The Readymix occurrence is situated on a high plateau between the Mad and Raft rivers, within the headwaters of Martin Creek, at an elevation between 1550 and 1750 metres, approximately 35 kilometres northeast of Clearwater.
The area is underlain by Shuswap Metamorphic Complex schists and gneisses that have been intruded by multiple, primarily Mid-Cretaceous granite events.
The Readymix showing occurs at the contact between schistose quartzites with mafic volcanics and a more southern intrusive body. The schistose quartzites and mafic volcanics have been intruded by multiple stocks of hornblende and biotite granite up to 50 metres in diameter.
Low-grade quartz-pyrite veins and breccias are hosted by shears and faults beneath the Bridge Zone target area. Mineralization is possibly hosted by north-south fault zones containing localized fine-grained feldspar porphyry dikes.
Drilling on the Bridge Zone Trench E target intersected pyrite-arsenopyrite-quartz veins hosted by shears and brittle faults and minor fine-grained feldspar porphyritic dikes within major mineralized intervals. The mineralized faults crossed a biotite-granite intrusive dike complex intruding gneissic and schistose calc-silicate and siliceous metamorphic rocks.
The area of the Readymix showing was first explored by William Coutler in the 1970s, who completed silt and soil sampling. Nearby, Coutler’s Bear and Lky properties were soil sampled in 1979.
In 1983, prospector Andy Horne discovered scheelite float in a newly exposed road cut, prompting the staking of the Tu claims to the immediate west of the Readymix showing. That year, Sulpetro Minerals optioned the property and conducted a limited soil sampling program–percussion drilling program before dropping the option. The following year, Horne staked three additional claims after trenching encountered scheelite-bearing skarn. Noranda Mining and Exploration Company Limited optioned the property in late 1984. Between 1984 and 1985, Noranda Mining and Exploration conducted a program of soil sampling, trenching and diamond drilling on the property. In spring 1985, the original claims were abandoned and relocated, and the property was expanded by additional staking. By 1986, Noranda had dropped the option on the claims and returned them to Horne.
The Readymix gold showing was discovered in 1999 by Gordon Richards and David Bennett while prospecting in the area. Samples of stream sediment, till and oxidized intrusive breccia boulders returned anomalous values for gold, as well as silver, bismuth, tungsten, arsenic, stibnite and lead. The initial claims were staked in September 2000. The following year, exploration consisted of a modest geological mapping and geochemical sampling program. In 2003, a very low-frequency electromagnetic geophysical survey was conducted over a portion of the property containing gold-mineralized float and intrusive breccia outcrop. The results of the geophysical survey were followed up with a mobile metal ion soil survey in 2004. Work continued the following year with soil, silt and rock sampling, prospecting and geological mapping.
In 2010, Newmac Resources Incorporated optioned the Readymix claims and incorporated them into their Raft property. That year, Newmac Resources completed five HQ diamond drill holes totalling 1273.9 metres on the Bridge Zone Trench E target. The following year, Newmac continued exploration with a 1630-sample soil geochemical survey, 55.4 kilometres of induced polarization and 34 kilometres of magnetometer and very low-frequency electromagnetic geophysical surveying. The work defined two targets: a shear gold quartz vein target possibly related to fine-grained feldspar porphyry dikes and a volcanogenic massive sulphide target. Follow-up work in the summer of 2012 consisted of trenching and geochemical sampling. Eleven excavator trenches totalling 596 metres were dug and sampled (268 grab and 24 soil samples). Later that year, eight diamond drill holes totalling 789 metres were completed. Drilling encountered localized high-grade mineralization, but overall there was a lack of apparent continuity, both laterally and to depth. Based on these results, the focus of exploration shifted from smaller high-grade deposits to a large-scale low-grade deposit. As of early 2014, the property was still held by Newmac Resources.
From the 2010 Newmac Resources drill program are the following results: drillhole R10-01 intersected 8.45 metres of multi-episodic quartz-pyrite-arsenopyrite vein breccias assaying 0.107 gram per tonne gold; drillhole R10-03 intersected 0.3 metre of pyrite-quartz vein mineralization in shears and fault zones assaying 0.123 gram per tonne gold and 0.015 per cent arsenic; drillhole R10-04 intersected 0.3 metre of pyrite-quartz vein mineralization assaying 0.358 gram per tonne gold and 0.033 per cent arsenic; and drillhole R10-05 intersected 0.73 metre of pyrite-quartz mineralization assaying 0.112 gram per tonne gold and 3.38 per cent arsenic (Assessment Report 32505, pages 13 to 14).
A 15-centimetre sample of quartz-veined ankerite collected from Trench H in 2012 returned 39.63 grams per tonne gold and 84.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 33573, page 2).
