The Copper Zone porphyry copper prospect is situated 8.7 kilometres southeast of Mount McClure, approximately 43 kilometres northwest of Gold Bridge and 150 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, B.C.
The Copper Zone occurrences lies within Late Cretaceous plutonic rocks of the Coast Plutonic Complex, approximately 7 kilometres southwest of the contact with Upper Cretaceous volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Powell Creek Formation.
The principal rock type in the mineralized area is a hornblende-quartz diorite that has been intruded by numerous feldspar porphyry and quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes, generally striking 340 degrees or 270 degrees, and an oval-shaped quartz-feldspar porphyry stock measuring 300 metres (east to west) by 600 metres (north to south).
Mineralization is disseminated throughout and occurs on fracture surfaces within coarse-grained quartz diorite. The primary sulphide mineral is pyrite, averaging 3 to 5 per cent in the quartz-hornblende diorite, whereas the crosscutting feldspar porphyry contains up to 12 per cent pyrite. Chalcopyrite mineralization also occurs as disseminations and fracture coatings within the quartz-hornblende diorite. Molybdenite occurs in localized quartz seams and veinlets, as massive seams 1 to 3 millimetres wide and as irregular pods within the quartz-hornblende diorite. Molybdenite is also sometimes associated with blebs of chalcopyrite. Minor flecks of native copper have been observed as well as localized disseminations of galena associated with pyrite.
The quartz-feldspar porphyry stock appears to be the locus of the most intense sulphide mineralization, consisting of pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite. The sulphides occur as fracture fillings and fine disseminations within the quartz diorite and the porphyry stock and dikes. One diamond drill hole was reported to have an average grade of 0.23 per cent copper and 0.011 per cent molybdenite over 100 metres (Property File, Galveston Mines Ltd., Prospectus, 1972).
Between 1964 and 1965, Phelps Dodge Corporation conducted a regional exploration program in the area that focused on large tonnage, low-grade copper mineralization. One 57-metre diamond drill hole was completed on the property, which was then known as the Rowbottom Creek prospect. From 1969 to 1972, Victor Mining Corporation held the property area as the NW and Bill prospect. During this time, four diamond drill holes and four percussion drill holes were completed by Victor Mining and a syndicate of Victor Mining Corporation, Granite Mountain Mines Limited and Galveston Mines Limited. The claims were later allowed to lapse.
In 1975, United Gunn Resources Limited staked the Copper Zone claims over the area. In 1980, the company drilled and blasted two open-cut trenches in an area of malachite-stained outcrop. In 1981, five diamond drill holes totalling 977 metres were completed in the Copper zone. Drillhole 81-02 intersected 289 metres of 0.28 per cent copper and 0.02 per cent molybdenum and ended in mineralization (Assessment Report 10455, page 5). The following year, a program of geological mapping, soil, rock and core sampling was completed. A total of 5.4-line kilometres of grid was established on the lower slopes and 103 soils samples were collected. Select intervals from drillholes 81-03 and 81-05 were reanalyzed.
In 1989, Westpine Metals Limited staked the Rowbottom claim group to cover the old Phelps Dodge Rowbottom prospect on the western side of Granite Creek and conducted a reconnaissance soil and rock sampling program.
The area was later restaked as the Grizzly claims by Paul Reynolds and the MAPLE syndicate. In 2000, exploration work on the Grizzly claims consisted of prospecting and grid preparation.
The property was restaked as the Tasco property in 2004 by J.A. Chapman and KGE Management Limited. In November 2006, an advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) image analysis conducted on the property by Cal Data Limited outlined a northwest-trending linear alteration feature. In 2007, Hi Ho Silver Resources Incorporated optioned the property and retained Aeroquest International to carry out an airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey over the property before dropping the option the following year.
In 2010, Highpointe Exploration Incorporated optioned the property and conducted limited prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling. Geotech Limited carried out an airborne geophysical survey over the property. Later that year, Highpointe Exploration released an NI 43-101 technical report on the Tasco property. In 2011, two diamond drill holes were completed to the north and south of historic hole 81-02. Both drillholes intersected long sections of copper-molybdenum-silver mineralization. Highpointe Exploration later became Oxford Resources Incorporated. As of 2014, Oxford Resources Incorporated still held an option on the Tasco property.
One 1981 diamond drill hole, drillhole 81-02, was reported to grade an average of 0.276 per cent copper and 0.023 per cent molybdenum over 288.6 metres (Assessment Report 10455, page 5).
From the 2011 drill program, drillhole 891-01 reported assays of 216 metres with 0.29 per cent copper, 0.02 per cent molybdenum and 1.9 gram per tonne silver, including 56 metres of 0.39 per cent copper (Assessment Report 33063, page 28). Drillhole 891-02 reported assays of 120 metres of 0.3 per cent copper, 0.02 per cent molybdenum and 3.3 grams per tonne silver, including 13 metres of 0.09 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 33063, page 28).
In 2013, Amarc Resources Ltd. entered into an option and joint venture agreement and became the main operator on the property, which was renamed the Ike property. Amarc Resources Ltd. extended the property area in early 2014, covering approximately 430 square kilometres of mineral tenure. The Ike property encompasses several MINFILE occurrences; however, most of the work completed in 2014 is related to the IKE (this MINFILE) occurrence.
In 2014, geochemical sampling consisted of stream sediment sampling on the eastern part of the Ike property, and talus fine sampling in the area of historic and current drilling (this MINFILE). Geological mapping was completed over a collective 17 square kilometres in 3 different areas: Ike deposit (this MINFILE), Mad Major target (MINFILE 092O 034, 092O 035, 092O 036), and the Rowbottom-Spokane-Syndicate area (MINFILE 092O 029, 092O 004). Geophysical surveying included 17.6-line kilometres of induced polarization around the IKE showing, and 1069-line kilometres of aeromagnetic surveying across the eastern portion of the Ike property. Amarc Resources Ltd. drilled 9 holes totalling 5409.29 metres over a broad area measuring 1200 by 600 metres in the vicinity of historic drilling, and encountered copper, molybdenum and silver mineralization in a porphyry-style deposit (Assessment Report 35307). Highlights of drill results include:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Length CuEq* Copper Molybdenum Silver (metres) (per cent) (per cent) (per cent) (grams per tonne) 247 0.42 0.28 0.030 2.0 234 0.43 0.26 0.040 1.7 92 0.41 0.31 0.020 2.1 194 0.49 0.30 0.046 0.8 308 0.41 0.26 0.032 1.8 97 0.46 0.32 0.030 2.2 *Copper Equivalent -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Amarc Resources Ltd. has partnered with Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. to advance the Ike copper porphyry project.
During 2014 through 2019, Amarc Resources Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (talus fines, rock chip and stream sediment) sampling, 163.6 line-kilometres of induced polarization surveys, 1069 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic surveys and 18 157 metres of diamond drilling on the area as part of the IKE project. The majority of the drilling (15 455.34 metres in 26 holes) was completed on the IKE (MINFILE 092O 025) occurrence. The IKE deposit outlines a nine square kilometre mineralized system defined by induced polarization chargeability, talus fines anomalies, alteration mapping and drilling (amarcresources.com 2024).
