The YORK showing is located on the Fraser Plateau, between the Fraser River and Highway 97, approximately 16 kilometres southwest of the community of Hixon and 37 kilometres northwest of Quesnel.
The area is underlain by Middle to Upper Triassic metasediments (phyllite, slate, graphitic shale, schist, gneiss, hornfels, argillite and meta-greywacke) and Upper Triassic metavolcanics. Intruding these units is an Early Cretaceous biotite granodiorite. Mineralization consisting of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite occurs in quartz veins and shear zones mainly in hornfels at the biotite granodiorite contact.
Of eighteen rock samples collected by Barkerville Gold Mines in 2019, three (X954854, X954052, X954853) returned values of 2.55, 1.67 and 1.43 grams per tonne gold, respectively. These samples were collected in the south region of the intrusive contact area from quartz veins hosted in sandstone (Assessment Report 38588). A rock sample (G001855) collected from the same area in 2021 returned values of 0.219 gram per tonne gold and 16.95 grams per tonne silver. A 1983 diamond drill hole in this area intersected a 10 metre interval ranging from 1 to 10 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 39593).
HISTORY
From 1981 to 1988, exploration works such as the geochemical, geological, I.P., E.M., and magnetic surveys; road construction, backhoe trenching, percussion and diamond drilling have been completed by LAC Minerals Ltd. Published assessment reports indicate that In 1981, 1263 soil, 21 silt and 74 rock samples were collected; n 1982, 457.2 metres were drilled in 7 percussion holes; in 1983, 22 kilometres of Induced Polarization surveying was completed and; in 1987, 867.7 metres of trenching were excavated by backhoe in 27 trenches.
Drilling by Lac Minerals in the “York” and “Pat” pond area in 1982 show strongly anomalous molybdenum values in several holes and over most of the 76.3 metre length of hole 82-P-2. The best 3.05 metre drill intersection was 0.057 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 10599). Drilling in 1988 resulted in Lac stating that there were no especially high gold assays from the results; that the surface vein showings did not extend very deep; and according to hole RCY88-8 and 9, gold background values were highest in the deeper aureole zone of the granodiorite.
In 2007, NovaGold Canada Inc. held some of the ground on the north and west of what were previously held as the York Claims. Some of Lac’s geochemical surveying was on NovaGold’s holdings and three of NovaGold’s drillholes were in the old York 1, 2 and 8 ground. Several of Lac’s 1982 percussion drillholes, some of which had significant values in molybdenum, occurred on NovaGold’s ground just north of “York” pond.
In 2012, J.Chapman and G. Carlson conducted a program of photo interpretation, prospecting, mapping and rock collecting on their York property, confirming that the granodiorite central stock has produced metal-rich fluids permeating the surrounding metasediments and metavolcanics in the form of shears, dikes and veins, depositing gold and silver as well molybdenum and copper.
From 2016 through 2020, Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. conducted programs of airborne magnetic, electromagnetic (VTEM) and magnetic gradiometer surveys, followed by prospecting, mapping and stream sediment, soil and rock sampling on the York property.
