The NW Expo occurrence is located in the northwestern headwaters of the Goodspeed River, approximately 10 kilometres west-northwest of the western end of Nahwitti Lake.
Regionally, the area is underlain by northwest-trending belts of basaltic volcanics and carbonate sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen and Quatsino formations (Vancouver Group), sedimentary rocks of the Lower Cretaceous Longarm Formation (Queen Charlotte Group) and mafic volcanics and sediments of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group (Holberg volcanic unit, Nahwitti River wacke and Parsons Bay Formation). These volcanic and sedimentary rocks have been intruded by granodioritic rocks of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite.
Locally, a large advanced argillic- (silica-pyrophyllite-clay) altered zone in Bonanza volcanics, predominantly andesitic tuff and/or dacite, hosts porphyry style gold-copper-molybdenum mineralization below a siliceous lithocap. Mineralization consists of pyrite with minor to trace chalcopyrite and molybdenite. Chlorite and magnetite alteration are also reported. The mineralized zone strikes 290 degrees, dips moderately to the north-northeast and has been defined by diamond drilling to be tabular shaped, extending for greater than 600 metres long by 300 metres thick. The mineralized zone is fault-bounded to the east and remains open to the west.
In 1994, a drillhole (NEW-02) yielded 0.5 gram per tonne gold over 23.1 metres (Assessment Report 28375).
In 2005, diamond drilling yielded up to 0.17 per cent copper, 0.025 per cent molybdenum and 1.0 gram per tonne gold over 94.96 metres, including 0.24 per cent copper and 1.54 grams per tonne gold over 19.30 metres, in hole EC-228; 0.31 gram per tonne gold over 64.73 metres in hole EC-223 and 0.11 per cent copper with 0.52 gram per tonne gold over 124.90 metres in hole EC-218 (Assessment Report 28375).
In 2007, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of 0.118 per cent copper with 0.82 gram per tonne gold over 109.8 metres in hole EC-233; 0.113 per cent copper, 0.013 per cent molybdenum and 0.88 gram per tonne gold over 146.3 metres in hole EC-234; 0.388 per cent copper over 26.6 metres in hole EC-240 and 0.155 per cent copper with 1.25 grams per tonne gold over 119.9 metres in hole EC-245 (Assessment Report 29604).
In 2008, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of 0.218 gram per tonne gold, 0.015 per cent copper, 0.030 per cent molybdenum with 2.21 grams per tonne rhenium over 92 metres in hole EC08-250; 0.226 gram per tonne gold per tonne gold, 0.026 per cent copper, 0.016 per cent molybdenum with 0.497 gram per tonne rhenium over 290 metres in hole EC08-252 and 0.817 gram per tonne gold, 0.119 per cent copper, 0.011 per cent molybdenum with 0.368 gram per tonne rhenium over 164 metres in hole EC08-254 (Assessment Report 30714).
Another zone of similar but lower grade mineralization, referred to as the Cougar zone, is located approximately 1.2 kilometres southeast of the NW Expo zone. In 2007, drillhole EC-236 yielded 0.122 per cent copper and 0.09 gram per tonne gold over 176.4 metres (Assessment Report 29604).
The area has been historically explored since the 1960s in conjunction with the nearby Red Dog (MINFILE 092L 200) occurrence.
In 1994, Jordex Resources Inc. completed seven diamond drill holes, totalling 822 metres, on the area.
In 2005, Luminar Resources Corp. completed a program of rock, silt and soil sampling; geological mapping; a 2687.0 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic survey and 18 diamond drill holes, totalling 3154.0 metres, on the area. In 2007, Western Copper Corp. completed program of 15 diamond drill holes, totalling 4360 metres, on the area.
In August 2008, IMA Exploration Inc. completed an option agreement to earn up to 70 per cent interest in the Island Copper property. During the fall of 2008, IMA completed a drilling program at Northwest Expo and Hushamu. The program consisted of 13 HQ-sized holes, totalling 5123 metres: with 11 holes, totalling 4610 metres, were drilled at NW Expo and 2 holes, totalling 513 metres, were drilled at Hushamu (MINFILE 092L 240). The drill holes on the NW Expo occurrence were designed to delineate the northwest projection of the mineralized zone.
