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File Created: 17-Mar-2006 by Garry J. Payie (GJP)
Last Edit:  01-Apr-2021 by Del Ferguson (DF)

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NMI
Name RHYOLITE RIDGE, PRAXIS Mining Division Skeena
BCGS Map 103P071
Status Showing NTS Map 103P12W
Latitude 055º 42' 44'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 129º 58' 44'' Northing 6174500
Easting 438500
Commodities Zinc, Silver Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
G06 : Noranda/Kuroko massive sulphide Cu-Pb-Zn
Tectonic Belt Coast Crystalline Terrane Stikine
Capsule Geology

Rhyolite Ridge is located about 1 kilometre south of Ashwood Lake, 25 kilometres south of Stewart. This area of the Praxis property is underlain by rocks of the Middle Jurassic Salmon River Formation, Hazelton Group.

In the Rhyolite Ridge area, the target was a zinc-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) target containing stratigraphically conformable airborne electromagnetic (EM) geophysical targets. On surface, mudstone lithologies near the upper portion of the section analysed 1000-4000 parts per million zinc from soil and rock samples. Drillhole RR02-01 intersected fracture filling and veined sphalerite in the upper rhyolite sequence at 5.5 to 7.0 metres which yielded 0.21 per cent zinc over 1.5 metres true thickness (Assessment Report 27092). The uppermost mudstone in hole RR02-01 yielded 0.16 per cent zinc over 1 metre. This corresponds to the surface samples at the up dip projection which contained 0.24 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 27092). In 2002, hole RRO2-01 from Rhyolite Ridge contained the highest average silver values at an average of 1.56 grams per tonne silver over 18.5 metres true thickness from 282.3 to 290.3 metres (Assessment Report 27092). This is 10 times the average value for silver in the drilling. Four areas of interest were identified by the contact occurrence density ‘heatmap’ with an additional three areas identified by the orientation entropy (some degree of overlap exists between these two outputs). Particular attention was focused about Rhyolite Ridge, extending southeast from the Persuader mineralization and flanking the Ashwood on the eastern block of the overall property.

Prior to 1990, there has been no exploration work recorded in the property area. In 1990, Tenajon Resources Ltd. undertook a program of prospecting, geological mapping and rock saw channel sampling in selected areas of the property. They reported the discovery of bedded exhalative-style zinc-lead-copper sulphides and sulphide-bearing quartz vein stockworks at the N zone (103P 248). Two kilometres to the south of the N zone, Tenajon found more semi-massive sulphide mineralization near the volcanic-sedimentary contact at the Tat zone (103P 247). In August and September of 1993, Aquaterre Mineral Development Ltd. completed an initial field exploration program consisting of geological mapping, prospecting, soil, stream silt and rock geochemical sampling on the Ashwood project. During 1994, Aquaterre undertook a major field program consisting of an airborne geophysical survey, soil and rock geochemical surveys, geological surveys and seven diamond-drill holes totalling 1024 metres of BQ core. A total of 569 core samples, 71 soil samples and 102 rock chip samples were collected and analysed. The airborne survey covered an area of about 18 square kilometres and a total of 150 line kilometres. Strong conductive zones were detected northeast of the N and Tat zones in fine clastic sedimentary rocks. Five holes were directed to test the 1100 zone gold-in-soil geochemical anomaly, however, no mineralization of economic significance was intersected. In 1995, a 3.6 kilometre grid was established over the 1100 zone, with a single line extending southeast to the Hammer Lake area. A total of 126 soil samples were collected from the grid and 1425 metres of induced polarization surveying were completed. Twenty-three lithogeochemical samples were collected from the 1100 zone as well as the Hammer, Camp and Outram Lake areas. The work defined the 1100 zone gold-in-soil anomaly in more detail and suggested that the anomaly may have been transported downslope from a source located southwest of the area tested by the 1994 drill program. In 1996, an induced polarization (IP) survey was completed on behalf of Aquaterre and was conducted across a grid that covers the gold geochemical anomaly referred to as the 1100 zone and extended to the southeast into an area referred to as Hammer Lake. A limited amount of IP surveying (1.4 line kilometres) was conducted across the 1100 zone in September, 1995. Encouraging results prompted an extension of the survey grid and in 1996 an additional 6.3 line kilometres of IP surveying was completed.

In 2000, CSS Explorations Inc. conducted 230 line kilometres of airborne electromagnetic surveying, detailed stream silt geochemistry and geological mapping. In 2001, CSS explored the Praxis property with further work which included rock, soil, and stream sediment sampling reconnaissance and detailed geologic mapping, prospecting, and a limited amount of ground geophysical work. In 2002, Praxis Goldfields Inc. optioned the western portion of its Praxis property to Northgate Exploration Limited. Northgate drilled 1945 metes in five diamond-drill holes in the Section Ridge area. Northgate’s second drillhole intersected 0.67 per cent lead and 0.39 per cent zinc over one metre near the top of the volcanic sequence (Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 2002, page 7). Praxis Goldfields Inc. retained the eastern portion of its Praxis claims, the Rhyolite Ridge area south of Ashwood Lake. Two holes were drilled to explore the geochemically anomalous contact between the mudstone and overlying rhyolite. One hole intersected a narrow zone of disseminated sphalerite. In 2003, Praxis Goldfields Inc. continued to explore for volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization on its Praxis property by drilling 1238.5 metres in three diamond-drill holes. In 2005, Mineral Hill Industries Ltd. collected 392 high-energy stream sediment samples on the company's Praxis Goldfields project. In 2006, an exploration program consisting of geological mapping, prospecting, and geochemical rock and soil sampling was conducted by Mineral Hill Industries Ltd. on their Praxis property which covers the mineralized zones.

Granby Gold Inc. conducted geological mapping, airborne magnetometer and gamma ray spectrometry surveys (and geological interpretation of the same) over their East Georgie River project area, including the Rhyolite Ridge showing, from 2013 to 2020. The backbone of Rhyolite Ridge is formed by a north to northwest trending cap of hard, resistant rhyolite. The outline represents fault segments or perhaps offsets of fingers of a flow. Attitudes along the northern contact suggest that it is conformable with the underlying black siltstone, and is on the east limb of a syncline that dips approximately 25 degrees to the west. Mudstones and rhyolite of the Late Jurassic Salmon River Formation are exposed on Rhyolite Ridge in an overturned northwesterly-plunging syncline, and may be present to the northwest on the lower slopes of the East Georgie River valley. Rhyolite Ridge magnetic intensity is relatively high over areas mapped as rhyolite.

Bibliography
EMPR ASS RPT 26552, *26860, *27092, *27392, 28376, 28961, *34838, *34843, *35636, *36156, *36623, *37824, *38402, *38431, *39001
EMPR BULL 63
EMPR EXPL 2000-7; 2001-8; 2002-7; 2003-11,12
EMPR FIELDWORK 1990, pp. 235-243; 2005, pp. 1-4
EMPR P 2017-1 pp. 61-82; 2020-1 pp. 101-108
EMPR MAP 8
EMPR OF 1986-2; 1994-14
GSC MAP 1385A
GSC OF 864; 2996
GEO CAN Vol 34(3) pp. 113-134
www.granbygoldinc.com
PR REL Northgate Exploration Ltd., Sept.17, Nov.22, 2002; Mineral Hill Industries Ltd., Dec.19, 2005
EMPR PFD 820191, 521129

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