The OK occurrence outcrops along the steep east side of the Summers Creek valley, approximately 20 kilometres north of Princeton.
The area along Summers Creek is underlain by the Eastern volcanic facies of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, comprising mafic, augite and hornblende porphyritic pyroclastics and flows, and associated alkaline intrusions. These rocks are intruded by granodiorite and quartz diorite of the Middle to Upper Cretaceous Summers Creek pluton.
Locally, copper and molybdenum mineralization are hosted in augite plagioclase porphyritic, andesitic to basaltic flows and flow breccias, and andesitic tuffs and agglomerates of the Nicola Group (Eastern Belt, Bulletin 69), and in quartz diorite of the Summers Creek pluton. These rocks exhibit epidote, chlorite, silica and orthoclase alteration. Malachite is occasionally present in surface exposures.
Drilling over a north-south distance of approximately 1 kilometre intersected pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite and magnetite, along fractures and as disseminations in brecciated quartz diorite, and in the surrounding volcanics. This mineralization appears to be zoned. Pyrite grades eastward through weak pyrite-chalcopyrite to pyrite-magnetite-molybdenite. Core from four rotary holes also assayed minor silver values (Assessment Report 4166, page 2). In the northeastern part of the area of drilling, outcrops of agglomerate are mineralized with chalcopyrite and bornite along fractures. Chalcopyrite is also disseminated through granitic clasts in the agglomerate.
Later work (circa 2012) refers to the area as the 1516 zone, which comprises pyrite, chalcopyrite, malachite and trace bornite-covellite in pyritic and gossanous volcanics.
In 2018, a grab sample (Y096008) of potassic-altered diorite with quartz veining and chalcopyrite, pyrite and copper oxides assayed 0.384 per cent copper, 7.7 grams per tonne silver and 0.166 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 38199).
Work History
This prospect was initially explored by Quintana Minerals Corporation with the drilling of four rotary holes totalling 807 metres in 1968. An additional five percussion holes totalling 152 metres were drilled by Kalco Valley Mines Ltd. in 1970. In 1971 and 1972, Amax Potash Ltd., Iso Explorations Ltd. and R.B. Stokes conducted geological, geophysical and soil geochemical surveys. Amax also completed 244 metres of diamond drilling in two holes in 1971.
In 1981 and 1982, Cominco Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the BSM and Pip claims of the Axe property.
In 1991, Fairfield Minerals Ltd. completed soil sampling, with a total of 458 samples collected, on the area as the Swan 6-11 claims. This program identified three copper anomalies with local associated gold enrichment.
In 1998, Causway Mining Corp. completed a program of rock sampling and an 8.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Axe and Adam claims of the Summers Creek property.
During 2003 through 2010, the occurrence area was held by Bearclaw Capital Corp. and Westar Resources Corp. as part of the Axe property.
In 2012, Xstrata Canada Corp. optioned the Axe property and completed a program of prospecting, soil sampling, a 35.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a 954.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and radiometric survey.
In 2013, Bearclaw Capital Corp. and Westar Resources Corp. completed a soil sampling program on the occurrence area as the Swan 2000 through 5000 claims of the Swan-Axe property.
In 2018, Evrim Exploration Canada Corp. completed a program of rock sampling, geological mapping, 41 rotary drill holes, totalling 695.3 metres, and 4 diamond drill holes, totalling 2113.6 metres, on the Axe property.
