The Wiz (Zone 4) past-producing mine is located at an elevation of approximately 1380 metres on an east-facing slope, west of Guichon Creek and approximately 1.2 kilometres southeast of the south end of Gypsum Lake.
The area lies near the southeastern border of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Guichon Creek Batholith. The area is underlain by the Highland Valley phase granodiorite, which are the oldest rocks in the batholith. The bedrock varies from fine-grained quartz monzodiorite (Guichon variety) to coarse-grained granodiorite (Chataway variety). Several north-northwest–trending and south-dipping lamprophyre and dacite porphyry dikes cut the intrusive. The Guichon Creek Batholith is transected by north- and northwest- striking regional faults and tensional features that control mineralization.
Copper mineralization occurs in a strong shear zone that strikes 350 degrees and dips 65 degrees to the west. The strike length of the zone is greater than 1000 metres, though drill results indicate significant mineralization is confined to approximately half this distance. The shear zone comprises a large number of subparallel, steeply dipping faults, quartz and carbonate pods, gouge and breccia. Wallrocks are strongly altered (chlorite, sericite and kaolinite). High-grade mineralization consists of massive chalcocite, blebs and stringers of chalcopyrite, bornite, native copper, malachite and azurite, and numerous secondary copper minerals in clay gouge and quartz-filled tension fractures. Lower-grade disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite occur in the footwall; the hangingwall is typically barren. In 1908, it was reported that a significant percentage of molybdenite ore is associated with the copper minerals. Mineralization is cut off to the north by the northwest-trending Gypsum Lake fault and grade decreases to the south.
Drilling has delineated a mineralized structure 545 metres long and 2.3 metres wide (average) grading 1.26 per cent copper. This represents indicated reserves of approximately 293 900 tonnes to 76 metres (Statement of Material Facts June 26, 1972 - Aselo Ind. Ltd., M.H. Sanguinetti, April 20, 1972).
Work History
The area has been explored since the early 1900s.
In 1962, Chataway Exploration Co. Ltd. completed a program of prospecting, geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, stripping and diamond drilling. This work is reported to have identified ‘significant copper-bearing mineralization’, referred to as Zone 04, which was exposed by trenching south of Gypsum Lake.
In 1965, Bralorne Pioneer Mines Ltd. optioned the property and conducted additional programs of geological mapping, diamond and percussion drilling, stripping, a 107.2 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey and a 95.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey. By the end of 1967, a total of 57 diamond drill holes, totalling 3999 metres, and 20 percussion drill holes, totalling 3097 metres, had been completed on Zone 04. The following year, a program of soil sampling was completed.
In 1968, Chataway Exploration and Bralorne Pioneer Mines completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling, an induced polarization survey and limited trenching on the area.
In 1972, Aselo Industries Ltd. completed a 24.5 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a 47.7 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the Wiz claims.
In 1986, a program of rock, silt and soil sampling was completed on the area as the Chataway I-A claim. A select sample (CH-86-111R) assayed 17.1 per cent copper, 19.8 grams per tonne silver and 24.6 grams per tonne gold, whereas a chip sample (CH-86-106R) yielded 3.06 per cent copper and 31.8 grams per tonne silver over 2.0 metres (Assessment Report 14978).
In 1998, Tarco Oil and Gas Ltd. completed two diamond drillholes, totalling 301.8 metres, on the area immediately northwest of the occurrence as the Gypsy 1 claim. Drilling intercepted sheared Guichon phase intrusive rocks with structurally controlled potassic, argillic, sericite-pyrite (phyllic) and potassic-quartz-magnetite alteration zones with associated anomalous copper mineralization. A drillhole (G-98-02), located approximately 750 metres northwest of the Wiz occurrence, yielded 0.184 per cent copper, 0.006 per cent molybdenum and 4.6 grams per tonne silver over 2.1 metres (Assessment Report 25561).
In 2001, Tarco Oil and Gas Ltd. completed a further two diamond drill holes, totalling 253.3 metres, on the Gypsy 1 claim. Drillhole GR-01-C2 yielded values of up to 0.124 per cent copper over 0.4 metre and 0.100 gram per tonne gold over 1.4 metres from fault zones (Assessment Report 26657).
In 2006, Alhambra Resources completed 21.0 line-kilometres of induced polarization, magnetic and electromagnetic (VLF) surveys on the Dot claims. Further programs of geophysical surveys, geological mapping, geochemical sampling and 14 diamond drill holes, totalling 3097.4 metres, were completed in 2007 and 2008 by Dot Resources Ltd.
In 2016 and 2017, John Lepinski completed an induced polarization survey and a 14.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area. Also in 2016 and 2017, Granby Gold Inc. completed a programs of geological mapping on the area as part of the Highland Valley property.
In 2019, John Lepinski completed a program of soil sampling and 3D magnetic modelling of historical ground magnetic data on the area as the Wiz property.
