The Chalice prospect is exposed along the southeast side of Agamemnon Channel, 1.1 kilometres southwest of the northern tip of Sechelt Peninsula.

Regionally, the area is underlain by a series of northwest-trending volcanic and sedimentary rocks comprised of basaltic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen and Quatsino formations (Vancouver Group), argillite, greywacke, wacke and conglomerate turbidites of the Lower to Middle Jurassic Bowen Island Group and volcanic and marine sedimentary rocks of the Lower Cretaceous Gambier Group, which form roof pendants that have been intruded by diorite and quartz diorite of the Jurassic to Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex.

The Chalice occurrence is comprised of a zone of vein and stockwork high-grade gold mineralization traced discontinuously northeastward along the shore of Sechelt Peninsula for approximately 230 metres. The zone is hosted in hornblende-biotite quartz diorite, within the Jurassic to Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex. Quartz diorite locally grades into gabbro, diorite and granodiorite. Northwest-trending roof pendants are composed of metasediments and metavolcanics correlated with the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation of the Vancouver Group. The entire sequence of rocks is intruded by numerous feldspar porphyry rhyodacite, diorite and andesitic to basaltic dikes. Dike swarms are prominent in the area.

Several pits excavated in beach exposures reveal numerous discontinuous veins of quartz, marcasite and pyrite up to 0.5 metre wide in granodiorite and basaltic dikes. The veins strike 045 degrees and dip 40 to 90 degrees west.

A 7- by 2-metre cliff exposure 150 metres to the northeast, reveals a series of marcasite veinlets 4 to 6 centimetres wide cut by several basaltic dikes in granodiorite. The veins strike 055 degrees and dip 75 degrees west. A 20-metre wide stockwork of quartz and marcasite veinlets outcrops between these two exposures. The stockwork zone trends 110 degrees and dips 60 degrees east to 75 degrees west.

Scattered outcroppings of granodiorite hosting chalcopyrite and molybdenite are also reported be exposed along the shoreline, and quartz-pyrite veins are reported on the east end of Nelson Island and on Captain Island to the north of the occurrence.

Work History

The earliest record of exploration in the Chalice occurrence area was in 1913, when R. Durnsford Jr. drove the Stein tunnel (MINFILE 092GNW061). In 1937, work was recorded on the Cambrian Chieftain occurrence (MINFILE 092GNW011). Additional mineralization was discovered at the Skookum, along the shoreline of Agamemnon Channel. Other showings, some containing massive sulphides, are reported along the shores of Agamemnon Channel.

The Chalice occurrence was reported to have been discovered in 1952, and two short pits were excavated at this time. A sample from one of the pits is reported to have assayed 213 grams per tonne gold and 219 grams per tonne silver (Bulletin 39, page 39).

In 1961, French Mines Ltd. completed approximately 74 metres of diamond drilling in eight holes and excavated a 4.9-metre deep shaft on the Skookum claim. In 1965 and 1966, Abacon Mineral Explorations Ltd. held claims covering the area and a bulk sample of 96 tonnes was shipped averaging approximately 11 grams per tonne gold, 14 grams per tonne silver and 0.08 per cent copper (Assessment Report 11129, page 16). The sample was obtained from pits in the vicinity of a small bay and peninsula located on the southwest corner of the former R.C. 1 claim and east boundary of the R.C. 3 claim.

In 1970, Bart Mines Ltd. conducted a program of prospecting, geological mapping, rock sampling and a 7.4 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the R.C. group of claims. Two grab samples (13804F and 13805F) of quartz with massive pyrite from pits exposed near the shoreline assayed 75.2 and 68.7 grams per tonne gold with 82.1 and 54.7 grams per tonne silver, respectively, whereas three other grab samples (13806, 13807 and 1308F) from three other quartz-pyrite showings located approximately 150 to 230 metres to the northeast of the previous samples, yielded values from 48.6 to 137.5 grams per tonne gold with 44.5 to 85.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 2722).

In 1982, Chalice Mining Inc. staked the area as the Chalice claims and conducted a program of rock sampling and geological mapping. Re-sampling of historical pits and trenches along the shoreline yielded values of up to 146.7 grams per tonne gold and 128.9 grams per tonne silver (Sample R-CP-4; Assessment Report 11129).

The following year, a program of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling was completed on the surrounding area as the Wally and Bacon claim groups. In 1984, a further program of geological mapping and geochemical sampling was conducted on the Chalice claims. A chip sample (CF-18) over 2.0 metres of the cliff zone yielded 5.5 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 12641).

In 1985, Chalice Mining Inc. completed a program of prospecting, trenching, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, an induced polarization survey and 572 metres of diamond drilling in 21 holes on the Wally 3 and Chalice 1 claims. Drilling on the Beach zone yielded 7.20 grams per tonne gold over 0.6 metre in hole Beach B-2, and drillhole DDH-2 on the C-2 zone yielded 13.1 grams per tonne gold and 25.0 grams per tonne silver over 0.3 metre (Assessment Report 14736).

In late 1987 and early 1988, Blue Chip Resources Inc. conducted a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a 7.7 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the Chalice 1, Stein and Wally 2-3 claims of the Egmont property.

In 1995, Menika Mining Ltd. completed a program of prospecting and a 13.2 line-kilometre self-potential survey on the Windancer, Taj and JR claims of the Ruby Group. In 1996, four diamond drill holes, totalling 725.6 metres, were completed by Charles R. Boitard on the area as the Ruby 3 claim. The following year, a further four diamond drill holes, totalling 527.6 metres, were completed on the Ruby 1-3 claims. No significant intercepts were reported in either drill programs.

During 2005 through 2015 Donald Bragg conducted programs of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock, soil and silt) sampling on the area as the JI and Jay claims. In 2009, a grab sample (EG-09-14) from the hangingwall of a dikelet hosting a narrow quartz vein on the Beach area yielded 32.42 grams per tonne gold and 7 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 31010). In 2012, two samples (2012-012 and -018) from the C2 zone of the Beach area yielded 83.6 and 59.2 grams per tonne silver with 86.7 and 25.6 grams per tonne gold, respectively, and a channel sample (2012-14) from a separate zone of the Beach area assayed 5 grams per tonne gold and 9 grams per tonne silver 0.70 metre (Assessment Report 33765).

In 2019, a prospecting and rock sampling program was conducted on the area as the Chalice property by William McKinney. During 2018 through 2022, Ama Gold Exploration Ltd. conducted programs of prospecting, geological mapping, rock sampling, remote sensing surveys and a 0.3 line-kilometre self-potential survey on the area as the Dancer/Chalice project.