The Angel showing is located on Texada Island, approximately 20 kilometres southeast of Gillies Bay.
The region is predominantly underlain by basaltic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). The basalts range from feldspar porphyritic to augite porphyritic with amygdaloidal and aphanitic varieties also present. Pillow basalt flows are common. Limestone occurs locally as narrow lenses with limited lateral extent.
Several structural features are evident. A wide shear zone trends 120 degrees with related shears at 120 to 130 degrees. A major set of crosscutting lineaments strike 090 to 110 degrees. Rocks adjacent to major shears are often strongly foliated, sheared, jointed, altered and occasionally mineralized.
Locally, chloritic alteration is common in basalts in the Angel occurrence area. Carbonatization (ankerite) is evident along faults or fractures and near limestone. Epidote is pervasive and occurs most often as stringers with or without quartz, or as fracture-fillings. Hematite is most evident with manganese staining in sheared basalt and is accompanied by coarse pyrite and quartz-pyrite mineralization. Silicification occurs as several distinct types. The first is a microscopic silica flood as blebs and veinlets of quartz found over wide areas, usually in the vicinity of major structural features. More intense silica flooding is seen in strongly foliated rocks or within fragments of silicified volcanics in areas of quartz-carbonate breccia. Very late-stage quartz veining crosscuts all earlier types of alteration and mineralization.
The Angel showing is a limonite/silicified basalt breccia with irregular patches of more intense silicification and quartz flooding containing disseminated pyrite. This alteration assemblage is crosscut by quartz veins with traces of malachite and chalcopyrite and a fine fracture coating of carbonate with sparse malachite stain. Areas of unaltered basalt occur within the shear zone and in adjacent outcrops. Shearing is observed at an average orientation of 150 degrees; several subparallel shears also occur. Mineralization appears to cross this trend at 115 to 130 degrees. The mineralized zones lie within one broad shear zone and are not continuous but more likely form an anastomosing network of shear structures.
The Angel showing was discovered in 1985. Caribou Gold Corp. optioned the ground and did a limited soil and geological survey. They also drilled a single long core hole totalling 450 feet. Highlights include a 1 metre section of drillcore that assayed 12.32 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 14916).
In 1988, Echo Bay Mines entered into a joint venture with Rhyolite Resources Inc. who then completed geological mapping, prospecting and trenching. A trench channel sample over 1.3 metres assayed 15.92 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18671).
In 1989, Rhyolite Resources Inc. completed 540 metres of diamond drilling in five drillholes. Highlights include a 0.15 metre section in drillhole 89-1 that assayed 10.8 grams per tonne gold and a 1.5 metre section in drillhole 89-3 that assayed 1.85 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 19509).
In 2000, Northstar Mining Ltd. acquired the property encompassing the Angel showing. In 2001, the company completed an intensive geological mapping program. In 2007, the company executed spectral analysis on the property. In 2008, the company conducted ground based gamma ray spectrometric prospecting and rock sampling. In 2012, the company collected a single rock sample from the Angel showing. The sample assayed 2.54 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 33754).
