The Brassie Creek occurrence is located 2 kilometres east of Pennie Lake, 3.3 kilometres south of Brassie Gulch.
Regionally, the area lies at the northern boundary of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Guichon Creek batholith. The batholith is a composite, calc-alkaline intrusion consisting of granodiorite and granite, with diorite and quartz diorite common as border phases. Upper Triassic rocks of the Nicola Group envelop the batholith and locally form roof pendants. The Jurassic Ashcroft Formation unconformably overlies the Nicola Group and the batholith. The Eocene Kamloops Group unconformably covers the older rocks along the north end of the batholith.
The Brassie Creek occurrence is underlain by Nicola Group basaltic flows and lesser limestone/marble intruded by a magnetite-rich diorite of the Guichon Creek Batholith. Conglomerate, sandstone and basalt flows of the Ashcroft Formation unconformably overlies the Nicola Group rocks and diorite. The Ashcroft Formation is unconformably overlain by basalt flows and tuff of the Kamloops Group. Locally, magnetite-hematite-calcite or epidote-garnet-calcite skarn occurs within marble adjacent to diorite. Pervasive silicified zones up to 2 metres in width are common adjacent to skarn zones.
Skarn-type magnetite-copper mineralization is exposed at two locations and occurs as pods generally less than 2- square metres in size. The first showing, the Brassie, comprises massive magnetite with minor malachite and azurite stains along fractures. In 1996, a 1-metre chip sample yielded 0.26 per cent copper, 0.2 gram per tonne gold, 4.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.23 per cent zinc. A second showing, located approximately 1000 metres northeast of the Brassie showing, consists of malachite stains and coatings along fractures in magnetite-specular hematite skarn; a select sample assayed 0.45 per cent copper, 0.08 gram per tonne gold and 0.3 gram per tonne silver (Assessment Report 24809). Three drillholes (ca. 1973) at this second showing tested the depth extent of mineralization but did not intersect skarn (Assessment Report 24809).
Limonite-hematite fracture zones up to 15 centimetres wide with abundant malachite are exposed in an adit along a marble cliff on the east side of Brassy Creek, approximately 275 metres north of the Brassie showing. Weakly developed actinolite skarn occurs adjacent to the fractures. The exploration adit, approximately 23 metres long, probably dates back to the late 1800s.
The Hasso showing, located 50 metres northeast of the Brassie showing, consists of galena blebs, sphalerite and minor disseminated malachite in hematitic and limonitic quartz-carbonate veinlets. The veinlets are narrow (less than 5 centimetres wide) and discontinuous along strike and occur within a silicified zone along a marble/basalt contact. In 1996, a select sample assayed 0.44 per cent copper, 0.99 gram per tonne gold, 200 grams per tonne silver, 0.38 per cent zinc and 0.76 per cent lead (Assessment Report 24809). Similar mineralization occurs 300 metres to the east.
The property was drilled in 1998, at which time the first hole drilled intersected 3.62 metres grading 11.02 grams per tonne silver, 0.24 per cent copper and 5.9 per cent zinc. A 2.35-metre interval above this intersection yielded 1.24 grams per tonne gold (Press Release, Christopher James Gold Corp., June 10, 1999). The first hole intersected 14 metres grading 0.23 gram per tonne gold, 7.25 grams per tonne silver, 0.24 per cent copper and 1.9 per cent zinc (Press Release, Christopher James Gold Corp., March 10, 1998).
Work History
Previous work, in 1970 and d1971, consisted of a very low frequency electromagnetic survey, induced polarization survey, geological mapping, three diamond drill holes, totalling 230 metres, and a ground magnetometer survey on behalf of Supertest Investments and Petroleum Ltd. In 1973, BP Minerals completed six diamond drilled holes, but no report was filed.
From 1974 to 1987, work completed on behalf of Bethlehem Copper Corporation, BP Minerals Limited, Ninja Resources Ltd., MineQuest Exploration Associates Ltd. and QPX Minerals Inc., consisted of ground and/or airborne electromagnetic and magnetic surveys, induced polarization surveys, percussion drilling, soil geochemistry and geological mapping, mainly focused on the Chief (MINFILE 092INW055) claims area, which were adjacent to the Geo claims (now called the Brassie Creek showing).
In 1991, geological mapping was carried out on the Brassie Creek showing area on behalf of Amex Exploration Services Ltd.
In 1996 and 1997, geological mapping, soil geochemistry, and induced polarization and magnetic surveys were carried out on the Brassie Creek property on behalf of Christopher James Gold Corp. In 1996, a total of 1594 soil samples were collected and 45 line-kilometres of induced polarization and ground magnetic surveying was completed. Two targets were defined by induced polarization chargeability, magnetic anomalies and anomalous copper assay values. In 1997, 1584 soil samples were collected and a geophysical survey of induced polarization and ground magnetics was completed over 46 line-kilometres within the target areas defined by the 1996 exploration program.
In 1998, Christopher James Gold Corp. completed 254.8 metres of diamond drilling and submitted 46 drillcore samples for assay.
