The AU-Wen (Nesbitt) occurrence consists of gold-silver-copper mineralization just east of the historical Aspen Grove copper camp, between Merritt and Princeton. The occurrence is located approximately 1.8 kilometres east-northeast of Pothole Lake, between Quilchena and Pothole creeks, and 8 kilometres east-northeast of the community of Aspen Grove.

The occurrence is hosted in 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). This belt has been of major economic interest because of its potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization.

The occurrence lies in the northern assemblage of the Eastern belt of the Nicola Group (after Preto, Bulletin 69). This assemblage mainly consists of well-bedded submarine volcaniclastic rocks, ranging from tuffaceous volcanic siltstones in the lower part to coarse volcanic conglomerate and laharic breccias in the upper part. The assemblage is characterized by a paucity of intrusive rocks in comparison to the main Aspen Grove copper camp, located in the Central Belt a few kilometres to the west and separated by the Kentucky-Alleyne fault system (Bulletin 69).

The occurrence is centred on the main gold occurrence, a small stripped, drilled and trenched area just off a gravel road south of Quilchena Creek (Assessment Reports 5766, 16008). This and most of the surrounding area is underlain by andesitic to dacitic tuff, cherty tuff, black argillite, and volcanic sandstone and siltstone. The rocks are strongly fractured in a variety of orientations. Bedding in the tuff has been measured to strike 060 degrees and dip 54 degrees north west, but is variable.

Biotite hornblende granodiorite and quartz monzonite of the Lower Jurassic Pennask Batholith occur approximately 1 kilometre north of the main showing, and porphyritic andesitic and basaltic volcanic rocks occur approximately 500 metres to the west (Bulletin 69; Assessment Report 16008). Small bodies of diorite and micromonzonite, possibly subvolcanic, are quite common in the area, on the surface and in drill core (Assessment Report 16008). Some of the volcanics have sustained carbonate and epidote alteration, and locally they have pervasive hematite (Assessment Report 16008).

Two zones of mineralization, referred to as the Nesbitt (Main) and Hodge zones, have been identified.

The Nesbitt zone comprises sporadic disseminated pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite mineralization and fracture-controlled mineralization, up to 1 per cent, in tuffaceous rocks and argillite. (Assessment Reports 11241, 16008). Native gold is associated with the sulphides in narrow quartz-filled fractures in these rocks (Assessment Report 16008). Minor malachite occurs in volcanics. The overall extent of the mineralization has not been determined, although diamond drilling has demonstrated that minor pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite, disseminated or associated with quartz or calcite fracture veinlets, does persist below the surface (Assessment Reports 11241, 16008).

The Hodge zone is located approximately 600 metres north of the Nesbitt zone and comprises a - to 10-centimetre wide, east-west–trending and steeply south-dipping, gold-bearing quartz vein with local coarse pyrite in an intermediate to acidic volcanic.

Gold values in the area are generally low, but high values have been obtained from trench sampling and drillcore at the main occurrence.

In 1975, grab samples (no. 2) over 2.1 metres of the Nesbitt (Main) zone yielded 21.2 grams per tonne gold, whereas select samples (Nos. 3 and 4) over areas of 1.2 by 15 and 2.1 by 18 metres yielded 91.0 and 78.7 grams per tonne gold, respectively (Assessment Report 5766). Also at this time, the best drillcore intersection (DDH 75-7) assayed 4.97 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 metres of dioritic intrusive with chalcopyrite-filled fractures (Assessment Report 5766 and 16008).

In 1979, sampling of trenches on the Nesbitt zone yielded 14.60 grams per tonne gold over 1.47 metres in trench 2 and 9.8 grams per tonne gold over 1.53 metres in trench 3 (Assessment Report 7293).

In 1983, previous sampling on the Nesbitt (Main) zone was reported to have yielded significant gold assays in chip samples ranging from 6.8 grams per tonne over 5.1 metres to 10.8 grams per tonne over 4.9 metres (Assessment Report 5766 and 16008).

In 1996, sampling of trenches on the Hodge zone yielded from 10.8 to 116.3 grams per tonne gold with an average of 57.1 grams per tonne gold over 0.1 metre and up to 75.2 grams per tonne silver and 0.14 per cent copper (Assessment Report 24806). Also at this time, a 1.3-metre-wide section of vein and shattered wallrock yielded 14.7 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24806). Sampling of a trench on the Nesbitt zone yielded an average 1.032 grams per tonne gold over 8.5 metres, including narrow (2-centimetre wide) zones of higher-grade material yielding up to 43.8 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24806).

In 2000, sampling of the Nesbitt zone yielded values from 0.085 to 0.260 gram per tonne gold with up to 0.403 per cent copper, and a sample from the Hodge vein yielded 0.716 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26469).

Work History

Work on the occurrence dates back to the 1930s, when visible gold was discovered in nearby soils.

In 1966, Marengo Mines Ltd. completed a 38.3 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area as the Red and Vida claims.

In 1969, Harry Nesbitt staked the Au claims on the area and in 1974 trenching identified free gold at the Nesbitt (Main) zone. In 1975, New Pyramid Gold Mines Inc. optioned the Au claims and completed a program of sampling and eight short diamond drill holes, totalling 87.0 metres.

In 1978, Invex Resources Ltd. purchased the Au property and, the following year completed a prospecting, trenching and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling program on the Au claims. Later Invex Resources Ltd. merged with Imperial Metals Corp., who completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 168 metres, near the Nesbitt zone in 1983.

In 1984 and 1985, D.A. Heyman completed programs of prospecting and trenching on the claims. In 1986, Algo Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, 18.0 line-kilometres of magnetic and induced polarization surveys and nine diamond drill holes, totalling 587 metres, on the area as the Au 1-2, Flam and Flim claims.

In 1994, Fairfield Minerals Ltd. completed a program of soil sampling, geological mapping, geophysical surveys and trenching on the claims. In 1996, George Resources Co. Ltd. completed a program of soil sampling and trenching on the claims.

In 2000, Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling on the area as the Au property.

In 2002, Lateegra Resources Corp. and Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of soil sampling, ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey and six diamond drill holes, totalling 466.6 metres, on the area as the Au/Wen property.

During 2013 through 2017, Victory Resources Corp. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Wen-Toe and Toni properties.

In 2018, Cazador Resources Ltd. completed a program of prospecting, photogeological mapping, a 2.7 line-kilometre resistivity survey and a 32.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the area as part of the Aspen Grove property.