The Morris developed prospect consists of several gold-silver-antimony- bearing quartz veins which have been explored intermittently since their discovery in 1907, although it has never been a producer. The area is in rugged terrain 6 kilometres south of the southern end of Tatlayoko Lake, and is accessible by road.
The Morris Mine is underalin by unmetamorphosed immature clastic rocks and some interbedded volcanics of the Lower Cretaceous Cloud Drifter Formation just north of a south-dipping thrust sheet comprising Late Triassic to Cretaceous metamorphic rocks of the Eastern Waddington thrust belt imbricate zone. These clastic rocks are intruded by dikes and by hornblende plagioclase porphyry. The Morris prospect is located about 6 kilometres north of a large granodioritic intrusion of the Bendor suite.
The gold and silver-bearing quartz veins are mainly hosted in folded and sheared mudstone, argillite, greywacke, sandstone, and minor quartzite, quartz-pebble conglomerate and limestone. In general, the rocks strike east-southeast and dip moderately south. Sparse, disseminated pyrite is widespread. Quartz diorite intrusions are common; they are probably related to the Coast Plutonic Complex, and locally also host mineralized quartz veins. Numerous quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes, locally with argillic and limonitic alteration, cut the rocks but pre-date east-striking faults. Interbedded andesite and basalt occur within a kilometre to the northeast; they do not host the quartz veins of interest, but they do host copper mineralization covered by the Spokane occurrence (092N 001).
The mineralized quartz veins strike 320 to 350 degrees and dip 45 northeast. They show a spatial relationship with the quartz diorite intrusions, although most of the veins are actually hosted in the adjacent sedimentary rocks (Assessment Report 10520; Minister of Mines Annual Report 1935). Locally, the host rocks are silicified. The veins are not offset by the east-striking faults mentioned above, so they represent younger hydrothermal fracture-fillings. The youngest intrusions are basaltic dikes, one of which follows a quartz vein for 55 metres.
A notable feature of the veins is that they are rich in stibnite. In addition, the veins contain arsenopyrite, pyrite, minor chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and very rare bornite and chalcocite (Assessment Report 10520). The quartz gangue is commonly banded, and may have a cox-comb texture; calcite is rare. The gold is native, occurring in the quartz or as grains around sulphide minerals, primarily arsenopyrite (Assessment Report 10520). The tetrahedrite is probably the silver-bearing variety, and is also found as inclusions in sphalerite.
At least 4 major veins have been explored, partly underground (Assessment Report 10520; Minister of Mines Annual Reports 1921, 1935). The Number 1 vein has been traced on the surface for 260 metres, and has been drifted on underground for 187 metres. It averages 40 centimetres in thickness. Sulphides, mainly arsenopyrite, stibnite and pyrite, occur as lenses or stringers parallel to the vein walls. The average assay of 8 samples taken over a strike length of 95 metres and width of 40 centimetres was 18.5 grams per tonne gold, 252 grams per tonne silver, and 10 per cent antimony (Assessment Report 8320).
The Number 2 vein averages 20 centimetres in thickness and has been followed underground for 73 metres (Assessment Report 1663). Mineralization in this vein, and in the Number 4 vein, is similar to that in the Number 1 vein. The Number 3 vein, traceable for 30 metres on the surface, yielded a sample assaying 38 grams per tonne gold, 1060 grams per tonne silver, and 10 per cent antimony, over a 30 centimetre width (Assessment Report 10520).
Seven diamond-drill holes were completed in 1981 to test the Number 1 and Number 3 veins; several smaller veins were penetrated in the process (Assessment Report 10520). Sporadic mineralization in a variety of host rocks was encountered, with a wide range of gold and silver grades.
The high values of gold and silver at the Morris occurrence led to a program of bulk sampling and metallurgical tests. A 90-kilogram, composite bulk sample from Number 1 and Number 3 veins assayed 27 grams per tonne gold, 431 grams per tonne silver, 2.92 per cent antimony, and 4.92 per cent arsenic (Assessment Report 10520).
In 1966 it was estimated that based on a strike length of 104 metres, the Number 1 vein contained 19,000 tonnes of "ore" with an average grade of 10 grams per tonne gold, 110 grams per tonne silver, and 2.1 per cent antimony (Assessment Report 1663). In 1982 a reserve calculation was announced: this partly consisted of a summary of the bulk sampling referred to above, and also gave a provisional estimate of drill-indicated reserves of 172,000 tonnes grading 8.3 grams per tonne gold over an effective mining width of 4 metres (George Cross News Letter #116, 1982).
WORK HISTORY
The showings were discovered in 1907 by I.T. Morris and A.H. Sheppard; the interest held by Sheppard was subsequently acquired by M. Sutton. The property originally comprised 11 or 12 claims divided into two adjoining groups identified as the "Copper Camp" (see 92N/8, CU 1) and "Gold Camp". The owners incorporated The Tatlayoco Lake Copper Company, Limited in November 1909 and The Tatlayoco Lake Gold Mines, Limited in February 1910. Crown-grants were issued in 1918 to the latter company on 6 of the most important claims, forming a contiguous block and including the Tatlico, Tyee, Isaac T, Spokane, Copper Dyke Extension, and Copper Dyke (Lots 699-704 respectively).
Development work on the Gold Camp was confined mainly to the Tyee and Tatlico claims. When work ceased in 1911 an adit on No. 1 vein comprised about 110 metres of drift, crosscut and raise, and an adit on No. 2 vein about 78.6 metres of drift and crosscut. Activity on the property during the 1920-22 period was limited mainly to surface work.
No further activity was reported until 1934 when the Crown-grants were acquired from the company by Bridge Island Gold Mines, Limited. Work to July 1937 included extensive surface prospecting and trenching on No.1 vein, reopening the old workings, and extending No.1 adit to a total length of about 213 metres. The Bridge Island charter was surrendered in 1940.
In January 1949, Rico Copper Mines, Limited acquired the 6 Crown-grants from Panameric Mines & Resources, Limited in exchange for an allotment of Rico shares, however no work was reported and Rico was dissolved in November 1965. A new company Rico Copper (1966) Limited was incorporated in January. Work on the Crown-grants and adjacent Tat 1-9 claims in 1968 included detailed geological mapping.
Stryker Resources Ltd. in May 1980 acquired an option to purchase the Crown-grants from Rico Copper. Sampling in No. 1 adit indicated a 95 metre length and 40 centimetre width averaging 18.51 grams per tonne, 252.34 per tonne silver 11.4 per cent antimony (C.W. Ball, 21/08/80, in Stryker Res., Statement of Material Facts 114181). Drill indicated and possible in No. 1 vein is estimated at 34,466 tonnes (George Cross News Letter, 1982, No. 166). Work by Stryker in 1981-82 included sampling and 516.6 metres of diamond drilling in 7 holes. The company name (Rico Copper (1966)) was changed in 1981 to McNellen Resources, Inc. Stryker took a 90 kilogram bulk sample of mineralization from No.1 and 3 veins; it gave 27 grams per tonne gold, 431 grams per tonne silver and with 2.9 per cent antimony (Assessment Report 10520).
In 2003, C.J. Greig and B.J. Kreft, optioned the property to Firestone Ventures. Firestone worked on the property during 2004 focusing on the high-grade veins (Assessment Report 27531). The program consisted of detailed geological mapping, prospecting, and rock, soil and silt geochemical sampling across two areas, the "Morris Mine" area and the "Copper Zone" area. The Copper Zone was found to cover a 500 by 100 metre area, larger than reported in earlier reports. A talus float train identified in 2004 of quartz-arsenopyrite plust/minus stibnite vein material extending onto the Copper Zone area indicates an uphill source to the southwest.
In 2008, the Morris Mine Property, optioned by Richfield Ventures Corp from C.J. Greig and B.J. Kreft, was mapped and soil sampled. As well the access road to the property was rendered passable, the number 1 vein was resampled, the Copper Zone tested and historic drill results replotted and analyzed. Some 582 soil samples were collected on a 1600 metre by 1800 metre grid with lines spaced at 100 metre and samples every 50 metres. Generally elevated response in arsenic, antimony, manganese and iron is seen on the south part of the grid where the arsenopyrite-stibnite-gold-silver veins occur. No significant response is seen elsewhere on the grid.
