The SOVEREIGN occurrence is on the south flank of Sovereign Mountain, 2 kilometres east of the Sovern Creek prospect, approximately 42 kilometres east of Quesnel. Access is by the Swift River forestry access road.

Locally, the basement geology consists of three units, described from west to east. The first are Middle-Upper Triassic basal phyllites and argillites of the Nicola Group. These unconformably overlie ultramafic rocks of the Mississippian to Permian Crooked Amphibolite in the Slide Mountain Terrane. These rocks are thrust over undivided quartzites, phyllites and limestones of the Hadrynian to Paleozoic Ramos succession in the Barkerville Terrane. Locally, folding has caused repetition and thickening of beds. The area is heavily mantled by Quaternary alluvium (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 421).

Nickel and talc mineralization are localized in sheared ultramafic rocks. Exploration to date has identified a small reserve of good quality talc (Sovereign Creek deposit, 093A 013). Nickel mineralization is minimal at the site. It has been identified in sulphide form as pentlandite, finely disseminated throughout the ultramafics. Investigation of talcose rock indicates that the total sulphide content, of unspecified type, is maximum two per cent. Seventeen undocumented grab samples from the claims averaged 0.22 per cent nickel with a range of 0.15 to 0.26 per cent, these however, may represent best assay values (Property File - Findlay, D.C., 1971). Seven other representative ultramafic samples, collected in 1971, indicated nickel values of 0.11 to 0.20 per cent (ibid.). Geochemical and chip sampling in 1972 found only spot anomalies of nickel and further exploration was not recommended (Assessment Report 4287).

Analysis of talc concentrates for sulphides assayed 0.08 to 0.15 per cent nickel content. Testing of floatation and magnetic separates of nickel from talc indicated a maximum recovery of 33 per cent (Property File - DeGraff, K., 1988). To date, only the evaluation of the talc potential has been done (refer to the Sovereign Creek deposit).

In 2012, a chip sample obtained from a quartz vein with visible chalcopyrite, cuprite and pyrrhotite, near the contact between shale and ultramafic rock, returned values of 0.8 gram per tonne gold, 7.82 grams per tonne silver, 0.02 per cent copper and 0.1 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 34088).

In 2021, back-pack drill hole Do-21-06, intersected 15.4 metres of disseminated and fracture pyrite and pyrrhotite mineralization in carbonate-bearing serpentinite. Values averaged 0.16 per cent nickel and 0.13 per cent chromium. In 2022, back-pack drill hole DD-22-05 intersected 12.1 metres through similar ultramafic rocks averaging 0.19 per cent nickel, 0.01 per cent cobalt and 0.13 per cent chromium (Assessment Report 40798).

WORK HISTORY

From 1985 through 1990, R. Trifaux conducted several programs of prospecting and soil and rock sampling over his claims in the Sovereign Creek area. Anomalous values of copper (up to greater than 1 per cent) and silver (up to 131 grams per tonne) were documented in argillic-altered zones from a gossanous outcrop. In 1988, Asamera Minerals Inc. discovered anomalous gold and platinum in Atis Creek drainages, south of Sovereign Creek. This was followed up in 2012 by Richfield Resources' programs of airborne magnetometer, prospecting and soil sampling surveys with limited results.

In 2012, work in the Sovereign Creek area was conducted by North Mineral Star Exploration Company Inc. on their Boot n Hammer property, resulting in soil anomalies and the discovery of one chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite mineralized quartz vein southeast of the Sovereign occurrence.

In 2021, Green River Gold Corp. conducted airborne and UAV magnetometer and LiDAR surveys over their large Fontaine project area, which included the Sovereign and Sovereign Creek occurrences in the northwest. A linear northwest-trending magnetic anomaly and subsequent soil and rock sampling results in the Sovereign area prompted a program of backpack and Winkie drilling in 2021 and 2022. Anomalous nickel and chromium values were intersected in all 20 holes in the 272.03 metre shallow drill program (Assessment Report 40798).

*See Sovereign Creek (Minfile 093A 013) for more information on exploration history and geology of the area