The Fors occurrence is located approximately 1.7 kilometres west of the southern end of Monroe Lake.
The area is underlain by clastic rocks of the Helikian Purcell Supergroup. The units are dominantly siliclastic sedimentary rocks of the Lower and Middle Aldridge formations. In the southeast, the right-lateral reverse Moyie fault juxtaposes Aldridge rocks with a conformable package of younger Creston Formation siltstones and argillites. The Proterozoic Moyie Intrusions are gabbro sills and intrude the Lower Aldridge Formation and the lower part of the Middle Aldridge Formation. Regional metamorphism is upper greenschist facies.
Two styles of mineralization are documented on the property. The first style comprises base metal sulphide mineralization related to a shear zone in Middle Aldridge Formation quartzite and quartz- feldspar arenite with minor argillaceous intercalations. The shear zone strikes 035-045 degrees and dips approximately 40 degrees northwest. The sulphide mineralization and related silicification at the Main showing occur together and are generally restricted to the zone of shearing or within a few metres of it. Argillic and sericitic alteration of the clastic rocks is common and consists of weak to complete replacement of feldspar in the matrix by white mica and clay minerals. The sulphides occur as bedding parallel disseminations and replacement patches and comprise pyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite, in decreasing order of abundance.
The second style of mineralization comprises minor sulphide mineralization (dominantly pyrite and sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite) occurring in quartz veins hosted by Moyie metagabbro sills and to a lesser extent in Aldridge units. The vein material is typically vuggy, medium to coarse- grained and highly fractured, with much iron and manganese staining.
Grab samples from the Main showing assayed a range of values: 15 to 130 grams per tonne silver, 0.41 to 4.2 per cent lead, 0.21 to 7.1 per cent zinc and 0.024 to 1.45 per cent antimony (Assessment Report 19809). Assays for the Main showing ran 46.6 grams per tonne silver, 3 per cent zinc, and 0.7 per cent lead (Assessment Report 18575).
WORK HISTORY
In 1966, Cominco completed a program of silt and soil sampling, geological mapping and an 8.2 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Helga claims (Assessment Report 834). In 1976, Cominco completed soil sampling and an airborne electromagnetic/magnetic survey (Assessment Reports 6498, 6543). In 1978, a program of geological mapping and two diamond drill holes, totalling 628.0 metres, were completed on the Vine 29 claim (Assessment Reports 6936, 7087). In 1979, a 47.8 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey was completed (Assessment Report 7554). In 1984, a soil sampling program was completed (Assessment Report 11732). In 1988, the area was prospected as the Puma claims (Assessment Report 18575). The following year, Placer Dome completed a program of geological mapping and rock, silt, and soil sampling (Assessment Report 19809). In 1990, the area immediately east was prospected as the Cougar 4-6 claims (Assessment Report 21043).
Kokanee Explorations Ltd. (later Consolidated Ramrod Gold Corporation) entered into an agreement for the claims and proceeded to do extensive exploration including ground geophysics and considerable diamond drilling. Between 1992 and 1996 this joint venture drilled 32 holes totaling 13,708 meters and a soil geochemistry program (Assessment Reports 22817, 22984, 23332, 23356, 23715). In the fall of 1996, the property was optioned to Citation Resources Inc.
In 1992, drilling by Consolidated Ramrod intersected exhalative massive sulphides and a large hydrothermal alteration zone of the type associated with the Sullivan deposit. Sulphide mineralogy in a zone of strong mineralization consists of pyrrhotite, pyrite, galena, and sphalerite and appears to be banded in places and oriented at a high angle to the core axis. Arsenopyrite and scheelite have also been identified in core. A 1-metre intersection of massive sulphides in hole No. 92-1 assayed 1.3 per cent zinc, 9.8 per cent lead, and 100.1 grams per tonne silver (George Cross News Letter No. 222 (November 17, 1992), PFD 906751). No Assessment Reports have been filed on the drill hole.
The drillhole was oriented northeast along a direction of fractures associated with surface mineralization to determine if these fractures represented seepage of mineral from depth. The collar of the hole was set up directly on the surface showing and drilled northeast (045 degrees), down slope and down-section into the Aldridge Formation. There are no structural features within the core to indicate the hole was collared in or drilled along a shear zone (George Cross News Letter No. 220 (November 16, 1992), PFD 906750).
In 1996 and 1997, Citation Resources Inc. drilled greater than 13,717 metres in 17 very deep holes without intersecting any significant mineralization (Assessment Reports 25030, 25534). St. Eugene Mining Corp. acquired the property in 2006 and carried out geophysics and a limited drilling program focused on the area of known lenses of sulphide mineralization (Assessment Reports 28450, 29242). Drilling consisted of 562.1 meters in 6 holes (Assessment Report 29242). Diamond Drill Holes M06-1 to M06-4 located lead-zinc-silver mineralization of economic significance in association with intense hydrothermal alteration in a large discordant Aldridge Fragmental body. Hole M06-6 extended the hydrothermally-altered fragmental structure for 390 meters southwest of the initial discovery site. In 2006, Saint Eugene Mining also completed 697 line-kilometres of airborne combined magnetic and electromagnetic surveys on the area.
In the fall of 2009 and early 2010 St. Eugene undertook a detailed evaluation of existing drill results to determine the known extent of the base metal mineralization; this area is also termed the Vent zone (Assessment Report 31664). In 2013 and 2014, PJX Resources completed gravity surveys on the area as the West Basin property (Assessment Reports 34082, 34937).
In 2013/2014, PJX Resources Inc began a large program of gravity and magnetic geophysical surveying to detect dense subsurface features (Assessment Report 34937); surveying continued into 2016 (Assessment Reports 34082, 34937, 35416, 36347). The gravity survey extended 10 kilometres beyond the West Basin property claim boundaries encompassing several MINFILE occurrences including the Smoker (Figure 8, Assessment Report 34082). The Fors (082GSW035) massive sulphide prospect and Smoker vent breccia showing occur within one of two significant gravity anomalies that were documented within the region (pjxresources.com/vine-and-west-basin-zinc-lead-silver-potential-dr-trygve-hoy.pdf). The other significant gravity anomaly is just north of Vine 1 (082GSW050) where the "Peavine Creek" prospect (082GSW130) documents its details.
In 2015, Sonoro Metals Corp. drilled a 1114-metre hole (SF 14-01) 1.8 kilometres to the northeast (Assessment Report 35552).
Refer to the Vine 1 developed prospect (082GSW050) and Smoker (082GSW041) for related geological and work history details.
