The Artlish 3-6 (Hiller 2) magnetite occurrences are located on a ridge separating the headwaters of the Artlish and Kaouk rivers, approximately 11.5 kilometres north of the community of Zeballos.
Regionally, the area lies within a broad northwest-trending sequence of interbedded sediments and volcanics of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Parson Bay Formation (Bonanza Group) and Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation (Vancouver Group). This assemblage lies on the northeastern flank of the extensive granodiorite Zeballos intrusion phase of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite.
The area lies within a belt of mineralization comprising nine or more similar occurrences that extend from the Zeballos River for approximately 10 kilometres in a north-northwest direction. The mineralization occurs at or near the conformable contact between the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group—comprising Quatsino Formation crystalline limestone and overlying highly altered and folded Parson Bay Formation volcanic and sedimentary rocks—and the Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group.
The Artlish occurrence is near the Quatsino limestone contact, in a sequence dipping 30 to 50 degrees west and striking 305 degrees that includes mudstone, argillite, feldspathic tuff, andesite and andesite porphyry of the Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group. Limy beds have been altered to garnet bands 0.3 to 2.0 metres thick. The Zeballos intrusion granodiorite lies 1.0 kilometre to the west. Diorite, aplite-alaskite and mafic dikes cut all other rocks. The Hiller Creek fault (also called the Lime Creek fault) extends from the Churchill Magnetite (MINFILE 092L 031) occurrence to the Artlish occurrence, striking northwest and dipping 60 degrees east. Structural repetition of units as a result of faulting is suggested (Property File - R.N. Saukko (1966-02-10): Report on Hiller-Churchill Deposit 1965).
The occurrence contains three distinct zones, the Footwall, Middle and Hangwall zones, each consisting of apparently discontinuous pods of massive magnetite replacing volcanic rocks. The Footwall zone lies 30 metres west of the limestone contact. The strike length is 152 metres, widths are up to 15 metres and a grade estimate is 25 to 30 per cent iron (Assessment Report 433, page 13). The mineralization dips 32 degrees west. Amphibolite skarn is associated with the zone. The Middle zone lies 40 metres southwest of the Footwall zone and consists of a 730-metre-long band of massive magnetite pods replacing chloritized andesite that dips 35 to 55 degrees west. Mineralized widths range from 15 to 27 metres. The Hangingwall zone is located approximately 600 metres to the southwest of the previous two zones and lies on the O.L.S. no. 7, Hiller 5, 6 and 16 claims. The Hangingwall zone may relate to the Hiller 3 and 7 zones of the Hiller 4-5 (MINFILE 092L 127) occurrence and may be a fault-repeated section of the Footwall zone. The strike length is 143 metres, and the width ranges from 15 to 30 metres.
In 1961, chip samples yielded from 40.60 per cent iron over 27.0 metres to 57.65 per cent iron over 3.6 metres with a total estimated reserve from all three zones of approximately 2 266 000 tonnes grading between 40 to 45 per cent iron (Assessment Report 433).
In 1964, drillhole HC-1 on the Hiller 2 claim averaged 31.3 per cent copper over its entire length of 15.0 metres, including sections of 52.10 per cent iron over 3.0 metres and 51.50 per cent iron with 0.11 per cent copper over 3.0 metres (Property File - J.J. McDougall [1965-01-12]: Report on Hiller Magnetite Properties 1964).
In 1965, a possible tonnage was reported for the combined Artlish deposits of 635 000 tonnes grading 44.1 per cent iron, 0.08 per cent copper and 3.16 per cent sulphur, the latter tied up in disseminated pyrrhotite (Property File - R.N. Saukko (1966-02-10): Report on Hiller-Churchill Deposit 1965).
Work History
The Artlish group was originally staked in 1956 by Mr. Skogland. In 1961, BHP-Utah Mines optioned the Artlish group claims and over the next year completed programs of geological mapping, ground and airborne geophysical surveys and 14 diamond drill holes, totalling 749.1 metres, on the area. During the early 1960s, Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. completed programs of ground and airborne geophysical surveys on the area and staked the Hiller claims. In 1964, a single drillhole, totalling 15 metres, was completed on the Hiller 2 claim. In 1965, a program of further diamond drilling, geological mapping and geophysical surveys was completed on the Hiller claims.
In 1985, Falconbridge Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, trenching, ground magnetic surveys and diamond drilling on the Churchill 2 and Hiller 25-26. In 1986, Falconbridge Ltd. completed an airborne geophysical survey on the Hiller and surrounding Zeb claims. In 1988, Footwall Explorations Ltd. completed 900 metres of drilling on the Hiller-Churchill property.
In 2018, R.J. Billingsley completed a program of photo-geological and airborne geophysical interpretation on the area as the Hiller property. Additional work was done in 2020.
