The Vine 1 occurrence is located west of Peavine Creek at an elevation of 980 metres, approximately 3.1 kilometres north of its mouth on Moyie Lake.
The area lies within the central portion of the Purcell Anticlinorium, which consists of argillites, quartzites and related intruded gabbro sills and dikes of the Helikian Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup).
The occurrence is a shear-related vein system in Middle Aldridge Formation argillites and quartzites. Trenching and drilling has exposed massive and disseminated sulphides (pyrite, sphalerite, and galena) within a sheared vein system striking approximately 120 degrees and dipping 45 to 85 degrees to the northwest. Stringer and disseminated sulphides are conspicuous in the shear zone for several metres on either side of the massive sulphides. The mineralized Vine structure has been traced for greater than 1000 metres along strike and along a down dip extension of at least 700 metres.
In 1977, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of (Assessment Report 6863):
_________________________________________________________________________________Hole No. From To Total Lead Zinc Copper Silver Gold (m) (m) (m) (%) (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t) V-77-1 76.0 76.9 0.9 6.5 1.7 0.05 75.2 3.8 V-77-2 25.3 29.0 3.7 0.88 1.14 0.19 8.9 3.8 V-77-3 71.75 75.85 4.1 2.43 0.36 0.21 22.6 2.7 V-77-4 91.24 92.17 0.93 4.9 3.5 0.09 52.7 2.7 _________________________________________________________________________________ |
In 1990, diamond drilling of the Vine structure (630 metres depth) intersected three massive sulphide veins. The upper vein has a true width of 4 metres and averages 2.94 per cent lead, 0.2 per cent zinc and 29.13 grams per tonne silver across 4 metres. The middle vein has a true width of 2 metres and averages 36.24 per cent lead, 12.16 per cent zinc, 229.67 grams per tonne silver and 0.34 gram per tonne gold across 2 metres. The lower vein has a true width of 3.4 metres and averages 4.7 per cent lead, 2.09 per cent zinc, 0.36 per cent copper and 35.3 grams per tonne silver across 3.4 metres. The lower vein represents a new sulphide zone within the Vine structure (George Cross News Letter #224 (November), 1991, PFD 906015).
In 1994, a drillhole (KV94-57) intercepted a 0.50 metres massive sulphide zone at a depth of 693.6 metres. The zone consists of quartz, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, and minor chalcopyrite. A sample across the zone, over 0.50 metre, assayed 5.2 per cent lead, 4.4 per cent zinc and 58.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 23740).
In 2012, a channel sample (LJVNR001) of the main Vine vein trench assayed 3.35 grams per tonne gold, 212 grams per tonne silver, 0.19 per cent copper, 16.73 per cent lead, and 8.26 per cent zinc over 1.00 metre, while the composite sample (LJVNR001 through LJVNR 003) assayed 2.06 grams per tonne gold, 139 grams per tonne silver, 0.11 per cent copper, 10.94 per cent lead, and 4.94 per cent zinc over 1.7 metres (Assessment Report 33874).
Geophysical work from 2013 to 2016 revealed a gravity anomaly centred about 1.5 kilometres north of the Vine 1 developed prospect (pjxresources.com/vine-and-west-basin-zinc-lead-silver-potential-dr-trygve-hoy.pdf). The gravity anomaly trends north-northwesterly, within and parallel to the trend of the Vine graben and to several parallel extensional or growth faults. It is restricted to the south by the Moyie fault. The anomaly is 3 to 4 kilometers in length and approximately 2 kilometers in width. From 2014 to 2020 (inclusive), a total of 22,975 metres were drilled mostly within the gravity anomaly, the most significant intersections were located roughly 1200 metres northeast of the Vine 1 developed prospect, east of Peavine Creek. A new MINFILE prospect called "Peavine Creek" (082GSW130) represents the mineralization reported in the drill results. One hole (VA19-37) was also drilled about 700 metres to the east of the Vine 1 developed prospect.
Proven and probable reserves for the Vine property are 1,300,000 tonnes grading 2.2 grams per tonne gold, 36.3 grams per tonne silver, 3.12 per cent lead, 3.12 per cent zinc, and 0.11 per cent copper (MDRP - Kokanee Exploration Ltd. Prospectus (1990)). See also, Pighin, D.L. (1991): Report on Vine Property, Kokanee Explorations Ltd. PFD 822714; and Pighin, D. and Hoy, T (1994): Vine - a Middle Proterozoic Massive Sulphide vein system, PFD 3541.
In 1990, drill indicated, and potential tonnage were 5,506,600 tonnes grading 2.4 grams per tonne gold, 40.1 grams per tonne silver, 3.76 per cent lead, 1.07 per cent zinc, and 0.13 per cent copper (George Cross News Letter #112 (June), 1990, PFD 904686).
In 1991, Kokanee Exploration Ltd. reported the following reserves:
Proven: 240,00 tonnes at 5.2 per cent lead, 2.24 per cent zinc, 67.23 grams per tonne silver, and 1.92 grams per tonne gold
Probable: 307,000 tonnes at 4.22 per cent lead, 2.51 per cent zinc, 39.77 grams per tonne silver, and 1.75 grams per tonne gold.
The reserves are diluted to 2.44 metres mining width (Pighin, D.L. (1991): Report on Vine Property, Kokanee Explorations Ltd. PFD 822714; and Pighin, D. and Hoy, T (1994): Vine - a Middle Proterozoic Massive Sulphide vein system, PFD 3541). The estimate is not NI43-101 compliant.
WORK HISTORY
In 1976, massive sulphide boulders were discovered, by D. Pighin, in a road cut north of Moyie Lake and were staked as the Vine 1 claim by Cominco. In 1977, a program of soil sampling and 1386 line-kilometres of combined airborne electromagnetic and magnetic surveys were completed (Assessment Reports 6498, 6543). In 1978, a program of geological mapping and four diamond drill holes, totalling 467 metres, were completed (Assessment Reports 6863, 7087). In 1990, Kokanee Explorations completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 1909.8 metres (Assessment Report 20518).
In 1992, Ramrod Gold acquired the property and in 1994 a single diamond drill hole, totalling 798.5 metres, was completed (Assessment Report 23740). In 2001, Super Group Holdings completed a program of geological mapping on the area as the VP 1 to 20 claims (Assessment Report 26716). In August 2004, a small ground electromagnetic geophysics survey (MaxMin and very low-frequency electromagnetic [VLF-EM]) was conducted on select survey lines for a total of 3425 metres. The limited surveying suggested the Vine vein structure and the structure to the northeast may converge toward the Moyie Fault. A zone of structural convergence could be a favourable site for sulphide mineralization to have concentrated (Assessment Report 27624). In 2005, Ruby Red Resources completed a 15.2 line-kilometres ground electromagnetic survey. Later the same year, a five-hole diamond drill program, totalling 248.42 metres, was undertaken on the near-surface portion of the Vine vein to test for the possibility of mineralized crosscutting structures (Assessment Report 28201). High-grade sulphide veins intersected by the drilling are mainly the predominant west-northwest trending lenses of sulphides known from previous work. Gold values in some intersections are well above the historic averages determined by previous work and could help to support an open-pit operation to extract the higher grade near-surface massive sulphide zones (Assessment Report 28728). In 2007, a small soil geochemical survey was conducted to determine if any base metal mineralization was present on the area. A small grid of soil sampling on a gabbro dike-bearing structure that parallels the Vine vein identified localized anomalous copper and zinc (Assessment Report 29479). In late 2011, PLX Resources completed a helicopter-borne versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) and aeromagnetic geophysical survey. A total of 68.4 line kilometres were flown over the Vine claim block. Results provided by Geotech Ltd. survey showed anomalous electromagnetic and magnetic values (Assessment Report 32855). In 2012, a program of channel and soil sampling and geological mapping was completed (Assessment Report 33874). In 2013, a 4.9 line- kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and a diamond drill hole, totaling 403.6 metres, were completed on the end of a former drillhole (V-78-1) (Assessment Report 34339). Later that year and in early 2014, PJX Resources completed a gravity survey on the area (Assessment Report 34937).
In 2013/2014, PJX Resources 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 claim boundaries encompassing several MINFILE occurrences including the Vine 1 developed prospect (Figure 8, Assessment Report 34082). Geophysical interpretation of the gravity data suggested a single massive sulphide body at the base of the FWQ to the northeast of the Vine vein. Mineralization intersected, by former operators, approximately 750 metres below surface at the base of the FWQ lies along the western edge of a gravity anomaly referred to as the Eastern Gravity anomaly. In 2014, PJX Resources Inc continued exploring the Vine property after some encouraging targets were resolved in the gravity survey analysis.
The 2015 Vine property was an amalgamation of three adjoining properties known as the Vine, the Vine Extension, and the Vine East. The combined land package consisted of 127 mineral tenures, including 15 grandfathered two post claims, covering an area of 10,161 hectares. All the mineral tenures on the Vine property were owned and operated by PJX Resources Inc. At this time the Vine property was contiguous with the company's adjacent Eddy and West Basin properties to the west and southwest respectively (Assessment Report 35806, Figure 1).
From 2014 into 2015, work completed by PJX Resources Inc on their Vine property consisted of 4500 metres in 15 NQ diamond-drill holes, geological mapping over 420 hectares, 6.5 kilometres of ground magnetic geophysical surveying and 10.6 kilometres of ground electromagnetic surveying (Assessment Report 35806). Thirteen of the holes were drilled in the vicinity of the Peavine Creek prospect (082GSW130). Two holes were drilled about 2.5 kilometres to the northwest the Peavine Creek prospect.
The base of the FWQ is about 300 metres stratigraphically below the LMC and was the focus of diamond drilling in 2014 to 2015. Drilling in the 2014 - 2015 program identified the FWQ, and potential mineralization appeared to be deformed in the hanging-wall zone of the Moyie Fault (Assessment Report 35806). Additional drilling and gravity geophysics was conducted in 2016/2017 and more accurately defined the geometry of the FWQ and Moyie Fault (Assessment Report 36347). In 2017, nine diamond drill holes were newly collared and three previously drilled holes were extended to depth for a total of 7124.78 metres (Assessment Report 37242). Mineralization was encountered in the drilling within the Moyie fault attenuation zone that was characteristic of sediments proximal to a sulphide deposit. Two additional drill targets were tested on the Vine property in the same program (op. cit.) with sulphide mineralization encountered at both sites. Analysis by PJX of the geological data supported the inference of synsedimentary faulting and anoxic sulphide deposition in the Proterozoic sediments that was later deformed by movement of the Moyie Fault.
From 2018-2019 magnetotellurics and borehole EM survey were conducted over 21.9 kilometres by PJX Resources Inc. On the Vine property (Assessment Report 38884).
In 2020, PJX Resources Inc completed a 4-year exploration project launched in 2017 from which 19 diamond drill holes were completed in 2020 on the Vine property totaling 11,350.45 meters (Table 1, Assessment Report 39466). A biogeochemistry survey was conducted (from late 2019 to April 2020) on the Vine property to establish vectors to deep seated mineralization. A total of 457 samples were collected from 3 contiguous grid areas centered around the known mineralized zone of the Vine Vein. Two separate VLF-EM/ Magnetic geophysical surveys over 41 line-kilometre. Results of the soil geochemistry survey indicated a north trend coincident with a fault where lead, zinc and silver concentrations were anomalous.
