The Copperado-TM 1 (Southeast) occurrence is situated southeast of Highway 5, 4 kilometres north of Nicola Lake and approximately 23 kilometres northeast of Merritt.

The area is situated at the southwestern margin of the Lower Jurassic Nicola Batholith. Locally, the intrusive rock is gneissic quartz monzonite to granodiorite and exhibits widespread chloritization. Foliation strikes north and dips steeply to the west but orientations vary considerably. The Nicola Batholith intrudes intermediate volcaniclastic rocks and sediments belonging to the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. Aplite and quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes cut the intrusive. Shear zones strike 310 degrees and dip steeply to the northeast.

North-south shear zones trend through the area. Numerous trenches have exposed north-northwest–trending shearing and foliation with scattered sulphide mineralization along shear planes. Granodiorite outcrops contain scattered small quartz veinlets carrying fine sulphides. On surface outcrop, sulphides appear in patches associated with malachite copper stain.

Diamond drilling, in 1961 and 1962, intersected a mineralized zone 6 to 9 metres wide striking 330 degrees and dipping 70 degrees east, with subsidiary zones branching off into the footwall. This zone consists of sheared gneissic leucrocratic granite and narrow quartz stringers up to 2.5 centimetres wide striking approximately 325 degrees and dipping 85 degrees east. Thin threads and small grains of molybdenite are scattered in the quartz. Occasional disseminated bornite, chalcopyrite and malachite staining occur in the veins and vein walls.

A 2006 drillhole encountered medium- to coarse-grained granite and weakly chlorite-sericite–altered, foliated diorite. Scattered, weakly anomalous copper silver values were associated with chalcopyrite and chalcocite in quartz and quartz-feldspar veins.

Mineralization has been identified over a length of approximately 60 metres and widths up to 60 metres. The lower limit was not encountered.

Six diamond drill holes, totalling 429.6 metres, were completed in the Southeast zone between 1961 and 1962. Drilling intercepts included 0.27 per cent copper over 60 metres in hole TM-16, whereas other intercepts are reported to have yielded up to 0.53 per cent copper over 7.2 metres with up to 0.16 per cent molybdenum over similar widths (Assessment Report 10518). An average grade, over an unknown length or tonnage, was reported at this time at 0.20 per cent copper, 0.07 per cent molybdenite and 17.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 10518).

In 1976, percussion drilling on the TM 6 claim yielded intercepts including 11.1 grams per tonne silver over 27 metres, including 30.4 grams per tonne silver over 3 metres in hole PH76-6 and 0.16 per cent copper over 6 metres in hole PH76-4 (Assessment Report 6179).

In 1981, drillhole D-1-81 yielded intercepts of up to 0.61 per cent copper and 0.041 per cent molybdenum over 0.61 metre (Assessment Report 10518).

In 1992, a 1-metre chip sample (970) over several 2 to 5 centimetre wide quartz veins with chalcopyrite in a foliated granodiorite assayed 1.19 per cent copper and 8.4 grams per tonne silver, whereas a sample (972) from a 0.1 metre wide quartz vein with chalcopyrite and molybdenite assayed 0.151 per cent molybdenum, 1.34 per cent copper and 5.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 22445).

In 2006, drilling yielded up to 2.45 grams per tonne silver and 0.19 per cent copper over 3.5 metres (Assessment Report 28721, page 13).

In 2012, samples from the Southeast zone yielded up to 0.557 gram per tonne gold and 27.2 grams per tonne silver (sample 4), whereas other samples (13 and 14) yielded greater than 0.2 per cent molybdenum and greater than 1 per cent copper (Assessment Report 33375). The latter two samples were later re-assayed, yielding 0.290 and 0.564 per cent molybdenum with 1.26 and 0.50 per cent copper, respectively (Assessment Report 35529).

In 2014, a sample (P8) from a 0.1-metre wide quartz vein with bornite and chalcopyrite, taken at an elevation of 1460 metres and approximately 700 metres west-southwest of the occurrence, assayed 1.25 per cent copper and 31 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 35529).

In 2019, a rock sample (376) of diorite with quartz stringers and fractures and chalcopyrite mineralization yielded 2.06 per cent copper, 11.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.16 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 38686).

Work History

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Turlight (MINFILE 092ISE055) occurrence and a complete exploration history of the area can be found there.