The Kilt (Dakota) occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1310 metres on a southwest-facing slope near the Cottonwood River in the Cassiar Mountains, approximately 105 kilometres north of the community of Dease Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by fine clastic sedimentary rocks of the Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian Earn Group, comprising siliceous or graphitic black shale and limestone containing scattered, discontinuous chert-carbonate lenses. The strata strike north-northwest, dip steeply to the west, and are locally isoclinally folded, with fold axis plunging gently to the north.

Locally, at least three zones of anomalous mineralization, referred to as the main Trenched (Dakota-Creek) zone, the Lake (South) zone and the Ridge (North) zones, have been identified.

At the main Trenched (Dakota-Creek) zone a 0.10- to 0.65-metre wide chert-carbonate bed that strikes north-northwest and dips moderately to shallowly west hosts galena and sphalerite with locally significant chalcopyrite over a 20-metre strike length. Sericitic alteration is associated with faulting. Approximately 100 metres southwest of the main Trenched zone other trenches expose laminated sphalerite, galena and pyrite in a cherty horizon. Drilling in the Trenched area has identified laminated, wispy sphalerite, pyrite and pyrrhotite mineralization parallel to bedding.

The Lake (Southern) zone is located near a small lake, approximately 600 metres south of the Trenched zone, and comprises a stacked sequence of pyritized beds, greater than 1 metre thick, with intermixed beds of slates and argillites.

The Ridge (North) zone is located approximately 1 kilometre north-northeast of the Trenched zone and comprises subangular to angular float boulders of mineralized chert-carbonate.

Drilling was conducted in 1984 and very minor mineralization was intersected in holes 84-CW-2, 3 and 4. The best 1-metre assay from these holes yielded 1.06 per cent zinc (Hole 84-CW-2, 103.8 to 104.8 metres) with negligible silver and lead (Assessment Report 12713). This represents an order of magnitude less than that encountered in surface trenches in 1983.

In 1992, two chip samples (92CLR003 and 004) from trench 5 yielded 0.53 and 0.94 per cent lead, 2.91 and 5.29 per cent zinc with 27.9 and 86.3 grams per tonne silver over 0.65 and 0.30 metres, respectively, whereas a chip sample (92JCR006) from trench 7 assayed 0.20 per cent lead, 0.19 per cent zinc, 3.70 per cent barium and 66.9 grams per tonne silver over 1 metre (Assessment Report 22633). Also at this time, a float sample (92CLR010) from the Ridge zone yielded 0.115 per cent copper and 5.5 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 22633).

Work History

In late 1982, the Cottonwood property was staked by Canamax Resources Inc. to cover sphalerite-galena showings. In 1983, Canamax conducted a major exploration program that included geological mapping, a soil geochemical survey, blasting and trenching, a 672-kilometre aeromagnetic survey and a 13-kilometre gravity survey. Gravity anomalies, soil geochemical anomalies and surface showings on the central Kilt 1 claim were the primary targets in a 1984 drill program. During July 1984, four NQ diameter holes, totalling 550.7 metres, were drilled.

In 1992, Rio Algom Exploration Inc. completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Cot 1-15 claims.