The Copper Creek occurrence is located along Copper Creek, about 1.5 kilometres up from its confluence with Hackett River, approximately 46 kilometres northwest of the community of Telegraph Creek.
The showing area is underlain by highly fractured and altered Upper Triassic Stuhini Group volcanic flow rocks and interbedded related tuffaceous sediments. Andesite and porphyritic andesite are the dominant rock types and are intruded by Late Triassic and Early Jurassic granodiorite, diorite and monzonite stocks, and monzonite-syenite dikes and sills. Andesitic to basaltic dikes have also been recognized.
Fracturing, shearing and faulting are extensive in and near the mineralized zone. There appears to be at least two shear/fault trends, northeast and northwest.
In the main mineralized area, disseminated and irregular veinlets of chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite are associated with epidote-chlorite-actinolite alteration in limonitic volcanic rocks. Some garnet is also found in close association with the mineralization; it appears that the original volcanic sediments in this area were slightly limy to account for the formation of skarn minerals (Assessment Report 2061). Azurite and malachite are evident throughout the main zone. From 2 to 5 per cent finely disseminated magnetite is associated with the chalcopyrite at the north end of the zone.
Pyrrhotite, with lesser amounts of pyrite and chalcopyrite and minor galena and sphalerite, occurs as massive lenses up to 0.9 metre wide and 3.6 metres long in the highly fractured and altered volcanics located to the southeast of the main mineralized zone. A representative sample of a massive 0.6-metre lens of this mineralization analysed 1.04 per cent copper, 0.6 per cent lead, 1.84 per cent zinc, 3.4 grams per tonne gold and 30.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 2061, page 7). In 1977, a trench sample assayed 0.41 per cent copper and about 0.5 gram per tonne gold over 179 metres (Exploration in British Columbia 1996, page B14).
WORK HISTORY
According to earlier assessment reports, the Copper Creek showing was first discovered in 1937. However, the first documented exploration in the area of the showing occurred in 1955 when Brikon Explorations Ltd. drilled four holes with an aggregate length of 149 metres to test the Copper Creek occurrence; records and hole locations are not available. From 1950-1964, both Kennco and Newmont worked ground primarily to the west of the Copper Creek claims, near the Sheslay River (104J 040) at the Kid (104J 004), Grizzly (104J 016), Ho (104J 023) and West Kaketsa (104J 024) occurrences. In 1964, Newmont Exploration carried out an airborne magnetometer survey over an area which in 2003 was covered by the Copper Creek claims of Firesteel Resources Inc.
From 1958 to 1973, Skyline Explorations Ltd. in conjunction with several joint venture partners, carried out grid geochemical sampling, ground geophysics (magnetics), geological mapping, and diamond drilling (6 holes, 1050 metres) on the Copper Creek occurrence presently covered by the Copper Creek 2 claim of Firesteel Resources, and the Pyrrhotite Creek occurrence (104J 018) (9 holes, 1097 metres) which in 2003 was covered by the PC 1-4 mineral claims. During this period, an induced polarization (IP) survey was conducted over the Pyrrhotite Creek showing area. The drilling was never filed for assessment but is mentioned in later reports. Most claims in the area expired in 1975 and 1976. United Cambridge Mines restaked the Copper Creek prospect in 1976, and discovered the Dick Creek porphyry copper prospect (104J 035). During 1976 and 1977, United Cambridge carried out geological and geochemical survey work in the Dick Creek area covered in 2003 by the Copper Creek 1 claim. An extensive follow-up program of 10 kilometres of bulldozer trenching and road construction was carried out as well. In 1979, Utah Mines Ltd. carried out line cutting, geochemical sampling and geophysical surveying (magnetics, IP) immediately south of the Firesteel’s Copper Creek 2 claims (ca. 2003).
In 1970, drill hole G-2-70 is reported to have yielded 0.485 per cent copper over 42.9 metres, including 1.38 per cent copper over 7.5 metres and 2.6 per cent copper with 4.45 grams per tonne gold over 1.35 metres (Caron, L. (2013-07-16): National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Sheslay Property).
Further evaluation of the area between the Dick Creek and Copper Creek mineral occurrences was carried out in 1980 by United Cambridge Mines which included soil geochemistry and an IP geophysical survey. Further geological mapping and geochemical sampling was carried out by United Cambridge in this area during 1983 and 1984. A coincident gold-in-soil and IP anomaly was outlined between the Copper Creek and Dick Creek occurrences and an IP anomaly with scattered gold-in-soil values was outlined to the north of the Dick Creek occurrence. These anomalies were covered by Firesteel’s Copper Creek property claims in 2003.
Between 1987 and 1989, United Cambridge Mines Ltd. shifted their exploration work to the immediate south of the Copper Creek mineral claims in the area in which Utah had worked in 1979. Work included airborne geophysical surveys (magnetics, VLF-EM), geochemical sampling and geological mapping.
In 1991, Golden Ring Resources Ltd. commissioned Aerodat Limited to carry out 870 line-kilometres of airborne geophysics over 22 claims (including the area covered by Firesteel’s Copper Creek property). A data compilation of results of previous exploration programs within the project area was also carried out.
Follow-up work (223 soils) in the vicinity of the gold-in-soil with coincident IP anomaly (which United Cambridge previously outlined in 1983-84 between the Dick Creek and the Copper Creek occurrences) was carried out by Golden Ring Resources in 1992.
In 1996, Erin Ventures conducted 11.2 kilometres of VLF-EM surveys on the North Dick Creek Target; a total of 77 soil and 2 rock samples were taken. A VLF-EM and soil grid were completed in an area previously referred to as Helicopter Borne VLF anomaly XVI, which outlined an area at least 60 metres wide by 365 metres long with copper-in-soils up to 8510 parts per million and gold-in-soils up to 430 parts per billion. This area was referred to as the North Dick Creek. On the Dick Creek and East Dick Creek occurrences, drill sites were prepared to test the best conductive and geochemical anomalies but mechanical failures allowed for only 21 metres of drilling in four months.
The Cop 1-4 claims held by P. Sorbara were allowed to lapse in April 2001.
In March 2002, the Copper Creek 1 and 2 claims were staked on behalf of D. Mehner, A. Travis and D. Barker. In February 2003, the Copper Creek claims were optioned to Firesteel Resources Inc. In October 2003, Firesteel Resources focused on a small portion of the property near the Dick Creek showing (104J 035) and work consisted of 10.5 line-kilometres of IP and magnetometer surveying and the collection of 460 soil geochemical samples along with partial re-sampling of two old (1977) trenches (25 chip samples) that had never been continuously sampled for gold.
In 2004, Firesteel Resources carried out a program of geological mapping, backhoe trenching totalling 500 metres, soil geochemistry and 1555 metres of diamond drilling in 12 holes on the Copper Creek property focusing on the DK zone (104J 035). The best hole of the program, CUCR 04-05, was angled to the north and cut 0.44 per cent copper and 0.32 gram per tonne gold averaged over its full length of 242 metres, the top 52.3 metres of the hole averaged 0.80 per cent copper and 0.73 gram per tonne gold (Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 2004, page 27). Quartz stockwork with chalcopyrite more abundant than pyrite, is developed across the intensely fractured intrusive contact over an area that now measures 500 by 500 metres in plan and 250 metres deep. Secondary copper minerals (malachite, azurite and sooty chalcocite) predominate in the upper 30-60 metres from the surface. Supergene copper enrichment is evident from assay data of some holes. In 2006, Garibaldi Resource Corp. completed a helicopter borne magnetic survey that covered the south-central part of the Grizzly property; survey coverage consisted of approximately 510.2 line kilometres including 49.3 kilometres of tie lines. In 2010, Firesteel Resources Inc. collected 26 rock grab samples for analysis and photographic logs were made of drill core left over from the 2007 exploration program.
In 2013 the property was optioned to Prosper Gold Corp. Soil geochemical surveys were completed over the Star (formerly Dick Creek) and Copper Creek target areas. Re-logging of all historic core was completed. Prosper completed 2339.77metres of diamond drilling in six holes, a 1462 line-km multi-parameter airborne geophysical survey, a 30.4 line-km induced polarization and resistivity survey. Two soil geochemical surveys programs were conducted, one consisting of 2554 soil samples (100 line spacing) covering the Star, Start East, Star North, and Copper Creek target areas, covering approximately 7.0 kilometres by 3.0 kilometers; and a 979 sample soil geochemical survey over the Pyrrhotite Creek occurrence at 50 metres intervals along uncut 100 metre-spaced lines.
The 2013 Star-Copper Creek soil survey resulted in the confirmation of the 4 previously identified soil anomalies by Firesteel Resources (Star, Star East, Star West, and Copper Creek) as well as identifying new areas of anomalous silver, molybdenum, zinc and lead. The program also defined a faint north-south copper in soil anomaly which appears to connect the Star East and Star North targets more so than previous surveys results. The 2013 airborne geophysical survey covered the entire Star property. It was reported to have clearly defined the Upper Triassic Stuhini volcanic basement from the Miocene Level Mountain volcanics to the north. The survey also defined several pronounced linear features that run northwest-southeast across the Star target area. The induced polarization survey confirmed historical survey results and identified considerable chargeability anomalies, ranging from 35 to 50mV, that coincide with the Star, Star North and Star East targets; the Copper Creek prospect was also surveyed.
The majority of Prosper Gold's 2014 exploration program focused on the Star deposit (104J 035). Twenty diamond drill holes (of 24) totalling 6,661.5 metres were completed on the Star target. 156 channel and grab rock-sampling focused on the exposed cliffs of the Copper Creek Canyon. Samples were retrieved using rock climbing equipment along lines covering a series of bluffs and cliff faces over an area approximately 650 metres by 450 metres to test geophysical and geochemical anomalies surrounding historic showings.The objective of this survey was to investigate geophysical anomalies outlined from the 2013 exploration program as well as expand historic showings. The geochemical survey confirmed that the Copper Creek target is hosted in in volcaniclastics sediments of the Stuhini Group which are intruded by porphyritic diorite – monzodiorite. The cliffs along the canyon are strongly fractured, and oxidized. Pyrite is the most dominant sulphide commonly occurring as fine grained disseminations from a trace up to 5 per cent. Chalcopyrite occurs primarily within fractures with common weak to moderate malachite staining. The survey outlined a prospective area approximately 300 metres by 90 metres which remains untested. The area trends NNW-SSE and returned numerous mineralized samples with greater than 0.5 per cent copper from XRF analysis (Assessment Report 35362).
