The Bearpaw Ridge occurrence is located on the northwest end of Bearpaw Ridge, north of the Fraser River and approximately 74 kilometres northeast of Prince George.

Regionally the area is underlain by Cambrian to Ordovician limestone, slate, siltstone, argillite and dolomitic carbonate rocks, greenschist metamorphic rocks of the Silurian Nonda Formation and quartz arenite sedimentary rocks of the lower Cambrian Gog Croup. To the southeast the sedimentary units have been intruded by a small syenitic to monzonitic intrusive stock.

Locally, over Bearpaw Ridge the area is mapped as Silurian volcaniclastics, felsic and intermediate tuffs, and agglomerates of the Nonda Formation; foliated hornblende gneiss on the western slope and coarse-grained massive pink syenites in the southwest. Folded and foliated dioritic orthogneiss vary from a banded gneiss containing 5 to 10 per cent magnetite-ilmenite to a mafic gneiss with 15 to 20 per cent magnetite-ilmenite.

Chemical analyses indicate a ferric oxide content of 6.9 and 14.5 per cent in two volcanic samples and 1.5, 7 and 11.2 per cent in three samples from mafic gneiss; corresponding titanium dioxide content is 0.59 and 2.06 per cent in volcanics and 0.27, 0.80 and 2.01 per cent in mafic gneisses, respectively (Assessment Report 24573).

In 1998, rock samples from a highly foliated gabbro, located along line 20+00E and along the western portion of a large magnetic anomaly, yielded from 19.92 to 27.80 per cent ferric oxide and 3.72 to 7.78 per cent titanium dioxide (Assessment Report 25770).

In 2001, resampling of historical drillcores yielded up to 0.40 gram per tonne gold from a 1.5-metre section of highly magnetic gabbro in hole 95-2 (Assessment Report 27021).

Work History

Based on magnetic features on aeromagnetic maps, 26BT Resource Development Co. Ltd. staked the BT claims in 1992. This was followed by an aeromagnetic survey in 1993 and additional staking in 1994. Diamond drilling took place in 1994, 1995 and 1996. A total of 15 holes with an aggregate length of 883 metres tested the anomalies. Significant concentrations of magnetite, ilmenite and rutile were identified within a folded and foliated dioritic orthogneiss. Assays of grab samples are as high as 25 per cent ferrous oxide plus 5 per cent titanium oxide. In addition to the drilling, 26BT Resources has covered much of their claims with helicopter-supported magnetic and electromagnetic surveys as well as ground follow-up. In 1995, a review of all data led to the staking of the BT 12 to BT 21 claims.

In 1997, 26BT Resources Development Co. Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and silt) sampling and an 80.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the BT claims. A "crude reserve estimate", used a combination of magnetic field and magnetite content to 'calculate' the estimate of 62 million tonnes of recoverable magnetite in a 5 per cent contour zone area (a 2.5 square-kilometre area; Assessment Report 25280).

In 1998, 26BT Resources completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock and silt) sampling, a 29.1 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey and a 345.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the BT claims. The following year, a further program of geochemical sampling and a 7.5 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey was completed.

In 2000, 26BT Resources completed two rotary drillholes, totalling 184.0 metres. The following year, two diamond drillholes, totalling 183.0 metres, and a program of geochemical (rock and silt) sampling was completed. In 2002, a program of rock, silt and soil sampling was completed. In 2003 and 2004, soil sampling programs were conducted. In 2005, 26BT Resources completed two diamond drillholes, totalling 60.0 metres. In 2006 and 2007, minor programs of geochemical (rock and silt) sampling were completed.