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File Created: 31-Mar-1989 by Peter S. Fischl (PSF)
Last Edit:  19-Jun-2012 by George Owsiacki (GO)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name SUSANNE, HANNA, TONGA, FIJI Mining Division Skeena
BCGS Map 103P062
Status Showing NTS Map 103P12E, 103P12W
Latitude 055º 41' 03'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 129º 38' 46'' Northing 6171118
Easting 459376
Commodities Gold, Silver, Zinc, Copper, Lead Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Stikine, Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Susanne showing is located on the west side of Long Creek, just southeast of O'Neil Creek, 24.5 kilometres north-northwest of Alice Arm. The showing was discovered in 1983, by Canadian-United Minerals Inc.

The area is underlain by volcanics and sediments of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group intruded by Eocene Coast Plutonic Complex rocks. Locally, the property is underlain primarily by sediments (argillite, siltstone, greywacke) containing finely disseminated pyrite and weathering rusty red on surface exposures. The relatively flat terrain to the east is underlain by volcanic breccias. To the northwest, a resistant, eroded cupola of a Coast Plutonic Complex batholith towers above a banana-shaped glacier. The contact zone between this intrusion and the adjacent sediments features a thick, chloritic, fine-grained margin on the intrusion and a hornfelsed margin in the sediments. Very prominent porphyry dikes strike north-northwesterly across the main area of interest on the property between Long and Cross creeks. These dikes have an aphanitic matrix and are characterized by feldspar and biotite phenocrysts. The largest such dike is exposed over a distance of 1000 metres. These dikes, and an accompanying northeasterly swarm, may be related to the mineralization noted in the area. The main area of interest on the property lies between two streams named Long and Cross creeks.

The showing consists of a 2.0 metre wide shear zone exposed for 50 metres in black argillite and siltstone of the Stuhini Group. The zone contains a series of quartz veins, up to 30 centimetres in width, that strike 020 degrees and dip 80 degrees east. The veins are mineralized with pyrite and an unidentified steel blue mineral. A grab sample from a boulder in the shear zone assayed 45.66 grams per tonne gold and 3159 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 12122, page 5). Three short diamond-drill holes failed to intersect the continuation of this shear zone.

In 2006, drill sites were chosen to test electromagnetic (EM) anomalies and/or soil geochemical anomalies from previous exploration results. All seven holes intersected long intervals of black siltstones variously mineralized with pyrrhotite and pyrite with trace to minor amounts of sphalerite and trace chalcopyrite. Within each of the holes, sub-intervals from 1-2 metres up to tens of metres long contained from 2 to 10 per cent pyrrhotite, which probably explains the local strong EM responses detected by an airborne survey the previous year. Broad intercepts of anomalous to highly anomalous silver values, accompanied in places by strongly anomalous zinc values, were recorded in all holes. In particular, drillhole 06-06 assayed 0.25 per cent lead, 2.46 per cent zinc and 137.5 grams per tonne silver across a 1.5 metre interval; drillhole 06-05 assayed 16 grams per tonne silver and 7.8 grams per tonne gold across a 0.3 metre interval (Assessment Report 29197).

During the early 1980s, the area was re-investigated partly because of the contemporaneous rise in gold and silver prices and partly because of locally high geochemical stream sediment values obtained during a 1978 Provincial Government regional geochemical survey. In 1981, J. Foerster staked the Hanna claims. During the same year, W.D. Groves carried out a brief geological reconnaissance and stream sediment survey over the Hanna claims. Results showed two areas highly anomalous in silver, zinc and copper. The 1981 survey was followed up in 1982 by prospecting. In 1983, D. Caulfield and others from Pamicon Developments Ltd. carried out a new reconnaissance program and discovered a showing in a small sidecreek on the west side of Long Creek. Grab samples from float near and also within the new showing (a mineralized shear zone) returned elevated values in gold and silver. No work was done in 1984, and the original Hanna claims lapsed. The area was staked as the Susanne claims in early 1985. In July 1985, optionee Canadian-United Minerals Inc. initiated a diamond drilling program to test the showing. Unfortunately, the drill crew and geologist were mobilized to the site too early in the season and had to set up in deep snow with no reference to guide drill orientation. Three NQ-sized holes were drilled totalling 214 metres but none intersected significant mineralization. Subsequent examination of the collar locations revealed the drilling had been oriented parallel to the strike of the mineralization, possibly explaining the negative results. In 1989, a limited rock, soil and silt geochemical survey was conducted over the claims area with mixed results. Thereafter, an airborne VLF-EM and magnetic survey totalling approximately 87 line kilometres was flown over the property area in January 1990. This survey identified a number of short-length, high-angle intersecting VLF-EM conductors. In early 1991, a crew from Nicholson & Associates carried out a small rock sampling program late in the season when most outcrop was under snow cover. In 1992, additional minor rock and soil geochemical sampling was undertaken which identified some areas anomalous in, among other elements, molybdenum and silver. After the property was allowed to lapse, it was re-staked as the Time 1 and 2 claims by N.C. Carter, et al. This group carried out minor prospecting and sampling surveys over the claims area confirming earlier work. In 2004, after the Time claims had lapsed, Teuton Resources Corp. and Silver Grail Resources Ltd. re-staked the property area as the Tonga claims. A small talus fine sampling program undertaken in the 2004 field season disclosed highly anomalous results over a 300 metre traverse. Eleven samples taken every 3 metres at the base of a cliff returned anomalous values in molybdenum, copper, zinc, nickel and silver. Subsequent sampling by mountain climbers of the cliff face immediately above the sample traverse did not explain the high values. In another locality further to the south, a Teuton geologist discovered four tunnels in a cliff. Two of these were accessible but were found to be very short. The remaining two were too high up the cliff face to access safely without mountaineering equipment. Provenance for the tunnels remains unknown as the lateness of the season precluded a return to the property. No additional work was undertaken in 2005. In 2005, the Tonga-Fiji property was part of an extensive regional airborne survey program carried out on behalf of Teuton Resources. This work disclosed a linear pattern of roughly north trending electromagnetic (EM) conductors, which widened into a fishhead shape in the southernmost portion. In 2006, a series of seven holes at five different locations was drilled, mostly testing the strong EM conductors. The drilling showed pervasively anomalous silver-zinc mineralization. During the same program, prospecting of an area in the northeastern part of the property discovered the Fiji showing which disclosed an area with high grade gold values in surface shear zones.

Bibliography
EMPR ASS RPT 10296, 11081, *12122, *15602, 19994, 21312, 22314, 28438, 29197
EMPR BULL 63
EMPR FIELDWORK 1985, pp. 219-224; 1988, pp. 233-240; 1990, pp. 235-243; 2005, pp. 1-4
EMPR MAP 8
EMPR OF 1986-2; 1994-14
GSC MAP 307A; 1385A
GSC OF 864; 3453
GCNL #55,#132, 1985
IPDM May/June 1985, p. 15
NAGMIN Jun.7,Jul.19, 1985
N MINER Jul.18, 1985

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