The Aspen occurrence is located approximately 1.7 kilometres west of the southwest end of Chutanli Lake.
Regionally the Aspen showing occurs within the Intermontane Belt, underlain dominantly by Lower to Middle Jurassic volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Hazelton Group. These assemblages are overlain by the Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary Ootsa Lake Group and Miocene plateau basalt. Intruding Lower Jurassic rocks of the Hazelton Group in the northeastern part of the map sheet is a belt of granodiorite, diorite, and quartz diorite plutons of the Lower Jurassic Topley intrusive suite. Felsic plutons of probable Cretaceous age intrude both Lower and Middle Jurassic Hazelton strata.
The Aspen showing comprises molybdenite with minor chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite in Jurassic Hazelton Group rhyolite and andesite near the contact with a Cretaceous granodiorite pluton.
In 2013, Redhill Resources drilled 13 drillholes south, southeast and northeast of the plotted C showing area. An interval of intensely altered stockwork/breccia from hole A13-6 yielded 0.2645 copper, 42 grams per tonne silver and 0.997 gram per tonne gold over 6.02 metres (Assessment Report 34423). The 2013 drilling program which in most part targeted untested IP anomalies confirmed the presence of extensive propylitic (chlorite +/- epidote +/- calcite) and potassic (biotite +/- potassium-feldspar) alteration zones accompanied by weak copper, silver, gold and arsenic mineralization.
See CH (093F 098) for further details.
Work History
Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration Limited filed assessment reports for the years between 1969 and 1975. Except soil sampling, magnetometer, VLF, airborne EM and IP surveys were done in this area in the late 60’s and early 70’s mostly by Rio Tinto on their C claims which covered the April (CH) showing (093F 060) area and the C (Aspen) showing (093F 004) area. IP surveys identified extensive zones of high chargeability (Assessment Reports 2097, 2568, 2683 and 5524). In 1969, the Rio Tinto carried out geological mapping, magnetometer, and induced polarization surveying over 26 line-kilometres, collection of 1000 soil samples, 7.6 metres of trenching, and 686 metres of diamond drilling. Four zones of high chargeability were found.
In 1970, Rio Tinto completed more geological mapping, 84 line-kilometres of induced polarization surveying, and 5 line-kilometres of magnetometer surveying. They also collected 1272 geochemical samples, dug nine trenches, and completed 340 metres of diamond drilling. The soil sampling showed scattered medium to strong copper-molybdenum anomalies and weak lead-zinc-nickel anomalies.
In 1971, the assessment work by Rio Tinto included: 316 square kilometres of airborne magnetometer surveying, and 256 metres of surface diamond drilling.
In 1980, on the April and May claims, Granges Inc. collected a total of 389 soil samples, which resulted in the discovery of a coincident silver-lead-zinc-copper anomaly and a second more diffuse anomaly to the west. In 1981, Granges conducted an airborne geophysical survey; it did not outline any electromagnetic anomalies on the Chutanli Lake project, though several magnetic trends were located. In 1984, Granges diamond-drilled three holes, totalling 156.67 metres, on the April (MINFILE 093F 060) occurrence.
In 1991 and 1992, regional geochemical till sampling program for Cogema Resources occurred in the vicinity of Chutanli Lake. The samples were variously anomalous in gold, silver, arsenic, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, and molybdenum.
In 1990, Placer Dome Inc. collected 248 soil samples, as well as conducting a 3.64 kilometres magnetometer and 3.7 line-kilometre VLF-EM survey on two grids on their CH claims. The Main grid was located about 1.3 kilometres east of the plotted location of the April showing and the Road grid located about 400 metres northeast of the plotted location of the C showing. The Main grid is just west of the C showing. Both grids contain coincident copper-gold -molybdenum soil geochemistry. Orvana later reported (Assessment Report 25069) that drilling totalled 22 drill holes on the CH property that included the previous drilling by Rio Tinto and newer drilling by Placer (in 1992). This drilling intersected low-grade copper porphyry target. Placer drilling concentrated on IP chargeability high and magnetic high areas. Mineralization consists of up to 5 per cent quartz and quartz-carbonate stockwork with associated magnetite-pyrite-chalcopyrite and is related to various alteration types within volcanic and intrusive rock. Pyrite and chalcopyrite occur in veins and microveins in the volcanics, on fracture surfaces and as fine disseminations in intrusive rocks. Malachite occurs along fracture planes. Copper-gold rich mineralization is intersected in drill holes.
In 1991, Placer Dome completed a program geological mapping, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and 82.0 line-kilometres of ground magnetic and electromagnetic surveying.
In 1996, Orvana Minerals Corp. collected 111 rocks from their CH property which covered the April and C MINFILE showings. Orvana reported that the April showing represents epithermal, vein type mineralization. The April showing is approximately 2 metres wide and over 15 metres long.
From 2008 to 2011, four assessment reports were filed by Omega Explorations on behalf Jacqueline A. McLeod on their Porphyry property. Work in the April showing area, and to the east toward the C (Aspen) showing, consisted mostly of soil sampling with minor ground magnetometer and rock sampling. The new MINFILE prospect occurs in that area between the April and the C (Aspen) showing in the CH prospect area. Float grab samples (CT0001 through CT0009) yielded values of up to 0.197 per cent molybdenum, 0.233 per cent copper, 0.284 per cent lead, 0.556 per cent zinc, 8.8 grams per tonne silver and 0.19 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 32863).
In 2011, Ron Bilquist on his Chutanli 1 to 3 where 3 days were spent prospecting. All old and new logging roads were traversed with the location of outcrops, glacial outwash and till noted. A total of 9 rock samples were taken and 13 geological way points were recorded. Prospecting discovered mineralized float over a presently defined area of about 500 meters by 250 metres. Finely disseminated molybdenite with minor chalcopyrite was noted in angular chlorite altered float. One other sample of angular subcrop of chlorite altered diorite had malachite and possible bornite with anomalous gold.
In 2012, Redhill Resources Corp. completed a program of rock, silt, soil and biogeochemical sampling and a 63.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Chutanli area of the Aspen East block of claims of the Aspen property. A float sample (R-33) of quartz-pyrite vein, located approximately 1.5 kilometres to the northeast of the Aspen occurrence, assayed 0.57 per cent lead, 0.28 per cent zinc, 47.8 grams per tonne silver and 0.50 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 33684).
In 2013, Redhill Resources conducted a drilling program on the Aspen property which consisted of 13 diamond drill holes totaling 1785 metres of BTW size core. The Aspen property covered much of the former CH property area, including the Aspen occurrence. The 2013 drilling program mostly targeted an area of untested induced polarization anomalies centred approximately 700 metres south of the Aspen occurrence, later referred to as the April South or Central zone. This work confirmed the presence of extensive propylitic (chlorite ± epidote ± calcite) and potassic (biotite ± potassium feldspar) alteration zones accompanied by weak copper, silver, gold, and arsenic mineralization in the Aspen South zone. An interval of intensely altered stockwork/breccia from hole A13-06 yielded 0.265 per cent copper, 42 grams per tonne silver and 0.997 gram per tonne gold over 6.02 metres, whereas drillhole A13-08 yielded 1.524 grams per tonne gold over 2.14 metres (Assessment Report 34423).
Redhill Corp reported (Assessment Report 34423) that anomalies on their properties had been previously tested by 30 holes but the results (except a few 1997 holes (Orvana?)) were not available. Redhill reported that the bulk of historical drilling was done within a zone of copper +/- gold mineralization called CH zone, which used to be a part of historical CH property. This zone is plotted by Redhill as being 1 kilometre east of the April showing.
Redhhill also conducted a program of sampling on their larger claim group. A total of 49 rock, 1461 soil, 62 biogeochemistry samples, and 14 silt samples were collected. The focus of the 2013 sampling program on Aspen property was an area between Chutanli and Brewster Lakes. The 2013 sampling program detected 3 soil anomalies. A float sample (UR-15) of silicified andesite(?) with disseminated sulphides from the Tan claim group, located approximately 5 kilometres south-southeast of the April occurrence, assayed 0.40 per cent lead, 48 grams per tonne silver and 0.23 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 34424).
During 2016 through 2018, Tower Resources Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock and till) sampling, 38 rotary drill holes, totalling 837.8 metres, 13 percussion drill holes, totalling 206.0 metres, 6 diamond drill holes, totalling 996.4 metres, and a 20.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the Nechako Gold property. This work identified a previously unknown pyrite-bearing feldspar porphyry plug, referred to as the Blue Road porphyry, located east-southeast of the occurrence.
In 2017, a bedrock chip sample of biotite-feldspar porphyry from rotary hole NRC-17-03, located near the west shore of Chutanli Lake and approximately 1.8 kilometres east of the Aspen occurrence, yielded 0.045 gram per tonne gold, 14.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.22 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 38160). Also at this time a rock sample (R266115) of subcrop from the Aspen South zone yielded 2.75 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 37575).
In 2018, diamond drilling yielded up to 0.07 gram per tonne gold, 0.08 per cent copper, 0.05 per cent zinc and 3.6 grams per tonne silver over 100 metres, including 0.11 gram per tonne gold, 0.12 per cent copper, 0.13 per cent zinc and 6.6 grams per tonne silver over 28 metres, of a sericite-biotite–altered laminated volcanic with pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization in hole NDH-18-003 (Assessment Report 38759). This hole is located approximately 200 metres north of the plotted position of the Aspen occurrence.
Also, in 2016 and 2017, ML Gold Corp. completed programs of soil sampling and a 9.0 line-kilometre induced polarization on the surrounding area as the Aspen property.
