The Rum copper prospect overlooks the steep west side of the Summers Creek valley, 30.5 kilometres north of Princeton. The Coke occurrence (092HNE240) is 950 metres to the north.

This region along Summers Creek is underlain by the Eastern volcanic facies of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, comprising mafic to intermediate, augite and hornblende porphyritic pyroclastics and flows, and associated alkaline intrusions. The intrusions vary in composition from diorite to monzonite and are thought to be comagmatic with the Nicola Group, ranging in age from Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic. Much of the copper mineralization and associated alteration frequenting this portion of the Nicola Belt can be attributed to the emplacement of such intrusions.

Locally, the area is underlain by andesitic to basaltic flows, with lesser lapilli and crystal tuffs and minor sediments of the Nicola Group (Central Belt, Bulletin 69). This sequence is intruded by a north-trending, sill-like body of hornblende augite microdiorite measuring 3000 by 600 metres in area. The stock is truncated to the east by the north-northeast-striking Missezula Mountain fault, a branch of the Summers Creek fault to the east, which juxtaposes steeply dipping lapilli and crystal tuffs with minor limestone lenses against the diorite. Rocks along the fault are strongly fractured and gossanous. The tuffs are altered to chloritic phyllites and carbonate-sericite schists.

Near the fault, the microdiorite hosts pyrite as disseminations and fracture coatings, and lesser chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite in fracture fillings and quartz-carbonate veins. Chalcopyrite is also weakly disseminated. Trenching and diamond drilling indicates copper mineralization is largely confined to a north-trending zone, 250 metres long and up to 200 metres wide.

Later work (circa 2015) is reported to have identified significant alteration and mineralization within the Coke system over 1.6 kilometres of strike length, including the Coke (MINFILE 092HNE240) occurrence to the north. Styles of alteration in intrusive rocks include pervasive quartz-sericite-pyrite, sericite-chlorite-pyrite to chlorite-pyrite, chlorite-epidote-calcite-pyrite (propylitic) and remnant potassic alteration (quartz-magnetite veins and possible potassium-feldspar). In the southern part of the system, quartz-sericite-tourmaline alteration and quartz-tourmaline breccias crop out over a width of over 200 metres. Approximately 250 metres east of the tourmaline breccias, heterolithic breccias overprinted by hydrothermal breccia may represent part of a diatreme. Hydrothermal breccias appear to be widespread and associated with silica-pyrite. A strong fault along the east side of the system (part of the Summers Creek–Alleyne fault system) overprints porphyry style alteration with strong quartz-carbonate and chlorite veining. Slickensided fault planes are common. Copper mineralization occurs as disseminations with pyrite, sulphide stringers and clots, and quartz-chalcopyrite veins, and is associated with all alteration patterns except propylitic. The occurrence is interpreted to represent a calc-alkalic porphyry system.

In the mid-1970s, chip sampling of trench 7 yielded 0.16 per cent copper over 183 metres, including 0.29 per cent over 53.3 metres, whereas a second trench (8W) averaged 0.10 per cent copper over 137 metres (Assessment Report 6036; Property File - L. Sookochoff, 1975, page 9). Also at this time, a percussion hole (PR 10) yielded 0.09 per cent copper over 27.4 metres (9.2 to 36.6 metres down hole), whereas core from a diamond drill hole (K-3) is reported to have yielded 1.41 per cent copper over 0.76 metre (48.62 to 49.38 metres down hole; Property File - L. Sookochoff, 1975, pages 10-11).

In 1985, chip sampling yielded gold values of up to 0.071 gram per tonne over 15 metres of fractured and altered microdiorite (Assessment Report 14304, sample R1).

In 1994, samples from historical trenches are reported to have yielded up to 0.767 per cent copper and 0.075 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23775).

In 2000, an outcrop grab sample (KHS1005) of fine-grained intrusive with pyrite and chalcopyrite assayed 0.123 per cent copper (Assessment Report 26421).

In 2009, a chip sample from a historical trench yielded greater than 1.00 per cent copper and 0.362 gram per tonne gold, whereas a grab sample (S-01) from a historical pit exposing malachite-stained, altered andesite, located approximately 500 metres north of the previous sample, yielded 0.388 per cent copper and 0.361 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 31138). The following year, a grab sample (55109) taken over 5 metres of sericite-altered crystal tuff subcrop rubble yielded 0.672 gram per tonne gold and 0.698 per cent copper (Assessment Report 31916).

In 2015, a rock sample from the occurrence area yielded 0.624 per cent copper, 4.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.608 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 36184).

In 2018, a rock sample (662346) of malachite-stained and clay-altered hornblende microdiorite from the occurrence area yielded 0.203 gram per tonne gold and 0.336 per cent copper (Assessment Report 37685).

Work History

The area was staked as the KR claims by Plateau Metals Ltd. in 1962 and the occurrence was discovered the following year, after a strong lineament was detected extending southward from the Coke (MINFILE 092HNE240) occurrence.

In 1966, Adera Mining Ltd. optioned the claims and completed a program of soil sampling, a ground magnetic survey and diamond drilling the following year before dropping the option. In 1970, Amax Exploration Inc. restaked the area as the Rum claims and completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling, ground magnetic and induced polarization surveys and percussion drilling. In 1971, Amax Potash Corp. completed a program of geological mapping, soil sampling and ground magnetic and induced polarization surveys on the Rum claims. In 1972, Kalco Valley Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and trench sampling. Two percussion holes, totalling 110 metres, and seven diamond drill holes, totalling 757 metres, were drilled by the previous companies between 1966 and 1972. In 1976, Ruskin Developments Ltd. completed a soil sampling program on the Rum claims.

During 1979 through 1981, Cominco Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a 17.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Rum claims.

During 1985 through 1987, Peter Peto completed minor programs of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and a ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Coke 1-8 claims of the Rum property. Also, during 1985 through 1987, Laramide Resources Ltd. completed programs geological mapping and geochemical (soil and rock) sampling on the area immediately west of the occurrence as the Sadim 1-6 claims.

In 1994, Harlow Ventures Inc. and Vanco Explorations Ltd. completed a program of rock sampling, trenching and a 50.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the Rum 1-8 and Sadim 2-4 claims.

In 2000, Max Investments Ltd. and Toby Ventures Inc. completed a program of trenching, sampling and a 27.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the Rum and Sadim claims. In 2002, 12 diamond drill holes, totalling 1385.4 metres, were completed on the claims. In 2009, Orofino Minerals Inc. completed a 922.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and gamma-ray spectrometer survey and minor sampling on the area as part of the Allison Lake property. The following year, Orofino Minerals Inc. completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and 57.0 line-kilometres of ground magnetic and induced polarization surveys on the Allison Lake property.

During 2014 through 2016, KZD Aspen Grove Holding Ltd and Colorado Resources Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and 27.4 line-kilometres of induced polarization surveys on the area as the Hit and Aspen Grove properties. In 2017 and 2018, Colorado Resources Ltd. completed programs of rock sampling and a historical induced polarization processing and inversion on the area as the Hit property.