The NAR 44 occurrence occurs along Newtown Creek, north of the Skeena River, about 10 kilometres northeast of Terrace.
The southern portions of the Kshish property are underlain by the Eocene Newtown Creek pluton (53 Ma) and the Paleocene Kitsumkalum Intrusive Suite (60 Ma), while the northern portion is underlain by the Lower Jurassic, volcanic dominated Kitselas Facies of the Telkwa Group.
Molybdenite occurs in quartz veins within Newtown Creek pluton granite, along a 600 metre, northwest-trending zone of intense shearing, and argillic and K-feldspar alteration. Less commonly, it occurs along fractures in aplitic dikes. Chalcopyrite, in trace amounts, is sometimes associated with the molybdenum and pyrite occurs in all rock types.
Molybdenum mineralization appears in deeply incised, juvenile streams which cut through highly altered granite of the Newtown Creek pluton. The Newtown Creek exposure exhibits northwest trending shearing of the granite as well as intense hydrothermal alteration. A series of four parallel faults, approximately 300-400 metres apart, runs due north through the main Newtown Creek showing. A fault, along Newtown Creek at this point, crosscuts the parallel faults at 302 degrees and it is at this location that the most intensive alteration is evident in the creek canyon. Other faults are evident on the property and trend 030 to 040 degrees. The alteration includes K-feldspar, argillization, chloritization and silicification to the host granite. The altered zone, as defined by the 1967-68 soil and sediment values along with molybdenum showings, is a northwest trending ellipse, roughly 4 kilometres long by 2 kilometres wide.
The fault along Newtown Creek provides the best exposure of molybdenite mineralization on the property. One area of feldspar breccia has been found which has significant mineralization. The molybdenite appears as small veinlets and blebs within the matrix. Chalcopyrite and pyrite have also been observed. This is located adjacent to the zone which appears to have the most intense K-feldspar alteration. Silica (quartz) infill of horizontal fracture sets and sericitic alteration is also evident near molybdenite mineralization. The widespread nature of the mineralization suggest that several centres of intense alteration are present with the intervening zones exhibiting multiple phases of alteration.
A significant concept derived from 2017 exploration work is that a fourth intrusive granite is the source and maybe host to the molybdenite mineralization. This granite is strongly altered in at least one area to an almost wholly orthoclase feldspar rock that is highly fractured and mineralized with molybdenite both in regular fracture planes and in shattered irregular breccias or close fractures.
To test for uniformity of the high grade molybdenite mineralization, large samples were broken down into four separate aliquots for processing and assay in 2012. Grab samples E5394912-19 were collected as two large samples which were crushed and then subdivided into four aliquots each for assay. The first of these, samples E5394912-15, yielded values of 4890 parts per million (ppm), 4800 ppm, 4830 ppm and 5040 ppm molybdenum, respectively. Samples E5394916-19 returned values of 1960 ppm, 2030 ppm, 2120 ppm and 1950 ppm, respectively (Assessment Report 33542).
The original Nar 44 showing was recorded for a molybdenite mineralized rock sample collected from Newtown Creek. It is located on Newtown Creek near where a diamond-drill hole was attempted in 1967-68. A piece of drill rod was located (ca. 2012) near the coordinates recorded in MINFILE but the hole was not located. Molybdenum is common in the stream bed and in several new showings.
In 1966, molybdenite mineralization was discovered along the headwaters of Newtown Creek. Geochemical sampling and geological mapping was undertaken in 1967 and 1968 by Amax Exploration. Work in 1967 by Amax included geochemical soil sampling and mapping in and around the headwaters of Newtown Creek. This work also included general prospecting of the major tributaries of Deep Creek. In total, 675 soil samples were collected along with various rock samples. The 1968 work was completed as a follow up to the 1967 sampling and it is assumed that the short drillhole reported was attempted as part of this follow up work. The 1968 X-ray drillhole is reportedly 12.8 metres with only 1.5 metres of recovery as the core was too small diameter to obtain core recovery.
The property had no further work and was staked in 2007 after a review of new logging roads that were built in the area in 2002. Work in 2008 included stream sediment sampling, mapping, prospecting and digitally incorporating the 1966 geochemical data onto a modern map base. Prospecting in 2008 expanded the area of mineralization of the Newtown Creek showing with mineralization being traced over a length of approximately 650 metres.
In 2008, rock samples from an intrusive breccia zone along Newton Creek yielded from trace to 0.233 per cent molybdenum, while rock samples of molybdenum and mica in-filled fractures from an altered granite yielded from 0.004 to 0.086 per cent molybdenum (Burton, A. (2009-03-03): NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Jet Gold Corp. Kshish Molybdenum Property).
In 2012, a late summer work program by Arrowstar Resources Ltd. comprised rock sampling (43), mapping and general reconnaissance. Field exploration was successful in the discovery of a new zone of mineralization approximately 540 metres southwest of NAR 44, where six samples (E5394926-31) returned values of 0.011 to 0.699 per cent Mo (see NAR 44SW Minfile).
Exploration work done in 2013 showed that the molybdenum soil anomalies on the lower slopes were transported soils lying on fresh unmineralized intrusive bedrock.
In 2015, Barkley Resources Ltd. completed four geochemical soil sampling traverses; a total of 76 samples were analysed. In addition to this work, a “Shaw” diamond drill was used for outcrop sampling to collect molybdenite mineralization; total depth drilled from the solid bedrock surface for all the 5 holes is 2.45 metres. The drill area is in close proximity to the 2012 felspar breccia bulk sampling zone on Newtown Creek where samples assayed up to 0.5 per cent Mo. This area is approximately 200 metres east of the NAR 44 Minfile location.
Further mapping and prospecting work conducted in 2017 led to the discovery of significant fine grained molybdenite associated with sericite in fresh fracture blocks off the Newtown Creek canyon walls approximately 520 metres southeast of NAR 44 (see Newtown Canyon Minfile).
