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group rocks to the east and the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene (?) Sustut Group rocks to the west. Where observed, they rest structurally on Upper Triassic Takla Group rocks.

Toodoggone pyroclastic and epiclastic volcanic rocks are a predominantly calcalkaline andesitic to dacitic subaerial succession. The region as a whole resembles a synclinorium in section from northwest to southeast. Potassium-argon studies of hornblende and biotite indicate the age of Toodoggone volcanism ranges from 204 to 182 Ma. This age appears to be divisible into two main groups: an older, lower stage of volcanism dominated by andesitic pyroclastics and flows characterized by widespread propylitic and zeolitic alteration; and a younger, upper stage of volcanism dominated by andesitic ash-flow tuffs which generally lack significant epithermal alteration. All the known epithermal gold-silver deposits and occurrences are restricted to the lower Toodoggone Formation volcanics and underlying units (Fieldwork 1988).

Toodoggone volcanic rocks display broad open folds or homoclines with attitudes generally less than 25 degrees dipping predominantly to the west. The overlying Sustut Group sedimentary rocks are structurally unaffected and are horizontal. A northwest-trending set of younger, steeply dipping faults and synvolcanic half-graben margins are the dominant structure in the region. Major structural breaks are postulated to have been caused, or be the result of, a northwest-trending line of volcanic centres. Small stocks are also aligned northwest, suggesting they were also influenced by the same structural trend. Subsequent to volcanism and intrusion, young faults are recognizable as northwest-trending lineaments. Major north-northwest fault systems are from west to east: Attorney; Moosehorn-McClair; and Saunders-Jock. Most prominent gossans are aligned along this configuration of faults. The Attorney fault system passes through the Lawyers property.

Two distinct mappable sequences of the Toodoggone volcanics, consisting of an older pyroclastic quartz andesite crystal tuff sequence (Adoogacho Member) and a younger trachyandesite sequence (Metsantan Member), are evident on the Silver Pond property. These volcanics strike northeast and dip 5 to 20 degrees to the northwest. The two sequences are intruded by steeply dipping rhyolite to rhyodacite dikes and are generally associated with steeply dipping fault zones. These are overlain by pyroxene basalt. The volcanic sequence in stratigraphic order is composed of, a) quartz andesite crystal tuff, b) fine-grained to aphanitic chocolate brown tuff, c) welded trachyte tuff, and d) trachyte crystal and crystal lapilli tuff with interbedded volcanogenic greywacke. Several north- northwest striking faults have been identified and are slightly offset by younger east-striking faults. The north-northwest striking faults apparently were the conduits for the mineralizing fluids which gave rise to mineralization at the Silver Pond (North) (094E 069), Silver Creek (094E 075), Amethyst (094E 160), South (094E 161) and West (094E 163) prospects. The Toodoggone volcanics are affected by widespread weak propylitic alteration and weak silicification.

The southern portion of the Silver Pond property is capped by younger Sustut Group conglomerates in slight angular unconformity with the underlying Toodoggone volcanics.

Alteration associated with structurally controlled epithermal mineralization, in the area, consists of pervasive silicification grading outward into weaker silicification, sericitization, argillic and potassic alteration. An alteration zone, two kilometres across, covers much of the area and is marked by a gossan of abundant goethite, jarosite and hematite. Quartz, alunite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, dickite, illite, sericite, and minor amounts of barite, fluorite, limonite and pyrite comprise secondary minerals in intermediate to advanced argillic-altered zones (Forster, 1984).

Two general styles of acid-sulphate type epithermal gold-silver mineralization occur on the Silver Pond property. These consist of vein and breccia-type ore shoots and pods, such as the Silver Pond (West) prospect (094E 163) and the Silver Pond (Silver Creek) prospect (094E 075); and high-level stockwork-type mineralization such as the Silver Pond (North) prospect (094E 069). Gold and silver are generally absent from intensely altered regions in the area, with pyrite and magnetite being the only visible metallic minerals (Forster, 1984).

The Silver Pond (Ridge) prospect is characterized by a linear resistivity high, the occurrence of gold-mineralized float and a partially coincident gold soil anomaly. These surveys were carried out as a followup to the discovery of siliceous material, from which a grab sample assayed 5.28 grams per tonne gold and 5.34 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 14700). Another grab sample taken approximately 125 metres along strike analysed 2.40 grams per tonne silver and 3.40 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 14700). The zone outlined is 220 metres long by 20 metres wide and consists of quartz veinlets, 0.3 to 10-centimetres wide, and a stockwork of quartz stringers.

Another anomalous zone, referred to as the Heavy Mineral zone, is located approximately 750 metres to the east of the Ridge zone and comprises propylitic-altered trachyandesite with up to 5 per cent disseminated pyrite and hosting discrete zones of silicification and argillic alteration.

The Silver Pond (Ridge) prospect was tested by 3 drillholes in 1987. The best assays were 1.29 grams per tonne gold over a 0.71-metre true width, associated with 0.3- to 10-centimetre-wide quartz veins in hole SP87-57; and 3.96 grams per tonne gold over a 0.34-metre true width, associated with grey quartz stringers in hole SP87-59 (Assessment Report 16952). Also in 1987, a drillhole (SP87-56) situated on a resistivity high on the Heavy Mineral grid, located approximately 750 metres to the east of the Ridge zone, yielded 0.62 gram per tonne gold over 0.57 metre of unaltered porphyritic andesite with millimetre-wide stringers of carbonate (Assessment Report 16952).

In 2003, a grab sample (523213) of silicified trachyandesite from the Heavy Mineral zone yielded 0.16 gram per tonne gold and 16.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 27291).

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Silver Pond (West) occurrence (MINFILE 094E 163) and completed exploration history of the area and property can be found there.

Bibliography
EMPR BULL 86
EMPR GEM 1969-103; 1971-63-71; 1973-456-463
EMPR EXPL 1975-E163-E167; 1976-E175-E177; 1977-E216-E217; 1978-E244-E246; 1979-265-267; 1980-421-436; 1982-330-345; 1983-475-488; 1984-348-357; 1985-C349-C362; 1986-C388-C414; 1987-C328-C346; 1988-C185-C194
EMPR FIELDWORK 1980, pp. 124-129; 1981, pp. 122-129, 135-141; 1982, pp. 125-127; 1983, pp. 137-138, 142-148; 1984, pp. 139-145, 291-293; 1985, pp. 167-169, 299; 1987, pp. 111, 114-115; 1989, pp. 409-415; 1991, pp. 207-216
EMPR MAP 61 (1985)
EMPR PF (Photogeologic Interpretation Map of the Northern Omineca area, (Oct. 1964), Canadian Superior Exploration Limited-in 94E General File)
EMPR GEOLOGY 1977-1981, pp. 156-161
GSC BULL 270
GSC OF 306; 483
GSC P 76-1A, pp. 87-90; 80-1A, pp. 27-32
W MINER April, 1982
N MINER October 13, 1986; November 16, 1987
N MINER MAG March 1988, p. 1
GCNL #23(Feb.1),#127(July 3), 1985; #165(Aug.27), 1986
IPDM Nov/Dec 1983; Jan/Feb, 1984
ECON GEOL Vol. 86, pp. 529-554, 1991
V STOCKWATCH June 18, September 4, November 6, 1987
MIN REV September/October, 1982; July/August, 1986
WIN Vol. 1, #7, June 1987
Forster, D.B. (1984): Geology, Petrology and Precious Metal Mineralization, Toodoggone River Area, North-Central British Columbia, Unpub. Ph.D. Thesis, University of British Columbia
Diakow, L.J. (1990): Volcanism and Evolution of the Early and Middle Jurassic Toodoggone Formation, Toodoggone Mining District, British Columbia, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Western Ontario
Lane, R.A. (2018-04-30): NI 43-101 Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Lawyers Gold-Silver Project
P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (2021-06-28): Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate of the Lawyers Gold-Silver Property, Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada

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