The area is underlain by the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group, King Salmon Formation which is comprised of a thick-bedded, mixed assemblage of sediments, minor andesitic volcanics, volcaniclastics and limestone. To the northeast, the Upper Triassic Sinwa limestone is found along the northeast dipping King Salmon thrust fault. These rocks are intruded by intermediate composition Jurassic and/or Cretaceous plutons and younger porphyritic dykes, possible Tertiary in age.
The structure in the area is dominated by the northwest trending, northeast dipping King Salmon thrust fault and associated smaller faults. Perpendicular to these faults is another set that trend northeast, which offset the King Salmon thrust fault.
On the property the King Salmon Formation rocks are mainly dark green andesitic or tuffaceous volcanics with disseminated pyrite and chloritic siltstone and argillite which also contain disseminated pyrite. The rocks are highly fractured and alteration consists mainly of minor silicification, pyritization with occasional epidote stringers. Minor crosscutting quartz stringers are mineralized with chalcopyrite.
A large gossanous zone adjacent to a small quartz diorite stock, that cuts the Upper Triassic volcanics and sediments, is crosscut by tabular and irregular masses of pink quartz-feldspar porphyry. The main mineralization consists of a breccia pipe which is irregular in outline and is about 396 metres long and 140 metres wide. The breccia is mainly feldspar porphyry fragments in a matrix of quartz, carbonate, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite. The breccia pipe shows large euhedral pyrite and chalcopyrite in a vuggy quartz matrix. Chalcopyrite is the most abundant sulphide and usually forms massive, irregular fragments or may be disseminated in calcite and quartz gangue. Sphalerite, pyrrhotite, and stibnite occur in the chalco- pyrite and show exsolution textures. Stibnite occurs occasionally with calcite in late veins. A few euhedral grains of magnetite are also present. The pyrite is weathered and forms limonite, hematite, and jarosite. Fractures also show coatings of malachite.
Selected samples from the breccia, taken in 1971, assayed 0.04 grams per tonne gold, 127.0 grams per tonne silver, 1.10 per cent copper, 1.2 per cent zinc, 0.2 per cent lead, and trace gold, 265 grams per tonne silver, 19.7 per cent copper, 2.3 per cent zinc, 0.003 per cent lead, and less than 0.01 per cent antimony (Assessment Report 3208).
The breccia occurs in the King Salmon Formation siltstone and shale. The quartz-feldspar porphyry dyke which cuts this zone, is about 30 metres wide and exhibits strong propylitic alteration and in places strong pervasive silicification.. Traces of tourmaline are also reported.
Magnetite-skarn mineralization occurs within the Sinwa Formation limestone north of the King Salmon thrust fault (refer to Barb 104K 107).
The property is located between elevations of 4,000 and 4,500 feet on a mountain that rises above the north side of King Salmon Lake. The showing was discovered by Messrs. Bacon and Wolverton while prospecting for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company in 1947. Some trenching and sampling was done that summer, but the ground was allowed to lapse. In 1949 the showing was relocated by Bacon and Wolverton.
In June 1950 the Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Co. optioned the property. Some trenching was done and two holes were drilled on the BWM , totalling 287.4 metres. The core recovered showed fewer quartz stringers and less copper mineralization than had been expected and the option was dropped. The assays of several samples taken from the trenches ranged as follows: silver, 0.1-0.4 oz/ton; copper, 0.4 to 0.9 per cent.
The Barb 1-8 claims covering the showings were held in 1971 by Moresby Mines Limited. Work during the year included geological mapping and reconnaissance geochemical sampling.
In 1964, a small airborne and ground magnetometer survey was conducted by Newmont Mining Co. Ltd.
In 1967, the area was examined for porphyry copper potential by Kennco.
Ron Dale of Victoria staked the Barb 1 claims in 1979.
Between 1981 and 1984, the property was optioned to Chevron Standard Ltd. by Ron Dale of Victoria. Geological mapping, soil geochemical and geophysical (magnetometer) programs were undertaken.
In 1988, Westmin Resources collected eight rock on the Barb property, six of which tested areas of anomalous soil geochemistry and skarn related (often magnetite rich) alteration. Soil geochemical sampling of a central 500m by 600m area of the Barb property in 1983 and 1988 demonstrated it to be distinctly anomalous in gold and silver. The anomalous area is open in most directions, especially to the northwest and southeast. Rock geochemical sampling has demonstrated that calc-silicate alteration on the property is often anomalous in gold and arsenic and likely the source of most of the anomalous gold/arsenic soil geochemical values.
In 1989, Cyprus Gold (Canada) Ltd. investigated the area of the Barb claims still owned by Ron Dale. Geological mapping and collection of rock and soil samples was carried out. A total of forty rock samples and sixty-nine soil samples were collected.
In 1991, Omega Gold Corporation collected rock ( 47 ) , soil (39) and silt (8) samples on its E claims Rock ( 4 7 ) , soil (39) and silt (8) primarily on the BWM and Barb. The Barb is just off the claims eastern border and some of the BWM may be as well.
In 2004, the property was staked by Clive Aspinall of Atlin. During the summer of 2004 Mr. Aspinall , spent four days sampling the property, and examining rocks. One rock sample was collected for detailed petrological study. During the summer of 2005 Mr. Aspinall spent half a day sampling one of two gossans on the property. Six rock talus samples and one soil were collected for analysis, in addition to one outcrop
sample for petrographic work.
