The Bonanza Pit (Zones A) deposit is located on the Bob 9 and 10 claims on the east side of Steele Creek and at an elevation of approximately 290 metres.
The area is underlain by skarned limestone that occurs as thin layers or lenses within a sequence of pillow lavas, basalt, breccia and minor tuff of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). The volcanic rocks have been intruded by the Late Jurassic Nimpkish batholith which is part of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite. Mafic and felsic dikes cut all rock types.
Mineralization occurs intermittently over 2.5 kilometres along the northwest striking hornblende quartz diorite contact (see also MINFILES 092L 255, 092L 134 and 092L 337).
Locally, massive pods of garnet skarn (+/- pyroxene, epidote, actinolite, quartz, chlorite and calcite) contain magnetite, chalcopyrite and pyrite and minor amounts of sphalerite, pyrrhotite with gold and silver values.
The Bonanza Pit (Zone A) is developed in a carbonate-rich horizon in volcanics of the Karmutsen Formation. The skarn is distinctly banded with a strike of 168 degrees and dipping 40 degrees to the southwest. From northeast to southwest the banding grades as follows: unaltered volcanic; chlorite-epidote altered volcanic; coarse grained garnet and magnetite skarn; magnetite and chalcopyrite and; coarse grained garnet and magnetite skarn. The hanging wall contact is not observed. The true thickness of the skarn horizon is 8 to 10 metres while the true thickness of the magnetite-chalcopyrite mineralization is about 1.5 metres. Two faults cut the zone; one is sub-parallel to the volcanic/skarn contact while the other is perpendicular to the trend of the skarn zone at 055 degrees. The skarn is intruded by a mafic dike trending at 050 to 060 degrees.
Diamond drilling (diamond drill hole 2, Section DD in McDougall, 1962) down the dip of the skarn zone intersected 9.8 metres of 3.05 per cent copper. Other nearby holes encountered values up to 60 per cent magnetite and 3.09 grams per tonne gold. McDougall reports that the skarn zone is 150 metres long but that significant copper values occur only over 60 metres. He also reports significant copper values in volcanic rocks adjacent to the skarn zone, and calculated that some 29900 tonnes of 4.0 per cent copper material may be available, including "50 cents per ton" gold and silver, and that 9000 tonnes of magnetite concentrate could be produced (McDougall, 1961, page 5).
Production in 1968 and 1971 of 4718 tonnes averaged 2.48 per cent copper and 8.7 grams per tonne silver.
In 1994, sampling yielded an average grade of 3.8 per cent copper over 5 metres; including 1.4 metres grading 8.9 per cent copper and 0.242 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23551).
In 2013, a chip sample (GR-2) from the Bonanza pit assayed 7.73 per cent copper and 80 grams per tonne silver over 2.0 metres (Assessment Report 34322).
In 2018, six rock samples (A1 through A6) from the Bonanza pit yielded from 0.55 to 10.05 per cent copper with up to greater than 50 per cent iron, 49.3 grams per tonne silver and 0.084 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 38244).
Work History
In 1966, Comcino completed a program of geological mapping and a ground magnetometer survey on the area as the Bob claims. During 1971 through 1977, Imperial Oil completed programs of line cutting, geological mapping, soil sampling and ground geophysical surveys on the area as part of the Hab and Bob claims. In 1977 five diamond drill holes, totalling 712 metres, were completed.
In 1993 and 1994, Braddick Resources completed programs of geochemical sampling, geological mapping and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the Bon and Bonz 1-2 claims. In 2005 and 2006, A.B. Hemingway completed programs of prospecting and geochemical sampling. In 2007 and 2008, International Bethlehem Mining optioned the property and completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and a ground magnetic survey.
In 2012, Homegold Resources completed programs of rock and soil sampling and a ground magnetometer survey on the area as the Bonanza River property. In 2013, Jinhua Capital Corp. prospected the Steele Creek property. In 2015, A.B. Hemingway completed a photo geological interpretation program on the property. In 2017, Homegold Resources Ltd. completed a minor program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the White Fang property. In 2018, Hawkeye Gold and Diamond Inc. completed a minor program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Bonanza property.
