The Akie property (Cardiac Creek deposit) is situated in the Kechika Trough, the southern extension of the Selwyn Basin. The Kechika-Selwyn trend is host to numerous sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX)-type mineral deposits.

Sulphide mineralization is developed within the Gunsteel Formation, an Upper Devonian sequence of graphitic shales overlying Silurian calcareous siltstones of the Road River Group. The Gunsteel is part of the Upper Devonian to Mississippian Earn Group. Mineralization is typically intercalated within the graphitic shales as fine grained, massive to well-bedded pyrite, sphalerite and galena with appreciable barite and carbonate. Remobilized sulphide mineralization occurs as veinlets in the surrounding lithologies.

The Kechika Trough is bounded to the west and east by carbonates and shallow water clastic rocks of the Cassiar and MacDonald platforms, respectively. The Kechika Trough hosts a sequence of upper Devonian to Mississippian basinal facies clastic sedimentary rocks that is a regional target for SEDEX type zinc-lead-silver deposits, such as the Cardiac Creek deposit and the nearby Cirque deposit (094F 008). The most favourable horizon at the Akie property is a stratiform barite-sulphide layer, hosted within Upper Devonian shales of the Gunsteel Formation. Mapping on the Akie property has identified a number of northwest-trending panels of Gunsteel Formation shales. These shales have been the target of exploration for SEDEX-type ore deposits since 1978.

The Cardiac Creek showing is associated with a mineralized horizon that can be traced for several kilometres across the Akie property. The horizon is exposed on the western limb of a southeast-plunging anticline. The economic portion, now referred to as the Cardiac Creek deposit is a southeast striking, tabular, stratiform massive sulphide body dipping approximately 70 degrees southwest, centred in the area of Cardiac and Avalanche creeks. Current dimensions are on the order of 1.5 kilometres in strike length, a dip extent of 700 metres and can display widths as great as 37 metres. High-grade mineralization is hosted within laminar sulphide beds (comprised of pyrite and as much as 50 per cent sphalerite and 7 per cent galena) interbedded with the siliceous shales of the Gunsteel Formation. Bedded to nodular barite with laminar to bedded pyrite typically underlies the main body of mineralization. The deposit is situated approximately 10 to 20 metres above the contact between the rocks of the Gunsteel Formation and the underlying Road River Group.

The Cardiac Creek baritic zinc-lead-silver SEDEX deposit is hosted in Gunsteel Formation shale (Earn Group). It is a steeply southwest dipping tabular mineralized body that averages about 20 metres thickness (<35 metres thickness) and extends for an approximate strike length of 1950 metres, of which 1300 metres is considered potentially economic to a depth of about 800 metres below surface. From bottom to top, mineralization generally defines a stratiform sequence of: 1) bedded to massive barite and minor quartz-carbonate veining; 2) mottled sphalerite-galena-pyrite banding with deformed beds and upwardly decreasing barite-calcite; 3) grey sphalerite bands with thickly banded pyrite and minor galena and barite; 4) thickly banded fine-grained laminar pyrite with few bands of grey sphalerite; and 5) fine-grained laminar pyrite and nodular barite. The mineralized zone is commonly interbedded with siliceous Gunsteel Formation shale, can have weakly mineralized pyritic massive sulphide in a footwall zone, and is underlain by marine turbidites of the Paul River Formation (Lower Devonian) that include interbedded black shale and limestone debris flows.

Work History

In 1978, Riocanex staked the area based on anomalous lead values in regional stream sediment samples. The claims were staked as the Dog claims, the predecessor to the Akie claims. From 1979 to 1981, Riocanex conducted an extensive soil sampling program defining a series of lead, zinc, silver and barium anomalies. This work was complimented with VLF-EM surveys. In 1985, Riocanex allowed the Dog claims to lapse.

In 1989, Ecstall Mining Corp. staked the Akie 1-3 claims. In 1992, Ecstall optioned the Gataga property, consists of the Akie and Pie (094F 023), to Inmet Mining Corp (formerly Metall Mining Inc.) From 1992 to 1994, Inmet Mining Corp. conducted an extensive soil sampling program, preliminary geological mapping and VLF/resistivity and magnetometer surveys which resulted in the identification of numerous lead, zinc and barium anomalies. The claims were expanded to include the Akie 4-17 claims. In 1994, Inmet continued its soil sampling and prospecting program resulting in the discovery of the gossanous outcropping within Cardiac Creek. A subsequent drill program identified the mineralised horizon now known as the Cardiac Creek deposit (12 drillholes totalling 3753.20 metres). SEDEX-style base metal mineralization was intersected in 8 out of 12 holes on the Cardiac Creek horizon which defined a zone with a strike length of 1400 metres to a depth of 300 metres. Average thickness was 10 metres. In 1995, Inmet continued to define the Cardiac Creek deposit with additional drilling (7 drillholes totalling 5314 metres). In 1996, Inmet continued to define the Cardiac Creek deposit with additional drilling. This work produced a historical non-compliant resource of 12 million tonnes grading 8.6 per cent zinc, 1.5 per cent lead and 17.1 grams per tonne silver (MacIntyre, 2005). Property-scale exploratory drilling of identified soil anomalies intersected mineralization located in Bear Valley, some 2.5 kilometres northwest of the deposit (10 drillholes totalling 4483.10 metres). Ecstall estimated the dimensions of the Cardiac Creek deposit to be 1400 metres long by 800 metres deep by 20 metres thick (Information Circular 1996-1, page 16).

In 2005, Ecstall Mining Corp. optioned the property to Mantle Resources Inc. (who later became Canada Zinc Metals Corp.). In 2006, Mantle Resources Inc. continued to define the high-grade core of the Cardiac Creek deposit with additional drilling (11 drillholes totalling 4480.37 metres). In 2007, Mantle Resources Inc. continued to expand the high-grade core with additional drilling (12 drillholes totalling 6526.26 metres). Detailed mapping and sampling were conducted across the property, and environmental baseline studies were initiated. In 2008, Mantle Resource Inc. completed a takeover of Ecstall Mining Corp. acquiring a 100 per cent ownership in the Akie property and changed its name to Canada Zinc Metals Corp. A National Instrument (NI) 43-101 compliant resource figure was calculated for the Cardiac Creek deposit establishing a resource of 23.6 million tonnes grading 7.6 per cent zinc, 1.5 per cent lead and 13 grams per tonne silver (MacIntyre and Sim 2008, private technical report (as reported in Assessment Report 32270)). Drilling continued in order to expand the Cardiac Creek deposit. Exploratory drilling in Bear Valley intersected additional mineralization (14 drillholes totalling 6226.15 metres). Mapping continued with a focus on Bear Valley. In 2009, prospecting resulted in the discovery of the GPS bedded barite showing hosted in black shales, similar to those of the Gunsteel shale, located along the northwestern edges of the Akie property and directly along strike from the Cirque deposit to the north. In 2010, Canada Zinc Metals completed an additional eleven core holes totalling 6128 metres on the Akie project. Three holes tested the northwest edge of the Cardiac Creek zone, four holes tested the Northwest (NW) Extension target and four holes tested the North Lead anomaly. The NW Extension hole intersected nickel sulphide in a unique debris flow. It includes a sulphide-replaced interval consisting of massive pyrite and crosscutting sphalerite stringers that assayed 0.60 per cent nickel, 2.69 per cent zinc and 4.4 grams per tonne silver across 1.17 metres (Assessment Report 32270). Canada Zinc Metals completed six separate drilling programs from 2005 to 2011. During this time 79 drillholes were drilled totalling 32,492 metres of which 68 were completed to their intended depths and 11 were abandoned.

A diamond drilling program in 2010 continued to test the Cardiac Creek deposit along the northwest boundary and central segments of the deposit with three drillholes totalling 2075.72 metres yielding positive results including; 22.79 metres of 8.34 per cent zinc, 1.69 per cent lead, and 16.03 grams per tonne silver in A-10-73B; 17.46 metres of 5.70 per cent zinc, 0.89 per cent lead, and 8.52 grams per tonne silver in A-10-74; and 6.65 metres of 5.89 per cent zinc, 1.10 per cent lead, 10.78 grams per tonne silver in A-10-75 (Assessment Report 32270). Drilling continued to test the North Lead Anomaly with four drillholes totalling 2584.79 metres intersecting large sections of pyrite with minor sphalerite located along strike from known mineralization.

In 2012, Canada Zinc Metals released an updated the NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate as follows (Sims, 2012): a 12.7 million tonnes Indicated Resource grading 8.38 per cent zinc, 1.68 per cent lead and 13.7 grams per tonne silver, at 5 per cent zinc cut-off. The contained metal estimate is reported at 2.4 billion pounds of zinc, 472 million pounds of lead and 5.6 million ounces of silver; a 16.3 million tonne Inferred Resource grading 7.38 per cent zinc, 1.34 per cent lead and 11.6 grams per tonne silver, at 5 per cent zinc cut-off. The contained metal estimate is reported to be 2.6 billion pounds of zinc, 482 million pounds of lead and 6.1 million ounces of silver. Furthermore, to obtain lithological and structural information near surface and at depth, an airborne VTEM survey was flown over the Canada Zinc Metals properties in the area at 200-metre line spacing, and 100-metre line spacing over the Cardiac Creek deposit and West Pie target areas.

Exploration in 2013 started with a 2795 line-kilometre expansion of the 2012 airborne VTEM survey to include the remaining eight core properties of Canada Zinc Metals at 200-metre line spacing. A nine hole exploration drilling program on the Akie property tested the: downdip extension of the GPS showing in an interpreted western panel of Gunsteel Formation shale; downdip extension of mineralization at the North Lead Anomaly, a 1000 by 200 metre lead-in-soil anomaly located 2.3 kilometres northwest of the Cardiac Creek deposit; South Zinc anomaly, a 1700 by 300 metre zinc-cadmium anomaly located southeast of the Cardiac Creek deposit that coincides with VTEM geophysical targets; and the northwest and southeast margins of the Cardiac Creek deposit to infill and expand known mineralization. Drilling at the margins of the Cardiac Creek deposit demonstrated the continuity of high-grade mineralization in a thick package of Gunsteel Formation shale.

In 2015, Canada Zinc Metals Corp. completed 11 diamond drill holes, totalling 5347.1 metres, on the Akie property. The drilling continued to test the down-dip and high-grade core of the Cardiac Creek deposit. Drilling results included: 28.51 metres of 10.22 per cent zinc, 2.34 per cent lead, 20.45 grams per tonne silver in A15-121, 23.36 metres of 8.63 per cent zinc, 1.68 per cent lead, 14.64 grams per tonne silver in A-15-122, 21.41 metres of 9.47 per cent zinc, 2.11 per cent lead, 18.22 grams per tonne silver in A-15-124, and 15.76 metres of 9.71 per cent zinc, 1.74 per cent lead, 15.75 grams per tonne silver in A-15-125 (Assessment Report 35841). Nick style mineralisation was also encountered in A-15-125 and A-15-131with narrow intervals occurring within the Paul River formation debris flows just above the contact with the Silurian Siltstones of the Road River Group.

In 2016, Canada Zinc Metal Corp. issued a NI 43-101 Technical Report on Akie that defined an Indicated Resource of 19.6 million tonnes grading 8.2 per cent zinc, 1.6 per cent lead and 13.6 grams per tonne silver (at a 5 per cent zinc cut-off grade) and an Inferred Resource of 8.1 million tonnes grading 6.8 per cent zinc, 1.2 per cent lead and 11.2 grams per tonne silver (at a 5 per cent zinc cut-off grade). Environmental baseline monitoring and review of plans for permitted underground exploration via a ramp decline to about 500 metres below surface continued.

In 2017, the company completed structural reinterpretation of satellite imagery and conducted a drilling program on the Cardiac Creek deposit aimed at extending the resource, completing eight holes totalling 4700 metres with 1100 samples taken. All holes intersected the mineralized zone and two expanded the indicated resource. Noteworthy results included 67.79 metres grading 11.79 per cent combined zinc-lead and 19.1 grams per tonne silver, including 15.44 metres grading 22.61 per cent combined zinc-lead and 36.1 grams per tonne silver (Information Circular 2018-1, page 30).

In 2018, JDS Energy & Mining Inc., on the behalf of ZincX Resources Corp., released an update mineral resource, using a 5 per cent zinc cut-off grade, with an indicated resource of 22.7 million tonnes grading 8.32 per cent zinc, 1.61 per cent lead and 14.1 grams per tonne silver and an inferred resource of 7.5 million tonnes grading 7.04 per cent zinc, 1.24 per cent lead and 12.0 per cent silver (Makarenko, M. (2018-08-01): NI 43-101 Technical Report - Akie Project).

Also in 2018, ZincX Resources Corp. completed 6 diamond drill holes, totalling 2163.0 metres, on the Akie property. Drilling tested the; South-East Extension of the Cardiac Creek Zone, the North Lead Anomaly, and the first ever drilling of the Sitka occurrence located on the eastern edges of the property.

In 2019, ZincX Resources completed 5 diamond drill holes, totalling 2346.8 metres, on the Akie property. The drilling tested the up-dip, down-dip and southeast boundaries of the deposit’s high-grade core. Results continued to expand the known boundaries of the high-grade core as well as confirm the consistency of mineralisation throughout this key area of the deposit. Select results from the high-grade core include 23.68 metres (true width) of 10.04 per cent zinc and lead, and 14.0 grams per tonne silver from hole A-19-150 along the Southeast boundary; 22.93 metres (true width) of 17.24 per cent zinc and lead, and 24.1 grams per tonne silver from A-19-153 along the down-dip edge; and 11.97 metres (true width) of 10.25 per cent zinc and lead, and 15.4 grams per tonne silver from A-19-154 along the up-dip edge (Assessment Report 38856).