The HEN showing is located approximately 16 kilometres southeast of the Boss Mountain molybdenum mine and 57 kilometres northeast of 100 Mile House in the south-central Cariboo region of BC, Canada.
The Hen property is underlain by the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which consists of predominantly volcanic and calcareous sandstone of the Nicola volcaniclastic succession. Coarser volcanic breccia and mafic flow units occur to the north of the Hen, Dike and Ledge zones and to the west of the Anomaly Creek zone.
The geology and alteration associated with positive gold values suggest the Hen, Dike and Ledge zones contain gold-bearing pyroxene, calcic skarn over a distance of 4 kilometres in proximity to an intrusive contact.
The main Hen showing is hosted by green to purplish grey hornfels on the north side of the 6300 logging road, approximately 1 kilometre east of Hendrix Creek and 8 kilometres south-southeast of Hendrix Lake. The northern contact of the Hendrix Stock is inferred to be a short distance to the south but is not exposed. The hornfels is cut by numerous east-striking fault and fracture systems that are commonly altered with quartz, actinolite, epidote, garnet, pyrite and pyrrhotite. A trench excavated in 1994 exposed several tens of metres of sheared hornfels containing abundant pyrrhotite and quartz-calcite veins. A zone containing pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and abundant calcite veins returned 3.98 grams per tonne gold over 2.1 metres (Assessment Report 23770).
In 1994, 199.1 metres of NQ diamond drilling in two holes at the Hen showing resulted in DDH 94-1 intersecting an 8 metre zone grading 0.86 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 23770). Relogging of the 1996 hole DDH94-4 returned 1.91 grams per tonne gold over 0.86 metre.
The Dike zone is located on the north side of the 6300 logging road, approximately 1.3 kilometres east-southeast of the Hen showing. It occurs within strongly hornfelsed rock approximately 30 metres northeast of an exposure of biotite-hornblende tonalite that is inferred to comprise the north margin of the Hendrix Stock. Most of the hornfels northeast of the tonalite comprises a medium-grey, fine-grained mixture of quartz, biotite, amphibole and plagioclase, locally containing lenses and patches of calc-silicate rock that includes quartz, actinolite, epidote, garnet, biotite and pyrite (EMPR Fieldwork 2006, pp. 179–202). Trench sampling highlights at the Dike zone include 2 metres of 4.0 grams per tonne gold and 4 metres of 2.0 grams per tonne gold, while grab samples range up to 31 grams per tonne gold. A grab sample (175582) from the Dike showing in 2008 graded 31.04 grams per tonne gold and 6.2 grams per tonne silver.
The Ledge zone is located 2.8 kilometres east of the Hen showing. Surface rock and trench sampling at the Ledge zone in 2009 returned values between 0.1 and around 1 gram per tonne gold locally, associated with strong and widespread pyrrhotite-pyrite and arsenic values. Sampling of Trench T-14 returned 4.0 metres grading 0.12 gram per tonne gold and 0.11 per cent arsenic that remains open in extent (Assessment Report 31419).
At the Anomaly Creek zone, west of Hendrix Creek, volcanic rocks occur along a north-trending contact with the Boss Creek units of the Takomkane Batholith. Schiarizza and Macauley (Fieldwork, 2006, Paper 2007-1) explain that rocks assigned to the Boss Creek unit occur over much of the northeastern part of the Takomkane Batholith. This unit consists mainly of light grey, medium- to coarse-grained equigranular rocks of predominantly quartz monzodiorite composition; however, granodiorite, quartz diorite, diorite and tonalite are also present. Mafic minerals commonly form 15 to 25 per cent of the rock, and include varying proportions of clinopyroxene, hornblende and biotite. Trenching on the Anomaly Creek zone in 2009 showed anomalous As, Zn, Pb. Rock grab samples taken from trenches on the western side of the swamp returned maximum values of 0.35 per cent copper, 0.04 gram per tonne gold, 2.8 gram per tonne silver, 0.10 per cent zinc and 0.07 per cent lead.
WORK HISTORY
The area of the Hen property has been intermittently explored since 1982 after a stream sediment sample returned 1.28 grams per tonne gold (Anomaly Creek) on the west side of Hendrix Creek Valley. In 1992, prospecting located outcrops containing up to 5.67 grams per tonne gold on the east side of Hendrix Creek Valley. The Hen mineral claims were staked at this time and have since been held continuously. Between 1992 and 1996, Pioneer Metals completed geochemical surveys, trenching and drilling of four holes totalling 669 metres at the Hen zone. Trenching and drilling returned some positive gold values; however, Pioneer dropped the option.
In 1997, additional prospecting located three new gold zones; a magnetic and electromagnetic geophysical survey was performed over one of them. In 1998, TNR Resources Ltd. and Ivory Oil & Minerals Inc. drilled two holes into a strong magnetic anomaly located south of a new gold zone but no significant values were obtained. Between 2005 and 2009, Happy Creek Minerals performed prospecting, soil, silt and rock geochemical surveys, induced polarization geophysical surveys and trenching (www.happycreekminerals.com).
In 2008, Happy Creek Minerals conducted a program of silt, soil and rock sampling along with prospecting and geological mapping. In addition, 153 metres of core (DDH 96-4) was relogged and sampled and induced polarization/magnetometer survey was conducted over the Anomaly Creek grid, west of Hendrix Creek (Assessment Report 30826). Trenching on the Dike zone, Ledge zone and the Anomaly Creek area was achieved in 2009 (Assessment Report 31419).
In 2011, Happy Creek Minerals performed prospecting and rock, stream sediment and systematic soil geochemical surveys that expanded previous surveys covering portions of the Hen and Art-DL properties. In total, 708 soil, 20 stream sediment (silt) and 21 rock samples were collected. Rock samples contained from less than 0.01 to 1.04 grams per tonne gold, less than 0.01 to 17.7 grams per tonne silver and 0.00028 to 0.13 per cent copper. Soil samples returned values from trace to 0.1 gram per tonne gold, 2.1 grams per tonne silver, 0.048 per cent copper, 0.00169 per cent molybdenum and 0.0627 per cent zinc. Silt samples returned from trace to 0.03 gram per tonne gold, 0.6 gram per tonne silver, 0.0193 per cent copper, 0.00116 per cent molybdenum and 0.0180 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 32721; V STOCKWATCH, February 13, 2012).
The 2018, 2019 and 2021 exploration programs over the Hen-Art DL properties by Happy Creek Minerals consisted of prospecting, silt sampling, rock sampling and geological mapping. A new zone of mineralization (Crane) was identified in 2018, 2.5 kilometres north-northeast of the Art showing and 3.5 kilometres south of McNeil Lake. In 2022, Happy Creek Minerals ran a program of prospecting, rock sampling and stream sediment sampling over their Fox, Hen and Silverboss claims (Assessment Report 40847) and in 2023, a similar program was conducted over the Fox, Hen and Art-DL properties (Assessment Report 41811).
