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File Created: 15-Jul-1993 by Dorthe E. Jakobsen (DEJ)
Last Edit:  23-Sep-2021 by Garry J. Payie (GJP)

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NMI
Name BARNEY, QUANTITY, TAG, GB 1, GOLDEN BEE, GM 2-3, TWO FOOT CREEK Mining Division Atlin
BCGS Map 104M059
Status Prospect NTS Map 104M09E
Latitude 059º 34' 55'' UTM 08 (NAD 83)
Longitude 134º 13' 42'' Northing 6605105
Easting 543580
Commodities Gold, Silver, Copper Deposit Types H05 : Epithermal Au-Ag: low sulphidation
Tectonic Belt Intermontane Terrane Cache Creek, Nisling
Capsule Geology

The Barney showing is within the TAG property, which is located on the eastern shore of Taku Arm of Tagish Lake approximately 35 kilometres due west of the village of Atlin. Access to the property is by boat along Tagish Lake or helicopter from Atlin.

The showing area, bounded by faults, is underlain by sediments of the Lower Jurassic Laberge Group (Inklin Formation). These comprise greywacke, argillite, shale, and conglomerate intruded by granite near Bee Peak. The Llewellyn fault is 2 kilometres to the west and separates these rocks from the Coast Plutonic Complex. To the east, the Nahlin fault separates the rocks from the Cache Creek Complex. The area of the showing contains splays from these major faults. The bedding generally trends north to northwest and dips 10 degrees to vertical.

The Barney showing is located 200 metres south-southeast of Fox Bay. The Barney zone is restricted to the west of the splay fault and has a total strike length of 233 metres. The zone is 5 to 25 metres wide. The zone, with some vugs and up to 3 per cent fine sulphides, contains variable carbonate alteration, quartz veining, stockwork, and breccia. The southern portion, 60 by 5 to 10 metres, is less altered than the rest of the zone and produced higher metal values. The highest values came from sample GT-04490, which assayed 0.35 grams per tonne gold, 1.0 grams per tonne silver, and 0.0165 per cent copper (Assessment Report 21508).

A total of 21 rock samples were collected primarily from the Barney zone in the north-central portion of the Property along the 025 fault zone (025FZ). The rock samples returned gold values ranging from below detection limit (<0.5 parts per billion) up to 129 parts per billion (Assessment Report 36281). No significant results were returned from the samples collected. The 025FZ is a very prominent structure that is traced by a distinct lineament for 6km across the property. This normal fault is a splay off the larger Llewellyn Fault and is also a major, deep-seated, regional structure. Movement within the zone, which is up to 30 metres wide in places, is very complex, as is evident from the shearing, slickenside surfaces, and drag folds. The fault zones may be parallel or oblique to bedding. The 025FZ is generally a continuous structure, striking between 020 degrees to 025 degrees and is interpreted to be a thin plane that dips 080 degrees to 085 degrees to the west. The VLF-EM ground survey further outlined the conductors associated with the 025FZ as well as two possible subsidiary faults crossing the 025FZ. These north-northwest-south-southeast trending faults may contain mineralization similar to that found on the 025FZ making them strong exploration targets.

The main lithologies encountered in the 2016 program consisted of medium-grained calcareous greywacke and rhythmically bedded argillites. Conglomerate layers, quartz-carbonate breccias, and a felsic intrusion were also mapped. The intrusion was mapped in a north-south trend over roughly 600 metres and up to 100 metres wide. This body is considerably narrower than the airborne geophysical data indicates. Based on the whole rock data, the samples taken from the felsic intrusion occur within the diorite and granodiorite fields with greater influence towards diorite. Outcropping of the quartz-carbonate breccia was rare, and observations were primarily encountered where trenching or hand dug pits were completed. Four outcrops over a span of one kilometre were noted. The largest occurrence is found to be approximately 250 metres in length, up to 30 metres wide, and trends in roughly the same orientation as the 025FZ. The best mineralization in the area of the Barney zone, consisting of intervals of disseminated and stringer sulphides, is exposed within the quartz-carbonate breccia. Finally, several conglomerate outcrops were noted as being generally polymictic and clast-supported with a coarse wacke matrix.

The claims were staked by Golden Bee Minerals Inc. in 1988 to 1989. Golden Bee Minerals conducted a program of rock sampling, geological mapping, prospecting, and soil geochemical surveys in 1989-90. In 2000, G.R. Thompson took 22 hand auger soil - and 7 rock samples over a 5-kilometre strike from the 025 zone (Mass) showing, in the south, northwards to the Quantity showing which contained the Barney zone.

In 2007, six holes were drilled to test the 025 fault zone (025FZ) in the previously un-drilled Barney showing area. This revealed that the geology is much more complex than in the TAG 025/Main/Bearox area (104M 079). Quartz-diorite was intersected in the southern four of the six holes ranging from massive, multi-metre intervals to narrow dikes. It is often well mineralized, with up to 8 per cent sulphides in the groundmass.

The 025FZ in the Barney area visibly crosscuts and plainly post-dates the sedimentary and intrusive rocks. Although it shows similar mineralized textures such as quartz-carbonate breccias, stockworks, and veinlets, the overall appearance of the zone in the Barney area is notably different than that of the TAG 025/Main/Bearox area. Within the 025FZ, the quartz-diorite is typically pale yellowish grey to green due to strong pervasive sericite-carbonate alteration. Usually, it is well mineralized with up to 15 per cent fine-grained, granular sulphides and often shows narrow stringers. The mineralization is predominately pyrite, with lesser pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite in some intervals. In one drill hole, a large interval of angular, pale-green, fine-grained quartz-carbonate breccia was intersected over approximately 50 metres and contained up to 12 per cent sulphides locally.

The width of the 025FZ in the Barney area is fairly consistent from 20 to 30 metres with an overall thickening trend to the north. The gold-silver content of the Barney is considerably less than at the TAG 025 zone. Samples yielded maximum grades of up to 0.94 grams per tonne gold and 50.00 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 30931). A 16-metre drill intersection assayed 0.29 grams per tonne gold and 1.39 grams per tonne silver; a 5-metre interval from another hole assayed 0.64 grams per tonne gold and 0.40 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 30931).

The 2016 TAG property program on behalf of the Taku Gold Corp. included rock sampling, surface mapping, trenching, trail maintenance, and a VLF electromagnetic (VLF-EM) survey. A total of 21 rock samples were collected primarily from the Barney zone in the north-central portion of the Property along the 025FZ. An area of roughly three-square kilometres was mapped in the north-central portion of the property. The main goal of the surface mapping was to define the extents of the felsic intrusion and the quartz-carbonate breccia located in the general area of the Barney zone.

Refer to the TAG 025 developed prospect (104M 079) for a comprehensive work history of the TAG property of Taku Gold Corp., which includes the Barney prospect.

Bibliography
EMPR BULL 105
EMPR EXPL 1979-294
EMPR FIELDWORK 1990, pp. 139-144, 153-159
EMPR GEOS MAP 1997-1
EMPR OF *1990-4
EMPR PF (In 104M General File - Claim map of 104M, 1970; Claim map of 104M 08 and 09, 1970; Prospectors Report 1994-31 by Gary Thompson)
EMPR PFD 520973, 520974
EMPR RGS 37, 1993
GSC MAP 19-1957; 94A; 711; 1418A; 1426
GSC MEM 37
GSC OF 427; 2225, p. 42
GSC P 69-01A, pp. 23-27; 78-01A, pp. 69-70; 91-01A, pp. 147-153; 92-01A
GSC SUM RPT 1906, pp. 26-32; 1911, pp. 27-58
Reddick, J., Armstrong, T. (2009-12-21): Technical Report on Resource Estimates for the Tag Property

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