The Mantle Creek prospect is situated on the west side of the Upper Kitimat River valley, 29 kilometres northeast of Kitimat, B.C.
The area is underlain by several phases of the Upper Cretaceous to Tertiary Coast Plutonic Complex consisting of gabbro, hornblende biotite diorite, biotite granodiorite, soda granite, and muscovite granite. A roof pendant of altered Jurassic Hazelton Group volcanics occurs to the northwest. Northwest trending dykes ranging in composition from diorite to quartz monzonite cut all rocks.
Pyrite, molybdenite, and chalcopyrite occur in narrow quartz veinlets and to a lesser extent as fracture coatings and as disseminations. In Mantle Creek, three quartz vein stockwork zones, up to 50 metres wide occur over a 660 metre length and 300 metre vertical distance within soda granite. Silicification, feldspathization, and sericitization are commonly associated with molybdenite and are mainly structurally controlled.
At Lamp Creek ( to the north of Mantle Creek), potassium feldspar overgrowths of plagioclase occur in the matrices of both andesite and soda granite (quartz monzonite). Overgrowths are abundant also at Mantle Creek where only soda granite is exposed. The most common veins present are narrow quartz-potassium feldspar veins with distinct (brittle) margins (‘B’-type veins). Also late pyritic veins with distinct (brittle) margins (‘D’-type veins) are present. At Mantle Creek, mineralization comprising mostly molybdenite occurs both in the margins of quartz-potassium feldspar veins and in the soda granite matrix. There, very fine-grained molybdenite was accompanied with sparse pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization. All of the rocks examined in Gossan, Lamp, and Mantle creeks have undergone potassic alteration. Thus, the core potassic alteration zone of the Mantle hydrothermal system exists as a single zone that extends for a north-south distance of at least 2.9 km from Gossan Creek to Mantle Creek.
The main Mantle Creek soil-molybdenum anomaly is located on the slope north of the creek. Gash Creek, a gossanous rock chimney of soda granite (quartz monzonite), cuts through the western part of the anomaly. East of Gash Creek, the anomaly is underlain by small sub-crops of altered, gossanous soda granite. The main Mantle Creek soil-molybdenum anomaly is deemed to have developed in place from weathering of underlying mineralized material.
The weighted averages of several chip samples are 0.025 per cent molybdenite and 0.026 per cent copper (Assessment Report 14011).
Work History
During the mid-1960’s Southwest Potash (Amax) completed programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, soil and stream sediment) sampling on the area. In 1979, Amax completed a further program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area. In 1984 and 1985, Abo Oil Corp. completed programs of geochemical (rock, soil and silt) sampling. In 1986, a ground electromagnetic survey was completed.
In 2016, the Mantle Property covering the Mantle Creek (Minfile 103I 109) and Gossan Creek (Minfile 103I 103) prospects, was staked by J. Ostler. Alteration mapping and interpretation of Mo soil anomalies was conducted on the property as well as gathering 5 pan concentrates from Gossan, Lamp, Mantle and South creeks (Assessment Report 36182).
In 2018, Zenith Exploration Inc. had airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys flown over the Mantle property. Three generations of major linear structures are clearly visible via the distribution of total magnetic intensity across the property area characterizing different stages of intrusive activity and later cross-cutting mafic dykes (Assessment Report 38162).
