The Atan Copper (Zone 7) occurrence is exposed on the southeast side of the Grayling Creek valley, approximately 13.3 kilometres south-southwest of the creeks’ mouth on Gathto Creek.
Regionally, the area is underlain by a Cambrian to Silurian platformal sequence of carbonates, quartzites and siltstones. Lower Cambrian Atan Group dolomites and quartzites, intruded by mafic dikes, are conformably overlain by Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group arenaceous dolomites and limestones and Silurian Nonda Formation siltstones.
Locally, a coarse crystalline chalcopyrite, malachite and azurite vein is hosted within a dolomite, believed to belong to the lower Atan Group.
In 1989, a grab sample (109) of vein material assayed 11.52 per cent copper and 27.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 19124).
Another zone of copper mineralization, referred to a Zone 8, is reported on an east-northeast–facing slope approximately 500 metres west-southwest of the Atan Copper occurrence.
Work History
During the 1970s, there was a great deal of interest in the Kluachesi-Tuchodi Lakes region. Windermere Explorations, McIntyre Porcupine Mines, Canadian Superior and others staked claims around the Blue Group of McIntyre. The McIntyre property had been optioned from a prospecting group from Fort Nelson in late 1970.
In 1970 and 1971, McIntyre Porcupine acquired a total of 356 claims including the Blue Group. Geochemistry, geophysics, geological mapping, trenching, sampling and greater than 1650 metres of diamond drilling in 36 holes were completed; 16 kilometres of induced polarization surveying outlined a 'Y' shaped anomaly.
In 1984, E5 Resources Corp. completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Cup 1-11 claims. In 1986, the area was appraised for New Holland Mining N.L. by Dr. C.J. Westerman. He concluded that copper-silver mineralization occurs in an area covering 4.5 by 0.75 kilometres. In 1989, Atlas Management Canada Inc. prospected and sampled the area as the Ark, Blue, Red, Elm, Roo, Aim and Pal claims of the Blue property.
In 1990, Gold Parl Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, rock sampling and 8.6 line-kilometres of ground electromagnetic and magnetic surveys on the area as the Klu property.
