The Mat showing is located about 55 kilometres southeast of Dease Lake.
The region of the showing is mainly underlain by the Late Triassic Beggerlay Creek pluton which has intruded a sedimentary sequence of the Lower and Middle Triassic Stuhini Group. The pluton is comprised of biotite-hornblende diorite, gabbro, monzodiorite and pyroxenite. The sedimentary package contains argillite, greywacke, phyllite, chert, limestone and quartzite.
Low grade finely disseminated chalcopyrite has been found across 91 metres in gneiss. Both disseminated bornite and narrow stringers of massive bornite and chalcocite associated with dikes were found in serpentinized pyroxenite and gabbro. Sheared sediments are reported to host chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite and some bornite was found in epidote stringers in quartz monzonite. Massive sulphide float assayed 0.1 per cent copper and 0.08 per cent nickel (Assessment Report 3028).
Both the sedimentary and volcanic rocks, as well as surrounding foliated hornblende diorites and gabbros, ultramafic rocks and hornblende quartz monzonites, have been reported to host copper, lead and/or zinc sulphide occurrences. In addition, a soil survey (Assessment Report 3028) indicated moderately elevated values of nickel (greater than 300 parts per million) over part of the survey area, likely related to occurrences of ultramafic rocks.
The BC Geological Survey crew identified several sulphide occurrences in the fine-grained sedimentary rocks, and one within the Cake Hill pluton (see the new “Mat north” occurrence. The mineralization within the sedimentary rocks occurs in laminated to very thinly bedded siltstones to medium-grained sandstones, and forms stratiform and more irregular-shaped bodies up to 20 metres wide. The sulphides occur as fine to very fine-grained disseminations, stratiform horizons and/or within veinlets. Silicification and/or quartz-pyrite veins occur locally. No copper oxides, copper sulphides, galena or sphalerite were observed, possibly due to their very fine grain size.
In 1971, Silver Standard Mines Ltd. conducted a magnetometer survey and collected 558 soil samples. No other work is recorded.
In 2011, a BC Geological Survey crew, conducted a bedrock mapping project in the vicinity of the showing. They examined the Pat showing and collected two rock samples for assay but the samples failed to yield any significant metal values (11BVA26-184, 187, Table 2, Fieldwork 2011, page 112 and 115).
