The South Lorne Creek occurrence is situated along the South Lorne Creek headwaters, 13 kilometres east of Kitsumkalum Lake and about 37 kilometres north of Terrace.
Regionally, the area is underlain by Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bowser Group clastic sediments. To the southwest, Cretaceous to Tertiary Coast Plutonic Complex granitoid intrusions flank the Bowser Basin.
Locally, Bowser Basin argillites are intruded by dikes and irregular masses of quartz diorite, quartz monzonite and granodiorite. Though limited, exposed contacts generally trend east-west, and argillites have generally been metamorphosed to biotite hornfels.
Molybdenite and chalcopyrite occur in quartz veining within intrusive rocks and hornfelsed argillites, with widespread pyrite associated with contact zones. Minor galena, stibnite, sphalerite and pyrrhotite have also been observed in quartz veins.
In 1967, Amax conducted geological mapping and soil sampling. The area was reported to be staked by R. Woodcock in 1971 (Assessment Report 8059).
In 1979, Newmont Exploration of Canada Ltd. staked the SLC claims following the release of British Columbia Department of Mines’ Accelerated Geochemical Survey. The company conducted geological mapping and soil sampling. Molybdenum soil anomalies were found to be generally coincident with molybdenite, chalcopyrite and galena-mineralized quartz veins cutting feldspar-hornblende porphyry and biotite hornfels on the SLC 2 claim (Assessment Report 8059).
In 1981, Newmont completed two diamond-drill holes totalling 664.2 metres. Though the holes tested prospective surface exposures postulated to extend at depth, no significant economic mineralization was encountered (Assessment Report 10400).
In 1988, Eric A. Shaede prospected the claims, conducting silt and rock float sampling. Along a north-flowing stream near the centre of the claims, angular pyritized and quartz-veined boulders reported up to 9.8 grams per tonne gold, 214 grams per tonne silver, 3.4 per cent copper and 0.15 per cent lead (Assessment Report 17976).
In 1988, Eric A. Shaede conducted sampling and prospecting, locating a quartz vein approximately 1 metre in width, hosting small pockets of sulphide mineralization (pyrite with some chalcopyrite and minor galena). A vein sample reported anomalous silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc values, but precious metals were still lower in abundance than in float found the previous season (Assessment Report 19405).
In 2005, BCM Resources Corp. (BCM) acquired the Lorne claims. In 2006, BCM conducted a reconnaissance-scale geological survey including rock and biogeochemical sampling. Rock samples reported up to 194 parts per billion gold, 899 parts per million (ppm) copper, 610 ppm molybdenum, 800 ppm lead and 32 ppm tungsten. Biogeochemical samples are anomalous in copper, molybdenum, lead, tungsten and gold, with molybdenum up to 10 times higher than background. During the reconnaissance program, an area of intense iron staining in outcrops along the banks of South Lorne Creek was identified 2 kilometres east of the known mineralization, roughly on strike. This 930-hectare area of interest known as "East Lorne" was added to the Company's claim group, bringing the total area to 1825 hectares (Assessment Report 28985).
In 2007, BCM carried out a 326.7-line kilometre aeromagnetic survey outlining northwest- and east-northeast trending relative magnetic lows, suggestive of possible molybdenum mineralization and structural controls (Assessment Report 29652).
In 2009, BCM conducted prospecting and stream sediment sampling, with sediment samples assaying up to 401 ppm molybdenum in addition to elevated copper, lead, zinc and silver. Results of this study expanded upon known areas of soil anomalies (Press Release, BMC Resources Corp., January 4, 2010).
In 2011, BCM conducted geological reconnaissance and float sampling, reconfirming areas of anomalous molybdenum, gold, silver and base metals (Assessment Report 32615).
In 2013, BCM conducted bedrock sampling on a ridge top between South Lorne Creek and a northerly flowing tributary of Lorne Creek in the northern property area; 13 samples were taken and analyzed.
In 2016, J2 Syndicate Holdings Ltd. and Goliath Resources Ltd. completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping, hand trenching and rock (41) and stream sediment (4) sampling on their Lucky Strike property. The 2016 geochemical survey returned assays up to up to 24.7 grams per tonne gold, 188 grams per tonne silver, 2.04 per cent copper, 8.34 per cent lead, 0.26 per cent molybdenum, 0.13 per cent tungsten and 6.3 per cent zinc in quartz veins containing massive pyrite on the newly discovered Prosperity Trend. The 650 metre by 250 metre area Prosperity Trend is in the central portion of the Lucky Strike property at the headwaters of two prolific placer creeks, Lorne Creek draining eastward, and Douglas Creek draining westward.
A SkyTEM aerial electromagnetic survey was flown over the Lucky Strike Property in 2017 for a total of 563 line km. Magnetic anomalies were found to highlight apparent intrusives at several locations, they generally corresponded with resistive zones in the SkyTEM data as well as with anomalous 2016 sampling. Several new areas of interest were identified as a result of this electromagnetic survey: Kahuna, Douglas, Lorne and Prosperity North (Assessment Report 36902).
An NI 43-101 Technical Report was completed on the property in 2017 for Goliath Resources Limited and a second comprehensive report was completed in 2018 including work done during the 2017 field season. The program consisted of reconnaissance and follow-up prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical sampling. Sampling during the 2017 and 2018 field season resulted in the definition of new zones of mineralization.
2019 drilling and rock sampling by Goliath in an area approximately 900 metres north of the South Lorne Creek showing resulted in identification of the Lorne Creek Porphyry system, which was further supported by 2020 works in the Lorne Creek area (Goliath News Release Jan 5, 2021).
