The Coles (Main Creek) showing of the Coles property area is underlain by a sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Lower Jurassic Telkwa Formation of the Hazelton Group. Host rocks consist of thick-bedded purple to green lapilli tuffs and volcanic breccias dip steeply northwest and are commonly cross-cut by intermediate dikes. Black mudstone and siltstone occur in the vicinity.
The Main Creek showing consists of a number of parallel quartz veins, up to 50 centimetres in width, which pinch and swell along their length. The veins are primarily composed of pyritized volcanic breccia fragments in a drusy quartz matrix, and less abundantly are made up of coarsely crystalline quartz. Pockets of calcite commonly occur in the quartz vein. Minor pyrite stringers may also occur. The veins are exposed in a northeast trending creek which follows a fault trace through lapilli tuffs. The shear zone ranges up to 1.5 metres in width and quartz veining is exposed essentially continuously for about 100 metres. At the southern limit the vein system trends into flat and swampy ground with no outcrop.
The Main Creek showing occurs north and east of the Coles vein system, a 4 kilometres long northwest trending zone that includes showings from Camp View, on the northwest, to the East Side and South Side showings at the southeast. The association is not reported.
In 1987, eight samples were taken from the showing, giving values of up to 1.07 grams per tonne gold and 2.2 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 16677). Anomalous values of Arsenic and mercury also occurred in the Main Creek showing.
In 2010, two rock-chip samples (SR20100960 and SR20100955) from a quartz veined shear zone in andesite yielded values up to 0.42 gram per tonne gold, 5.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.066 per cent molybdenite (Monck, J.R., Gray, P.D. (2011-05-03): Technical Report on the South Rim Property).
WORK HISTORY
Molybdenite mineralization was first noted in float boulders by Al Potter while prospecting in 1967. During 1978, Silver Standard mines Limited conducted prospecting in the area. Extremely high molbdenite values were noted from float in moraine material which was traced up slope for over 600 meters almost to the edge of the glacier. The molbdenite was observed to occur in pockets with sericitization of the adjacent rocks resulting in a green hue to the plagioclase. (Silver Standard Mines, Potter (1979) ARIS: 7801)
Quartz veins containing anomalous gold mineralization were first noted in the area during the summer of 1982 by Ritchards, et al while engaged in a reconnaissance exploration program in the Whitesail Lake area. The Cole 1-4 claims were staked and optioned to Nuspar Resources Ltd. Work in 1984 and 1985 included geological mapping, prospecting and rock geochemistry. This work was targeting the anomalous precious metals values noted in the north trending structures lying to the east of the intrusive contact. Epithermal quartz veins and silicified rocks are associated with shear zones and range from stringers to three meters in width. The quartz is generally described as white, and occurring as vuggy, coxcomb, massive and cherty types in veins that are discrete, banded, stockworks, or boxwork structures (Ritchards, 1984). Pyrite is the dominant sulphide ranging from nil to 10 per cent; minor chalcopyrite was also noted. Seven showings were identified: High View Showing, Camp View Showing, Center View Showing, Chalco Showing, South Side Showing and East Side Showing.
In 1987 the claims were restaked and optioned to QPX Minerals Inc. During 1987, Minequest Exploration Associates Ltd. Performed preliminarily geological mapping, rock chip sampling, and soil sampling. A further five mineralized showings were discovered. These include the Amethyst, Main Creek, Northwest, V.P., and the West side showings.
In 2007 Hi Ho Silver Resources put a field program together to relocate, sample and find the source of the previously reported high grade molybdenite mineralization, found by Silver Standards and to carry out reconnaissance geological mapping to look for prospective geology and mineralized showings. An area of approximately three square kilometres was mapped in a reconnaissance fashion. Five float samples were collected that returned anomalous values of molybdenum, copper, lead and zinc. A summary of work done by Hi Ho Silver Resources
In 2010, operator Downtown Industries for owner St. Elias Mines carried out an exploration program consisting of a geological review of the Tahtsa Lake to White Sail Lake Exploration District, a GIS compilation of all historic technical data within and adjoining the South Rim Property, a lineament study from a 2007 orthophoto, a petrographic study, a verification rock geochemical sampling and infill soil sampling program designed to evaluate the on strike projections of known mineral showings. A total of 1283 soil samples and 81 rock samples were collected during the 2010 exploration program. The results of the 2010 exploration program successfully verified the known mineral showings referred to as “Main Creek”, “High View”, “East Side”, “Center View”, and “V.P” showings. The petrographic study verified the epithermal nature of the mineralization.
In 2012, operator Inform Exploration, for owner St. Elias Mines followed up the 2010 exploration program with a Mag and VLF geophysical survey over the Moly Float Zone and the Gold/Moly quartz vein Zone. Prospecting was also carried out in both zones. The geophysical survey in Moly Float Zone consisted of 18.7 line kilometers covering an area of 0.85 square kilometres. The geophysical survey in the Gold/Moly quartz vein hosted Zone consisted of 27 line kilometres covering an area of 1.275 square kilometres. A total of 31 rock samples were collected during the 2012 exploration program.
In 2013, Inform Mining carried a program of soil geochemical surveying. A total of 443 soil samples were collected over a 5 day period.
