The Tsacha prospect, part of the 3Ts property (093F 055, 68) encompasses a north trending, low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver quartz vein system. The gold-silver-copper prospect consists of several quartz vein and stockwork veinlet occurrences found in the vicinity of Tommy Lakes, about 125 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof. The veins occur in welded rhyolitic flows and lesser ash-flow tuff of the Middle Jurassic Hazelton group (Entiako Formation).

Dark green feldspar and augite-phyric basaltic andesite flows of the Naglico Formation conformably overlie the welded tuff. A medium-grained augite porphyry plug is probably cogenetic with the flows. Minor volcanic-derived calcareous siltstone, sandstone, and conglomerate, with abundant plagioclase grains and local argillaceous beds, crop out immediately north of the augite porphyry plug. They are derived primarily from the felsic volcanic rocks of the Entiako Formation, but also contain clasts of augite porphyry. Sills and dikes of microdiorite intrude the Jurassic rocks and crosscut the epithermal vein system. A sample of the sill yielded a U-Pb zircon date of 73.8 +2.9/-0.1 Ma, indicating latest Cretaceous emplacement (R.M. Friedman, personal communication, 1996).

The occurrences were discovered during regional mapping by crews from the British Columbia Geological Survey in 1993. The Tsacha 16-unit claim block was staked by Teck Corporation in 1994 to cover these showings. Teck conducted soil geochemistry, prospecting, trenching and rock chip sampling in 1994. Work confirmed four veins and a vein-stockwork zone.

The main vein (Tommy) strikes approximately 020 degrees, dips vertical to steeply west and has been traced over 650 metres and remains open along strike. The vein has an average width of 4 metres and is continuous downdip to a diorite sill at 120 metres. The quartz is white, finely crystalline to massive, rarely banded along vein margins with drusy crystals growing inward toward the centre of some anastomosing veinlets. Sparry calcite sometimes occupies a void at the centre of the banded veins. Vein mineralogy includes native gold, stephanite, electrum and argentite in quartz, adularia, carbonate, and montmorillonite. Pyrite is present in trace amounts. Alteration consists of silicification, hematization with clay and sericite occurring distally. In 1993, a grab sample from the main (largest) vein assayed 34.8 grams per tonne silver and 3.3 grams per tonne gold (Open File 1994-2). Values greater than 1 gram per tonne gold have been obtained along the entire exposure of the vein (Cordilleran Roundup Abstracts February 7-10, 1995).

The parallel Larry vein is located approximately 130 to 200 metres east of the Tommy vein. The Larry vein has been traced for at least 300 metres along a north- to 160-degree- strike, dips vertically to 75 degrees southwest, and is up to 5.1 metres wide, with subparallel quartz veinlets extending 2 to 4 metres into the wallrock and a quartz-stringer zone extending a further 4 to 5 metres. The composition of the Larry vein is similar to that of the Tommy vein. A 0.4- to 0.9-metre wide vein and associated stockwork zone is located approximately 190 metres north of the main exposure of the Larry vein and may represent the northern extent of the vein. Quartz float on a rounded knoll, approximately 315 metres south of the main exposure of the vein is reported to possibly represent the southern extent of the vein.

The Bobby vein is a smaller, up to 1-metre wide, subsidiary vein to the Tommy vein and trends northeast (012 to 030 degrees) with a dip of 80 degrees west. The composition of the vein is reported to be similar to that of the Tommy vein. The vein extends for at least 200 metres and may merge with northern extent of the Larry vein.

The Ian vein/stockwork zone is located 175 metres west of the Tommy vein and trends north with a near vertical dip to 80 degrees west. The veined and silicified zone ranges up to 75 metres in width, with individual veins ranging up to 1 metre wide but averaging 1 to 3 centimetres. The zone has been traced intermittently by trenching and in outcrop for approximately 400 metres along strike.

The Billy vein is located approximately 500 metres west-southwest of the Tommy vein and comprises a north-trending, 0.4- to 1.0-metre wide vein that has been traced for at least 40 metres along strike. The vein diverges into two smaller, 0.2-metre wide, veinlets at its north end that are separated by silicified and sericite-altered wallrock.

The Johnny vein is located approximately 600 metres west of the Tommy vein and has been traced by trenching for approximately 30 metres along a north-south strike and is possibly exposed again approximately 140 metres to the north. The vein comprises a silicified and chalcedony vein-stringer stockwork zone that dips vertically. The vein tapers to 1 centimetre wide at its southern end and reaches a maximum thickness of approximately 1.5 metres close to its north extent. Later work, in 2016, indicated the vein has a strike of 192 degrees and dips 85 degrees west, while offsetting veinlets have a strike of 224 degrees and dip 88 degrees northwest.

The Barney vein is located approximately 420 metres east-southeast of the Tommy vein and trends 150 degrees with a 75 degrees west dip. The vein is 0.6 to 1.5 metres wide and is hosted in a 3-metre wide stockwork zone. Some banded chalcedonic sections are reported.

The Goofy vein and stockwork zone are located approximately 150 metres south of the Barney vein and may represent its southern extension. The zone is characterized by several quartz-calcite veins, stringers and silicified zones.

The Alf vein is located approximately 500 metres east of the Tommy vein on the southwest side of a small knoll and comprises a 0.6- to 1.0-metre wide quartz vein-stringer stockwork zone with trace sphalerite, galena, and malachite. The veined zone trends 165 degrees and dips vertically. On the east side of the same knoll two quartz veins are reported to be up to 0.20 metre wide, strike 300 to 335 degrees and dip 70 degrees northeast to vertically.

Stockwork veinlets are exposed on a knoll due south of the easternmost of the Tommy Lakes. Prominent fractures and brecciated vein material trend northeast. Another system of stockwork veinlets crop out on a knoll near the centre of a recent forest burn, northeast of Tommy Lakes. These quartz veins are similar to others south of Tommy Lakes, however, they also contain crystalline barite.

Work History

In 1994, Teck conducted geological mapping (1700 hectares); rock (207 samples), silt (11 samples) and soil (413 samples) geochemistry; and trenching (17 trenches). Values consistently over 1 gram per tonne gold were obtained along the entire exposure of the vein, with a maximum value of 61.9 grams per tonne gold and 292.5 grams per tonne silver over 1.5 metres from a trench sample (Assessment Report 23881). Also in 1994, sampling of the other veins yielded values of up to 1.2 grams per tonne gold over 3.5 metres from trench 15 on the Larry vein and 0.555 gram per tonne gold with 7.6 grams per tonne silver over 0.9 metre from possible northern extension of the Larry vein (Assessment Report 23881). Samples from trenches 1 to 3, where the Larry vein and the Bobby vein may merge, yielded values of up to 0.915 and 0.610 gram per tonne gold over 0.7 and 0.6 metre, respectively, whereas samples from trench 4 on the Bobby vein yielded up to 1.36 grams per tonne gold over 1.0 metre (Assessment Report 23881). The Ian vein yielded values of up to 11.59 grams per tonne gold and 38.6 grams per tonne silver over 0.55 metre, whereas a sample from its possible northern extension and southern silicified/stockwork zone yielded 0.770 and 1.22 grams per tonne gold with 3.4 and 11.8 grams per tonne silver, respectively (Assessment Report 23881). A sample from the Billy vein yielded 0.155 gram per tonne gold over 0.3 metre (Assessment Report 23881).

The adjacent Tam and Taken claim groups (093F 068) (west and northwest, respectively) host mineralized quartz veins of the same character as the Tsacha veins (i.e., all related to the same system approximately 2 kilometres wide).

In 1995, with Explore B.C. Program support, Teck Exploration Ltd. completed 1970 metres of diamond drilling in 20 holes, 240 metres of excavator trenching and a program of rock and bark geochemistry. This work traced the Tommy Vein 590 metres along strike and 100 to 200 metres downdip, leaving it open in all directions. The work also determined that the Larry Vein has potential of having the same continuity as the Tommy, with possibility of economic ore shoots. This property has good potential for a bonanza-style epithermal deposit of the adularia-sericite type (Explore B.C. Program 95/96 - M110). Samples (20929 and 20930) from trench 13B on the Tommy vein, located on the southern strike extension of the high-grade zone previously sampled in trench 94-13, yielded 56.25 and 83.01 grams per tonne gold with 396.4 and 553.5 grams per tonne silver over 1.5 and 1.3 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 24369). At this location, the Tommy vein is reported to trend 164 degrees and dip 80 degrees west. Trenching (no. 15) on the Larry vein yielded 7.1 grams per tonne gold over 5.1 metres, including 16.1 grams per tonne gold over 1.8 metres, whereas two trenches (no. 18 and 19) on the southern extension of the Larry vein failed to intersect the vein; small zones of silicified plus/minus sericite-limonite alteration yielded values of up to 0.150 gram per tonne gold in trench 18 (Assessment Report 24369 and 24788). Four trenches (no. 20 through 23) were completed over an approximately 150-metre strike length (north to south) on the Ian vein zone, yielding values of up to 1.10, 3.31 and 0.93 grams per tonne gold with 23.0, N/A and 5.4 grams per tonne silver over 1.3, 2.0 and 0.9 metres, respectively, in trenches 20, 21 and 23, whereas rock and chip samples (947, 856 and 952) taken approximately 100 metres north and 100 to 300 metres south of the trenches , yielded 1.02, 4.51 and 1.22 grams per tonne gold with 41.2, 83.4 and 11.8 grams per tonne silver, respectively (Assessment Report 24369). A 1.5-metre chip sample from the Johnny vein is reported to have yielded 2.75 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24788). Diamond drilling on the Tommy vein yielded intercepts of up to 5.53, 6.93 and 8.38 grams per tonne gold over 8.6, 6.7 and 7.2 metres true width in holes 95-5, 95-10 and 95-19, respectively, whereas drilling on the Larry vein is reported to have yielded 6.8 grams per tonne gold over 3.8 metres in hole 95-23 (Assessment Report 24369 and 27091).

In 1996, Teck completed approximately 3365 metres of diamond drilling in 23 holes. Drilling focussed on veins other than the Tommy. Trenching was also done across two kilometres of veins in an east-west direction; at least 8 veins have been identified. Drilling also tested the Johnny Vein (discovered in 1995), located approximately 600 metres west of the Tommy Vein, the Barney Vein (1996) located east of the Tommy Vein near the property boundary, and the Larry and Billy veins. All vein systems strike north-south and have a near-vertical dip. Trenching on the veins yielded intercepts of up to 5.79 grams per tonne gold over 9.7 metres in trench 96-40 on the Tommy vein; 4.87 grams per tonne gold over 3.7 metres true width, including 6.18 and 10.2 grams per tonne gold over 2.7 and 1.2 metres true-width, respectively on the Johnny vein; 14.1 grams per tonne gold and 26.0 grams per tonne silver over 0.6 metre on the Barney vein; 7.88 grams per tonne gold and 108.9 grams per tonne silver over 0.6 metre on the Goofy vein; 2.86 grams per tonne gold and 10.4 grams per tonne silver over 1.25 metres from the southern Larry stockwork zone and 0.15 gram per tonne gold over 1.1 metres on the Billy vein (Assessment Report 24788).

Also at this time, a 1.1-metre chip sample from a zone of quartz stringers in sericitized and silicified felsic tuff, located 79 metres west of the east end of trench 96-27 near the Ian zone, yielded 6.01 grams per tonne gold, whereas a 1.0-metre chip sample, taken 60 metres east of the Goofy vein near trench T96-34B, yielded 1.48 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24788). Two samples (20984 and 174) from the Alf vein yielded 1.02 and 3.21 grams per tonne gold with 42.4 and 133.6 grams per tonne silver, respectively, and a sample (134168) from a quartz-stringer stockwork zone, located on a small knoll southeast of the Billy vein, yielded 1.18 grams per tonne gold and 4.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 24788).

As of January 1997, work completed consisted of 1600 metres of trenching (40 trenches) and 8300 metres of diamond drilling (58 holes), resulting in the discovery of seven veins (Tommy, Larry, Johnny, Ian, Bobby, Barney, Goofy and Alf). A resource calculation for the Tommy Vein is 478,600 tonnes grading 8.7 grams per tonne gold and 82.3 grams per tonne silver, using a 3 grams per tonne cut off (MEG talk, February 19, 1997); calculation based on 27 drill and 9 trench intersections (Exploration in British Columbia 1998, page B-8).

In October 1997, Corona Gold Corporation entered into an agreement with Teck Corporation to earn a 50 per cent interest in the property. Corona drilled 15 holes, totalling 5926.5 metres in 1998. Deep diamond drilling in 1998 traced the Tommy Vein along strike, below the sill, for over 170 metres, and downdip for over 100 metres. The true width of the sub-sill vein intersections range from 0.7 to 9.35 metres. Gold assays are fairly consistent in the 1 to 10 grams per tonne range (Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 1998, B1-B10). Drilling on the Tommy vein is reported to have yielded intercepts including 2.46 grams per tonne gold over 14.7 metres in hole 98-81 (Assessment Report 27091). Also at this time, drilling on the Larry vein yielded three intercepts below the sill over a strike length of 50 metres and 100 metres of downdip length, yielding up to 6.4 grams per tonne gold and 46.3 grams per tonne silver over 1.6 metres (Assessment Report 27091).

The 3Ts Project consists of the Tsacha property (093F 055), the Tam property (093F 068) and Taken property (093F 068). The Tsacha and adjoining Tam and Taken properties cover a number of outcropping gold-silver quartz vein systems. For the purposes of MINFILE, the Tommy Vein, Larry Vein and Tommy North Vein, which all occur on the Tsacha claim, are assigned to that MINFILE designation. The Ted Vein, Ted East, Corner Zone, Adrian West, Adrian Creek, Mint Vein, Ringer zone and Triple Junction form more of an eastern cluster on the Tam and Taken claim.

In 2002, Southern Rio Resources Ltd. completed seven diamond drill holes, totalling 651.6 metres, on the Tsacha property. Two holes the main Tommy vein at 200-metre and 400-metre step-outs and extended the known strike length of the structure to greater than 1 kilometre. Drilling highlights included 4.53 grams per tonne gold and 28.53 grams per tonne silver over 7.90 metres (5.78 metres true width) in hole TS-02-85, located on the central portion of the Tommy vein (Assessment Report 27091).

Southern Rio released an inferred mineral resource estimate in 2002 of 470,700 tonnes grading 7.40 grams per tonne gold and 65.22 grams per tonne silver. This estimate is based on a 4 grams per tonne gold cut-off grade and it meets National Instrument (NI) 43-101 standards (November 18, 2002 News Release, www.sedar.com).

In November 2004, a program of approximately 4000 metres of diamond drilling started on the 3Ts property. This work, which continued to late February 2005, was the largest single drilling program to date by Southern Rio. The first hole of the program identified the depth extension of the Ted Vein (see 093F 068). Elsewhere, holes at the Tommy Vein also encountered mineralization beneath the sill and along strike (hole TS-05-108).

In 2005, Southern Rio changed their name to Silver Quest Resources. Drilling intercepts on the Tommy vein below the microdiorite sill included 2.57, 4.50 and 10.89 grams per tonne gold with 25.2, 34.5 and 60.2 grams per tonne silver over 0.43, 1.30 and 6.00 metres true width (436.00 to 436.63, 426.70 to 428.76 and 220.56 to 229.42 metres down hole) in holes TS-04-98, TS-04-99 and TS-05-108, respectively (Assessment Report 27882). Drillhole TS-05-108 also intersected the Larry vein above the microdiorite sill, yielding 6.36 grams per tonne gold and 48.5 grams per tonne silver over a true width of 2.2 metres (40.27 to 42.60 metres down hole; Assessment Report 27882).

In 2006, the company conducted a drill program and their website reports inferred resources for the Tommy Vein of 668,850 tonnes grading 6.07 grams per tonne gold and 55.2 grams per tonne silver and for the Ted vein (093F 068) of 273,800 tonnes grading 2.0 grams per tonne gold and 133.0 grams per tonne silver (www.silverquest.ca).

In 2011, Silver Quest Resources completed eight diamond drill holes, totalling 1647.0 metres, focused on the Ted and Mint veins (MINFILE 093F 068) and the area between the Mint vein and the Ringer zone. They released an inferred resource for the Tommy Vein (calculated only above the shallow dipping microdiorite sill that crosscuts the vein structure) of 552,500 tonnes grading 6.82 grams per tonne gold and 60.9 grams per tonne silver, at a 3.0 grams per tonne gold cutoff (Assessment Report 32671). Independence Gold Corp. acquired the 3Ts property from Silver Quest Resources in December 2011.

In 2012, Independence Gold Corp. collected rock samples across their 3Ts property which included veins at the Tsacha (093F 055) and Tam (093F 068) prospects. At the Tsacha prospect, the Johnny and Billy veins are the two most western veins found to date. Prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling were performed both to the north and to the south of these veins. Sampling work was also done in the Ian, Goofy and Alf vein areas. Two diamond-drill holes were completed in the Ted veins area on the Tam prospect. Work in 2012, north of the Johnny and Billy veins, quartz vein boulders were sampled. Wallrock contains 4 to 5 per cent quartz veinlets in outcrop 100 metres north of the Johnny Vein; these veinlets contain traces to 1 per cent disseminated pyrite and rare galena. No outcrop or quartz vein float was observed south of either the Johnny Vein or the Billy Vein. The Johnny Vein is very well exposed. The area to the west of the Johnny Vein remains relatively unexplored.

Also, in 2012, a NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource estimate was calculated for the Tommy, Ted and Mint veins (093F 068). Using a 1 gram per tonne gold grade cut-off, the total inferred resource for these three veins is 3,614,072 tonnes grading 3.39 grams per tonne gold and 85.15 grams per tonne silver for 11,180,560 contained grams of gold and 280,513,624 contained grams of silver (Press Release, Independence Gold Corp., January 20, 2012).

In 2013 and 2014, Independence Gold Corp. completed 18 diamond drill holes, totalling 2683.0 metres, on the 3Ts property. Drilling targeted the areas between the Goofy and Ted vein structures to test the Butch vein, Swamp zone and Cooley fault structure; the south and north extensions and high-grade zones of the Ted and Mint veins; a north-trending structure east of the Ted vein; the Ledge zone and a magnetic feature northwest of the Ringer zone. No significant mineralized quartz veins were reported to be intersected by this drill program.

Also at this time but prior to drilling, Independence Gold Corp. reported an inferred resource for the 3Ts project, using a 1.0 gram per tonne gold grade cutoff (Tommy and Ted-Mint [MINFILE 093F 068] veins), of 5.452 million tonnes grading 2.52 grams per tonne gold and 71.5 grams per tonne silver, including an inferred resource of 1.490415 million tonnes grading 4.25 grams per tonne gold and 41.9 grams per tonne silver for the Tommy vein (Assessment Report 35479).

In 2016, Independence Gold Corp. conducted an MMI and B-horizon soil geochemical sampling program following the release of the 2015 Geoscience BC spruce top biogeochemical survey results that show gold, arsenic, and zinc anomalies in the up-ice (west) direction from the known vein system. Soil sampling included an orientation survey and some regional sampling with the aim of developing targets in new areas. Prospecting continued in the area of known veins. Prospecting and rock sampling of the Alf vein area yielded values of 0.267 and 0.263 gram per tonne gold (samples A00289366 and A00289378) from two quartz veins located on the east side of the same knoll hosting the Alf vein, whereas a sample (B00215835) from an outcrop located approximately 140 metres north of the Johnny vein and possibly representing its northern extension, yielded 0.748 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 36591).

In 2017, Independence Gold completed an MMI soil survey that identified new drill targets.

In 2019, Independence Gold Corp. completed a program of prospecting, rock sampling, alteration mapping and a 286.4 line-kilometre airborne (drone-based) magnetic survey on the 3Ts property. Prospecting and sampling identified a quartz vein breccia (sample B00249509), located northeast of the Alf vein at the eastern edge of the silicified hill hosting the vein, that assayed 2.39 grams per tonne gold and 85.8 grams per tonne silver, whereas a sample (B00249519) from a newly recognized minor quartz vein (less than 10 centimetres thick) near the southeast extension of the Larry vein and west of the Goofy vein yielded 3.6 grams per tonne gold and 6.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 38838). Also at this time, two samples from the Johnny vein yielded 3.34 and 3.59 grams per tonne gold with 14.6 and 24.8 grams per tonne silver, respectively (Assessment Report 38838).