The Bank of England (Q) occurrence is located approximately 1.2 kilometres west of Alleyne Lake and 800 metres northeast of Miner Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which regionally consists of alkalic and calc-alkalic volcanics and intrusions of island arc origin, and which is the principal component of the Quesnel terrane in southern British Columbia (Geological Survey of Canada Maps 41-1989, 1713A). The area lies in the Central Belt or facies of the Nicola Group (after Preto, Bulletin 69). This belt of rocks mainly consists of subaerial and submarine, red or purple to green augite plagioclase porphyritic andesitic and basaltic flows, volcanic breccia and tuff, and minor argillites and limestone. The volcanics are intruded by bodies of comagmatic Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic diorite to monzonite. The area is characterized by long-lived, primarily north-striking faults and related fracturing, which originally controlled intrusion emplacement. East-striking faults are subordinate, and commonly offset intrusive contacts.

The occurrence is hosted in green laharic breccia of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group (Central Belt, Bulletin 69). Abundant copper sulphides and oxides occur in a fracture zone dipping 70 degrees southwest.

In 1901, A sample from the face of an opencut assayed 1.5 per cent copper, 1.4 grams per tonne gold and trace silver (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1901, page 1182).

In 1990, two grab samples (ASG90103 and ASG90104) of malachite-bearing diorite or diorite breccia and dioritic lahar from historical pits or trenches yielded 3.30 and 3.00 per cent copper with 17.3 and 3.8 grams per tonne silver, respectively (Assessment Report 20551).

In 1992, a grab sample (92027) of malachite-stained subcrop or frost wedge fragments, located approximately 200 metres northwest of the occurrence, yielded 1.86 per cent copper and 5.8 grams per tonne silver, whereas chip samples, taken approximately 200 metres southwest of the occurrence, analyzed 0.48 and 0.72 per cent copper over 35 and 13 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 22382; George Cross News Letter No. 90 (May 8), 1992).

Work History

This occurrence was first explored by the Bates brothers between 1901 and 1913.

During 1978 through 1980, Westward Energy & Resources Corp. completed programs of soil sampling and ground geophysical (induced polarization, magnetic and electromagnetic) surveys on the as the AG claims.

In 1990, MineQuest Exploration Associates Ltd. rock sampled the area as the Ley 1-3, Al 1-2 and Ken claims. The following year, a 6.5 line-kilometre induced polarization survey was completed on the claims. In 1992, Pacific Copper Fields Inc. and MineQuest Exploration Associates Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling on the claims. In 1995, Discovery Consultants completed a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Payco 1-4 and Cincinnatti 1-6 claims.

In 2008, Christopher James Gold Corp. completed a 1113.5 line-kilometre airborne magnetic-radiometric survey on the area as the Big Kidd property.

In 2011 and 2012, Xstrata Copper Canada Corp., on the behalf of Jiulian Resources Ltd., completed programs of prospecting, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a 56.8-line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the Big Kidd property.