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File Created: 06-Dec-1994 by George Owsiacki (GO)
Last Edit:  01-Apr-2021 by Del Ferguson (DF)

Summary Help Help

NMI
Name N ZONE, N, ASHWOOD, DICKIE, 1100 ZONE, RIDGE, TERMINATOR, BROWN, PRAXIS, GAMEBREAKER Mining Division Skeena
BCGS Map 103P071
Status Prospect NTS Map 103P13W
Latitude 055º 45' 36'' UTM 09 (NAD 83)
Longitude 129º 55' 07'' Northing 6179751
Easting 442355
Commodities Copper, Zinc, Lead, Gold, Silver Deposit Types G06 : Noranda/Kuroko massive sulphide Cu-Pb-Zn
Tectonic Belt Coast Crystalline Terrane Stikine
Capsule Geology

The N zone showing is located on the easterly slopes of Mount Brown, west of Sutton Glacier, about 20 kilometres south-southeast (168°) of the community of Stewart.

The N zone is underlain by interbedded volcanics and sediments of the Lower-Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group. Andesite, diorite and quartz feldspar porphyry dikes intrude the volcano-sedimentary sequence. The volcanic rocks consist of ash tuff, lapilli tuff and andesitic to dacitic agglomerate. Volcanic conglomerate and breccias occur locally. Feldspar porphyry flows were also observed. Sediments consist of dark grey to black, foliated argillite and siliceous siltstone. A number of significant fault structures have tilted the lithologies and probably caused some offset.

The N zone consists of conformable lenses of massive pyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, and minor chalcopyrite measuring 30 by 40 centimetres by 5 metres, hosted in intermediate volcanic rocks near a contact with sedimentary strata. Mineralized quartz veins occur adjacent to the sulphide lenses, but are generally lower grade. There is also significant fault and fracture-controlled mineralization. Areas of the N showing examined in 2006 were primarily in mudstone/siltstone units, with minor mineralization hosted in intrusive bodies. Four different intrusive units are present. A large, north striking rhyolite dike with flow banding and a contact breccia is the most prominent of these. It is crosscut by two different phases of diorite, and all of these are cut by a slightly more mafic dike. Mineralization in the N showing is predominantly stratabound within discrete lithologic layers in the sedimentary sequence. It occurs as fracture-filling pyrrhotite, pyrite, minor chalcopyrite, and rare sphalerite, most commonly within sedimentary units along or near intrusive contacts in fractures crosscutting bedding, but also in some of the intrusive units. The mineralization examined appears to be the result of contact mineralization, rather than volcanogenic in origin as proposed by previous workers.

A grab sample of mineralization at the N zone analysed 0.17 per cent copper, 4.13 per cent zinc, 0.29 gram per tonne gold and 6.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 23217, page 18).

Work in 1993 and 1994 outlined the 1100, Ridge and Dickie zones. The Dickie zone is 350 metres west of the N zone, the 1100 zone is 750 metres west-southwest of the N zone, and the Ridge zone is 1250 metres west-southwest of the N zone. A series of parallel faults can be traced over 800 metres from the 1100 zone to the Ridge zone. Rock sampling from the Ridge zone yielded up to 1.87 grams per tonne gold and 104 grams per tonne silver over narrow widths. Diamond drilling on the 1100 zone intersected up to 0.4 gram per tonne gold over 1.52 metres (Assessment Report 23689).

The Ridge zone (Minfile 103P 272) is a large, gossanous area approximately 150 by 150 metres. The protolith consists of intermediate tuffs, flows and flow breccia. The Ridge zone appears to be a 'shatter' zone of randomly oriented fractures situated in an area of numerous 030 degree trending brittle faults. The faults tend to be very narrow (less than 2 metres) but wider zones of closely-spaced fractures are associated with the faulting. Mineralization is concentrated along fractures and is composed of pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and minor sphalerite and galena. Massive sulphide lenses within the fractures have been mapped and appear to have very limited extent (less than 5 metres) and are typically very narrow (less than 20 centimetres).

The 1100 zone mineralization is possibly very similar to that at the Ridge zone. Drillholes intersected sections of strong alteration with pyrite and pyrrhotite.

The Dickie zone is characterized by massive to semimassive, bedding-parallel lenses and ribbons of pyrite within intermediate tuffs and tuff breccia. The sulphide lenses are typically very small (10 centimetres by 1 metre) and can be traced for over 200 metres. Surface grab samples yielded up to 0.22 gram per tonne gold.

The Gamebreaker zone, identified in 2011, is located approximately midway between the Ridge and N zones and comprises a south west dipping quartz-pyrite-arsenopyrite vein that has been traced for 10 metres along strike a strike of 165 degrees. In 2011, chip samples yielded up to 2.12 and 3.90 grams per tonne gold over 1.1 and 0.75 metres, respectively, while three grab samples (211805 to 211807) taken to the north west yielded from 7.23 to 15.31 grams per tonne gold (Metcalfe, P. (2013-02-28): Technical Report on the Georgie River Property).

Prior to 1990, there has been no exploration work recorded on the property. 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. 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 2005, exploration work completed on the Ashwood Property was limited to a reconnaissance-level, high-energy stream sediment geochemical survey. A total of 74 high-energy stream sediment samples were collected from the major drainages and tributaries covering much of the Ashwood Property, as part of a larger sampling program conducted on the adjoining Praxis property to the west. 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. In 2010, Auramex acquired the ground covering the N zone occurrence and the following year completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping, rock sampling and a helicopter-borne magnetic and transient electromagnetic survey.

Bibliography
EMPR BULL 63
EMPR MAP 8
EMPR OF 1986-2; 1994-14
EMPR PF (*Aquaterre Mineral Developments Ltd., Prospectus, February 24, 1997, pp. 47-71 (in Georgia River file - 103O 013))
GSC MAP 307A; 315A; 1385A
GSC OF 864; 2996
www.auxrc.com
*Metcalfe, P. (2013-02-28): Technical Report on the Georgie River Property

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